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.
| Ben Franklin: Son of Boston |
Saturday July 2, 2011 3-4:30pm Monday July 4, 2011 4-5:30pm |
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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 |
Sunday July 3, 2011 10:30am-12 noon |
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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. | ||
| Bostonians Behaving Badly: Riots in Boston |
Thursday June 30, 2011 5:30-7pm |
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Find that rebel inside you as you walk through four centuries of riots and rebellions in Boston. | ||
| Captain Kidd's Treasure Hunt |
Thursday June 30, 2011 12 noon-12:30pm Friday July 1, 2011 12 noon-12:30pm Saturday July 2, 2011 12 noon-12:30pm Sunday July 3, 2011 12 noon-12:30pm Monday July 4, 2011 12 noon-12:30pm |
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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 |
Wednesday June 29, 2011 5:30-7pm Sunday July 3, 2011 3-4:30pm |
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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 |
Friday July 1, 2011 6-7:30pm Saturday July 2, 2011 6-7:30pm |
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Take a walk on Boston's Dark Side through its history of misery, malevolence, misfortunes, malfeasance, malice, misdeeds, and the macabre. | ||
| Footloose on the Freedom Trail |
Monday July 4, 2011 9am-12 noon |
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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! | ||
| Johnny Tremain |
Saturday July 2, 2011 1-2:30pm |
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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. | ||
| Waterfront |
Sunday July 3, 2011 5:30-7pm |
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The Boston Waterfront was the epicenter of the maritime economy in the New World. From Quincy Market to Rowes Wharf, this walk through Boston's mercantile history features tales of the colonial shoreline, the lore of clipper ships, and the vibrant revitalized waterfront of today's shops and restaurants. | ||