As Beverly celebrates its 400th anniversary, Historic Beverly invites you to explore the city neighborhood by neighborhood through a special series of Thursday night virtual walking tours this March. Each live, guided program highlights a distinct Beverly neighborhood, revealing how geography, industry, architecture, and community life shaped the city over four centuries. Using historic photographs, […]
Four women. Four centuries. 400 years of Beverly history. This First Friday, Women’s Rights (and Wrongs) takes you on a journey through the lives of women who shaped their communities across four centuries. From a woman caught up in the witch trials, to Revolutionary-era women who made their voices heard, to those supporting the Civil […]
As Beverly celebrates its 400th anniversary, Historic Beverly invites you to explore the city neighborhood by neighborhood through a special series of Thursday night virtual walking tours this March. Each live, guided program highlights a distinct Beverly neighborhood, revealing how geography, industry, architecture, and community life shaped the city over four centuries. Using historic photographs, […]
Join us for this month’s Coffee & Conversation as we get to know Lucy Larcom beyond her writing, and reclaim her story right here in Beverly. In the mid-1800s, Lucy Larcom was an unusual woman: she supported herself through teaching, writing, and editing at a time when few women worked outside the home, and even fewer gained […]
As Beverly celebrates its 400th anniversary, Historic Beverly invites you to explore the city neighborhood by neighborhood through a special series of Thursday night virtual walking tours this March. Each live, guided program highlights a distinct Beverly neighborhood, revealing how geography, industry, architecture, and community life shaped the city over four centuries. Using historic photographs, […]
As Beverly celebrates its 400th anniversary, Historic Beverly invites you to explore the city neighborhood by neighborhood through a special series of Thursday night virtual walking tours this March. Each live, guided program highlights a distinct Beverly neighborhood, revealing how geography, industry, architecture, and community life shaped the city over four centuries. Using historic photographs, […]
As the Revolutionary War unfolded and a new nation struggled toward independence, the Continental Congress took a decisive step to bind the colonies together: it established the United States Post Office. In the midst of conflict, leaders understood that communication was essential. Letters carried military intelligence, political ideas, personal news, and the connective tissue of […]
Francis Cabot Lowell is most often remembered through the institutions and places that bear his name: the City of Lowell, the Lowell Institute, and the Waltham-Lowell System of textile manufacturing. What is less often explored is how Lowell’s pioneering industrial work emerged directly from the Massachusetts merchant world of the late 18th and early 19th […]
In the nineteenth century, whaling was a driving force of the American economy. Before petroleum, whale oil illuminated homes and city streets, lubricated factory machinery, and supported the rapid expansion of industry. Spermaceti candles were among the brightest and cleanest-burning available, and baleen was used in products ranging from corsets to carriage springs. Whaling was […]
As Beverly celebrates Bev400 and Massachusetts marks MA250, this 30-minute, object-based program explores the Rantoul family’s impact on local and national history. Through three objects from the Historic Beverly collection, Squire Rantoul’s apothecary chest, Hannah Rantoul’s couch, and a silhouette of reformer Robert Rantoul Jr., discover how medicine, home life, and civic leadership shaped Beverly […]
Are you fascinated by Beverly’s Revolutionary-era maritime history? Then this walking tour is for you! Join us as we explore historic Beverly, visiting the homes and former businesses of some of the city’s most famous privateers. Enjoy beautiful waterfront views as our knowledgeable guide brings the 18th century to life, describing how these locations looked […]
Step back into the 17th century and experience the sights, smells, and flavors of early New England at Historic Beverly’s First Friday program at the Balch House. Join us for a live hearth cooking demonstration in the c. 1680 kitchen of one of Beverly’s oldest surviving homes. Using period tools and techniques, our interpreters will […]
Join Historic Beverly for a lively and engaging Coffee & Conversation as we take a deep dive into the Civil War with our Archives & Research Manager, Jonathan Schuster. A longtime student of the war, Jonathan will share how his passion for Civil War history began and how it informs his work preserving and interpreting […]
You’ve loved our annual Holiday House Tour. Now we’re giving you another reason to love Historic Beverly house tours! In celebration of the Revolutionary War 250th anniversary (Rev250), Historic Beverly invites you to a one-time-only Revolutionary War House Tour, a special opportunity offered exclusively during this commemorative year. Step inside private historic homes connected to […]
General John Glover (1732-1797) has two extant homes: his elegant mansion in Glover Square in Marblehead, Massachusetts and his final home, a modest farmhouse, in Vinnin Square, Swampscott. Beverly was, in a sense, his third home, or at least a center of his business operations. Glover owned a wharf in Beverly where he outfitted the […]
Have you ever wanted to be a pirate or perhaps a privateer? Join us at the Cabot House for this month’s 3 in 30, Historic Beverly’s fast-paced program exploring three fascinating artifacts in just thirty minutes. Held every third Thursday at 2:00 pm, this new series highlights objects from our collection that reveal Beverly’s role in […]
Join historian William Vodra for an author talk on Home Front Civil Wars: A Unitarian Minister’s Conflicts in 1860s Beverly, Massachusetts: The Diaries of Rev. John C. Kimball, Volume 1: 1860-1864 The Diaries of Rev. John C. Kimball, a compelling two-volume work that brings to life the turbulent social, political, and religious world of Civil War–era […]
Step into the past and discover the stories etched in stone at Beverly’s historic Central Cemetery. Join Historic Beverly for a guided walking tour exploring the lives of local men and women who experienced and helped shape the American Revolution. Tucked within this remarkable burial ground are the graves of soldiers, patriots, privateers, and civilians […]
Ever wonder what happens to photographs once they are stored in albums? Spoiler alert – it’s not good. This month’s 3 in 30 will show you examples of what occurs […]
