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Boston Historical Tour: Revolution and Beyond
5.0
1,615 Ratings
Boston
Experience the Boston Revolutionary Story, a comprehensive American history tour that brings the landmarks, characters, and events of the American Revolution to life. Explore Boston’s oldest neighborhoods and follow the revolution’s timeline, all while being entertained and educated by knowledgeable guides. Voted Best Historical Tour and a top tour in the United States.
Duration:
3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- The Revolutionary Story Tour - City Hall Plaza is a pedestrian-only area centrally located across from and overlooking Faneuil Hall. We gather between Five Iron Golf and City Hall. The guide will be in front of the seasonal beer garden, next to a large “BOSTON” sign with Faneuil Hall in the background, offering a great photo opportunity to start the tour.
- Boston City Hall - Notable for its distinctive architecture.
- King’s Chapel Burying Ground - Discover the unique individuals who first settled Massachusetts Bay. The Puritans are more significant (and much stranger!) than you might think!
- Freedom Trail - A famous brick path connecting 16 historic landmarks. Unlike most tours that follow this path in one direction, we navigate the city visiting sites in chronological order.
- King’s Chapel - The first Anglican Church in Boston.
- Park Street Church - Known as Brimstone Corner for its fiery sermons. On July 4, 1829, William Lloyd Garrison made his first public address against slavery here.
- Granary Burying Ground - Who were the Sons of Liberty? Visit the tombs of Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Sam Adams to find out!
- Old City Hall - Featuring some of the city’s most beautiful architecture, it serves as the backdrop for discussions about the historic challenges and obstacles of democracy.
- Statue of Benjamin Franklin - Learn about America’s first public school and its most famous student, the incomparable Benjamin Franklin!
- Old State House - The oldest public building in the country and the hub of Massachusetts politics. The great political debate between British authority and American rights took place here.
- Boston Massacre Site - Discover the soldiers, citizens, loyalists, and patriot leaders involved in this explosion of tensions!
- Old Corner Bookstore - Former publishing house of American literary icons like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and more.
- Old South Meeting House - The Boston Tea Party began here! This pivotal event led up to the American Revolution. There was no turning back after this!
- Post Office Square - The road to revolution runs through the heart of downtown Boston. While the core of this tour covers 12 of the 15 Freedom Trail locations, a beautiful and bustling modern city has grown around its historic foundation. We won’t overlook the present in our pursuit of the past.
- Financial District - Education, Healthcare, & Finance.
- Faneuil Hall Marketplace - Known as “The Cradle of Liberty,” it symbolizes American Democracy, with its deepest roots traced to this building. This is where a protest became a revolution!
- Quincy Market - Beware of tourist traps!
- Rose Kennedy Greenway - A beautiful public garden running the length of Boston.
- The Paul Revere House - Located in the oldest and most charming square in the city, surrounded by some of the best restaurants in America. The man is even more impressive than the legend!
- North Square Park - The oldest residential square in America.
- Paul Revere Statue - A classic photo opportunity.
- Old North Church & Historic Site - “One if by land, two if by sea.” We recount Paul Revere’s legendary midnight ride with the iconic steeple from which he signaled his famous warning, culminating in “the shot heard round the world” and the chaotic battle at Lexington & Concord. The British are coming - are you?
- Copp’s Hill Burying Ground - The second oldest burial ground in Boston. We’ve already visited two other burying grounds, so we only view this from the outside, but we get spectacular views of Charlestown and Boston Harbor from the terrace across the street.
- Bunker Hill Monument - We recreate the Battle of Bunker Hill, the biggest battle of the American Revolution.
- USS Constitution - The oldest commissioned naval vessel in the world. “Old Ironsides” was undefeated in battle. Although it wasn’t part of the American Revolution, we view it from the other side of Boston Harbor and provide an overview of its history along with tips on how to best experience it.
- North End - The oldest residential neighborhood in America. You won’t find a better combination of culture, food, and history in any square mile in the country. Italian, seafood, pizza, cannoli—we’ll talk about it all!
- Boston Harbor - We stroll along the Harbor Walk for some of the best views of the city, the beauty of Boston Harbor, and to finally kick the British out of Boston!
- HarborWalk - Enjoy ocean breezes and spectacular cityscapes from the piers, wharfs, and waterfront parks that other tours leave out.
- Lewis Wharf - We finish in the heart of “Little Italy,” the historic North End, just blocks from Boston’s best pizza, clam chowder, cannoli, seafood, and Italian cuisine. There are public restrooms, bicycles, public transportation, and parking nearby, and we will be less than a ten-minute walk from our original meeting point.
What's Included
- Built-in 15-minute break at world famous Quincy Market
- Visit 14 iconic Freedom Trail landmarks with entrance into Faneuil Hall (when open to the public)
- Small group and expert guide. Skip the big crowds and generic highlights.
- Explore the modern city beyond the Freedom Trail and experience Boston’s incredible urban renewal.
- Curated route weaving the main events, characters, and sights of the Revolution into one epic story.
