Beacon Hill: Small Group Tour of Civil War Boston

📍 Boston, USA

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Beacon Hill: Small Group Tour of Civil War Boston

From

Duration2.5 hours

FitnessEasy

CancellationFree cancellation 24h before start time

🔒Secure payment

✅Instant confirmation

Overview

Explore hidden history on Beacon Hill's Black Heritage Trail, and learn stories from America's "Second Revolution" prior to the U.S. Civil War. Boston's role in the fight to end legalised slavery is linked by the Black Heritage Trail in historic Beacon Hill. Our 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.

What you will be doing

Beacon Street and 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

Boston Common

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

Acorn Street

Narrow cobblestone alleyways wind throughout historic Beacon Hill

Louisburg Square

Elegant neighbourhood square from the elite world of 19th-century Boston Brahmins

Phillips School

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

John J Smith House

Home of leading abolitionist, state legislator, and former barber

Charles Street

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

Charles Street Meeting House

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

John Coburn House

Home of African-American community activist and abolitionist

Lewis and Harriet Hayden House

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

Otis House

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

Old West Church

Historic 1806 church designed by noted architect Asher Benjamin

Charles Sumner House

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

Smith Court Residences

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

Abiel Smith School

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

African Meeting House

The cultural centre of Boston's African-American community and oldest extant black church building in the U.S. (1806)

George Middleton House

The oldest extant house in Beacon Hill (1787) was home to African-American Revolutionary War veterans

Massachusetts State House

Massachusetts state capitol and Hub of the Solar System (1798)

Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial

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

Things to know

AccessibilityChildren friendly | Service animal/dog friendly

Fitness levelEasy

Tour languageEnglish

Licence requiredNone

Service animals welcome, but pets are NOT allowed in historic burying grounds
Plan ahead, as parking is often difficult
Tours operate rain or shine - we make every effort to lead all scheduled tours
Not recommended for guests with heart conditions or difficulty standing
Luggage and large bags NOT allowed
Please wear comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing

Inclusions and Exclusions

✅ Included

Tour guide

❌ Not included

Pick up and drop off transport
Entrance ticket
Gratuities

Where we'll meet

Meet up/Pick up location: 1 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114, USA

Instruction: The tour gathers on Boston Common at the intersection of Beacon and Charles Streets. Please meet your guide at 1 Charles Street (02108), on the east side of the road, which is inside Boston Common and opposite Starbucks Coffee.

ReturnYour 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.