The Beacon Hill Walking Tour

The tour begins at the State House atop Beacon Hill.  The capitol building with its brilliant gold dome is the masterpiece of one of Boston's most famous architects, Charles Bulfinch.  You'll learn how the crest of the hill was altered during its construction and expansion.  We'll tell you fascinating anecdotes about the very human people depicted in the statuary outside.

We'll walk down Mount Vernon Street, described by the author Henry James as "the only respectable street in America".  The brick sidewalks, gaslights, and boot scrapers make it the time capsule of a more refined age.  We'll regale you with tales about the towering historical figures and writers who have long made it their home.  They were more like us than you might imagine.

We'll visit Louisburg Square, the attractive heart of Brahmin Boston.  It's so London-like that even Charles Dickens would have been fooled.  Its dining rooms and parlors have witnessed the display of great wealth, lavish parties, and the crafting of literary masterpieces.

We'll observe the narrow, romantic sidewalks of Acorn Street.  Its rough cobblestones and pretty window boxes have made it so popular with photographers that even Hollywood has paid an occasional call.

We'll step into Chestnut Street, considered by many to be the loveliest in Boston.  One house in particular, connected with the actor Edwin Booth and replete with a shaded garden, is remarkably attractive.  You'll discover the reason behind its celebrated purple windowpanes.

We'll venture along Charles Street, a thoroughfare crowded with boutiques and antique shops.  In its celebrated meetinghouse the chains of slavery were shaken and severed.  But Charles Street has a dark secret.  In its shadows, murders were done, murder most foul.  The "Strangler" trod nearby . . and there were others.

The tour will end in the Boston Public Garden, a lush oasis of beauty and tranquility.  Flowers, renowned for their color and fragrance, are bedded amidst trees drawn from all over the globe.  We'll tell you the origin of the garden, the Swan Boats, and the delightful "Bridge of Size."  You'll see the profusion of wildlife, the ducks and the swans.  Before departing, we'll share with you the story of the travails of Mrs. Mallard and her eight little ducklings.