The National Park Service has done an excellent job designing this tour! I particularly appreciated the intentionality around language. My guide Jenny was great. read more

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If you are visiting Boston this is a must! The tour is shorter than the Freedom Trail but I would do both! I would recommend using the site as sadly there is not that many markers as many of the sites are privately owned. Make time for the Museum, especially if you cannot do the tour! And if you have more time visit the one the Museum Nantucket! read more

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The Black Heritage Trail is a newer section that was recently added to the Freedom Trail. While the Freedom Trail focuses on stops mainly during the Revolutionary War period, the Black Heritage Trail is all about the Abolitionist Movement during the Civil War. The is trail is about 1.5 miles and takes you through the Beacon Hill neighborhood. It was interesting, but a lot of that stops were not well marked and the map we had did not list why these were important stops at all. We ended up stopping and Googling some of the building just so we could understand the history. The Freedom Trail is so well marked, I just wish this trail was also mapped out a little better. There was a nice video playing in the lower level of Faneuil Hall about one of the stops on the Black Heritage Trail and I wish we would have known to watch that first before we walked the Trail. This neighborhood was also very hilly and the sidewalks were uneven. I know there is nothing they can do to change that, but it is just good to know and keep in mind if you are planning on walking it. read more

After an online test of personal biases revealed that I have a slight preference for African Americans over Caucasians it seemed only fitting that I fill in some knowledge gaps. A tour of Boston's Black Heritage Trail was the perfect way to get informed without feeling like I was sitting in History class. The free, guided, 90-minute tour of the Black Heritage Trail is led by a National Park Service Interpretive Guide. It begins at the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial on Beacon Street and winds its way through 14 sites on Beacon Hill. As others have said, you can follow this trail on your own but you won't learn much; most of the sites have little to no information to cue you into what you're seeing. NPS Guides do an excellent job of relaying history in an entertaining and enlightening manner. They're also so well versed on their subject matter that you'd be hard pressed to throw at them a question they can't answer. So really, go with the guide. The tour was a great way not only to learn about Black history in this area but also to experience the charming streets of Beacon Hill. While every other tourist is clogging up the Freedom Trail know that you'll be amply rewarded by opting instead for a guided tour of the Black Heritage Trail. The stories are smaller but no less significant and you'll see and hear of things that nobody ever made you learn in school. Additional stuff: * No reservations are needed; just show up. Tour schedule is listed here: https://www.nps.gov/boaf/planyourvisit/hours.htm * The tour involves walking on some mild hills and uneven ground so it's probably not ideal for those with mobility issues. * The tour concludes at the Museum of African American History. I found the tour far more interesting than the museum. * 2016 is the centennial of the National Park Service which leads this type of tour throughout the nation. If you like this sort of thing and want to keep it running, let congress know. * Lightening cancels the tour immediately. Check the weather before selecting tour day/time. * Want to learn about your own racial and/or gender biases? Here's a link: http://www.understandingprejudice.org/baseline/ read more

It probably would have done us some good if we took the tour with a park ranger, but my friend Jess and I did a decent job of pointing out all the sites with our little map. The trail is in the very lovely Beacon Hill neighborhood, so that in itself is enjoyable if you love architecture. It's amazing for a Cali girl like me to see places still intact from the time of the Underground Railroad. A place to see and learn where and how free blacks and former slaves established themselves in a major city. Start at the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial. Quite an impressive image. read more

National Park Ranger Shawn was an excellent and informative guide for the Black History Tour. My teens loved the tour and we learned so much about Boston's vibrant black community through the revolutionary and civil wars. Sign up through the NPS website 1.5 hours and absolutely a highlight of our trip! read more

I was really disappointed in this trail. I was under the impression that we couldn't be part of a guided tour unless we had a group (true, right?) so we tried to walk the tour on our own. Problem? There are very few signs explaining the stops of interest. Yeah, we found the approximate location of the George Middleton House, but couldn't figure out which house exactly it was, or find a plaque or sign or anything explaining its importance. Most of the trail was like this and I was pretty bummed. Once we found the museum and African meeting house we really enjoyed it. There was a great video that gave a lot of information and a wonderful art exhibit. My advice is if you can't get the park ranger to give you the tour then just go to the museum. read more

As a lover of history, the Black Heritage Trail was on my list to do when visiting Boston. It has several points of interest in the neighbourhood of Beacon Hill. Spots include houses that were occupied by abolitionists, General Shaw & the 54th Regiment Memorial, the Museum of African American History and the Abbot Smith School. I did this trail without a map of what I was looking for, but somehow just guessed on what I needed to find by the maps supplied on the city streets. In contrast to the Freedom Trail, the Black Heritage Trail does not have clear markers for points of interest. The trail only has signs to point you in the direction you need to follow. Buildings are not marked. It was a little bit difficult to get around due to that, but it's also understandable that people actually do live in these houses. Otherwise, I enjoyed my time in Beacon Hill and walking around. Stop by the Museum to get your stamp cancellation for you National Parks Passport! read more

