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Offered languages
- English
Boston's role in the fight to end legalized slavery is linked by the Black Heritage Trail in historic Beacon Hill. This pedestrian path is best experienced on foot, in a small group, with a knowledgeable local guide! Your 2.5-hour loop tour travels from Boston Common to visit Underground Railroad sites, elite homes of "Boston Brahmins," and abolitionist landmarks such as the African Meeting House.
Our small-group walking tour delves deeply into the years 1833 to 1863, the tumultuous years leading toward Civil War. We walk in the footsteps of 19th-century Bostonians, all of whom grappled with the "peculiar institution" of racial enslavement in the U.S.
With a captivating storytelling approach, Hub Town Tours provides the perfect introduction to Boston's role in America's "Second Revolution." As we travel past landmarks from Civil War Boston, your guide shares the gripping story of local Bostonians finding their voices and demanding an end to injustice across their young nation.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Meet your guide at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the center of Boston Common, steps from the Boston Common Visitors Center at 139 Tremont Street (02108). Look for a white granite column topped by a female figure holding a flag; four bronze statues surround the base of the central column.
Your 2.5-hour tour concludes in front of the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial, across the street from the Massachusetts State House. This special loop tour of Beacon Hill ends within 0.2 miles of its starting location at the Prescott House.
Itinerary
-
1
Meet your guide at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the center of Boston Common, steps from the Boston Common Visitors Center at 139 Tremont Street (02108). Look for a white granite column topped by a female figure holding a flag; four bronze statues surround the base of the central column.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
Boston Common (Pass by)
Oldest public land in the Americas and Boston's communal grazing pasture (1634)
Admission ticket free -
2
Narrow cobblestone alleyways wind throughout historic Beacon Hill
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Elegant neighborhood square from elite world of 19th-century "Boston Brahmins"
Admission ticket free -
3
Built as a whites-only school in 1824, but among the first schools to integrate in Boston by 1855
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4
Home of leading abolitionist, state legislator, and former barber
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Primary thoroughfare of Beacon Hill, lined with local shops and restaurants
Admission ticket free -
5
Historic meeting house (1807) and site of contentious debate over racial integration
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Home of African-American community activist and abolitionist
Admission ticket free -
6
Underground Railroad safe house owned by the Haydens, staunch abolitionists who were formerly enslaved
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7
1796 residence of Harrison Gray Otis, Boston mayor and nephew of revolutionary James Otis, Jr.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Historic 1806 church designed by noted architect Asher Benjamin
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Home of outspoken abolitionist and U.S. Senator beaten unconscious in the Capitol over the issue of slavery in 1856.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Homes of several African-American abolitionists, including historian William Cooper Nell
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Founded in 1835 as segregated school for Boston's African-American children
Admission ticket free -
8
Cultural center of Boston's African-American community and oldest extant black church building in the U.S. (1806)
25 minutes • Admission ticket included -
9
Oldest extant house in Beacon Hill (1787) was home to African-American Revolutionary War veteran
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
Massachusetts State House (Pass by)
Massachusetts state capitol and "Hub of the Solar System" (1798)
Admission ticket free -
10
Our tour concludes beside the Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial opposite 24 Beacon Street.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
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Additional info
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Not recommended for travelers who have difficulty standing for extended periods
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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