Join us on a walking tour in Newton! During our popular and informative walking tours, you'll learn more about local architecture, notable people and events, and the natural sights and neighborhoods around our city. See below for a list of this year's tours and links to register. Space is limited and registration is required for each tour. To be added to the waitlist, contact us at 617-796-1450 or education@historicnewton.org

Tour dates and topics are subject to change. The meeting location for each walking tour will be shares after registration. More tours may be announced later in the season—check back soon!

Tours are $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Most tours last approximately 1.5 hours. We go at an easy pace and typically cover about 1 mile. We encourage you to bring study shoes and bring a water bottle. All ages are welcome!

Historic Newton’s walking tours are sponsored by Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Upcoming Tours

Mourning and Memory at East Parish Burying Ground - Sunday, November 2, 2:00pm-3:00pm

Visit Newton’s oldest burying ground to explore a significant collection of colonial-era headstones and learn about funerary customs in New England. We will discuss the evolution of gravestone art, along with changing attitudes toward death and remembrance, from the pre-Revolutionary era through the Early Republic. This is the first of a two-part walking tour series set in Newton’s burying grounds and cemeteries.

Registration is required https://events.humanitix.com/walking-tour-mourning-and-memory-at-east-parish-burying-ground

Mourning and Memory at Newton Cemetery - Sunday, November 9, 2:00pm-3:00pm

Experience the historic Newton Cemetery, an important example of 19th-century rural cemetery design, and learn about the art and culture of mourning in the Victorian Era. We will see a variety of elaborate funeral monuments and discuss connections to the Civil War, industrialization, spiritualism, and more. This is the second in a two-part walking tour series set in Newton’s burying grounds and cemeteries.

Registration is required https://events.humanitix.com/walking-tour-mourning-and-memory-at-newton-cemetery

2025 Tours

Literary Newton - Tuesday, June 3, 6:30pm (Rain date: Wednesday, June 4)

To celebrate the Newton Free Library’s 150th anniversary, join us for a tour that takes you to places where writers including Robert Frost and Harriet Beecher Stowe visited Newton. Learn more about authors who studied literature at Newton’s high schools and see the work of contemporary poets stamped into the sidewalk through the city’s Make Poetry Concrete program. You’ll hear a few poems read aloud, too. This tour will be led by author Clara Silverstein. The total length of the tour is approximately two miles--we recommend wearing comfortable shoes and bringing a water bottle.

Registration is required https://events.humanitix.com/walking-tour-literary-newton

Transit tour: A Master Architect's Contributions to the Green Line - Sunday, June 29, 10:00am

H. H. Richardson was the dominant architect of the 19th century and was a Brookline resident. Rather than a walking tour of buildings, this will be a rolling tour on a Riverside train of the sites of three Richardson stations, now demolished (you'll see photos), two stations by Richardson's successor architectural firm in his style after he died, and the lone surviving Richardson station in Newton, now neglected and no longer used as a station (look quickly, it passes in a flash!). This tour will be led by local author and H.H. Richardson enthusiast Ken Bresler. 

Register at https://events.humanitix.com/transit-tour-richardson

Great Performers at Newton Cemetery - Tuesday, July 15, 6:00 pm

Join us at Newton Cemetery to see the final resting places of some of Hollywood's finest actors, performers, and musicians. Learn about Josephine Hull, who originates the role of Aby Brewster in "Arsenic and Old Lace"; B.F. Keith, the father of American Vaudeville; Arnold Stang, a Golden Age actor whose career spanned more than 40 years; and others. At each stop we'll watch clips and hear recordings to see their work come alive. 

Register at https://events.humanitix.com/walking-tour-great-performers

Newton's Revolutionary Soldiers at East Parish Burying Ground - Thursday, August 7, 6:00pm

In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, walk through the city's oldest burying ground to see the final resting places of Newtonians who were active in the conflict. Learn about General Michael Jackson's leadership at the battles of Lexington and Concord, how Timothy Jackson earned a commendation from George Washington, and Edwards Durant's participation in Newton's Committee of Correspondence. We will also talk about the women, enslaved and free Africans, and Indigenous Peoples whose stories are less  widely known but whose experiences are no less important. Please note the majority of this walk will take place on unpaved, uneven terrain. 

Register at https://events.humanitix.com/walking-tour-rev-soldiers

Walking Tour: Farlow Park's Historic Landscape - Thursday, August 14, 6:30pm

One of Newton's oldest parks, Farlow Park was built for passive enjoyment with a rich history and a range of different trees. Join Marc Welch, City Forester, to learn more about the early design and vision for the site. See trees planted over the decades and hear more about the neighborhood's urban forest and how it ties into Newton's tree care program.

Register at https://events.humanitix.com/walking-tour-farlow-park

Past Walking Tours 

Literary Newton: A Newtonville Walking Tour 

Join two published local authors for a tour that takes you to places where writers including Robert Frost and Harriet Beecher Stowe visited Newton. Learn more about authors who studied literature at Newton’s high schools and see the work of contemporary poets stamped into the sidewalk through the city’s Make Poetry Concrete program. You’ll hear a few poems read aloud, too, including some by Pulitzer Prize-winning Newtonians. Led by Clara Silverstein and Grey Held.

Who Inspired Our School Names? A Newton Cemetery Tour

Stroll through the Newton Cemetery to learn more about the namesakes of many of our city’s elementary and middle schools. Learn about their lives and see the final resting places of Dr. Henry Bigelow, A. B. Underwood, and others whose legacy continues in our public schools. With the upcoming renovations, remodeling, and construction of many of Newton’s Public Schools, now is the perfect time to reminisce about their founding and look forward to the future.  

Life at the Lake: A Crystal Lake Walking Tour

Ever wondered about the evolution of Crystal Lake? This Newton landmark has been a spot for ice harvesting, recreational activities, famous neighbors, preservation efforts, and more. During this early morning walking tour we'll share stories, photos, and seasonal memories as we walk all the way around the pond.

The Tree Nursery on Nonantum Hill: A Durant-Kenrick Walking Tour

Did you know Newton Corner was the site of one of New England’s first commercial nurseries? Put yourself back in time to when the Kenrick family cultivated fruit trees, ornamental trees, and shrubberies. Travel the original acreage of the nursery, see an 1882 Kenrick house, visit the Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds. As nature allows, taste fruit from Durant-Kenrick’s own historic gardens

Walking Tour: 100+ Years Ago in Auburndale

Did you know that Auburndale was almost called Pigeonville? This tour takes you past sites of importance from the 18th through the early 20th century, telling you colorful stories about the people and institutions that shaped the village we know today. You’ll see one of Newton’s oldest homes, hear about student life at Lasell Female Seminary, and see where the families of missionaries once lived in between assignments abroad. Led by Clara Silverstein.

Walking Tour: Early Newtonians in East Parish Burying Ground

How does a burying ground tell our local story? Ramble through East Parish Burying Ground as we visit the grave sites of some of Newton’s early English settlers and the location of the 17th century meetinghouse. We’ll also reveal the hidden stories of the Indigenous Massachusett people and enslaved and free Black Newtonians who were not buried there, but whose experience is equally as important in understanding our city’s history.