John Hancock was amazing! Great history and friendly! Highly recommended! Totally worth it!read more

Must experience this tour! Captain Nathaniel Hutchins aka Matt gave a very engaging Reverse Tour…read morethat started at Faneuil Hall and ended at Boston Commons. Great storytelling about revolutionary events, like the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party. He also helped debunk the Paul Revere story and gave credit to the riders that actually helped alert the town. Navigating the car noise, traffic signals, and competing tour groups was tricky in the sometimes-narrow cobblestone streets, so he deserves credit for keeping the group intact. He was also one of only a couple of tour guides that actually dressed the part (Nathaniel was his ancestor), which was a significant bonus in bringing the storytelling to life. Very friendly, knowledgeable, and entertaining. Highly recommend asking for Captain Nathaniel, aka Matt!

Have to drop them to 3. Had been on a few trips with them that went well, but after this past…read moreFriday they lost me. The 'Friday Funday' Mystic trip was cancelled. Ok. I get it trips get cancelled when there aren't enough people signed up for it. But in this case, they didn't even bother to tell me/us. Even got the confirmation/reminder email the day before. So being at the pickup point and its 5 minutes after we're supposed to leave, I call them to see what's going on and then they tell me it got cancelled and I should've been told Tuesday, but obviously wasn't and again, even got the confirmation/reminder email the day before. As someone that doesn't get a lot of time out work to burn a day off with nothing to show for it is extremely frustrating, and honestly, I just can't risk getting burned again. The owner Ted called later that day offering to make it right and I was refunded the money for the trip and the other trip I cancelled but I can't risk burning another day off with nothing to show for it. The people have always been nice, so I won't completely knock them, but beware even getting a confirmation email the day doesn't mean the trip is happening.

I joined Experience Rhode Island Tours on their A Day on Martha's Vineyard tour. There were three…read moredeparture locations: Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, RI, Visitor information Center at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI, and the main entrance of Hampton Inn New Bedford in Fairhaven, MA. Ted picked us up from the Visitor information Center two minutes prior to 7:00am. The mini coach bus was pretty full from the first pickup location. We then went on our way to the third pickup location. After our mini coach bus was full, we crossed Bourne Bridge to Woods Hole Terminal in Cape Cod to take a 45 minute Steamship Authority's ferry ride to Oak Bluffs. The ferry ride was smooth. When we got to Oak Bluffs, Ted told us about the history of Martha's Vineyard and gave us a map. First, we went to the fishing village of Menemsha for lunch and I walked to Menemsha Public Beach. Stanley Larsen, owner of Menemsha Fish Market, came on board the bus and showed us the jaws of a great white shark he caught in 1983 while swordfishing. Next, we went to the Aquinnah Cliffs Overlook to admire the beautiful cliffs of Aquinnah and Gay Head Light. This was my favorite part of the whole trip. Then, we explored the lovely harbor of shops and homes in Edgartown. I walked to the Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse, which is very close to Harbor View Hotel. Ted talked to us about the Chappaquiddick incident that occurred sometime around midnight, between July 18 and 19, 1969, while standing in front of the Harbor View Hotel looking out at the Poucha Pond. On the way to Oak Bluffs, we stopped at the "Jaws Bridge," a popular spot for jumping into the water despite signs prohibiting it. Lastly, we saw the gingerbread cottages and the tabernacle of Oak Bluffs. We then took the Steamship Authority's ferry ride from Vineyard Haven back to Woods Hole Terminal. We returned to Visitor information Center at the Rhode Island Convention Center about 7:30pm. Everyone on the trip were very respectful of the time Ted told us to return to the bus and were very friendly. This was a wonderful, fun, informational day trip to New England's most popular island and I am so glad I got to explore Martha's Vineyard for the first time with Experience Rhode Island Tours. Ted took us on a tour of the entire island, exploring its six towns. The tour included admission to Martha's Vineyard ferry, narrated tour, and round-trip transportation to and from the ferry, and transportation throughout the day on the Vineyard. Experience Rhode Island Tours always does a great job with their tours and I am looking forward to what other tours they plan in the future!

Better than expected!…read more When family and friends visit, we like learning more about the history around us. We travelled over an hour in the pouring rain for this tour. Our guide, Alex, did not disappoint! He waited for us - even though we arrived 20 minutes late. He gave us the option to reschedule due to the weather but we decided to take the plunge in the rain. My ten year old daughter, who loves history, really enjoyed the tour along with myself and my sister. We learned a lot about the area's geography, historic naval battles, maritime trade, dreaded taxes, and even a witch story! Afterwards, we warmed up at Michael's Harborside and sampled some healthy servings of seafood and historic drinks from the 16th-18th centuries (all included in the price of the tour). Our guide answered a ton of questions and added in some interesting historic tidbits while we enjoyed our meal. After our meal we walked back to the sites he had showed us, just to take it all in and explore the area some more. I would recommend this tour for all ages. It was an educational and entertaining afternoon - worth more than what we paid!

