The town that started a revolution knows how to celebrate its independence. Harborfest extends the Fourth of July into a week-long festival of concerts, events and celebrations of Boston's patriotic and maritime heritage.

Boston By Foot joins the party and extends its regular schedule with the following special tours for Harborfest. No reservations required.

2010 Harborfest Tours
Ben Franklin: Son of Boston Sunday
July 4, 2010
4-5:30pm

Monday
July 5, 2010
4-5:30pm

Celebrate and learn the life of Benjamin Franklin by walking among the sites of his homes and haunts in Colonial Boston.

In his day, Benjamin Franklin was America's greatest scientist, inventor, diplomat, humorist, statesman, and entrepreneur. Ben was born in Boston, came of age in Philadelphia, and was the darling of Paris.

 
Boats, Bridges and Locks Thursday
July 1, 2010
10am-11:30am

Saturday
July 3, 2010
10am-11:30am

Discover the things that move in, around, and over the Charles River Basin. From the Boston Garden along the Bulfinch Triangle, over the Charles, and to U.S.S. Constitution, you will experience the art, technology, and nature of this historic area.

Examine Boston's new cable-stayed landmark, the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, the locks of the Charles River Dam, and the revitalization of the lower basin.

 
Captain Kidd's Treasure Hunt Thursday
July 1, 2010
12 noon-12:30pm

Friday
July 2, 2010
12 noon-12:30pm

Saturday
July 3, 2010
12 noon-12:30pm

Sunday
July 4, 2010
12 noon-12:30pm

Monday
July 5, 2010
12 noon-12:30pm

A short self-guided tour for buccaneers of all ages. Each participant receives clues on a pirate's treasure map leading to a trove of architectural and historical gems.

The tour is self-guided at your own pace. Simply purchase the map during one of the available times.

 
Charlestown: Where Boston Began Thursday
July 1, 2010
5:30-7pm

Saturday
July 3, 2010
4-5:30pm

Charlestown was the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony before the Puritans crossed over to Boston in 1630. In 1775, Paul Revere crossed over to Charlestown to begin his famous Midnight Ride, the colonists stood up to the British army at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and Charlestown was burned to the ground.

Tour this urban village founded in 1628 that focuses on the early Puritan settlement, the Bunker Hill monument, and many of its distinguished citizens which have included John Harvard and Samuel Morse.

 
The Dark Side of Boston Wednesday
June 30, 2010
5:30-7pm

Friday
July 2, 2010
5:30-7pm

Take a walk on Boston's Dark Side through its history of misery, malevolence, misfortunes, malice, misdeeds, and the macabre.

 
Footloose on the Freedom Trail

Footloose on the Freedom Trail is a 3-hour walking tour of the entire Freedom Trail from the State House to the U.S.S. Constitution offered every Independence Day.

Walk the 2.5-mile route with us on this patriotic tour through 16 historic sites, as it winds its way through the various special events. There's no better time to do it than on the Fourth of July, no better way to start off the day, and no better way to celebrate America's birthday!

 
Greenway & Beyond Monday
July 5, 2010
10am-12 noon

Explore the new Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway on this 2-hour special walking tour offered by Boston By Foot. The Greenway is Boston's new centerpiece of the Big Dig's urban restoration. From North Station to Chinatown, the Greenway is breathing new life into the downtown neighborhoods once blighted by an elevated highway.

 
Johnny Tremain Thursday
July 1, 2010
3-4:30pm

Monday
July 5, 2010
1-2:30pm

Relive the adventures of Johnny Tremain in Colonial Boston based on Esther Forbes' prize-winning novel about a young boy who gets caught up in the whirlwind of events that lead up to the American Revolution.

Boston By Foot Brochure listing Boston tours in 2009 season Boston By Foot Guided Walking Tours For Boston By Foot Docents. Explore Boston on a Boston By Foot walking tour. The Dark Side of Boston. Exploring the Charles River Basin.