Tours with potential uneven surfaces and moderate inclines (8)

This tour includes two unique parks: Boston Common and the Public Garden. As we stroll through them let our guides tell you all about the history of each park. In 1634 the Town of Boston set aside the Boston Common as common land and it is the oldest public green space in any American city. Learn how a utilitarian location used to graze cows transformed into the urban oasis of today. By 1838 attempts to establish a botanic garden next to the Common had begun. It finally took shape as the nearby neighborhood of Back Bay was constructed. There are more than 100 varieties of trees here, all are winter-hardy given the harsh New England winters. Both parks contain significant works of public art that also help tell the story of these parks and the City. These early green spaces set the tone for later park building efforts and are well worth exploring. find out more

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

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 that works to restore women to their rightful place in the history of Boston by uncovering, chronicling, and disseminating information about the women who have made lasting contributions to the City of Boston. find out more

“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

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

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

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! 2023 Member Add-Ons: Register for the tour on select dates using your membership code for a free tour Add-On option available to members - Sat May 13 add on a guided visit to the Holocaust Memorial after the tour- Fri July 21 add on a guided visit to Armenian Heritage Park after the tour- Sun Aug 20 add on a guided visit to Armenian Heritage Park after the tour- Sun Oct 15 add on a guided visit to the Holocaust Memorial after the tour Become a Boston By Foot member today to enjoy free tours and special members events and activities. find out more