Small museum with a big heart. Our guide was knowledgeable. The museum has some Tewksbury Hospital…read morehistory and some public health history...I learned things I never knew. We took a timed, socially distanced tour - it worked! We hope to visit in the spring to take the outdoor tour next time.

The museum is fine. It's nothing fancy and oddly enough, completely inaccessible to people with…read moredisabilities, and I had to search for a staff member to answer my question about an unlabeled item. But for $5 and a half hour, if you're in the area, fine. Public health is important. Anti vaxxers would hate it but that's their problem. What I am actually sad about is the tour of the hospital grounds, led by an older white woman who seemed informed enough but whose knowledge of history and psychiatric care, etc, was easily outmatched by the children and adults in our group (because the people taking a 90 minute walking tour of a state hospital are not just curious tourists, we all had a specific interest in the history of health.) She simply did not seem to have any real sympathy or empathy for the poor souls held there against their will, and her cheerful demeanor as she led us around would probably be appropriate at another historic site, but not one where people were locked up for life for the crimes of being poor or disabled. She showed us a picture of a row of fat babies in a crib, admitted it was probably staged as most of the kids would be thinner, but didn't mention the well known fact that the majority of infant inmates there died before their first birthday and that their bodies were sold to be dissected. (http://homenewshere.com/tewksbury_town_crier/article_fade0809-5eb1-5269-a6f3-9fbfcb056845.html https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/issues/tewksbury-almshouse-investigation/) To me, a disabled woman, the hospital grounds are a sacred space, a space where thousands upon thousands lived and died and suffered due to the fact that society at the time did not want to deal with them. These attitudes persist today when businesses do not want to make their stores accessible or when schools deny a disabled child needed accommodations. At the time of its opening, Tewksbury hospital was a model for the nation, and today, it has offices for Mass health, the direct model for Obamacare and one of the best public insurance programs in the nation. There is a direct link between yesterday and today, and today, our guide did not even attempt to make it. A small amount of online research makes the place come alive as it did not during the tour, because you are able to find out the actual names and stories of people - very few stories, unfortunately, but many names. This tour had no stories whatsoever, simply random facts about how at that end of that building, the more 'dangerously violent insane' were kept, and how wonderful the farm worked, and how hard people worked, (until their workshops were forced to shut down because there was a law made saying that people had to be paid. This is said as if it were a bad thing......) It is largely just the pointing out of what population was held in this building that is now used for (some program) or, in about half the case, in this building that no longer exists. (Why in heavens name is there a daycare in the building formerly used as the main asylum for mentally ill men?) It is stories that make people come alive. These people are dead, many not very long ago, and their stories are all gone with them. The tour is completely inaccessible to people with sensory disabilities. There are many sections of rotting asphalt road, many stops and starts, few near a place you can sit down, also with one exception you don't get close enough to touch the buildings and not many visual descriptions are given even with a blind person in our group. And although the museum uses up to date language - saying, for example, 'people with mental illness' as has been the standard for years - the guide doesn't bother to, because, she ever-cheerfully explains, they just said 'the insane' then, so that's what she does. It's a poor choice of language and it's a poor tour in general. I do hope that other tour guides are better than ours was. Do go down the road a bit to the cemetery and pay your respects, over 10,000 people are buried there with metal markers that peep up through the leaves. Do think about the lives they led, and the choices that were taken from them as they were locked inside those cells and crowded rooms. Do think about their death and what they mean today to you as a person who maybe benefits from the great public health system of Massachusetts.

I have taken several tours with Unicorn Tours, as have my friends. I have done single day and…read moremultiple day tours and have always been more than satisfied. Mary Lou packs so much more into a day on her multi-day tours than other companies--you will come home tired, but you will have gotten your money's worth. I am surprised that there aren't more reviews on Yelp and that none are very recent. Her repeat business is another testimony to the quality of her trips.

Mary is pretty rude and lacks professionalism. I do not recommend this company to anyone. You can…read morelikely arrange the tours yourself just by booking things online directly.

What a great experience! Tons of history, sights, vegetation, and flowers. Really enjoyed the…read moreoutdoors and the walk, handsomely groomed. Plenty of upkeep by the department of the interior and Boston. 10/10 recommend.

We almost messed up big time and tried to do Concord in our own. Last minute we booked two…read moreback-to-back tours with Concord Tour Company and had such an amazing day! Beth took us from end to end in the town and filled our day with amazing stories and facts that brought the history of the city to life for us. Seriously - don't do this city without a guide. You will only get a sliver of the history. We now have a greater understanding of how the literary history tied in with the military history. Beth was great teaching us about what we already knew, should have known, and never would have guessed. I left feeling much more informed and jonesing for a good read! Don't skip any of these tours!

