Walking Tours
Our Walking Tours
Boston By Foot tours offer opportunities for visitors and locals to explore Boston’s cityscape and discover its history with a passionate and knowledgeable guide. Core tours are offered on a daily and weekly basis during the April-November tour season, while others are offered monthly or quarterly. All tours are available upon request as a private tour at any time.
View tours by frequency, topic or by schedule by accessing our calendar. Each tour page contains detailed information about each of our offerings. We look forward to sharing our love of Boston with you!
Explore by Category
freedom trailhistoricalrevolutionkidsfamilyneighborhoodnorth endarchitecturebeacon hillbiographyliterary seriesBlack historyartnew tourarchaeologicalgeologicalurban development serieswomenbostonians fight for change serieslgbtqback bayneighborhood seriesurban planningbeacon hill social history seriesartssouth bostonburial ground
Daily & Weekly
Beacon Hill Cobblestone Street with Brick Homes
Beacon Hill's South Slope
Walk past the stunning Federal and Greek Revival row homes along Beacon Hill's charming streets
Explore the connection between architecture and politics in this tour along the charming streets of Beacon Hill's South Slope. Learn how Boston’s elite created an exclusive neighborhood next to the site of the state capital. Experience Beacon Hill’s past as you hear stories of independent female investor Hepzibah Swan; the fight for social justice at the Charles Street Meeting House; and the early American architecture of Charles Bulfinch. Walk through this historic collection of Federal and Greek Revival row homes on the shaded streets of Beacon Hill. After the tour, enjoy dinner or lunch at a charming restaurant along Charles Street. Uncover even more stories of Beacon Hill with our select offering of Beacon Hill tours! find out more
children questioning a tour guide
Boston By Little Feet
This child's-eye view of the Freedom Trail is specially designed for young walkers (ages 6-12)
Travel through 300 years of history on this fun and interactive tour of Boston's Freedom Trail. Designed for families with children 6-12 years old, this tour encourages discovery and exploration. On this walk, children will experience historical sites that played a key role in the American Revolution. You will see Faneuil Hall, the Old State House and the Old South Meeting House. Hear stories of the many interesting people who have made Boston their home throughout history. Experience opportunities to interact with history at each stop, including the site of the first public school in America and the oldest burying ground in Boston. The whole family will enjoy this hour-long tour in the heart of historic Boston! find out more
Night view of the north end Boston
The Dark Side of Boston
Hear tales of misery, misfortune and murder - all based on true historic events!
On this tour through the North End’s winding streets and alleyways, you will hear tales of misery, misfortune, and murder. These dark stories are all based on true historical events that have occurred in Boston. Learn about the Great Influenza of 1918, outbreaks of smallpox, the Molasses Flood, and the infamous Brink's Robbery against the backdrop of Boston's oldest neighborhood. Exploring the North End is always a delight. It's even better when investigating stories from Boston's checkered past! find out more
Old State House Boston
Heart of the Freedom Trail
The perfect introduction to Boston’s Revolutionary history
This tour is the perfect introduction to Boston’s Revolutionary history! Visit some of the key sites along the world-famous Freedom Trail in this engaging, one-hour guided walking tour. Journey into the past as you hear stories about events that took place in the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, King’s Chapel and the Old South Meeting House. Learn about the diverse people, places and events that started a revolution. The people of colonial Boston were ordinary people. Shaped by the times that they lived in, they rose to the cause, and achieved extraordinary things! find out more
Paul Revere's house in Boston's North End
The North End: Boston's Immigration Gateway
Explore Boston’s oldest neighborhood and discover the charm of this unique, compact city space
Explore Boston’s oldest neighborhood, the North End, with our knowledgeable guide. Discover the charm of this unique, compact city space that has been home to immigrants for 400 years. Learn what brought waves of people from Ireland, Eastern Europe, and Italy to the North End; the difficulties they faced when they arrived; and how they made a difference in their new home! This tour begins at the waterfront and weaves through Boston’s famous ‘crooked and narrow’ streets. It will end in the heart of the North End, the perfect spot to enjoy an Italian treat after the tour! find out more
The Green Dragon Pub in Boston
Road To Revolution
Ideal for history lovers and those interested in our nation’s Revolutionary past.
