Boston Hidden Gems & Special Places (5 and 10 KM walks)

$4/walker fee Registerat 8.45 & walk departs at 9. Boston, known as “America’s Walking City,” is steeped in history and tradition. The trails follow downtown city streets and walkways, exploring a plethora of historic sites, monuments, and landmarks. The Special Places walk routes visit some of Boston’s hidden gems (places not part of our YRE Back Bay or Freedom Trail routes) in this visually rich and walkable city. The 10km & 5km routes explore such highlights as the Esplanade along the Charles River, including the Hatch Memorial Shell famous for its summer concerts; Bay Village consisting of small brick 19th century homes which were bought and restored when houses on Beacon Hill became more expensive; the Armory, a four-story granite structure with a six-story tower designed by William G. Peterson; and the New Old South Church built in 1875. Some of the additional sights to be seen on the 10km route include the Church of the Advent built in 1879; the elegant Harrison Gray Otis House; Custom House Tower; Liberty Square with its statue honoring the 1956 Hungarian Revolution; the site where Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone; and Chinatown. The AVA rating for both routes is 1A and would be doable for strollers, but not wheelchairs. There is one set of stairs along with occasionally uneven sidewalks or missing curb cuts.