Some travellers come to Boston to follow The Freedom Trail past famous sights from the US’ colonial and Revolutionary history. Others wander around the hallowed halls of the Boston Public Library and the red-brick buildings of Harvard University. But Boston’s hidden history is rich and complex, with many stories that are rarely told. These include the unheralded (and sometimes ugly) acts of Revolutionary-era rebellion, inspiring acts of Civil Rights heroism, true crime and some just straight-up weirdness.
Dina Vargo is an expert in strange stories from Boston’s past – a sort of specialised knowledge that she amassed as a docent for Boston By Foot walking tours. She went on to write two books on the subject, Hidden History of Boston and Wild Women of Boston. Her favourite subjects are women who defied social norms and made their own historical impact, often in ways that went unrecorded.
Read Vargo’s suggestions for the best places to learn about Boston’s hidden history at BBC Travel…
