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The Revolutionary Story Epic Small Group Walking Tour of Boston
5.0
1,521 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
(1521 Ratings)
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Justbeachie16
Jul 23, 2024
Great tour definitely recommend - Excellent walking tour guide was very knowledgeable and engaging. We saw several key sites on the freedom trail and he gave great detail about the key figures in Boston at the time. Definitely seemed better than the other tour guides we saw in the area
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherm80
Jul 23, 2024
Excellent tour, with lots of information. - My family and I really enjoyed the walking tour. It was full of great, historical information. I had a 13, 9, and 5 year old with me and they we engaged the whole time. One thing of note is that the USS constitution was closed, and sounded like a few things may have been limited because it was a Monday.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lara_b
Jul 23, 2024
Mike’s Epic Tour - I knew we would enjoy it, but I didn’t know it would be that good. Immediately apparent that our guide Mike is passionate about history - and imparting that knowledge without political bias or filtering. Highly, highly recommended this tour, especially if it’s with Mike. Mike made it EPIC.
Review provided by Viator
Quest97789
Jul 23, 2024
Revolutionary War Tour - Very informative. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable of the history of the Revolutionary War. Highly recommend this tour. It is almost 3 hours of walking. Just an FYI.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shaun_a
Jul 23, 2024
Fantastic Tour! - Our tour guide, Mike was great! Thanks for our history lesson. We loved it! Learned so much more than we already knew!
Review provided by Viator
Dream30043384595
Jul 22, 2024
Great Boston Tour- the whole story of the Revolution - Overall a very informative story about Boston. The tour guide was so knowledgeable and welcomed any questions. Covered so much of Boston so be prepared to walk. Was a medium size group which was nice. Highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
M8413xltoddb
Jul 22, 2024
Best Revolutionary History walking tour! - The Revolutionary Story walking tour was amazing! The information and history material was presented in a personable and easy format to understand. Mike, our guide, was extremely passionate about his presentation and was able to engage the audience very well through group interaction and humor. The best history tour I have experienced!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessica_n
Jul 22, 2024
Mike was amazing! - It is no exaggeration to say that Mike Wenzske led the most phenomenal tour I have ever attended, anywhere in the world. He struck the perfect balance between informative, entertaining, humorous, and inspiring. It is clear that he is a step beyond the other guides, including the many we passed along the way, reading off of a book or finding some key date to remember. He simply knew everything, from memory, and with appropriate anecdotal and side stories to make history come alive. Because of his phenomenal knowledge based on the topic, and more importantly, his passion and zeal, every story was memorable. Several of us on the tour remarked that we wished we had had a history teacher like Mike, because we would have learned so much more than the textbook facts. We all walked away feeling that we wanted to learn more about the topic, and commit to the ideals of our founding fathers. I can think of no greater gift.
Review provided by Viator
205ruthieh
Jul 22, 2024
THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE!! - Mike has a lifetime of knowledge on Boston and Revolutionary War history and it really shows. He had my friends and I laughing so hard and just enjoying learning about our nation’s history. I’m not even a big history buff but this tour had me ENTHRALLED. I never checked my clock once. Please book this tour you won’t regret it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
912yamin
Jul 21, 2024
Fall in Love with our History! - This tour is NOT an ordinary tour. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and Mike Wenzki is at the top of this industry! He awakens the past, immerses you into the psychology of the American revolution, and leaves you breathless - literally and figuratively. You will fall in love with history when you realize it is so much more than bland dates and simple phrases. Mike connects the dots of all the roles people played and why. I wish I would’ve had a teacher like him in high school. I would’ve loved learning history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor