Last updated: May 14, 2026
Thing to Do
History at Sunset Walking Tours
NPS Photo M Bozio
2026 Tours
While walking the historic streets of Boston, become immersed in the stories that have shaped this city. Join National Park Service Rangers as they share Boston’s diverse history through unique guided tours.
These tours will be offered weekly on Thursdays throughout the summer and fall. Each tour will begin at 5:30 pm and last approximately 75 minutes, covering 1-2 miles in distance.
Note: Some tours may involve navigating hills, narrow sidewalks, and uneven surfaces.
Taking the High Ground
June 18
Follow the route British troops took in attacking the colonial defenses of Charlestown during the Battle of Bunker Hill. This 90-minute guided tour of the Bunker Hill battlefield will use notable modern landmarks to pinpoint the locations of battle positions. Learn about the battle, its immediate aftermath and far-reaching global consequences.
Meeting Point: Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center, 5 1st Ave, Charlestown, MA 02129
Final Stop: Bunker Hill Monument
Route Info: The tour will cover approximately 1.5 miles through the Charlestown neighborhood over uneven surfaces and up moderate hills.
Boston: An Underground Railroad Hub
June 25 & September 24
Did you know that Boston played a central role in the Underground Railroad? Explore the inspiring stories of freedom seekers in the Beacon Hill neighborhood who escaped to Boston, as well as the people, organizations, and historic buildings that gave them refuge.
Meeting Point: Museum of African American History, 46 Joy Street, Boston, MA 02108
Final Stop: Museum of African American History
Route Info: The tour will cover approximately 0.75 miles through Beacon Hill over uneven surfaces and moderate hills
Pirate or Patriot?
July 2 & October 8
Did you know that colonial Boston was a hub of activity for the most notorious pirates in the 1700s? During this “Golden Age of Piracy” pirates lived in Boston, were imprisoned here, and sometimes executed here. This tour examines the lives of several of the most famous pirates who walked the streets of Boston, including Captain William Kidd, “Black” Sam Bellamy, Ned Lowe, and Willian Fly.
Meeting Point: Sam Adams Statue, outside Faneuil Hall, 1 Faneuil Hall Square, Boston, MA 02109
Final Stop: Old State House
Route Info: The tour will cover approximately 1.5 miles over uneven surfaces and cross multiple intersections in a highly populated urban area.
Merchants, Mariners, Men of God and Mayhem: Boston 1845-1855
July 9
Explore how Boston's North End transformed into a bustling, working-class neighborhood in the 1800s. This 90-minute guided tour will weave together stories of merchants and mariners, as well as social reformers, nativists, and newcomers forging new lives. Visit the sites of historic warehouses and wharves, sailor’s hotels, and immigrant tenements, immersing yourself in the vibrant history that helped shape Boston’s identity.
Meeting Point: Boston Harbor Islands Welcome Center, 191 W. Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA 02110
Final Stop: North Square
Route Info: The tour will cover approximately 0.75 miles over uneven surfaces and cross multiple intersections in a highly populated urban area.
Becoming American During the Siege of Boston
July 16 & September 10
During a year under siege, colonists in Boston began to see themselves not as subjects of the crown but as citizens. Discover how a new American identity emerged here in Boston on the eve of the Declaration of Independence. Explore the site of Boston's Mill Pond neighborhood, the home of Rachel and Paul Revere, and the Copps Hill Burying Ground.
Meeting Point: Sam Adams Statue, outside Faneuil Hall, 1 Faneuil Hall Square, Boston, MA 02109
Final Stop: Copp's Hill Terrace
Route Info: The tour will cover approximately 1.5 miles over uneven surfaces, moderate hills, and cross multiple intersections in a highly populated urban area.
Pirates and Puritans: Cotton Mather and the Pirate Trial of 1717
July 23 & October 2
In 1717, six captured pirates faced trial for piracy in Boston. Cotton Mather, a Puritan minister, condemned piracy but also offered salvation to these six pirates. This tour will explore the moment during which the opposing worlds of Puritan Boston and piracy collided. Walk in the footsteps of the condemned pirates through Boston’s North End where they met their fate.