From the owner: Untapped History is a historical walking tour company dedicated to sharing the unique and…read moreunconventional stories of Newburyport. Let us take you to back in time to when privateers patrolled the waters, patriots plotted revolution in local taverns, smugglers avoided custom agents and the world's riches poured into Newburyport. Best of all, we'll end each tour with a sampling of delicious historic cocktails that were popular in Newburyport over the past 400 years!

Mike was amazing as a tour guide. He was thorough, engaging & passionate about sharing the history…read moreof Boston with the group. I highly recommend this tour!

Loved this tour! I recommend this…read more I'm a local Boston history buff who decided to finally take a guided tour around the city on Aug. 1. Rob led our group and he did a great job. He greeted all members of our smallish group warmly as they arrived. Once underway, his friendly narration was engaging and informed. His answers to questions demonstrated the depth of his knowledge - funnily enough, many seemingly innocent questions from a young boy in our group led to the most intriguing stories. Rob did a great job in bringing the past history alive for us over our 3+ hour walking tour.

Everything went great! Martin took three of us on a private city tour of Boston. We were able to…read morewalk around Harvard University as well as the North End area. He showed us so much of the city that we would not have known about otherwise. He had a great Irish accent and was very knowledgeable and entertaining. I would highly recommend Martin with Trailblazer Tours.

My wife and I spent a full Saturday tour with Martin covering Boston and the Freedom Trail,…read moreCambridge, Lexington, and Concord. The day was amazing. Right from the get go, we knew we were in good hands with Martin. He showed us various maps of where we were going and what we were going to see using his iPad. This gave us Great historical perspective. His commentary and knowledge of history and fun facts were terrific. My wife and I learned so much and had the best time ever. He also chose a great spot for lunch. We had the best lobster roll, clam chowder and oysters. He also also gave us great recommendations for dinner that night and for the following day. He even went so far as to make reservations for us. If you're serious about an expert tour guide, look no farther than Martin. He's truly the best at what he does and you will have a wonderful time. Scott Van Den Berg Austin, Texas

I found Hocus Pocus Tours while seeking things to do in Salem on Yelp and TripAdvisor. Fellow…read moreYelpers' rave reviews did not disappoint! In messaging Hocus Pocus Tours with a couple questions about the tour and travel to and from Salem, the owner Susan replied immediately and suggested that I call her. This led to a one hour phone conversation where Susan was so gracious with her time, knowledge, and suggestions, not just about how to make the most of the tour, but how to appreciate a day in Salem. I can see why those who had the opportunity to take the in-person tour with Susan really enjoyed it. Covid changed the business model and Hocus Pocus now offers a self-guided tour by purchasing one of two tour apps. I opted for the $19.99 grand tour and it was well worth it. It has 37 points of interest. The app is user friendly and well designed. It provides a map of all stops, tracks where you are, and guides you to the next stop that you select on the tour. When you get to your stop, you can confirm you're at the right spot by comparing a photo of the site with what you see. Then you click on a 2-3 minute audio recording that provides a great snapshot of the significance of the site. As Susan had pointed out to me, there is much more to Salem than the historic witchcraft trials. It includes author Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of Seven Gables, America's oldest candy company, and other interesting sites. Of everything I visited, I experienced a very deep emotional connection with the 1692 Witchcraft Memorial with 20 stones dedicated to each of the victims of the witchcraft trial. The tour includes brief descriptions of some of the victims including those written about in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. If you plan to visit Salem, I highly recommend this tour. All sites can be visited on the outside and some on the inside at no charge. Some sites, such as The House of Seven Gables, charge separate admission fees. If you want to travel to Salem and don't have a car, the ferry from Boston offers a nice, scenic, and entertaining 50 minute ride. The commuter trains run more frequently and can come in handy if the ferry schedule coming or going doesn't meet your needs. There are plenty of good places to dine at to break up the tour. We had lunch at FINZ and really enjoyed it (I'll post separately about that).

This was legit SO much fun! The name Hocus Pocus kinda throws you off because you may be thinking…read moreabout the movie, but this tour really is amazing. Start off with the tour guides, extremely friendly and beyond knowledgeable. They really know their history for Salem. The tour itself was a few hours and you walk to all of the sites in Salem with historical significance. There is so much to learn from Salem. So much history and heartbreak. It really is eye opening to hear the stories oof the witch trials and how the witch trials began and who all was wrongly persecuted. The tour guides were so nice and explained everything with such great details. This tour was definitely the highlight of our trip in Salem. I highly highly recommend Hocus Pocus Tours, I learned so much regarding Salem, the witch trials, the history behind the two, and a little bit of Hocus Pocus and Bewitched. So much fun!

