Introducing Boston Civil War Tours

Are you coming to Boston this summer to enjoy the city’s rich historic sites? Most people rightfully associate the city with the American Revolution and the founding of this nation. What is often overlooked, however, are the many sites connected to the American Civil War and the history of the abolition movement.

In an effort to address this oversight I decided to put together a tour of historic sites in and around Beacon Hill, Boston Common, and Public Gardens that highlight the city’s Civil War history.

This tour is for people who want to dig a bit deeper into this history and are interested in learning how to interpret monuments, including the Shaw Memorial, Soldiers and Sailors Monument, and Freedman’s Memorial.

I am interested in working with the general public as well as school groups and history educators, who want to learn how they can organize and lead tours for their students.

Note: At some point soon I will put together a tour of Cambridge that includes Harvard’s Memorial Hall, Cambridge Common, and Mount Auburn Cemetery.

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11 comments… add one
  • Matt McKeon Jun 2, 2017 @ 6:54

    Kevin, the NPS does a tour that covers some of the same ground. Would you do school groups? Or is your work schedule preclude it?

    • Kevin Levin Jun 2, 2017 @ 9:54

      They do. I am very interested in working with school groups. In fact, I just scheduled my first student group from Boston University.

  • Msb Jun 1, 2017 @ 22:48

    What a temptation to revisit Boston!

  • Mick Bedard Jun 1, 2017 @ 10:25

    Would be delighted to join your tour if can.
    Let me know when.
    Mick

    • Kevin Levin Jun 2, 2017 @ 2:33

      Hi Mick,

      At this point there are no scheduled tours. I will work with individuals, families, and groups interested in hiring me for a planned visit to the city. Thanks for your interest.

  • Carpus Jun 1, 2017 @ 8:53

    Great! But, maps, please!

    • Kevin Levin Jun 1, 2017 @ 8:56

      I need to plot the stops on a Google map for those interested. While on tour, however, it is not just about supplying maps, but thinking about how some of these sites fit into an evolving urban landscape in the second half of the nineteenth century as well as their significance today.

  • Ken Noe Jun 1, 2017 @ 8:16

    I recently had a chance to take just a part of this tour, and I give if five of five stars. Highly recommended.

    • Kevin Levin Jun 1, 2017 @ 8:44

      Thanks, Ken. I owe you and Nancy a real tour of Civil War Boston next time you are in town.

  • M.D. Blough Jun 1, 2017 @ 8:02

    That sounds great. I think Mt. Auburn is a tour in and of itself. I actually introduced my nephew to Mt. Auburn. He and his wife live so close that both of their kids were born at Mt. Auburn Hospital, but just driving by didn’t give them a hint of what was waiting inside. He and I went there in his car (his daughter, then a baby, was in her car seat in the back) and the very first thing we saw was the memorial marker that Robert Gould Shaw’s family erected in his honor. Since then, he’s taken other guests to visit the cemetary.

    • Kevin Levin Jun 1, 2017 @ 8:45

      Nice to hear from you, Margaret. I agree re: Mt. Auburn Cemetery. You can spend an entire day exploring the Civil War and historical memory. I will certainly be able to create a tour focused on Shaw and the 54th Mass. in history and memory for those interested.

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