Back Bay: Small Group Tour of Women's Rights Boston
5.0
26 Ratings
Boston
Explore Boston's Back Bay on a small group tour, uncovering the city's pivotal role in women's suffrage. Walk historic streets with a local guide.
Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Boston Public Garden - Established in 1837 as first public botanical garden in the United States.
  • Make Way for Ducklings Statues - Sculpture by Nancy Schön based on Robert McCloskey’s classic picture book.
  • George Washington Statue - Equestrian statue of George Washington by Thomas Ball commissioned in 1859.
  • Boston Women’s Heritage Trail - Marking important sites related to Boston’s Women’s History
  • 6 Marlborough St - Home of Pauline A. Shaw, financier of Boston’s women’s suffrage movement and founder of the Boston Equal Suffrage Association for Good Government.
  • First Church in Boston - Established in 1630, the church later became a center of the Transcendentalist movement.
  • 67 Marlborough St - Home of Elizabeth Putnam, anti-suffragist and first woman to preside over a state electoral college.
  • 45 Commonwealth Ave - Home of Kate Gannett Wells, founding member of MAOFESW, Boston’s leading anti-suffrage organization.
  • 25 Commonwealth Ave - Home of Mary Shreve Ames, president of the Massachusetts Anti-Suffrage Association.
  • The College Club of Boston - First women’s college club in the United States
  • Commonwealth Avenue Mall - Historic, long avenue featuring a path through trees, grassy areas, park benches & statues.
  • Newbury Street - Popular street home to shopping, dining, and many luxury brands.
  • RH Boston | The Gallery at the Historic Museum of Natural History - Home to the Museum of Natural History from 1864-1951.

  • Copley Square - Iconic public square built to be the cultural center of Boston.
  • Trinity Church - Built in 1877 and considered by members of the American Association of Architects as one of this country’s top 10 buildings.
  • 585 Boylston St - Then known as Chauncy Hall, was home to the offices of many pro-suffrage organizations including the Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association and The Women’s Journal.
  • Boston Public Library - Founded in 1848, it is now the third-largest public library in the United States.
  • Boston Marathon Finish Line - Finish line of the iconic Boston Marathon.
  • 687 Boylston St - Location of the Kensington Building (demolished 1967), which housed the offices of the Massachusetts Association Opposed to Further Extension of Suffrage to Women.
  • Boston Women’s Memorial - Memorial depicting Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley, and Lucy Stone
  • 3 Exeter St - Home of Abigail Williams May, one of the first women appointed to the Massachusetts State Board of Education and cousin of Louisa May Alcott.
  • Beacon Street & Exeter Street - Beacon Street, “enemy-country” according to Boston Suffragists, was the starting location for the 1915 Suffrage Victory Parade.
  • 260 Beacon St - Home of Blanche Ames, a pro-suffrage cartoonist and early advocate for birth control.
  • 241 Beacon St - Home of Julia Ward Howe.
  • The Gibson House Museum - Historic House Museum with preserved interior from 1859.
What's Included
  • Small Groups (16 guests max)
  • Women’s Rights Landmarks
  • Back Bay Neighborhood
What's Not Included
  • Guides in Period Costume
  • Admission inside Museums
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Boston’s leading role in the American fight for women’s suffrage is found on the tree-lined streets of its elegant Back Bay neighborhood. This masterpiece of Victorian-era architecture is best experienced on foot, in a small group, with a local guide! Your 2.5-hour tour travels from Boston Common into historic Back Bay, visiting must-see landmarks such as the Public Garden, Newbury Street, and iconic Copley Square.

Our walking tour delves deeply into the years 1870 to 1920, tumultuous decades culminating in women earning the right to vote in the United States. Walk in the footsteps of prolific activists and financiers, visiting the political battleground for pro- and anti-suffrage groups.

