Boston Women's Suffrage Historical Walking Tour

Boston’s leading role in the American fight for women’s suffrage is found on the tree-lined streets of its elegant Back Bay neighborhood. This masterpiece of Victorian-era architecture is best experienced on foot, in a small group, with a local guide! Your 2.5-hour tour travels from Boston Common into historic Back Bay, visiting must-see landmarks such as the Public Garden, Newbury Street, and iconic Copley Square.
Our walking tour delves deeply into the years 1870 to 1920, tumultuous decades culminating in women earning the right to vote in the United States. Walk in the footsteps of prolific activists and financiers, visiting the political battleground for pro- and anti-suffrage groups.

With a captivating storytelling approach, Hub Town Tours provides the perfect introduction to Boston's role in the advancement of women’s rights. As we travel past key landmarks and historic homes, your guide shares captivating stories of the Bostonians who assembled the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

Meeting Point

1 P Charles St

1 P Charles St, Boston, MA 02108, USA

The tour gathers on Boston Common at the intersection of Beacon and Charles Streets. Please meet your guide at 1 Charles Street (02108), inside Boston Common and across the street from Starbucks Coffee.

What's included:

• Small Groups (16 guests max)
• Women's Rights Landmarks
• Back Bay Neighborhood

Not included:

• Guides in Period Costume
• Admission inside Museums
• Gratuities

What to expect:

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Boston Public Garden

4 Charles St, , Boston, 02114-4602, Massachusetts

Established in 1837 as first public botanical garden in the United States.

10 minutes

Make Way for Ducklings Statues

4 Charles St, Boston Public Garden, Boston, 02114-4602, Massachusetts

Sculpture by Nancy Schön based on Robert McCloskey's classic picture book.

Pass by without stopping

George Washington Statue

Boston Public Garden, Facing the Arlington Street Entrance, Boston, Massachusetts

Equestrian statue of George Washington by Thomas Ball commissioned in 1859.

Pass by without stopping

Boston Women's Heritage Trail

Boston, 02116, Massachusetts

Marking important sites related to Boston's Women's History

Pass by without stopping

6 Marlborough St

6 Marlborough St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Home of Pauline A. Shaw, financier of Boston's women's suffrage movement and founder of the Boston Equal Suffrage Association for Good Government.

Pass by without stopping

First Church in Boston

66 Marlborough St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Established in 1630, the church later became a center of the Transcendentalist movement.

5 minutes

67 Marlborough St

67 Marlborough St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Home of Elizabeth Putnam, anti-suffragist and first woman to preside over a state electoral college.

Pass by without stopping

45 Commonwealth Ave

45 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Home of Kate Gannett Wells, founding member of MAOFESW, Boston's leading anti-suffrage organization.

Pass by without stopping

25 Commonwealth Ave

25 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Home of Mary Shreve Ames, president of the Massachusetts Anti-Suffrage Association.

Pass by without stopping

The College Club of Boston

44 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02116, USA

First women's college club in the United States

10 minutes

Commonwealth Avenue Mall

484 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, 02215-2737, Massachusetts

Historic, long avenue featuring a path through trees, grassy areas, park benches & statues.

Pass by without stopping

Newbury Street

Newbury Street, , Boston, 02105, Massachusetts

Popular street home to shopping, dining, and many luxury brands.

Pass by without stopping

RH Boston | The Gallery at the Historic Museum of Natural History

234 Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Home to the Museum of Natural History from 1864-1951.

10 minutes

Copley Square

560 Boylston St, , Boston, 02116-3603, Massachusetts

Iconic public square built to be the cultural center of Boston.

10 minutes

Trinity Church Boston

206 Clarendon Street, Boston, 02116-3916, Massachusetts

Built in 1877 and considered by members of the American Association of Architects as one of this country’s top 10 buildings.

Pass by without stopping

585 Boylston St

585 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Then known as Chauncy Hall, was home to the offices of many pro-suffrage organizations including the Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association and The Women's Journal.

Pass by without stopping

Boston Public Library

700 Boylston St, Boston, 02116-2813, Massachusetts

Founded in 1848, it is now the third-largest public library in the United States.

10 minutes

Boston Marathon Finish Line

655 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Finish line of the iconic Boston Marathon.

Pass by without stopping

687 Boylston St

687 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Location of the Kensington Building (demolished 1967), which housed the offices of the Massachusetts Association Opposed to Further Extension of Suffrage to Women.

Pass by without stopping

Boston Women's Memorial

256 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Memorial depicting Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley, and Lucy Stone

10 minutes

3 Exeter St

3 Exeter St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Home of Abigail Williams May, one of the first women appointed to the Massachusetts State Board of Education and cousin of Louisa May Alcott.

Pass by without stopping

Beacon Street & Exeter Street

Beacon St & Exeter St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Beacon Street, "enemy-country" according to Boston Suffragists, was the starting location for the 1915 Suffrage Victory Parade.

5 minutes

260 Beacon St

260 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Home of Blanche Ames, a pro-suffrage cartoonist and early advocate for birth control.

Pass by without stopping

241 Beacon St

241 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Home of Julia Ward Howe.

Pass by without stopping

The Gibson House Museum

137 Beacon Street, , Boston, 02116-1504, Massachusetts

Historic House Museum with preserved interior from 1859.

Pass by without stopping