Tours

10:30 am–12:30 pm
(Including travel time. Tour begins at Faneuil Hall at 11 am. Tour time 11 am-12 pm)

$20 | Limited to 40 people 

Heart of the Freedom Trail

This 60-minute walking tour of the Freedom Trail in downtown Boston begins with the city’s establishment in 1630. The story of Boston’s role in events leading to the American Revolution unfold as we walk through the places where these events took place. The tour introduces us to the people, places and events that made Boston such a hotbed of activity. 

This historic walk features many of the downtown Freedom Trail sites, including the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, King's Chapel, the Old South Meeting House and the Old Granary Burial Ground.

From the protests of Samuel Adams and James Otis to the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party; from the courageous actions of Prince Hall and Dr. Joseph Warren, to the influence of Abigail Adams, the Heart of The Freedom Trail takes you to the sites where these actions took place  and tells the stories that led to American independence.

1:30 pm–3 pm
(including travel time)
Walking Tour with guide Kevin Levin

SOLD OUT
$25 | Limited to 25 people 

Boston's Civil War Memory

The narrow streets of Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood once rang out with the voices of Black and white abolitionists. Their passionate pleas demanding the end of slavery and equal rights shaped the lives of the African Americans, who called this neighborhood home, as well as the broader trajectory of the nation. Through their words and actions, white and Black abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison, Lewis Hayden, Senator Charles Sumner and others were instrumental in shaping the national discussion about the future of slavery in the United States. It is from this neighborhood that calls went out to President Abraham Lincoln to fill the ranks of the first Black regiments to fight in the Union army in 1861. And it is here that Bostonians returned after the war to memorialize the men and women who helped to save the Union and end slavery.

This 90-minute walking tour of Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, Boston Common, and Public Gardens will examine the history of the city’s abolitionist movement during the turbulent decade leading up to the Civil War and their role in steering the war and the nation toward emancipation and freedom for four million slaves. Participants will also have an opportunity to explore how Bostonians chose to remember and commemorate the city’s military sacrifice and the legacy of emancipation and freedom through a close examination of monuments and memorials. Stops will include the African Meeting House, the Shaw Memorial, and the site of the recently removed Emancipation Memorial in Park Square.

6:00 pm–8:00 pm 
(This tour includes 30 minutes at the start to allow for travel to the starting point of the tour. The tour ends on the North side of Boston, not the hotel)
Walking Tour

$20 | Limited to 40 people

The Dark Side of Boston

Explore the darker side of Boston! This original guided walk through misery, misfortune, malevolence and murder is based on true historical events that have occurred in Boston. Fact is often stranger than fiction!

As you begin to uncover Boston's dark side, you will hear many dark and disturbing stories not often shared with tourists. Topics include but are certainly not limited to: the scourges of smallpox and the Great Influenza, the dangers of Richmond Street, the vandalization of the Royal Governor's House, the Molasses Flood, body snatchers, and the infamous Brink's Robbery, all against the backdrop of Boston's oldest neighborhood.

Winding among the labyrinth of the North End’s small streets and alleys is a great way to get off the beaten path and explore a delightful neighborhood. It's even better when treated to stories of death and misery from Boston's checkered past.

We hope you will join us for a walk on the Dark Side. Crime, disease, death, and disaster... what better way to enjoy a pleasant evening in Boston!

9:30 am–10:30 am
Attendees will meet at Fenway Park at 9:30 am. A chaperone will be available guide attendees from the hotel at 9 am. 

Guided Tour

$25 | Limited to 40 people

Fenway Park Tour

Since 1912, fans have flocked to Fenway Park to watch the home team play in the heart Boston. It is referred to as, “America's Most Beloved Ballpark" by Major League Baseball and sports enthusiasts. Home to Red Sox Legends, Williams, Yaz, Fisk, Rice, and Pedro to name a few. Take in the magnificent view atop the fabled Green Monster, standing 37 feet 2 inches high, overlooking left field. Let our experienced tour guides lead you through the hallowed walls and legendary moments of historic Fenway Park.

10:30 am–12:00 pm

Attendees will meet at the Old State House at 10:30 am. Begins at Old State House, 206 Washington St., Boston MA (MBTA State stop, Orange/Blue Lines)

A chaperone will be available guide attendees from the hotel at 10 am. 

$20 | Limited to 20 people

Revolution in Our Spaces

Join Revolutionary Spaces CEO Dr. Nat Sheidley and others in a tour and discussion of Boston's Old State House and Old South Meeting House, focusing on finding meaning in these iconic historic buildings that resonates with people today. This 90-120 minute session will explore why these buildings were preserved and how their stories have changed over time, as well as where and how they may continue to change.

10:30 am–1:00 pm
(This includes travel time to tour start and end destination. Tour runs from 11am to 12:30pm)
Walking Tour

$20 | Limited to 40 people

Boston's LGBTQ Past

A gay and lesbian culture flourished in Boston, in private homes, the theatre, coffee houses, the baths, and of course, bars. We will follow the footsteps of gay and lesbian friends from the 1840s to the 1980s, from Thoreau’s walks along the Common and Charlotte Cushman’s cross-dressing roles, to the World War II bars and baths, to the AIDS Action Committee and the AIDS memorial quilt project. This tour is presented in partnership with The History Project, a nonprofit organization that documents, preserves and shares New England’s LGBTQ history.

1:30 pm–5 pm
(Including travel time)
Walking Tour

$20 for tenure-stream faculty
$10 for all others | Limited to 40 people

Presented by the Labor and Working-Class History Association in partnership with the UMass Boston Labor Resource Center

A Working People's History Tour of Boston

Join us to explore the history of Boston's workers, from the Massachusett people who shaped the landscape of the Shawmut Peninsula to revolutionary sailors, striking telephone operators, Pullman porters, Marriott hotel workers, and many others. This ninety-minute tour includes stops in the Back Bay, South End, Chinatown, and on the Boston Common. We will finish at Democracy Brewing, a worker-owned cooperative just a short walk or direct transit ride from the Sheraton. The tour will be paced to ensure guests of all ages and abilities are able to enjoy it and will follow a wheel-friendly route.

This tour builds on the work of LAWCHA and LRC founder James R. Green, who published "A Working People's Heritage Trail" with the Massachusetts AFL-CIO in 2001. Drawing on his lifetime of efforts to collect, promote, and preserve Boston's labor and working-class history, Jim's guide was an exhaustive catalog of local sites that he and his students used to create walking and driving tours for historians, unions, and many others. Updated in 2017 by Cristina V. Groeger as a "People's History Walking Tour" of Boston, these tours are now given regularly by UMass Boston students and graduates of UMB’s MA program in Public History.