Frederick Law Olmsted believed its “great beauty in reflections and flickering half-lights” was the perfect antidote for the weary city-dweller looking for a place for relaxation and contemplation.

A National Park Service Ranger, along with Frederick Law Olmsted (as portrayed by Gerry Wright) will examine the natural and cultural history of the pond, and look at Olmsted's plans for this popular park.

All ferry rides from Boston will be free to Spectacle and Georges islands. This is a first-come, first-served event.

Henry Grew purchased 800 acres of land in the Neponset River Valley and moved to the area in 1847. He was the chairman of the first Board of Selectmen of Hyde Park, and one of its most esteemed citizens.

/*-->*/

Why do so many historical churches have stained glass windows? How were they made? Who was Tiffany and why was he so special? How do we preserve these glass artworks today and why is it important to save them?
Tours start at 10 a.m., run throughout the day, and will include kid-friendly activities like a scavenger hunt. Also, meet a glass artist and see a live demonstration and talk starting at 1 p.m.

Takes place in Arlington Street Church in Back Bay, designated a Boston Landmark in 1978.

Join Emerald Necklace docents as they talk and walk the historic landscape. Stops include the Kelleher Rose Garden, with its more than 1,500 roses and reconstructed fountain, the oldest WWII Victory Gardens in America, and a special visit to the Veterans Memorial in honor of Armed Forces Day.

The tour begins and ends at the Shattuck Visitor Center, 125 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115. It's free and open to the public. No registration required. Bring a refillable water bottle and wear comfortable walking shoes.

Katharine Gibbs made sure that all of the campuses from Providence, Boston, New York, and beyond were in beautiful buildings in elegant parts of their cities. What could be more elegant than Back Bay in the spring?

Join a former Gibbs dean in a tour of the excellent sites of Gibbs in Back Bay. Whether you are a graduate, a history buff, or someone who has heard about Gibbs for years and wants to know more, this is a great treat!

You'll learn about our unique story, explore the space, and meet the makers who grow, catch, brew, raise, cultivate, bake, ferment, cook, and harvest their food. Exact meeting location will be emailed upon registration.

Uncover the many layers of King’s Chapel’s past, literally and figuratively, as you explore the church as both a historic and living place.

This tour focuses not only on the literal construction and adornment of the church, but also how its congregation over time has continually added meaning to the space. You'll learn about how changes over time — to the building, congregation, and landscape of Boston — have constructed how King’s Chapel is seen and understood as a historic place today.

/*-->*/

This tour will be repeated on Thursdays, May 23 and May 30.

We will welcome more than 2,000 visitors to our neighborhood. They will enjoy not only our hidden gardens, but also our shops, restaurants, and museums.

From its first garden tour since the club was founded in 1928, club members have opened their gardens every year on the third Thursday in May, even through the Depression and World War II. We hope you will enjoy the day visiting the nooks, crannies and charming spaces that make Beacon Hill special.

/*-->*/

The tour is rain or shine.

Learn why there is an 18th-century horseshoe in the permanent exhibits, how the Meeting House is indebted to a fire engine from New Hampshire, how Louisa May Alcott and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow supported the Meeting House’s preservation in the late 1800s, why William Lloyd Garrison didn’t, and how this building’s preservation story continues as it approaches its 300th birthday!

This program is made possible with funding from the Lowell Institute.