One of if not the best walking tour my husband and I have done…read more Our guide Jobie(?) was engaging, enthusiastic, clear, and personable. He brought history alive, and he supplemented the witch trials history with some modern day Salem history which we really enjoyed. To top it all off, he was very grateful for our time and attention. I don't think I've seen a speaker show appreciation for their crowd like he did. Tour guide was well organized. Even though we crossed streets, Jobie and another helper made sure we did so safely while also allowing others to access the roads. The tour was not overbooked like some other tours are. This helped us to listen more closely and get close enough to Jobie to ask questions if we wanted to. Price was fair for what we got. 10/10 would recommend to others!

Great tour guide. She controlled the chatty Cathy in our group asking off the wall questions with…read morekindness and d a firm redirect. The tour was a tad long because of this but the guide was knowledgeable and I learned more about Salem than just the witch stuff. It seems like you walk around town all Over but then after the tour I realized we were actually in a pretty small area and everything was actually pretty close together

I had never heard of this museum, but I got a tour as part of training for the visitor center…read more I am so glad I went. The house is an immaculate Victorian piece with over 25 rooms and about 3 stories. Wayne, our tour guide was very knowledgeable and he said that many times, people with specific interests come to the museum to learn more about certain pieces (people come to learn about clocks, rugs, paintings, wood furniture, Asian pieces, bathrooms, etc). The museum has been used in several TV shows like The Gilded Age and Treasures Inside The Museum. General entrance is $12 per adult and the best thing is to call them to schedule a tour. Well worth it.

Stunning architecture, furniture, and history behind this high design Victorian house. Our tour…read moreguide was a family member and so wonderfully passionate and fun! Enjoyed the tour and recommend anyone to visit!!

As 1 of 3 of historical homes in a package deal for $15, this house is different from the others in…read morethat it tells both the story of an colonial family but also tells the story of the British. It really puts a lens on their experience, which you don't often hear. It was humbling to remember that they're people too and to imagine they didn't want this to happen either, was a very interesting perspective. The guide that shows you through this house was informative, enthusiastic, and great all in all. You start with a 5 minute video about the redcoat experience and then you're taken through the rest of the house. They tell you about the colonials that owned it, who ran out of the house to hide in the woods knowing that the redcoats would likely come back, how the redcoats broke into the house to use it as a temporary hospital or break as reinforcements met up with the original group and led them back to Boston. Such a great tour. Such a great house. Definitely worth the time!

From the owner: Built in 1735, this important tavern was taken over and used by the British Redcoat troops on their…read moreretreat back to Boston in the afternoon of April 19, 1775. Learn about the British perspective of the day's events and see where President Washington dined when he visited Lexington and this Tavern in 1789. Highlights: Relics of the Redcoats exhibit, Garden of Colonial Flowers, Museum Shop.

Seasonal Musuem…read more This year, the Old Ordinary was open from June 12th through September 1, (2007), Tuesday through Saturday, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Admission: adults, $3; children, $1. After Labor Day, the museum will be open by appointment. Really excellent value if you love New England History. Eleanor Roosevelt called Hingham's thoroughfare "the most beautiful Main Street in America." It has a mile or so of wide, tree-lined Main Street with homes that get progressively older as you get closer to the center of town. The Old Ordinary is a wonderful place to visit. It only costs $3.00 and there's are a variety of well-informed tour guides to walk you through the house and explain the rich history of Hingham. You can see house construction, fabric, furniture, toys, tools, clothing, advances in fireplaces, etc. progress as you travel through the rooms. Awesome state of the art kitchen and woodwoodworkshop. There was a quilt and embroidery exhibit when I went through, with examples on loan from the Old Derby school (down the street), one of the first coeducational schools in America, including an example of a rare and beautiful blue and white double anchor patterned quilt. Girls had to do a sampler to graduate, and boys had to make a wooden toy/piece of furniture. You will find a small tavern that qualified the house as an "ordinary" where Daniel Webster is reported to have stopped by for refreshment and conversation on his way through town on occasion. I was struck by how small the space was and that the revolution surely ignited in little places such as that. There are many artifacts including a 1722 Bonner map of Boston, a grandfather clock made by Hinghamite, Joshua Wilder, and Lincoln memorobilia as it is thought (hoped?) Abraham Lincoln may be descended from the Lincolns of Hingham. I believe I read somewhere that Abe never knew his ancestry, though. Nevertheless, there is a statue of him erected just outside the Old Ordinary on the green. Very good day trip.

This wonderful house museum was built in 1688 and expanded twice, all before the Revolutionary War…read more Tours last about an hour, but could last so much longer, there is so much to learn from the knowledgeable guides. They talk about the architecture, the owners, the furnishings, and what it was like in the 17th to 19th centuries in this historic town. Make sure you hear the pirate story! The museum is open seasonally, so make sure to check the website of the Hingham Historical Society or call in advance if you want to be sure. The museum also closes on very hot days. There is a nominal entrance fee if you are not a member.