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Dark Side of Boston 90 Minute Private Tour

New To The Site! Boston, USA
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from $200 per group

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1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
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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!

What's Included

  • Walking tour led by passionate and well-trained guides
  • Private transportation
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Meeting Location

Meeting point

Hanover St & Cross St
Boston, MA 02109, USA

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

Hull St & Salem St
Boston, MA 02113, USA

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

What To Expect

Old North Church & Historic Site

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.
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25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Copp's Hill Burying Ground

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.
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25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

North Square Stories

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).
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20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Brinks Job Building

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.”
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20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Frequently Asked Questions

(6)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Dark Side of Boston 90 Minute Private Tour?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EDT). Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

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

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Activity code: C-186204P9


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Frequently Asked Questions (6)

American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from City Boat Tours customers.

Filter by:

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Dark Side of Boston 90 Minute Private Tour?
A:
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.
  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EDT).
Apr 2025
Q: What's included in the price?
A:
The following is included:
  • Walking tour led by passionate and well-trained guides.
The following is NOT included:
  • Private transportation.
Apr 2025
Q: What is the minimum age for this tour?
A:

There is no minimum age for this tour, so bring your wee one along for an adventure. This tour requires at least one adult to accompany children..

Apr 2025
Q: My date is not available in the calendar, I am just checking to see if it is available?
A:

If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.

If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.

Apr 2025
Q: Is this an accessible tour?
A:

Accessibility information for the Dark Side of Boston 90 Minute Private Tour is as follows:

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Apr 2025
Q: Where is the meeting point for this activity?
A:

Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Dark Side of Boston 90 Minute Private Tour will be included in your confirmation email from City Boat Tours. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!

 

 

Mar 2024

What's Included

American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

  • Walking tour led by passionate and well-trained guides
  • Private transportation

Additional Info

American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Report Product Issue

American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

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American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

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Free Cancellation

American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

100% refund
No refund

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

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EDT).

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American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

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American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

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