Info: Tours + Hunts

Join us for one of our public walking tours or scavenger hunts between April and November. (Or you can set up a private group tour or hunt on a date that works for you.)

New! Tours + Special Events to Mark the 150th Anniversary of the Telephone

"Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you!" Those words, spoken in Boston in 1876, were the first ever sent over a telephone wire. We'll take you to several spots linked to inventor Alexander Graham Bell, and talk about later revolutions in communications that started in Boston, including the Arpanet and the Android operating system. We'll also talk about one of the country’s most impressive Black inventors, who collaborated with both Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison; the connection between an MIT startup and “The Wizard of Oz”; the Harvard dropout who changed the way we take pictures; and who really invented the Ponzi scheme. We’ll also fill you in on one of America’s first millionaires, whose fortune was built on ice cream and cocktails.

Taking place on: May 13th + July 2nd

Starts at: near Park Street and Government Center T stops

New! Downtown Boston Scavenger Hunt

Want to experience Boston in a different way, learning about the city while racking up points? We'll form teams of 2-5, and you'll use a mobile app to complete challenges around a walkable area in Downtown Boston over the course of an hour. Our gamemaster host will be there to explain the rules and start the clock. At the end of an hour, we'll all reconvene to celebrate the winners, and our gamemaster will answer questions about any missions you couldn't complete. Scavenger hunts can include both kids and adults.

Great for families, friend groups, college orientations, and corporate off-sites. Minimum hunt # is four people (two teams of two), and the maximum is 100.

Taking place on: Request a hunt on a specific date!

Additional Tour and Hunt Info

Q. Should I go on the tour or the scavenger hunt?

A. Our walking tour covers less than one mile of mostly level terrain and is accessible to people in strollers and wheelchairs. If you're interested in science, technology, medicine, social change movements, and entrepreneurship, you'll love it. It includes some "show and tell" items, and we love to hear your questions.

If you'd like something more competitive for your family or friend group, consider doing the scavenger hunt. You don't need to race or run, and the puzzles can be solved by people of any age. You will rack up points as you visit interesting places in downtown Boston, and compete with at least one other team in real-time.

Doing both is also an acceptable answer — while they are in the same area, they are very different experiences and you'll see different places.

Q. What do people say about them?

Our tours and hunts are consistently rated ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ on TripAdvisor, Google, Yelp, and GetYourGuide. In 2023, we won a Best of Boston Award for "Best Walking Tour" from Boston Magazine. Check out our reviews — and if you join us for a guided tour or hunt, please leave one of your own!

Q. Where do tours and hunts start and end?

A. Boston tours typically start from the Irish Famine Memorial, near 30 School Street and the Old South Meeting House. This is a short walk from the Park Street, Government Center, State Street, and Downtown Crossing stations on the MBTA.

Boston scavenger hunts typically start outside the Boston Common Information Booth, near 139 Tremont Street and between the Park Street and Boylston Street stations on the MBTA. (Note: We also do tours and hunts in Cambridge with different starting points.)

Q. Can we do tours or hunt on a specific date... at a particular time... with a particular focus for your group?

A. You bet. Our friends at Boston History Company run private group tours throughout the year that can cover a portion — or all — of The Innovation Trail, depending on how much time you have. Pricing for these tours typically starts at $300. This PDF lists some of the options and pricing for 2026. We also frequently organize events that include speakers and special access to museums along the Trail, or scavenger hunts for school, university, and corporate groups.

Let us know you'd like to request a private tour or scavenger hunt here.