Beacon Hill: Small Group Tour of Civil War Boston
Overview
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.
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.
Inclusions
- Beacon Hill Neighborhood
- Small Groups (16 guests max)
- Black Heritage Trail (All 10 landmarks)
- Entry/Admission - African Meeting House
- Entry/Admission - William Hickling Prescott House
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: William Hickling Prescott House, 55 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108-3531
Meet your guide at the William Hickling Prescott House overlooking Boston Common, located at 55 Beacon Street (02108) and steps from the Black Heritage Trail.
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Boston Common, 139 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111-1318
Oldest public land in the Americas and Boston's communal grazing pasture (1634)
Stop At: Acorn Street, Boston, MA 02108
Narrow cobblestone alleyways wind throughout historic Beacon Hill
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Louisburg Square, Boston, MA 02108
Elegant neighborhood square from elite world of 19th-century "Boston Brahmins"
Stop At: Phillips School, 65 Anderson St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Built as a whites-only school in 1824, but among the first schools to integrate in Boston by 1855
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: John J Smith House, 86 Pinckney St, Boston, MA 02108, USA
Home of leading abolitionist, state legislator, and former barber
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Charles Street, Boston, MA
Primary thoroughfare of Beacon Hill, lined with local shops and restaurants
Stop At: Charles Street Meeting House, 70 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Historic meeting house (1807) and site of contentious debate over racial integration
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: John Coburn House, 2 Phillips St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Home of African-American community activist and abolitionist
Stop At: Lewis and Harriet Hayden House, 66 Phillips St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Underground Railroad safe house owned by the Haydens, staunch abolitionists who were formerly enslaved
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Otis House, 141 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114-2702
1796 residence of Harrison Gray Otis, Boston mayor and nephew of revolutionary James Otis, Jr.
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Old West Church, 131 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114-2702
Historic 1806 church designed by noted architect Asher Benjamin
Pass By: Charles Sumner House, 20 Hancock St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Home of outspoken abolitionist and U.S. Senator beaten unconscious in the Capitol over the issue of slavery in 1856.
Pass By: Smith Court Residences, 56 Joy St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Homes of several African-American abolitionists, including historian William Cooper Nell
Pass By: Abiel Smith School, 46 Joy St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Founded in 1835 as segregated school for Boston's African-American children
Stop At: African Meeting House, 8 Smith Ct, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Cultural center of Boston's African-American community and oldest extant black church building in the U.S. (1806)
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: George Middleton House, 5 Pinckney St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Oldest extant house in Beacon Hill (1787) was home to African-American Revolutionary War veteran
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St Beacon Hill, Boston, MA 02133-1099
Massachusetts state capitol and "Hub of the Solar System" (1798)
Stop At: Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial, Corner of Beacon Street & Park Street, Boston, MA 02108
Our tour concludes beside the Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial opposite 24 Beacon Street.
Duration: 15 minutes
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: William Hickling Prescott House, 55 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108-3531
Meet your guide at the William Hickling Prescott House overlooking Boston Common, located at 55 Beacon Street (02108) and steps from the Black Heritage Trail.
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Boston Common, 139 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111-1318
Oldest public land in the Americas and Boston's communal grazing pasture (1634)
Stop At: Acorn Street, Boston, MA 02108
Narrow cobblestone alleyways wind throughout historic Beacon Hill
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Louisburg Square, Boston, MA 02108
Elegant neighborhood square from elite world of 19th-century "Boston Brahmins"
Stop At: Phillips School, 65 Anderson St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Built as a whites-only school in 1824, but among the first schools to integrate in Boston by 1855
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: John J Smith House, 86 Pinckney St, Boston, MA 02108, USA
Home of leading abolitionist, state legislator, and former barber
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Charles Street, Boston, MA
Primary thoroughfare of Beacon Hill, lined with local shops and restaurants
Stop At: Charles Street Meeting House, 70 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Historic meeting house (1807) and site of contentious debate over racial integration
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: John Coburn House, 2 Phillips St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Home of African-American community activist and abolitionist
Stop At: Lewis and Harriet Hayden House, 66 Phillips St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Underground Railroad safe house owned by the Haydens, staunch abolitionists who were formerly enslaved
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Otis House, 141 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114-2702
1796 residence of Harrison Gray Otis, Boston mayor and nephew of revolutionary James Otis, Jr.
