city_hall

Official websites use .boston.gov

A .boston.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the City of Boston.

lock

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Freedom Trail Walk Into History Tours

Boston's official Freedom Trail Walk Into History Tours take you to places where history was made!

May 1, 2019
  • 11:00am - 12:30pm
  • 139 Tremont Street
    Boston, MA 02111
  • Contact:
    Freedom Trail Foundation
  • Price:
    Price
    $14 adults, $12 seniors and students; $8 children, Free ages 6 and under
  • Neighborhood:
    Neighborhood
    Back Bay
    Downtown
  • Published Date
Event Date2019-05-01T11:00:00 - 2019-05-01T12:30:00

Walk Into History along the iconic Freedom Trail – the 2.5 mile red line leading to nationally significant historic sites, every one an authentic treasure. The Freedom Trail is a unique collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the American Revolution and beyond.

Led by 18th-century costumed Freedom Trail Players, tours feature tales of high treason, mob agitations, revolutionary actions, and partisan fights of the American Revolution. Walk the Freedom Trail through history!

May 1, 2019
  • 11:00am - 12:30pm
  • 139 Tremont Street
    Boston, MA 02111
  • Contact:
    Freedom Trail Foundation
  • Price:
    Price
    $14 adults, $12 seniors and students; $8 children, Free ages 6 and under
  • Neighborhood:
    Neighborhood
    Back Bay
    Downtown
  • Published Date
Event Date2019-05-01T11:00:00 - 2019-05-01T12:30:00

Brookline, Massachusetts, and the Origins of Suburbia

Ronald Dale Karr examines the evolution of Brookline, Boston’s most renowned 19th-century suburb.

May 1, 2019
Event Date2019-05-01T18:00:00 - 2019-05-01T19:30:00

Karr argues that a distinctively suburban way of life appeared here long before World War II.

May 1, 2019
Event Date2019-05-01T18:00:00 - 2019-05-01T19:30:00

Artist Talk with Peter Vanderwarker and Neal Rantoul

Join photographers Peter Vanderwarker and Neal Rantoul for a behind-the-scenes tour of their current photo exhibitions at BSA Space.

May 1, 2019
  • 6:00pm - 8:00pm
  • 290 Congress Street
    Boston, MA 02210
  • Contact:
    BSA Space
  • Price:
    Price
    $20 ($10 for BSA members)
  • Neighborhood:
    Neighborhood
    Downtown
    South Boston
  • Published Date
Event Date2019-05-01T18:00:00 - 2019-05-01T20:00:00

"Surface Tension," on display in the Storefront Gallery on the first floor, is a collection of photographs from Peter Vanderwarker that explore the nature of surfaces, in both the built and the natural environment.

"Boston Up," in the Harbor and Channel Rooms on the second floor, display a series of architectural photographs from Neal Rantoul exploring a look up at Boston from the summer of 1982.

After the tour, enjoy wine and snacks with the artists while having a chance for one-one-one questions.

May 1, 2019
  • 6:00pm - 8:00pm
  • 290 Congress Street
    Boston, MA 02210
  • Contact:
    BSA Space
  • Price:
    Price
    $20 ($10 for BSA members)
  • Neighborhood:
    Neighborhood
    Downtown
    South Boston
  • Published Date
Event Date2019-05-01T18:00:00 - 2019-05-01T20:00:00

How to georeference in Map Warper

Love maps? Interested in how Boston has changed over time? Want to learn a new skill?

May 8, 2019
Event Date2019-05-08T15:30:00 - 2019-05-08T17:00:00

Drop by our monthly georeferencing workshop to meet other map lovers and learn how to use this free Map Center tool!

Please note: This is a first-come, first-serve event.

May 8, 2019
Event Date2019-05-08T15:30:00 - 2019-05-08T17:00:00

Boston By Map

Interested in Boston history? Like old maps of the city? This class will show you how to use historic maps to illustrate Boston’s history.

May 14, 2019
Event Date2019-05-14T18:00:00 - 2019-05-14T19:30:00

The class includes a brief survey of historic maps of Boston, where to find them online, and how to compare them by overlaying digital images. We’ll also take a short look at the georeferencing and map set tools on the Leventhal Map Center’s digital collections.

