Boston: Underground Railroad History Tour of Beacon Hill

5.0 (202 reviews) 2 h 30 min Free cancellation

out of 5

202 reviews

5.0

Boston: Underground Railroad History Tour of Beacon Hill — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Visit Acorn Street, Boston's iconic cobblestone lane with gas lamps that date back to the 19th century — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

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.

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At a glance

Duration: 2 h 30 min
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 16 people
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: Hub Town Tours

Ages: Children (0–5 years) · Adults (6–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Small Groups (16 guests max)
Included: Black Heritage Trail (All 10 landmarks)
Included: Beacon Hill Neighborhood

Not included

Not included: Gratuity for Guide (optional)
Not included: Admission inside Museums
Not included: Guides in Period Costume

Itinerary

Stop 1

10 min

Meet your guide at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the center of Boston Common, steps from the Boston Common Visitors Center at 139 Tremont Street (02108). Look for a white granite column topped by a female figure holding a flag; four bronze statues surround the base of the central column.
Boston Common

Passing by

Oldest public land in the Americas and Boston's communal grazing pasture (1634)
Acorn Street

10 min

Narrow cobblestone alleyways wind throughout historic Beacon Hill
Louisburg Square

Passing by

Elegant neighborhood square from elite world of 19th-century "Boston Brahmins"
Stop 5

10 min

Built as a whites-only school in 1824, but among the first schools to integrate in Boston by 1855
Stop 6

10 min

Home of leading abolitionist, state legislator, and former barber
Charles Street

Passing by

Primary thoroughfare of Beacon Hill, lined with local shops and restaurants
Stop 8

15 min

Historic meeting house (1807) and site of contentious debate over racial integration
Stop 9

Passing by

Home of African-American community activist and abolitionist
Stop 10

15 min

Underground Railroad safe house owned by the Haydens, staunch abolitionists who were formerly enslaved
Otis House

10 min

1796 residence of Harrison Gray Otis, Boston mayor and nephew of revolutionary James Otis, Jr.
Old West Church

Passing by

Historic 1806 church designed by noted architect Asher Benjamin
Stop 13

Passing by

Home of outspoken abolitionist and U.S. Senator beaten unconscious in the Capitol over the issue of slavery in 1856.
Stop 14

Passing by

Homes of several African-American abolitionists, including historian William Cooper Nell
Stop 15

Passing by

Founded in 1835 as segregated school for Boston's African-American children
Stop 16

25 min Admission not included

Cultural center of Boston's African-American community and oldest extant black church building in the U.S. (1806)
Stop 17

10 min

Oldest extant house in Beacon Hill (1787) was home to African-American Revolutionary War veteran
Massachusetts State House

Passing by

Massachusetts state capitol and "Hub of the Solar System" (1798)
Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial

15 min

Our tour concludes beside the Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial opposite 24 Beacon Street.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

Meet your guide at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the center of Boston Common, steps from the Boston Common Visitors Center at 139 Tremont Street (02108). Look for a white granite column topped by a female figure holding a flag; four bronze statues surround the base of the central column.

End point

Your 2.5-hour tour concludes in front of the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial, across the street from the Massachusetts State House. This special loop tour of Beacon Hill ends within 0.2 miles of its starting location at the Prescott House.

Using your ticket

Please call/text your guide at 844-HUB-TOWN if you are having issues finding the tour group!

Cancellation

Free cancellation

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

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

The operator may cancel if the weather does not allow it; you then get another date or your money back.
The operator may cancel if too few people book; you then get another date or your money back.