With a captivating storytelling approach, Hub Town Tours provides the perfect introduction to Boston’s role in the advancement of women’s rights. As we travel past key landmarks and historic homes, your guide shares captivating stories of the Bostonians who assembled the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

  • Not recommended for travelers that have trouble standing for extended periods of time.
Location
1 P Charles St
Charles Street
The tour gathers on Boston Common at the intersection of Beacon and Charles Streets. Please meet your guide at 1 Charles Street (02108), inside Boston Common and across the street from Starbucks Coffee.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(26 Ratings)
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3sj1lj
May 4, 2023
An awesome learning experience - Nick was extremely knowledgeable and a passionate story teller. We learned a lot about this historical period and throughly enjoyed the experience! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
272lourdesa
Oct 13, 2020
Fabulous Tour - This was one of the best tours we have ever taken. Ted is an amazing storyteller and he is knowledgeable and engaging. I am recommending this tour to everyone I know is coming to Boston. A must!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dvbindy
Aug 9, 2020
Great tour/memory. Worth every penny! - We had to come to the Boston area for a wedding, and I wanted to take my daughters and grandson on a quick tour of the city, but didn't want to do a self-guided tour. Ted was recommended through another tour guide who was not available. He was perfect. We had a great time walking the Freedom Trail, seeing the Cheers Bar and many other sights. He was so welcoming and so knowledgeable, it was almost like having a friend show you the town. He made all the history come alive, and even found a way to keep my 6-year old grandson engaged. We definitely recommend Ted and Hub Town Tours!
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X8210fmmarkb
Sep 11, 2019
Fantastic Tour - Simply a great tour. We did five hours (lunch on he Long Wharf in the middle) with Ted and his company. Did Chapters 1 and 2 and were bummed that we did not do chapter 3. Worth every dollar for this intimate historical tour and can not be more pleased. Highly recommend it.
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Excursion244570
Jun 30, 2019
Freedom Trail Tour w Ted-FABULOUS - Ted is passionate, kind, knowledgeable and engaging. This was recommended to me by the Eliot Hotel and I couldn’t have been more pleased! Worth every penny.
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Thomaspins
Jun 6, 2019
Favorite part of the day! - Being the teen in the family I was expecting a very boring long lecture on the history of Boston with names I’d never remember and dates I’d immediately forget. However that was not at all what we got, the tour guide (Ted) made it very simple by making Boston’s history into a story rather than just listing off events than happened. He was easy to understand and very engaging using pictures, quotes, and more to keep everything interesting. He also had a very fun sense of humor. The whole tour was four hours long with a break for lunch in the middle (which he was very helpful with giving recommendations of where to grab a bite), however it was so interesting and fun it seemed less than half that time and it kept me engaged the whole time! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who would like to kill some time while learning about Boston’s history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elizabeth
May 1, 2019
Liz K - I just finished the Freedom Trail Tour with Ted at Hub Town Tours. It was great! I love history and Ted made the tour very interesting. I took both parts of the tour (Rebellion and Revolution). I would definitely recommend Hub Town Tours and think this particular tour as a “must do” while visiting Boston.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nickddd
Mar 9, 2019
Walk in Boston in 1768 - Ted studied history and archaeology in college then joined the National Park Service in Boston before starting Hub Town Tours. He is an excellent storyteller. In the "Rebellion" chapter tour of the North end there were brief moments where I felt like I was inside the history. He set the scene of the Boston Massacre so carefully that I could walk around in it in my imagination. It's clear he appreciates all of the nuances of stories that sometimes get left out when told to kids growing up in America. Ted is charming and a good conversationalist. If you want a recommendation for a good restaurant in the area he knows a few places that will blow your mind. Overall a unique and worthwhile experience. Even in March. Wear layers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Suzanne
Jan 27, 2019
Ancient Chipotle - Ted, a former National Park employee, was very detailed during our tour. He was there on time, and he gave us a very interesting and funny tour. We actually ate at the "First Chipotle" on the Freedom Trail. The Chipotle was actually on the site of a Revolutionary publisher and helped publish books by Alcott and Longfellow . But I would recommend this tour to anyone looking to take a walk through history with someone who really knows what he is talking about!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Noraks
Oct 16, 2018
Quality all the way - Our group of four "mature adults" was completely enthralled during the entire tour with Ted. His background is impressive and showed in the breadth and depth of knowledge he shared with us about our country's history as it related to the walk along the Freedom Trial. He even suggested a great non-touristy place for a fabulous Italian lunch (Panza) after the tour ended. Our tour lasted 30 minutes longer than scheduled, we were all so engaged with his information and stories. Two of us are docents/interpretive guides in our private lives so have a good understanding of what it takes, and Ted has it in spades.
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up to 7 guests
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June 2024
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