This event is free, but seats are limited. Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis, starting at 5:45 p.m.

May 14, 2019
Event Date2019-05-14T18:00:00 - 2019-05-14T19:30:00

Boston: A history written in stone

This combination virtual and walking tour consists of an introduction to Boston geology and quarrying history.

May 18, 2019
Event Date2019-05-18T10:00:00 - 2019-05-18T12:30:00

The virtual tour will be followed by a walking segment to view various types of stone utilized in Boston's building construction. The walking segment starts by touching on the glacial geology of Boston as seen on the horizon from the Harborwalk, and discussing the mile of ice which covered the area 20,000 years ago.

We'll then walk over to the Greenway above the Big Dig. Here, there are beautiful examples of hand-carved Quincy granite blocks and more recent saw-cut Chelmsford granite, highlighting the changes in granite types and shaping technologies used through time.


This is a free event, but you need to register. We'll add a registration link in late April.

May 18, 2019
Event Date2019-05-18T10:00:00 - 2019-05-18T12:30:00

America Transformed: Mapping the 19th Century

We welcome you to the opening day of the Leventhal Map and Education Center's new exhibit, "America Transformed: Mapping the 19th Century."

May 18, 2019
Event Date2019-05-18T13:00:00 - 2019-05-18T16:00:00

This free, public event is open to community members of all backgrounds and ages. The afternoon includes a talk by Curator Ron Grim and other speakers, as well as:

  • educational activities for students and kids
  • interactive tech demonstrations, and
  • tours of the exhibit and our gallery.

Refreshments will be provided courtesy of the Boston Maps Society.

May 18, 2019
Event Date2019-05-18T13:00:00 - 2019-05-18T16:00:00

Charlie Gibson's early 1900s Back Bay

Visit the favorite landmarks of writer and socialite Charlie Gibson.

May 5, 2019
Event Date2019-05-05T14:30:00 - 2019-05-05T16:00:00

The route meanders through the Back Bay east of Dartmouth Street. During the tour, we'll celebrate historic landmarks such as:

  • the old Museum of Natural History (now Restoration Hardware)
  • Trinity Church (where Charlie and family were congregants)
  • the Taj Hotel (originally the Ritz), where Charlie had dinner most evenings, and
  • we'll end at the park pavilion on the Common that Charlie designed in the mid 1910s when he was on the board of the City's Parks Commission.

Heritage tourism is certainly part of this tour — the Gibson House is a stop on the Literary Trail of Greater Boston.


Please note: There's a pre-tour lemonade reception in the museum's courtyard at 2 p.m. The tour starts at 2:30 p.m. and ends at 4 p.m. on the Boston Common.

May 5, 2019
Event Date2019-05-05T14:30:00 - 2019-05-05T16:00:00

South End new construction walking tour

The South End Landmark District is a case study for new construction in a historic district.

May 20, 2019
Event Date2019-05-20T18:00:00 - 2019-05-20T19:30:00

Designing new construction within a historic district doesn't have to be a minefield of process. Nor does it need to mimic the style of a district’s period of significance.

A longtime Boston Landmark commissioner and the South End Landmark District Commission staff preservationist will take you on a walking tour of the South End Landmark District, using it as a case study for new construction in a historic district, explaining what makes a building a "South End building," and demonstrating through many examples how new construction — even contemporary new construction — can best express itself as a "district" building.


Please note: wear comfortable walking shoes. There are no hills or steps during the tour, which will take place rain or shine.

May 20, 2019
Event Date2019-05-20T18:00:00 - 2019-05-20T19:30:00

Research your historic home workshop

Join us for brunch and a talk about how to research your historic home.

May 4, 2019
Event Date2019-05-04T10:30:00 - 2019-05-04T12:00:00

The morning will begin with a light brunch, coffee, and tea followed by a talk that will walk you through the process of researching the history and occupants of a building.

Sources for research materials will be presented. A break-out workshop will end the morning and you will have the opportunity to work with our researchers and ask questions about your building and the progress you have made.

May 4, 2019
Event Date2019-05-04T10:30:00 - 2019-05-04T12:00:00
Subscribe to Preservation Month
Back to top