Meeting Point: Find Your Park Space in the lower level of Faneuil Hall, 1 Faneuil Hall Square, Boston, MA 02109
Final Stop: Copp's Hill Terrace
Route Info: The tour will cover approximately 1.1 miles over uneven surfaces, moderate hills, and cross multiple intersections in a highly populated urban area.
Henry Knox: a Pillar of the Early American Republic
July 30 & August 27
On March 5, 1770, a young Henry Knox witnessed the chaotic scene of the Boston Massacre. This moment sparked the transformation of Knox from a bookstore owner to son of liberty, revolutionary war hero, and Secretary of War. Explore sites that played a significant role during Knox’s life in Boston.
Meeting Point: West side of the Old State House, 206 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02109
Final Stop: Long Wharf
Route Info: The tour will cover approximately 0.71 miles over uneven surfaces and cross multiple intersections in a highly populated urban area.
The Siege, or Ruin and Back Again: Life in 1776 Boston
August 6 & October 15
When the sun set on June 17, 1775, General Thomas Gage held the heights outside Charlestown at the cost of roughly 1,000 British casualties. Charlestown lay in ruins, and Boston remained a city under siege. Nine months later British soldiers evacuated Boston as General George Washington and the new Continental Army entered Boston victorious.
This 90-minute walking tour explores how everyday colonists navigated uncertainty and hardship under occupation and rebuilt their lives after the siege ended in March 1776.
Meeting Point: Find Your Park Space in the lower level of Faneuil Hall, 1 Faneuil Hall Square, Boston, MA 02109
Final Stop: Bunker Hill Monument
Route Info: The tour will cover approximately 1.5 miles over uneven surfaces, moderate hills, and cross multiple intersections in a highly populated urban area.
A Man Kidnapped: Boston Resists the Fugitive Slave Act
August 13 & September 17
On June 2, 1854, more than 1,500 troops marched Anthony Burns down State Street to T wharf where he was taken aboard a steamer bound for Virginia. The arrest, trial, and re-enslavement of Anthony Burns was the last time an enslaver captured and returned a freedom seeker to slavery from Boston.
This tour traces paths of resistance by Boston residents as they fought to protect freedom seekers from the Fugitive Slave Act.
Meeting Point: African Meeting House, 8 Smith Court, Boston, MA 02114
Final Stop: Long Wharf
Route Info: The tour will cover approximately 1.25 miles over uneven surfaces, moderate hills, and cross multiple intersections in a highly populated area.
Desegregation in the Cradle of Liberty
August 20 & September 3
Boston earned its nickname as the “Cradle of Liberty” by fostering the revolutionary ideals and values that serve as the foundation of this country. As the home to the oldest public school in America, Boston has historically considered access to education as one of these core values. But to whom were those doors open for?
Explore Boston's long struggle for equal education, from Prince Hall’s petitions of 1787 through 1976 with the fight for school desegregation.
Meeting Point: African Meeting House, 8 Smith Court, Boston, MA 02114
Final Stop: City Hall
Route Info: The tour will cover approximately 1.5 miles over uneven surfaces, moderate hills, and cross multiple intersections in a highly populated area.
Memento Mori: the Significance of Gravestones and Burying Grounds
October 1 & October 29
While walking through Boston’s Granary Burying Ground, learn what burying grounds meant to the Puritans in the 1600s and other residents of colonial New England. How did the emblems and imagery on gravestones change over time? How have Bostonians of the founding generation been honored and remembered within these burying grounds? On this tour, view gravestones of patriots such as Sam Adams, Paul Revere, and the victims of the Boston Massacre.
Meeting Point: Granary Burying Ground, 120 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116
Final Stop: Granary Burying Ground
Route Info: The route will cover approximately 0.25 miles and consist of walking over uneven surfaces.
Details
Duration
75-90 Minutes
Tours will vary in length.
Activity
Guided Tours
Join a Park Ranger for a special guided tour.
Pets Allowed
Yes
Activity Fee
No
These programs are free and open to the public.
Reservations
No
Season
Summer, Fall
Time of Day
Dusk
Each tour will begin at 5:30 pm.
Accessibility Information
Depending on the topic, the tour may require a bit of walking, possibly up hills.