Friends of the Boston Harborwalk

The FBHW is a group of volunteers with a mission to create awareness, promote public enjoyment, and foster local stewardship of Boston’s 43-mile Harborwalk. The group meets monthly to plan and coordinate three priorities:

1. Host informative monthly two-hour tours highlighting different Harborwalk segments.
2. Develop engaging and site-specific interpretive signs for residents and visitors along the Harborwalk and collaborating with waterfront property owners and other stakeholders on their installation.
3. Organize waterfront clean-up events and reporting maintenance concerns to help ensure that the entire length of the Harborwalk is clean, safe, and inviting.

For more information on joining the FBHW, contact Mike Manning, Chair, at mmanning@bostonharbornow.org.

UPCOMING TOURS (Tentative Schedule)

All tours are led by volunteers from the Friends of the Boston Harborwalk. Beginning in June of 2021, in person walking tours have resumed. Standard walking tours take place on Saturdays at 10:00 AM; however, some locations require alternative times and winter tours may be offered online.

• Saturday, September 24: Dorchester
• Saturday, October 15: North End
• Saturday, October 29: Charlestown Navy Yard history and art (co-led by artist Michael Alfano)
• Saturday, November 5: A Literary Harbor (talk at Porter Square Books in the Seaport)
• Saturday, December 31 (1:00 PM): Wharf District

RECORDED TOURS  

During the pandemic, many tours moved online. Recordings of some of the virtual tours from 2020 and 2021 are below.

2020 virtual tours

• June 17: Wharf District
• August 19: East Boston from Clippership Wharf to Boston East
• September 23: Neponset River
• October 14: Harborwalk Geology
• November 18: Charlestown – North of the Spaulding
• December 9: Boston’s Fish Pier

2021 virtual tours

• January 27: The Great Molasses Flood
• February 24:  Boston Harborwalk Secret Places
• April 21: Vision Chelsea Creek with Harborkeepers

To register for these upcoming tours, please go to Eventbrite and/or join Boston Harbor Now’s email list. To view all previous virtual tours, check out this YouTube playlist.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Please help us accomplish our goals by becoming a FBHW volunteer.  Here are a few opportunities for you to become involved:

Harborwalk Guided Tour Team

Tour team volunteers lead different guided excursions each month.  Most tours are on foot, others via bicycle or by boat, with each event exploring a different Harborwalk segment from Belle Isle Marsh in East Boston to the former Baker Chocolate Factory in lower Dorchester.  Tours typically run from 10 am to noon on Saturdays and begin and end near public transit. If you are interested in developing and/or leading a tour, please contact Mike Manning at mmanning@bostonharbornow.org.

Harborwalk Signage Team

Our signage team works closely with property owners and all stakeholders to develop content for engaging and inclusive interpretive signs along the Harborwalk, celebrating Boston’s rich waterfront history by focusing on local points of interest. The signs created by our team to date, can be viewed here. For more information contact Mike Manning at mmanning@bostonharbornow.org.

Harborwalk Clean-up Team

Building on a long tradition of giving back to the community, countless volunteers from local corporate and civic organizations help our team periodically undertake a needed clean-up along a Harborwalk segment. These clean-ups typically occur from 9 am to noon on a date of your choosing. If you’re interested in hosting your volunteer group for this purpose, please contact Erik Bankey at esbankey@msn.com.

2022 MEETINGS

The Friends of the Boston Harborwalk meet at 5:30 pm on the fourth Thursday of the month. They are currently meeting virtually. Please contact Mike Manning at mmanning@bostonharbornow.org to attend. Upcoming 2022 meetings will be held on the following dates: