Women's Suffrage Walking Tour of Boston's Back Bay

Walk Back Bay's tree-lined streets with a local historian in a small group. Through stories of the Bostonians who organized, funded, and challenged the women's suffrage movement, explore the turbulent decades from 1870 to 1920 and the neighborhood's role in the struggle for voting rights.

Itinerary

1. Meet your guide at the Make Way for Ducklings Statue in Boston Public Garden, directly opposite 67 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108, for your 2-hour 30-minute tour.
2. Explore the Public Garden, established in 1837 as the first public botanical garden in the United States.
3. See Make Way for Ducklings, Nancy Schön's sculpture based on Robert McCloskey's classic picture book.
4. See the George Washington Statue, an equestrian sculpture by Thomas Ball commissioned in 1859.
5. Discover the site of Pauline A. Shaw's School. Learn about Shaw's role as a financier of Boston's women's suffrage movement and founder of the Boston Equal Suffrage Association for Good Government.
6. See the former home of Elizabeth Putnam, an anti-suffragist and the first woman to preside over a state electoral college.
7. See the former home of Kate Gannett Wells, a founding member of the Massachusetts Association Opposed to Further Extension of Suffrage to Women.
8. See the former home of Mary Shreve Ames, president of the Massachusetts Anti-Suffrage Association.
9. Discover the College Club of Boston, the first women's college club in the United States.
10. Explore Commonwealth Avenue Mall, a historic avenue with a tree-lined path, grassy areas, benches, and statues.
11. See the building that housed the Museum of Natural History from 1864–1951.
12. Explore Newbury Street, known for its shopping, dining, and luxury brands.
13. Discover Copley Square, a public square built to be Boston's cultural center.
14. See Trinity Church, built in 1877 and ranked among the country's top 10 buildings by members of the American Association of Architects.
15. Discover Chauncy Hall, which housed offices for pro-suffrage organizations, including the Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association and The Women's Journal.
16. See Boston Public Library, founded in 1848 and now the third-largest public library in the United States.
17. See the Boston Marathon Finish Line.
18. Discover the site of the Kensington Building, demolished in 1967, which housed the offices of the Massachusetts Association Opposed to Further Extension of Suffrage to Women.
19. See the Boston Women's Memorial.
20. See the former home of Abigail Williams May, one of the first women appointed to the Massachusetts State Board of Education and a cousin of Louisa May Alcott.
21. Explore Beacon Street, labeled "enemy-country" by Boston suffragists and the starting point of the 1915 Suffrage Victory Parade.
22. See the former home of Blanche Ames, a pro-suffrage cartoonist and early advocate for birth control.
23. See the former home of Julia Ward Howe.
24. See the Gibson House Museum, a historic house museum with a preserved interior from 1859.
25. Return to the Public Garden at 12:30.

What's Included

• English-speaking guide

Important details

• Children ages 0–5 join free
• The tour is wheelchair- and stroller-accessible
• Arrive 15 minutes before departure