Explore the makings of a revolution! From the Boston Massacre to Paul Revere’s midnight ride, the birth of the American Revolution happened on these very streets. Hear the extraordinary stories preserved in the meetinghouses, halls and homes of Boston’s oldest neighborhoods. On this tour, our most in-depth Freedom Trail tour, you’ll see many historic landmarks as you go back in time. You’ll see King’s Chapel, the Old North Church, the Old State House, the site of the Boston Massacre, the Paul Revere House and more. Ideal for history lovers and those interested in our nation’s Revolutionary past. Our guides will gladly take you down the Road to Revolution on this fascinating tour! find out more
Monthly & Quarterly
Front of the Boston Art Museum
Art, Architecture and Gardens
Take note of significant buildings, gardens and pieces of artwork as you stroll the Back Bay Fens.
Stroll along the southern Fens, a section of the Emerald Necklace designed by landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted as you learn about the history, stories, and impact that the gardens, architecturally significant buildings and artwork had on society. Understand how 19th-century Boston philanthropists designed and funded institutions to create a city of culture and learning through the arts, sciences and education for residents and immigrants. Look at how they also supported medical and dental services for those in need. Uncover how the tradition continues and the Back Bay Fens represent all of this and more today. find out more
victorian buildings in boston's back bay
Back Bay’s Victorian Architecture
Delight in the elegant homes and architectural marvels of Victorian Back Bay
On this guided tour, explore how Boston’s back bay was filled in to become one of the United States’ richest collections of art and architecture. The treasures of this Back Bay tour include Trinity Church, the Boston Public Library, Old South Church and grand Back Bay townhouses. Walk back in time to uncover splendid examples of Victorian architecture. find out more
view of beacon hill from the charles river
Beacon Hill From Both Sides
Learn the history of both the North and South Slopes and why they became such separate neighborhoods.
From the beginning, the presence of the North and South Slopes of Beacon Hill have each had an important effect on the history and development of the other. We will explore the many different people who lived here and contributed to the story of Beacon Hill, including the Native Massachusett people, Boston’s African American community, Gay and Lesbian community, and 19th century immigrant populations. We will see some of Boston’s handsomest nineteenth century houses, and hear about the fascinating lives of the people who lived in them. find out more
Map of old Shawmut Peninsula overlayed on Modern Boston
Before Boston: Shawmut Peninsula through 1630
Explore 12,000 years of human activity on Shawmut Peninsula, the lands we now call Boston. Follow in the footsteps of the Native people who first walked here. Learn how they hunted and fished, and worked with clay and textiles. Uncover geological features and archaeological sites on this guided walk on and around Boston Common. Hear the stories of how the Massachusett first encountered strange people from afar, European explorers and settlers, who would then claim this land for their own. find out more
Painting of Benjamin Franklin
Ben Franklin: Son of Boston
Celebrate the life of Benjamin Franklin on this guided walk along his homes and haunts in Colonial Boston. Born in Boston, he came of age in Philadelphia, and was the darling of Paris. His legacy is without measure. He was one of America's leading scientists, inventors, diplomats, humorists, and statesmen. Uncover stories of Benjamin Franklin’s many inventions, his civic and educational impact, and his roles in the founding of the United States. find out more
Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins, Josephine St. Pierre Rupin, Martin Robinson Delaney, William Cooper Neil, Frederick Douglas
Black Voices: 19th-Century Black Writers on Beacon Hill
Literary Series
Truth, passion, bravery and hope. Discover stories of Boston’s Black writers who were laser-focused on the great topic of the era - slavery. Learn about the mark Black thinkers and writers made on literary and political history: David Walker and his sentinel work, Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World; novelist, playwright and editor Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins; Dorothy West and her biting satire on racial tensions, and many others. Walk Beacon Hill as you explore where they worked, raised their families, fought injustice, and wrote. find out more