What's Not Included
- Costumes, Actors, Scripts, or Kitsch
- Transportation (this is a walking tour.)
- Museum entry fees (other than Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market we stay outdoors)
- Gratuities (optional)
Additional Information
A comprehensive exploration of Boston’s original neighborhoods and a complete retelling of the American Revolution from the founding of Boston to the Declaration of Independence. Unlike most tours which limit themselves exclusively to what’s on the Freedom Trail (in whichever order and direction it happens to go) this tour takes a holistic approach to the city and the story. We follow a curated route visiting 14 iconic landmarks in the same order the history unfolded, pulling everything together into an immersive citywide narrative that recreates the drama and brings to life the passions, personalities, and psychologies that invented America.
There are no big crowds or cheesy costumes. This tour combines expert insights with a light-hearted sense of humor and expands beyond “just” the Freedom Trail so you will enjoy the charm of the old town while getting a real sense of the beautiful and booming modern city as well.
Awarded Boston Magazine’s Best Historical Tour in 2022
- Children must be accompanied by an adult. The tour is appropriate for all ages, but it is not a “kids” version of events.
Location
City Hall Plaza
City Hall Square
The tour meets in City Hall directly across the street from Faneuil Hall (1 City Hall Square, Boston MA, 02201.) Your guide will be in the plaza between a Five Iron Golf (1 Washington Mall, Boston, MA 02108) and a seasonal beer garden next to a statue of a basketball player (Bill Russel)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(1615 Ratings)
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Mark_s
Sep 29, 2024
Great tour! - Mike is very knowledgeable and quite passionate about American history! It was great to hear the story of the Revolution from his perspective. Be prepared for a long walk, a few laughs, and a new take on the story you thought you knew!
Review provided by Viator
Stevek710
Sep 28, 2024
Best tour! - I highly recommend this tour! Mike, our guide, was incredibly knowledgeable and brought Boston’s rich history to life with his engaging storytelling. We learned so many fascinating facts and insights that we never would have discovered on our own. The tour was well-paced, covering a lot of ground without feeling rushed, and it offered a perfect blend of historical context and interesting anecdotes. If you’re looking for a fun and informative way to explore Boston’s past, this tour is an absolute must!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarah_b
Sep 28, 2024
Fabulous and informative - Tyler was a fabulous guide. You can tell he’s passionate about history and its relevance in today’s world. My boys aged 12 and 14 really enjoyed it as well. We learned so much and saw all the major sites on the freedom trial in a cohesive way.
Review provided by Viator
Jimtheweatherman
Sep 27, 2024
First class knowledge - Superb knowledge, great tour guide with a difference. Discovered things we never knew about Boston, the Tea Party and the revolution
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brian_l
Sep 27, 2024
Excellent - Tyler was excellent, a lot of knowledge as a history high school teacher. This was our 1st trip to Boston.
Clear & easy to hear. I would recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Jenny
Sep 27, 2024
Highlight of Boston Trip - Well organised tour. Exceeded my expectations.
Our guide was Mike.
Mike was great- explained the history of Boston brilliantly and in the way you would want a history walking tour to be.
Learnt so much.
Highlight of my trip to Boston.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Footprints815787
Sep 26, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This tour is phenomenal! Tyler was a pro. His knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject matter was amazing! I loved the in-depth history, the chronology of events, and the way he brought everything together. The tour was laced with little gems of information that you don’t learn from a history book or any typical lecture. It was fast moving and covered a lot of geography. We learned much and had a wonderful time. I would highly recommend this tour!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
391darrelh
Sep 26, 2024
Wonderful way to relive Boston History - We so enjoyed Mike as our tour guy! We could tell he Loved the history of Boston he shared with us. We both thought we could. It have had a better time reliving Bostons history with any one else!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eaton_out
Sep 26, 2024
Great Boston Freedom Trail Tour - We recommend this tour. We enjoyed this excursion that we took prior to a New England bus tour. Our guide Tyler was great, communicated with us the day prior to the tour via WhatsAp, and was early for the meetup. He was a history major who taught for years and now does this full time. Blue Line trains go to Government Center where this tours starts. Easy-Peasy. The tour lasted about 3.5 hours. This tour is fast paced and strenuous. We had about 16 on our tour. This tour follows Boston's Freedom Trail and you will see most things on the trail. Do not expect entry into them. (We did not enter Faneuil Hall, Old North Church and others.) We revisited some places that we went with the guide the following day and spent more time at those places. The Navy Yard at Charlestown is not part of this tour so you will have to take a ferry near the Aquarium or other transportation there on your own if you want to go visit the USS Constitution and museum.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
319tammyp
Sep 25, 2024
A must see walking tour experience! - An extremely knowledgeable and entertaining guide. He made the tour and the history into a story with well researched details. Worth your time and worth more than the ticket cost. He goes above and beyond to show and explain the history of Boston and our country! Highly recommend! A+ for Mike and the well thought out and executed walking tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor