Last updated: July 6, 2024
Thing to Do
Ranger's Choice Evening Walking Tour
NPS Photo
The stories that define Boston are part of the unfinished legacy set into motion in the years leading up to and following the American Revolution.
These ranger led tours unpack themes and questions that originated with the founding generation. While some tours focus on the Revolutionary Period, others explore how later changemakers advocated to expand the ideals, values, and sacrifices from 1776 in order to move towards a more perfect union.
Unfinished Revolutions Evening Walking Tours
All programs begin at 5:30 PM and last approximately 60 minutes.
July 17 – “Boston: An Underground Railroad Hub”
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Beginning at the African Meeting House, a one mile walk through Beacon Hill (meet at Smith Court in Beacon Hill)
Address: 8 Smith Court, Boston, MA, 02114
Did you know that Boston played a central role in the Underground Railroad? Join a National Park Ranger and explore the inspiring stories of the freedom seekers who escaped to Boston and the people and organizations here that assisted them.
Sign up for the tour on eventbrite
July 24 – “An Incident on King Street, March 5, 1770”
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Beginning at Faneuil Hall, a short walk to State Street and Old State House (meet in the Education Space in the Faneuil Hall space)
Address: 1 Faneuil Hall Sq, Boston, MA, 02109
On March 5, 1770, seven British soldiers fired into a crowd of Boston citizens. What led to this “Incident?” Join a Park Ranger as we explore the role of riots in Boston since 1700 and how the social popularity in riots effected growing tension between British Regulars and Boston colonists between 1768-1770.
Sign up for the tour on eventbrite.
July 31 – “A Lighthouse Among the Lamp Posts” Charles Sumner’s Beacon Hill
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Beginning at the Col. Robert Gould Shaw/54th MA Monument on the Boston Common, moving up Joy Street and ending near Chestnut Street (meet at the Col. Robert Gould Shaw/54th MA Monument on the Boston Common)
Address: 26 Beacon Street, Boston, MA, 02108
Who are the people who inspire us? What can we do to be better allies to others? Explore the life and times of Massachusetts senator and abolitionist Charles Sumner. Born on the north slope of Beacon Hill, Sumner grew up in the center of Boston's abolitionist movement. Influenced and inspired by the African American community around him, Sumner would take the lessons he learned to the national stage, with consequences that would change a nation.
Sign up for the tour on eventbrite.
August 7 – The Mill Pond: Unearthing Boston’s Lost Neighborhood
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Beginning at Faneuil Hall, a short walk to Boston Public Market, and One Canal (meet in the Education Space in the Faneuil Hall space)
Address: 1 Faneuil Hall Sq, Boston, MA, 02109
By 1828, the mill pond occupying what is today the North End and West End neighborhoods of Downtown Boston was filled in to accommodate the need for sanitary residential space. As a result, the neighborhood that sprung up around the mill pond was dramatically altered and, consequently, is often overlooked in Boston's history. Join the National Parks of Boston as we look to better understand the social history and environmental impacts of this diverse community.
Sign up for the tour on eventbrite.
August 14 – Women of Beacon Hill
4:30pm-5:30pm*
Address: Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133
*Beginning at 4:30. Part of the "Suffrage in Black and White" play series. Stay tuned for more information.
During the 1800s, Beacon Hill served as a center in the work to abolish slavery, the fight for equal education, & the struggle for women’s rights. Black & White women played a significant role in these & other efforts, having aspirational visions of a just & equitable world. Working from their homes & in community spaces, they used tools at their disposal to define their own sphere of action & influence. Join us as we explore stories of the inspiring women who lived & made a difference in this community.
August 21 – Desegregation in the “Cradle of Liberty”
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Beginning at the Col. Robert Gould Shaw/54th MA Monument on the Boston Common, moving down Beacon Street and ending near Faneuil Hall (meet at the Col. Robert Gould Shaw/54th MA Monument on the Boston Common)
Address: 26 Beacon Street, Boston, MA, 02108
Boston earned its nickname as the “Cradle of Liberty” by fostering the revolutionary ideals and values that serve as the foundation of this country. And as the home to the oldest public school in America, Boston has historically considered access to education as one of these core values. Boston is therefore home to the longest ongoing struggle for equal education in the nation. Because when the doors opened to the Boston Latin School in 1635, a site marked on the Freedom Trail – to whom were those doors opened for?
The Black struggle for equal education in Boston began in the era just after the American Revolution, with Prince Hall’s petition to the Massachusetts Legislature in 1787. Learn more about the generations of Black Bostonians who have been involved in advocating and fighting for equal education from 1787 to 1976 and the legacy of advocacy and community activism that they left behind.
Sign up for the tour on eventbrite.
August 28 – Sons and Spies
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Beginning at Faneuil Hall, a short walk to Old State House, Long Wharf, and Haymarket (meet in the Education Space in the Faneuil Hall space)
Address: 1 Faneuil Hall Sq, Boston, MA, 02109
As sides were drawn in Boston during the 1770s, both loyalists and patriots, grew and hatched secret plans. To try and stay ahead of each other, both set up a network of spies to gather information. Focusing on the Sons of Liberty spy network, known as the “Mechanics,” we will explore the multiple perspectives of the mechanics as they gathered information to push Boston towards Revolution.
Sign up for the tour on eventbrite.
Details
Duration
60-75 Minutes
Activity
Guided Tours
Join a Park Ranger for a special guided tour.
Pets Allowed
Yes
Activity Fee
No
These programs are free and open to the public.
Reservations
No
Season
Summer
Time of Day
Day
Accessibility Information
Depending on the topic, the tour may require a bit of walking, possibly up hills.