Winslow Homer illustration of abolitionist riots in boston
Boisterous Bostonians: Riots & Protests
Bostonians Fight for Change Series
This tour returns to the lineup after a brief absence, timely topics of activism and civil unrest. Experience a most riotous tour through four centuries of protests, social violence and at times downright bad behavior. Known for the protests of the Stamp Act and Boston Tea Party, rebellions and uprisings have taken place throughout Boston's history. This tour examines many of the lesser known riots and street violence often fueled by the powerless who sought a voice over social, political, religious, and economic oppression. Take to the streets of Boston for a tour through anger, fear, rebellion, violence, and bad behavior! find out more
Burned buildings and homes in boston after the great fire
Boston Reborn: After the Great Fire of 1872
Urban Development Series
Join us on a 90-minute walking tour exploring the city's rebirth after the Great Fire of 1872. Follow the route of the progression of the Great Fire, a disaster in Boston's commercial district that proved more costly than the legendary Chicago Fire the year before. Hear how the city's architectural design contributed to the spread and speed of the devastating conflagration, and learn how these fires reformed our fire prevention policies in America. find out more
Gilded Age photo
Boston's Gilded Age
During the Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century, Boston's Back Bay was alive with social clubs and thriving cultural institutions. On this tour we will explore the favorite haunts of Boston's upper-class, often known as "Boston Brahmins." Though "Brahmins" had a reputation for being exclusive and elitist, many of these men and women were active in making our city—and the whole nation—a better place to live. They fought to abolish slavery and to recognize women’s rights, and they built libraries, colleges, museums and orchestras. Though this elite generation of wealthy activists was often philanthropic, on this tour we’ll also discuss their limitations and shortcomings. find out more
victorian women in affectionate pose.
Boston’s LGBTQ Past
Bostonians Fight for Change Series
Travel in the footsteps of Boston’s 19th and 20th century gay and lesbian friends. Explore Thoreau’s walks along the Common; Charlotte Cushman’s cross-dressing roles; World War II bars and baths; and the AIDS memorial quilt project. Learn about Boston’s flourishing gay and lesbian culture on this guided walking tour. This tour is presented in partnership with The History Project , a nonprofit organization that documents, preserves and shares New England's LGBTQ history. find out more
re-enactors of British loyalists in boston
Boston’s Loyalists
Hear the stories of Bostonians who remained loyal to the British crown.
“History is written by the victors” is an oft-quoted aphorism. Our Boston’s Loyalists tour tells the story of Boston’s role in the lead-up to the American War of Independence from the perspective of those who remained loyal to the British crown. This unique tour will visit historic Boston landmarks like the Granary Burying Ground, King’s Chapel, Old South Meeting House and Marshall Street. Our guides will introduce you to Boston’s Loyalists, some whom are familiar, others lesser known. These include artist John Singleton Copley, Governor Thomas Hutchinson, the enterprising Elizabeth Murray, and the sharp-witted Rev. Dr. Mather Byles. Perfect for those who want a deep-dive into Boston’s colonial history from a perspective apart from the typical Revolutionary War walking tour, Boston’s Loyalists will show you the Old Town from another point of view. find out more
Bullfinch Triangle
Bulfinch Triangle
Find out how this former industrial district has been given a new life.
In the last decade, the Bulfinch Triangle has been transformed from a hub of transportation and entertainment to a neighborhood with a growing number of residents and a place on Boston’s skyline. While our walk includes the historic landscape of the Mill Pond and the early 19th century street plan, we'll focus on the cycles of use since then. We will walk across the Triangle, exploring the area's industrial architecture and the transit elements that have shaped it. You'll see how the area continues to change today and how adaptive reuse is giving this former industrial district new life. find out more
Commonwealth Ave.