This charge will also be from the Witch History Museum if you toured or purchased from that shop…read more I thought that this museum was good. The tour guides were the ones who made it worthwhile, the wax statues are exactly as you would expect. Poorly posed. Poorly dressed poorly created. Hilarious! Good times had by all.

I bought tickets to the Histrionic Academy's Boston Night Tour via a deal on BuyWithMe a couple of…read moreweeks ago, thinking "Hey, why not - I like a good ghost tour as much as anyone else..." I figured it would give me something fun and seasonally-appropriate to do after work some night. The first red flag should have been raised when I looked on the company's website and they didn't even have a "Boston Night Tour" listed as an option. The website lists "Boston Historic Trail," "Salem Ghost Tour," and "Salem's 1692 Tour"... but when I called to make my reservations, sure enough the woman on the phone knew what I was talking about anyway. The night tour exists, but apparently it's pretty new. We showed up for our tour about 15 minutes before the assigned start time and it departed right at 8 PM sharp, as promised. From the very beginning when our tour guide explained to us that he also conducts the daytime Freedom Trail tours, and that he's a "paranormal investigator," and has also been an archaeologist, the temptation was to call out "WHOA THERE, Indiana Jones - I call bull$#*t." But of course, I kept my mouth shut and did my best to keep an open mind. I figured it was just a cheesy start to what might be an informative tour. Then we made our first stop near the Old State House. Our guide told the story of the Boston Massacre, and explained how once in a while people see the ghost of - wait for it - "Christopher Attucks" standing in a nearby intersection. Christopher. Not Crispus (his actual name), but "Christopher." And he went on to repeat that name at least another half dozen times during this story. I made the decision that I just couldn't stand in the cold and watch this guy embarrass himself any longer than I already had (about 10 minutes, mind you), and as the tour group left the corner of Congress and State, my boyfriend I turned right around and walked back toward the closest Orange Line station. The moral of this story is: If you want to go on a ghost tour in Boston, do yourself a favor and go with a well-rated company that's been doing it for a while.

My friends and I really enjoyed our tour with Mikayla! She was the absolute best at storytelling…read moreand history. We learned so much and appreciated her enthusiasm on what was a bitter cold, rainy day! Thank you!

We did the extended tour last night. Guide was very nice, meeting spot was easy to find. The group…read morewas way too large and it was very difficult to hear at times. It also ran long so plan for extra time. I only took one photo the whole time because I love hocus pocus and when I zoomed in on the lit window this morning this is what I saw ...

Vinnie was very knowledgeable and a great story teller. We really enjoyed ourselves.read more

This was an incredible experience, and a huge part of that was our fantastic guide, Vin…read more Vin is a born storyteller. He was incredibly theatrical and had a way of bringing the city's haunted history to life. His performance was captivating, and he kept our whole group on the edge of our seats with every twist and turn of the ghostly tales. He was also great at answering questions and made everyone feel like they were a part of the story, not just listening to it. If you're looking for a tour that is both spooky and entertaining, this is the one. Vin's passion for the supernatural and his flair for the dramatic made for an unforgettable night. Highly recommend!

As a travel advisor and concierge on Martha's Vineyard, my clients often ask me to arrange for…read moreprivate tours of Boston and /or other nearby towns with historic points of interest. My clientele consists mainly of discerning individuals that are not only seeking knowledgeable tour guides but, ones that are kind, professional, flexible and also interesting. That is why I can always rely on Mass Bay Tours...it's my "go-to" local tour company in the Boston area ! Their tour guide Curtis is particularly exceptional! He knows so much information and takes the time to learn about the travelers, establish a connection with them so he can learn about their interests. He doesn't mind customizing the tour to make it work for the customer. Nothing brings me more happiness than my clients reporting back to me repeatedly how much they enjoyed their Mass Bay Tours experience. I highly recommend them! A+

The visitor center is renovated and clean. It is a bit hidden, but offers a lot of information…read moreabout the historical landmarks of Lowell especially the Mill factories. It offers free validated parking while it is open.

Learn the history of a town literally built to make textiles. Visitor center is free with movie…read moreabout the town and walking distance to the museum (with small fee, discount for National Park holders). Museum staff run the machines, which make cloth the same way they did in the late1800s-early 1900s and that you can buy by the yard or purchase pre-made towels. In season there are trolley rides and canal boats tours. Check the calendar if this is important to you.