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Old West Church, 131 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114-2702
Historic 1806 church designed by noted architect Asher Benjamin
Pass By: Charles Sumner House, 20 Hancock St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Home of outspoken abolitionist and U.S. Senator beaten unconscious in the Capitol over the issue of slavery in 1856.
Pass By: Smith Court Residences, 56 Joy St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Homes of several African-American abolitionists, including historian William Cooper Nell
Pass By: Abiel Smith School, 46 Joy St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Founded in 1835 as segregated school for Boston's African-American children
Stop At: African Meeting House, 8 Smith Ct, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Cultural center of Boston's African-American community and oldest extant black church building in the U.S. (1806)
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: George Middleton House, 5 Pinckney St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Oldest extant house in Beacon Hill (1787) was home to African-American Revolutionary War veteran
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St Beacon Hill, Boston, MA 02133-1099
Massachusetts state capitol and "Hub of the Solar System" (1798)
Stop At: Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial, Corner of Beacon Street & Park Street, Boston, MA 02108
Our tour concludes beside the Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial opposite 24 Beacon Street.
Duration: 15 minutes
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Not recommended for travelers who have difficulty standing for extended periods
- Face masks provided for travelers
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
- COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
- Hub Town Tours prioritizes guest safety! All tours are entirely outdoors, in well-ventilated spaces. To ensure proper social distancing, our maximum group size is sixteen [16] guests per tour.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- 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 tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
zjia6427
July 2021
We enjoyed the tour. Rob is knowledgeable and very patient. Since it’s a small group, you can ask whatever questions you have. It’s a nice way to get to know Boston more.
We enjoyed the tour. Rob is knowledgeable and very patient. Since it’s a small group, you can ask whatever questions you have. It’s a nice way to get to know Boston more.holdene441
June 2021
It was absolutely amazing! Our guide was very informative!! It was super fun waking around and seeing all the different places that were on the Freedom Trail! We highly recommend our amazing guide and this tour!!!
It was absolutely amazing! Our guide was very informative!! It was super fun waking around and seeing all the different places that were on the Freedom Trail! We highly recommend our amazing guide and this tour!!!CivilWarHistory
July 2021
Theodore Clark was the best tour guide we have ever had. His Freedom Trail tour was fascinating. We loved it. Extraordinary!
Theodore Clark was the best tour guide we have ever had. His Freedom Trail tour was fascinating. We loved it. Extraordinary!O9356LZdavidm
July 2021
My friend and I took the 3 hour private tour, and came out of it with our heads spinning: ted did a fabulous job of finding a narrative that fit our time frame and the place, and which opened our eyes to the history we thought we knew. Nothing wild-eyed and revisionist going on; rather, a very th...
My friend and I took the 3 hour private tour, and came out of it with our heads spinning: ted did a fabulous job of finding a narrative that fit our time frame and the place, and which opened our eyes to the history we thought we knew. Nothing wild-eyed and revisionist going on; rather, a very thoughtful, coherent and brilliantly scaffolded story that takes you from the very beginnings of the revolutionary movement through to its climactic moment: the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (and the other guy,,,)You walk through space and time that commingle our present with our past: a very heady brew!FellowTraveler581813
July 2021
Ted, our guide, has a unique knowledge of Boston & it’s history having worked for the Park Service. Hub Town Tours also keeps its tour groups small allowing for a more personal experience. The day of our tour we saw another tour group that had to have had 40 people. We were also able to deviate s...
Ted, our guide, has a unique knowledge of Boston & it’s history having worked for the Park Service. Hub Town Tours also keeps its tour groups small allowing for a more personal experience. The day of our tour we saw another tour group that had to have had 40 people. We were also able to deviate slightly as the weather had changed and we needed a sweatshirt, Ted was able to accommodate this without missing one sight. My younger daughter coined it the “Ted ed tour”.Lester0824
July 2021
Julia was amazing! Highly recommend this tour guide company. Having the small group made it easier to hear and ask questions. I have been a part of larger tour groups in the past and if you are truly wanting to be able to hear and get the most out of your tour..I would go this route!
Julia was amazing! Highly recommend this tour guide company. Having the small group made it easier to hear and ask questions. I have been a part of larger tour groups in the past and if you are truly wanting to be able to hear and get the most out of your tour..I would go this route!