Urban Development Series
Take a walk through the heart of Victorian Boston on this tour of Commonwealth Avenue! Boston's grand boulevard, Commonwealth Avenue, provides an enduringly popular stroll. The tour parallels the 19 th century filling and development of the Back Bay from its origin at Arlington Street down the seven blocks along the tree-lined, grassy Mall. See how careful effort over 150 years has preserved the "grandness" of the Avenue. find out more
Maverick Square Mural in East Boston
East Boston: Maverick Square and Beyond
Neighborhood Series
Discover East Boston’s rich history and dynamic present by exploring the neighborhood of Maverick Square, East Boston’s oldest commercial center. Trace its roots back to Noddle’s Island and learn how the East Boston Company created a planned community that became today’s vibrant and diverse East Boston. This tour will examine the built environment, from the 1833 street grid laid to the new waterfront developments, to get a sense of the people and forces that have shaped East Boston. And discuss the crucial role of the waterfront, from its famed shipbuilding industry and extensive port facilities, to its contribution to East Boston’s proud immigrant heritage. Encounter the many forms of transportation that have shaped the development of East Boston, from the ferries that first brought people to the island, to the 20th century subway and vehicular tunnels, as we make our way to the marvelous Bremen Street Park across from find out more
boats docked under the bridge to fort point Boston
Fort Point Channel
Urban Development Series
Explore the engineered world of Fort Point Channel. On this tour of discovery, you will experience the history and engineering marvels of this industrial waterway that has become the centerpiece of this neighborhood's revival. Learn how the Channel came to be through the activities of the Boston Wharf Company, South Station development, the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, and recent activation efforts. Explore the workings of its three remaining historic bridges, plus the memories of the Mt. Washington, the rolling bridges at South Station, and the ambitious cofferdam. Uncover why Fort Point Channel was the most difficult undertaking of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, the I-90 extension, and the great changes the Channel has experienced since. Prepare to walk from one end of the Channel to the other and see this area like you have never seen it before! find out more
view from Pickney Street Boston
The Hub of Literary America
Literary Series
Journey to Victorian Boston and see where writers and poets including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott and Henry David Thoreau gathered to share new ideas and influence society! Learn how local publishers lured Charles Dickens and other famous writers to Boston. Discover why Edgar Allen Poe rejected Boston as his home. On this fascinating guided tour, walk in the footsteps of literary greats as you stop outside the Old Corner Bookstore, Louisa May Alcott’s home, the famous Athenaeum private library, and more. find out more
Star of David stained glass in Circular Window
Jewish Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill Social History Series
Journey to Beacon Hill’s North Slope at the turn of the 20th century. Explore the lives of its Jewish residents during a period of cultural and architectural change. Uncover how Boston’s Jewish immigrants created an active community that blended customs from Eastern Europe and changes to the new world around them. Discover sites where Boston’s Jewish West End residents worked, lived and worshiped, including the sites of three synagogues within a few blocks of each other. Tour can include a visit to the Vilna Shul upon request. find out more
Postcard showing Beacon Hill by the Common
Literary Beacon Hill: The 20th Century
Literary Series
Explore beautiful Beacon Hill as your guide takes you on a journey into the world of famous 20th century writers. Learn the fascinating stories of Boston writers, including Robert Frost, Sylvia Plath and Robert Lowell, who called Beacon Hill home. Discover their colorful lives and personal styles as you explore the neighborhood where they worked. find out more
Cover of Little Women
Louisa May Alcott’s Boston
Literary Series
Louisa May Alcott's Little Women - one of the most beloved books of all time — was published more than 150 years ago. The character of Jo March, the book’s heroine, was loosely based on Alcott's own life, growing in 19th century New England. Thanks to the fame of Little Women, today's readers associate Alcott with Concord. In fact, Alcott lived for long periods in Boston. Most readers of the time associated her with the city’s vibrant literary scene. On this tour, you will see Alcott’s Boston homes, walk the streets and hear stories that inspired this beloved author. find out more
Myrtle Street Beacon Hill Boston
The North Slope of Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill Social History Series
Explore the diverse architecture and fascinating social history of Beacon Hill’s North Slope. On this guided walking tour, discover the Vilna Shul, designed by Boston’s only Jewish architect of the time, the African Meeting House, and many other interesting sites. The North Slope is a vibrant, historic neighborhood ready for you to uncover. Learn about Boston’s early free Black community, the neighborhood’s connections to the Underground Railroad, and the role its residents played in 19th century reform movements. Hear stories of adversity and triumph on Beacon Hill’s ever-changing North Slope. find out more
Large Beacon Hill residence Boston
Notable Women of Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill Social History Series
Explore beautiful, historic Beacon Hill with your guide and be introduced to a variety of notable women who lived and worked in this neighborhood. Discover where Elizabeth Palmer Peabody founded the U.S. kindergarten movement, and where the first African American woman doctor, Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler practiced. Learn about the women who were among the founders of the Vilna Shul, and of sculptor Anne Whitney, whose commissions include the Samuel Adams and Leif Erikson statues. Walk the same streets as the women who opened new paths for generations to come. You’ll hear about artists, abolitionists, lawyers, suffragists, and authors who changed Boston, the nation and the world. This tour was developed by the Boston Women’s Heritage Trail , a group that works to restore women to their rightful place in the history of Boston by uncovering, chronicling, and find out more
View of Boston's Long Wharf
Reinventing Boston: A City Engineered
Urban Development Series
A walk through Boston is a walk through time. On this guided walk through the Greenway and along the Waterfront, observe how Boston’s urban landscape has changed as you uncover the clues left behind. From cobblestone streets to the first subway to the Big Dig, Boston has led the way in urban transformation. For hundreds of years, the city has changed to meet the demands of people, business, transportation and public health. Together we will walk from the narrow streets of 17th-century Boston to the modern city, exploring a city reengineered! find out more
Women's suffrage poster 1915
Road to the Vote: Boston Suffragists
Bostonians Fight for Change Series
The Road to the Vote for national woman suffrage was a long and arduous one. Along the way, countless suffragists, in Boston, and across the nation, organized, wrote, fundraised, marched, picketed, boycotted, and went on hunger strikes to call attention to their cause. Generations of women fought in the struggle, all the while hoping to open minds and move hearts. By the early 20th century women in Boston were being arrested and jailed for their convictions. It was 72 years from Seneca Falls to the time when American women voted in municipal, state and federal elections exercising the right provided to them in the 19th amendment. This tour celebrates the centennial of the ratification of that amendment and highlights the places, people and protests that helped win the vote for women. This tour was developed by the Boston Women’s Heritage Trail , a group find out more
Old clock in South Boston
South Boston’s Broadway
Neighborhood Series
Walk along South Boston’s main Broadway on this guided tour, exploring how the neighborhood has played a major part in Boston’s history. View many beautiful buildings and their architectural styles as we walk. See the oldest street clock in Boston at the former site of Blinstrub’s Village, and learn how the occupation of Dorchester Heights led to the evacuation of the British troops from Boston during the American Revolution. Visit the former sites of manufacturing companies that once dotted the neighborhood and played a key role in Boston’s economy. Learn how South Boston’s churches were built as places of worship for the many immigrants who came to this neighborhood. Finish the tour in Medal of Honor/ “M” Street Park where you can see the first Vietnam Memorial in the United States. find out more
Rowe's Wharf architectural rendering 1984
The Story of Rowes Wharf
Urban Development Series
When the modern Rowes Wharf was conceived in 1982, it was a design competition with a bold vision of a new Boston. Learn why this building was such a breakthrough, and how it remains at the center of 21st-century Boston. Our hour-long, accessible, quarter-mile tour will lead you through memories of colonial wharves and elevated trolleys, schooners and steamships, and into the transformed city. Presented in partnership with the Boston Harbor Hotel find out more
dorchester burial ground entrance
Upham’s Corner
Neighborhood Series
Upham’s Corner is one of Boston’s oldest crossroads. Join us to explore this fascinating section of Dorchester. Find out why part of the Emerald Necklace did not get built here as planned. Learn about Amos Upham and what inspired him to open his store in 1804. And why Upham’s Corner was home to the country’s first supermarket. See Dorchester’s oldest cemetery, the North Burying Ground, as we talk about exciting future plans for this neighborhood in the Imagine Boston 2030 plan. This tour is presented in partnership with Upham's Corner Main Street , an organization whose mission is to improve quality of life in the Upham’s Corner business district by helping neighborhood businesses thrive. find out more
A Woman Booster for the Trade Union League
Working Women: Boston Women Find Their Voice
Bostonians Fight for Change Series
For most of the 19th century, Boston’s working women’s voices were not being heard. It would take the creation of the Women’s Trade Union League founded by Mary Kenney O’Sullivan in Boston to show women how to organize themselves into trade unions. On this tour, discover how women’s voices grew from the foundation laid by the Denison House and the WEIU (Women’s Education & Industrial Union). Learn about the proud, defiant women who led Boston’s women’s trade unionism and suffrage movements, and the struggles these movements faced, divided along class lines. find out more
Annual Events
Patriotic Celebration at Boston's HatchShell outdoor stage
Footloose on the Freedom Trail
Our special annual 3-hour July 4th event!
July 4th A Boston tradition! Footloose on the Freedom Trail is a 3-hour guided walking tour of the entire Freedom Trail from the Boston Common and Massachusetts State House to the U.S.S. Constitution offered every Independence Day. Walk the 2.5-mile route with us on this patriotic tour through 16 historic sites, as it winds its way through Boston's history. There's no better time to do it than on the Fourth of July, no better way to start off the day, and no better way to celebrate America's birthday! The tour ends in the Charlestown Navy Yard. Following the tour, you may wish to check out the USS Constitution Museum or enjoy the views on a water shuttle trip back to downtown. find out more
lit pumpkins in the dark
Beacon Hill with a BOO!
For more than 30 years, this tour has been part of any great Halloween celebration in Boston.
Join Boston By Foot for our most popular event of the year! For more than 30 years, this tour has been part of any great Halloween celebration in Boston. There is no better place than Beacon Hill to walk to the dark side on All Hallow’s Eve. On the Boo! tour, you will hear stories that shed a new light on this quiet residential neighborhood. Murder and mayhem lurk just below the surface. Beacon Hill transforms itself for Halloween with elaborate decorations and hoards of trick or treaters in costumes. If you have not seen Beacon Hill on Halloween, you are missing out! The Boo! tour highlights the Hill’s dark legacy of mystery and murder. Visit the home of the infamous Dr. George Parkman and learn what happened to his dismembered body. Learn the names and stories of Boston women hung for witchcraft. find out more
New for 2023
Betances Mural
Art Introspective: Copley Square to the South End
Discover a trove of unknown and underappreciated works of art
Few are unfamiliar with the famous “Nashville Wings” done by Kelsey Montague. Did you know one of her illustrations is right here in Boston, “Balloons Over Boston/What Lifts You”? The walk from Copley Square through the South End is full of underappreciated and unknown artwork. On this tour, experience the wonder of the “Betances Mural” to the deeply symbolic work of Pablo Eduardo. One need not know anything about art, only enjoy beauty in its many forms, to love this tour. “Step on Board” as we discover these hidden gems (bring your camera)! find out more
Boston Public Library
Becoming Back Bay
Travel through Boston's Back Bay, a marvel of 19th Century civil engineering
Take a trip through the Back Bay neighborhood and learn where Back Bay started, how it evolved, and where it is today. Discover why and how the Bay was filled, and peek into the homes of the Victorian residents and their servants. Learn what made Back Bay such an engineering marvel in its time. On this tour, explore why the filling of the bay was considered the most ambitious civil engineering achievement in nineteenth-century America, and uncover how it was a landmark event of urban planning in every sense of the term. find out more
Boston Freight Terminals
Fort Point and Seaport: The Evolution of the South Boston Waterfront
Tour two neighborhoods that have the same roots but look and feel completely different
The Seaport and Fort Point, two waterfront neighborhoods with the same roots but that look and feel completely different. How did the Seaport turn from a tidal marsh to the newest, hottest part of Boston with gleaming glass towers, high-end restaurants, luxe shopping, and some of the most expensive real estate in town? While only steps away is the historic, architecturally distinct urban loft neighborhood of Fort Point? Answer these questions and more on this tour as we walk through time from the late 19th century to today exploring the history of these two unique neighborhoods. Learn about how Summer Street was once the center of the wool trade in the United States and about how the Seaport became Boston’s “Innovation District.” find out more
Lincoln Street, Leather District
Leather District
Explore Boston’s Leather District, nestled between South Station and Chinatown
Join us to explore the rich past, present and future of Boston’s Leather District, nestled between South Station and Chinatown. Once part of South Cove and largely built after Boston’s Great Fire of 1872, this commercial district was the hub of New England’s leather and shoe industries at the turn of the 20th century. Walk past handsome historic brick and stone buildings, some with fanciful details honoring the cattle the leather trade depended on. We’ll also introduce you to Boston’s first dog catcher, celebrate America’s Community Health Center movement, and salute South Street Diner, an enduring favorite of clubgoers and other night owls. The tour begins and ends at South Station, another star of our story with an outsized impact on the fortunes of the Leather District and one of several high-rise development sites that now hover at its edge. find out more