Oliver Wendell Holmes called the residents of Beacon Hill “the sifted few.” Incredible wealth built the neighborhood, and many original families are still there. For over two centuries, Beacon Hill has been home to Boston’s ruling class. Artists such as Henry James, Robert Frost, Louisa May Alcott, and Silvia Plath long graced the same streets as politicos and bigwigs such as Henry Cabot Lodge, Daniel Webster, and Charles Francis Adams. Between the architecture and personalities, this tour gives a glimpse into the life of the typical Boston Brahmin.
Highlights
Boston Common
Robert Gould Shaw/54th Volunteers Regiment Memorial
Massachusetts State House
Mount Vernon Street
Charles Francis Adams/Daniel Webster House
Chestnut Street Stables
Acorn Street
Louisberg Square
Pinckney Street
Colonel Middleton House
Original Beacon Marker
Boston Athenaeum
Details
Private tours begin at $300 (+tax), which covers up to 10 guests for up to two hours.
For tours longer than two hours, groups under 10 guests are $150 (+tax) per hour per guide.
For customized tours in groups larger than 10, please contact us for pricing.
This tour can be delivered in Corporate attire, Colonial Period dress, or Victorian-era Dress, as requested.
This is a walking tour, and not transferable as a ride-along tour by vehicle, though it can be covered as one piece of a ride-along tour.
Add-ons
Harrison Gray Otis House Museum (additional cost for admission, April-November, subject to museum hours)
Vilna Shul (old synagogue that was the heart of Jewish culture on Beacon Hill)
Mass General Hospital Bulfinch Building - home to the Ether Dome, where anesthesia was invented. (Ether Dome is occasionally in use by the hospital, and no schedule of this is available, so it’s always a bit of a risk).
Nichols House Museum - see a Boston Brahmin’s house from the inside! (additional cost for admission)
Beacon Street Houses (Charles Sumner, Samuel Appleton, Somerset Club, purple panes, etc.)
Charles Street Meeting House (now Tatte bakery)
Want to stop for snacks or drinks? Please contact us for boutique tour and customization options
We Can't...
We cannot go into any of our additional museums when they are not open to the public.
We cannot enter the MA State house on weekends or holidays.
We do NOT go inside anyone’s house on this tour, particularly Senator Kerry’s.