We'll walk through the first four blocks of the Back Bay to highlight examples of Art Deco design, from residential and commercial properties to institutional landmarks. The tour will include the second John Hancock building and New England Power. 

In the walk, we will talk about the evolving character of the Back Bay and the development of new Art Deco buildings, as well as the incorporation of Deco design into existing structures.

This "walking and talking" event is not a tour. It's designed to be a discussion to raise awareness of social forces and transformations in Roxbury history and urban form from old times to the present.

The event is two hours. Please RSVP by email and get on the mailing list in case we need to reschedule due to weather.

Join us for an informative talk by Alison Hardy, of Window Woman of New England, Inc., on the hows and whys of historic window restoration. This event is sponsored by the Boston Landmarks Commission.

Dine in one of Charlestown’s oldest structures, tour the building, learn of its historic importance to Charlestown. Benefits the Memorial Hall Building Renovation Fund.

Come experience the history and preservation efforts of Charlestown using a combination of a new Mobile Neighborhood Walking Tour App and real-time narrators.  Special events are planned at each location as well as lunch and games at the end of the tour.

Kick-off is 10:30 a.m. The tour is from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Hot Dogs and Burgers are from 1 - 2 p.m. 

Rain date for this tour is May 20th at 10:30AM

During the tour, you'll visit the oldest community theater company in the United States and an elegant 18th-century mansion that served as one of the country’s first military hospitals. You'll learn about the monument that commemorates fallen Civil War soldiers from West Roxbury, and about Pauline Agassiz Shaw who established a project in Jamaica Plain that became the model for continuous free kindergarten education.

We will also visit a house dating to 1716 that once served as a tavern, the Eliot School dating back to 1689, the home of the first woman to graduate from MIT, and the First Church Burial Ground.

Please note: the tour will be canceled in the case of heavy rain.

Originally marshland bisected by a narrow strip of land called The Neck (now Washington Street), the South End consists of historic residential blocks, parks, and main thoroughfares with commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. The marsh was filled, and in 1850 real estate speculators started building fashionable, single-family rowhouses. Restrictions on building size and materials meant residential structures in long uniform rows, resulting in remarkable visual unity throughout the area. After the Financial Panic of 1873, the most wealthy Bostonians moved to the brand new Back Bay. For further historical background please see South End Landmark District Study Report.

The conversation will focus on climate change and how it may affect Boston's built environment, and specifically historic structures.

This event will be free and open to the public and registration is not required. We encourage those who are interested in these topics to join the conversation and help us protect Boston's historic treasures!

This walk will be led by Dr. Rory Browne, Franklin Park Zoo historian and member of Zoo New England’s Board of Directors. During the tour, Dr. Browne will highlight the history of several notable zoo landmarks, including the bird’s world exhibit and flight cage, the promenade, folly tower, and the statues that greet visitors at the zoo’s giraffe entrance.

Founded in 1912, Franklin Park Zoo is a 72-acre site nestled in Boston’s historic Franklin Park, long considered the "crown jewel" of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace Park System. Designers and early proponents wanted to make the best use of the natural landscape, and saw the zoo as an educational and recreational institution – just like today!

This walking tour is free with paid Franklin Park Zoo admission. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.