Dark Side of Boston 90 Minute Private Tour

New To The Site! Boston, USA

1 hour 30 minutes (Approx.)

Mobile Ticket

Instant Confirmation

Overview

Hear tales of misery, misfortune and murder - all based on true historic events! On this tour through the North End’s winding streets and alleyways, you will hear tales of misery, misfortune, and murder. These dark stories are all based on true historical events that have occurred in Boston. Learn about the Great Influenza of 1918, outbreaks of smallpox, the Molasses Flood, and the infamous Brink's Robbery against the backdrop of Boston's oldest neighborhood. Exploring the North End is always a delight. It's even better when investigating stories from Boston's checkered past!

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Hanover Street & Cross Street, Hanover St & Cross St, Boston, MA 02109, USA

Open in Google Maps

Meet your guide at the corner of Hanover & Cross Streets, Boston (the statue of boxer Tony DeMarco across from the Greenway).

End point

Hull Street & Salem Street, Hull St & Salem St, Boston, MA 02113, USA

Your tour will end in the general area of Hull St & Salem St, Boston, MA 02113.

Description

Stop At: Old North Church & Historic Site, 193 Salem St, Boston, Massachusetts 02113

There are 37 brick tombs under the church, the first of which was built in 1732. Wealthy parishioners began to commission personal tombs. There is also Tomb 14: the ‘strangers’ tomb’— where anyone, regardless of social status, could be interred through the intercession of a benefactor. In 1820, the area was quite full with 33 tombs, so they built under the Vestry, but by 1845, it was necessary to reuse the space and remove coffins. Church leaders were not loath to sweep out the bones after a few decades and replace them with fresh ones—all in the name of cash flow in a fast-changing society. In 1853, a City ordinance closed the tombs to further burials for health concerns. This was an era of relocating services due to the stench. But wardens disregarded the law on occasion, presumably for a fee. A skeleton was found in the cellar when the first tomb was built; its coffin plate read ‘Mr. Thomas’— a family that was among the founders of Christ Church.

Duration: 25 minutes

Stop At: Copp's Hill Burying Ground, Corner of Snow Hill and Hull Streets, Boston, Massachusetts 02118

Dr. John Warren’s son, Dr. John Collins Warren (1778–1856), a founder of Mass. General Hospital in 1811, wrote about a body snatching incident from his medical school days in Copp’s Hill Burying Ground. While Dr. John Collins Warren was in college in 1796, he began procuring bodies for dissection. When he heard a man without relations was to be buried at Copp’s Hill, he and some associates set out to dig up the body. They reached the spot at 10:00 at night. They started digging, but thought they were in the wrong place, so went to a different grave. Then they decided they were right the first time and went back to the first grave. They uncovered the coffin by breaking it open. Then they took the body of “a stout young man” and put it in a bag.

Duration: 25 minutes

Stop At: North Square Stories, North Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02113

Many smallpox epidemics have occurred in world history. In Cotton Mather’s lifetime, three of his children nearly died in one such wave of the virus. In 18th-century England, the disease of Variola major (smallpox) was referred to as the speckled monster, as after the patient was strickent with weakness, fever, pain and chills, a spotty bumpy rash would cover the patient and eventually erupt into oozing blisters and pustules. Frequently patients would have these pox on the face and inside the eyelids. After a few weeks the blisters would dry and scab off leaving the victim with pitted scars. In Boston, 6 out of every 10 people who contracted the disease died, often due to systemic shock from body-wide infection and due to a buildup of toxins in the blood (toxemia). Even those who survived smallpox often had long-term complications as a result such as severe scarring or blindness (Massmoments.org, 2020).

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Brinks Job Building, 600 Commercial St, Boston, Massachusetts 02113

Brinks was America’s biggest money mover. In the 1950s when large companies paid their employees, they paid in cash. So the company would hire Brinks to deliver the cash to distribute on pay day. Brinks had a reputation for security, but their practices had grown lax. Tony Pino was under suspicion for robbery and burglary when he took an interest in Brinks and began observing the Brinks’ operations. “He set up a telescope on the roof of 109 Prince St., with a direct line of vision into the garage. He learned every detail of the company’s daily routines: how the money was brought in, counted by Brink’s employees, stored in the vault, and locked up. He also studied the habits of the guards, including their bathroom breaks. To expedite the break-in, he removed a cylinder from one of the Brink’s office doors and rushed it to his locksmith friend who created a key. Pino went back and carefully reinstalled the cylinder, one door at a time, and obtained all the keys for the 5 locked doors.”

Duration: 20 minutes

Read full description

What To Expect

Reservations are REQUIRED for all bookings
Book Your Package On-Line and Receive Your Confirmation
Departure point: Detailed check-in instructions - including the address and parking information if applicable - will be included in your final confirmation email.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes (Approx.)
Departure Time: 06:30 PM
Return Details:
Hull Street & Salem Street, Hull St & Salem St, Boston, MA 02113, USA

What's Included

Walking tour led by passionate and well-trained guides

Gratuities
Hotel pickup not offered
Private transportation

What To Bring

Confirmation Voucher (printed or mobile)
Any required or suggested items listed on your confirmation email.
A Smile!

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

See 1 More

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Still have questions?

We’re here to help.
Live Chat, Text, Call, or Email our friendly customer support with your questions.

Activity code: C-186204P9

Similar Adventures & Tours

Tour-in-Four -- A Private four hour walking & driving city tour

7 hours Hotel pickup offered

from
$529

A Bostonian Christmas Tour

New To The Site!

2 hours Free Cancellation Instant Confirmation

from
$103.74

3-Hour Private "Cold Weather- Warm Van" Driving Tour of Boston

3 hours Hotel pickup offered Free Cancellation

from
$594

Adventurers Who Bought This Adventure Also Bought

Boston Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour with 14 Stops

4,686

1 hour 45 minutes Free Cancellation Instant Confirmation

from
$51.45

Boston Ghosts and Gravestones Trolley Tour

2,046

2 hours Free Cancellation

from
$46.20

Boston Codzilla High-Speed Thrill Boat Ride

345

40 minutes Free Cancellation

from
$53

Popular Cities

Popular Attractions

Molokini Crater

Are you interested in?