We missed the tour guide, why because it was only one per day. Which was very disappointing. Of course we decided to go in a self guided tour with the map. No bricks like the Freedom trails , which made it quite difficult to navigate. Every so often you see a sign on a corner saying Black Heritage Trail. As much funding that goes into the Freedom Trails should be just as equal- especially because it's a smaller area to cover. While visit the African American Meeting House the ranger that spoke could not articulate and committed clearly. Quite surprising to see no Black American present , not even in the gift shop. No one there of the Same culture there to present - dissatisfaction on these point. Glad to be able to walk in the steps of greatness but not happy how the comparison to Freedom Trail was much better and organized. read more

The Black Heritage Trail is a hidden gem in Boston. I highly recommend it if you are faced with a beautiful sunny day and a hankering to learn a little history about our fine city. The tour, which lasts about 1.5 hours, meets in front of the State House, near the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial. A National Park Service ranger will be your guide. Ours was very enthusiastic about the topic and had been doing the tour for 7+ years. He was also pretty surprised to see a group of 20+ people show up in the middle of March! You start at the memorial, learning about the history of black soldiers in the revolutionary war. You then meander through Beacon Hill, noting homes of famous abolitionists and the Abiel Smith School. Beacon Hill is a beautiful neighborhood to walk through, rich in history. The Black Heritage Trail highlights the pre-Civil War free black neighborhood that was once present here, as well as the abolitionist movement that was so active. The tour is free - bonus! And it's pretty inspiring to learn about the revolutionaries that lived, worked and walked these streets during a time of great change in our country. Put on your walking shoes and check it out! read more

After lunch at NeptuneOyster, took the subway to BostonCommon to join the free 1 hr BlackHeritageTrail tour on a gorgeous sunny day which started at the RobertGouldShawMemorial. There were just 4 ppl and it was an hour of discovery for most of us - I knew a little background as I had been to the Museum of African American History, which is a must visit and this trail is a perfect complement to it. Also got to see the gorgeous BeaconHill streets with one of the houses still standing&occupied from the 18th century. Will not say anything more than that tis a must do! read more

The Black Heritage Trail isn't as well known (or as well advertised) as its Freedom Trail cousin. But it is just as important. I decided to check it out after getting tired of seeing so much history through the eyes of Rich White Men (RWM). (And just a note, I am not black. The Black Heritage Trail is an important part of American history regardless of your personal hyphen description). I picked up a brochure from the Visitor's Information Center in Boston Commons. However, I had to ask for it (it was free) because it was behind the counter, not with all the other brochures. Conspiracy? I doubt it, but certainly not aiding the advertising of the trail. There is a map on the brochure so you can do the trail on your own (although there is not a line to follow on the ground like the Freedom Trail with its easy to follow red line). However, I like to have a guide, especially a free one, and the Park Service offers free tours at 2pm (Monday thru Friday) during the off season and several times a day during the summer (begins at the 54th Regiment memorial in Boston Commons across from the State House with the gold dome). It was pouring rain that day so it was just the ranger and me. Which was perfect. I was able to ask questions and the rain added a nice ambiance as we walked through historical Beacon Hill. It was just the right touch to aid in the sensation of walking back in time. The ranger was knowledgeable and did a great job bringing the past to life. The tour takes about one hour and it meanders through some hilly areas. Wear walking shoes and prepare to huff and puff a little bit if you aren't used to the "streets of San Francisco". Being from California, it was awesome to stand in front of buildings where abolitionists stood, where Frederick Douglass made speeches, where black children were educated during a time when that was impossible in other states, and where a thriving black middle class lived and worked while so many of their brethren were deemed only "fit for slavery" (by RWM's of course) in other states. The trail is a testimony to the diversity of Boston's history and to the role that all Americans (not just RWM) played in the formation of our country. read more

As a history buff I was hesitant to spend my limited time in Boston on this tour. I was very glad I did. No one else showed up so my wife and I were given a personally guided tour by a knowledgable ranger through a beautiful part of Boston. The history you hear was just as interesting and harder to learn about than what is on the Freedom Trail. I highly recommend it. read more

AUGUST 30 After spending a full week exploring the city we took in this tour offered by the National Park Service on our last day and wow am I glad we did. This tour, conducted by Dana Smith our guide for that day and a ranger with the NPS essentially gave a 1.5 hr 'performance' about the people, the places and the events that took place in Boston during the late 1700's and 1800's that related to the American Civil rights movement and events that led up to the American civil war. By performance I mean that it was done in a dramatic fashion with such interest in the subject matter. He told us great personal stories about the times, the places and the people all set in historical context with an explanation of its significance to other events that would follow.. Dana is also a teacher, which became apparent during this wonderful tour as he kept our attention, made us think, made us laugh and ask questions and most of all made us learn. Thank you! read more