Get down with 19 fabulous jazz musicians as the Riverside Renaissance Swing Band returns to Hale Farm for an unforgettable afternoon of live swing and jazz music in one of […]
Beverly has always been a little wicked. For nearly 400 years, the city has collected stories of witches, ghosts, strange creatures, unexplained sightings, and things that go bump in the […]
Uncover Beverly’s hidden history in 1692 through stories, evidence, and firsthand accounts from the Salem Witch Trials. Project 1692: The Beverly Files is a historical tour and educational collaboration between […]
Are you into true crime? Are you interested in learning about some of Beverly’s dark past? To celebrate the start of spooky season, our First Friday, The Dark Side of […]
Step into one of Beverly’s oldest homes for an evening of eerie tales and mysterious history. The 17th-century Balch House sets the stage for stories of witches, counter-magic, and the supernatural beliefs that shaped early New England. From whispered charms to ward off evil to the dark shadow of witchcraft trials, discover how our ancestors […]
Uncover Beverly’s hidden history in 1692 through stories, evidence, and firsthand accounts from the Salem Witch Trials. Project 1692: The Beverly Files is a historical tour and educational collaboration between Ancestry Tour Agents and Historic Beverly that explores Beverly’s deep connection to the Salem Witch Trials. Through historic places, primary sources, and the stories of […]
Step into one of Beverly’s oldest homes for an evening of eerie tales and mysterious history. The 17th-century Balch House sets the stage for stories of witches, counter-magic, and the supernatural beliefs that shaped early New England. From whispered charms to ward off evil to the dark shadow of witchcraft trials, discover how our ancestors […]
Founders’ Day Open Archives & Research Appointments Celebrate Beverly’s 400th anniversary by exploring the stories, people, and places that have shaped our city. Historic Beverly invites researchers, family historians, and curious community members to take a closer look at our collections and archives. Whether you’re researching a Beverly family, exploring a local property, or simply […]
In 1692, the witchcraft crisis swept across Essex County, and Beverly was anything but a bystander. Five people from Beverly were accused of witchcraft, while many more found themselves tangled in the accusations, investigations, and trials. Grab a cup of coffee and join us as we uncover Beverly’s role in the witchcraft crisis. Meet Dorcas […]
Step back into the world of the American Revolution as Hale Farm comes alive with the sights and sounds of a Revolutionary War military muster. Meet soldiers in period dress, learn about military training and daily life in the eighteenth century, and discover what it took to prepare for war in New England. Throughout the […]
Explore Beverly’s connections to the Salem Witch Trials through a historical walking tour presented by Ancestry Tour Agents and Historic Beverly. The program uses historic locations, collections, and contemporary accounts to examine the accusations of 1692 and the people affected by them. Learn about Beverly residents accused of witchcraft and Reverend John Hale, whose doubts […]
Join Ghost Hunters investigator Shari DeBenedetti for an after-dark paranormal investigation of one of Historic Beverly’s landmark properties. The evening begins with a brief history of the site before participants investigate reported unexplained activity using professional paranormal investigation techniques and equipment.This program is designed for paranormal enthusiasts, history lovers, and anyone curious about what may […]
As the sun sets and the shadows grow long, step into Beverly’s past on a Candlelight Walking Tour of the Ancient Burial Ground.Join us for an atmospheric evening exploring one of Beverly’s oldest historic sites, where weathered headstones and centuries of history offer a glimpse into the lives of those who came before us. By […]
Explore Beverly’s connections to the Salem Witch Trials through a historical walking tour presented by Ancestry Tour Agents and Historic Beverly. The program uses historic locations, collections, and contemporary accounts to examine the accusations of 1692 and the people affected by them. Learn about Beverly residents accused of witchcraft and Reverend John Hale, whose doubts […]
Object Speed Dating: A Member Morning at Hale FarmWhat if the objects in our collection could tell you their life stories, but only after you asked the right questions?Join us for a playful, hands-on member morning that puts you in the historian’s seat. Ten objects will be placed around Hale Farm with a few basic […]
Explore Beverly’s connections to the Salem Witch Trials through a historical walking tour presented by Ancestry Tour Agents and Historic Beverly. The program uses historic locations, collections, and contemporary accounts to examine the accusations of 1692 and the people affected by them. Learn about Beverly residents accused of witchcraft and Reverend John Hale, whose doubts […]
Beverly has always been a little wicked.For nearly 400 years, the city has collected stories of witches, ghosts, strange creatures, unexplained sightings, and things that go bump in the North Shore night. Some tales are rooted in the historical record. Others have been passed down through generations, growing a little stranger, and perhaps a little […]
Beverly has always been a little wicked.For nearly 400 years, the city has collected stories of witches, ghosts, strange creatures, unexplained sightings, and things that go bump in the North Shore night. Some tales are rooted in the historical record. Others have been passed down through generations, growing a little stranger, and perhaps a little […]
This Halloween, join Historic Beverly for a double feature of spooky stories and candlelit history! Step into the atmospheric Hale Farm for an evening of Spooky Tales at Hale, followed by a Candlelight Walking Tour of the Ancient Burial Ground.As the sun sets, Hale Farm takes on a different character. Gather for a night of […]
Discover how Christmas celebrations in America have changed over four centuries with historian and educator Ken Turino. This illustrated presentation follows the holiday from its controversial early history in New England, including its prohibition in the seventeenth century, to the family traditions familiar today. Historic images and stories reveal the origins of Christmas customs and […]
Update! Historic Beverly member tickets go on sale at 9:00am on October 1st. Non-member tickets go on sale at 9:00am on October 15th. It’s the Most Wonderful Tour of the Year! Beverly’s favorite holiday tradition is back and it’s bigger, merrier, and more magical than ever! Grab your friends, bundle up, and get ready to […]