Looking for something fun to do outside with kids this school vacation week?
The Walk to the Sea is a free self-guided walking tour that takes you on a journey through the physical evolution of the city of Boston through 10 free-standing panels located from the State House on Beacon Hill down State Street to Long Wharf. Inspired by the 200,000 maps in his collection at the Map Center, the late philanthropist and real estate developer Norman B. Leventhal created the Walk to the Sea panels to educate tourists and Bostonians about how the city has and will continue to find a way to evolve and physically develop as it progresses through time.
The Walk to the Sea highlights the physical changes the city has undergone from its days as a colonial port of trade until after the Big Dig through visual representations of what once stood where the panel is located and how it has changed. Dedicated to Norman B. Leventhal in 2008 by former Mayor Thomas Menino, the Walk to the Sea incorporates maps from the famed developer and philanthropist’s map collection housed within the Boston Public Library and was designed by Leventhal and architect Alex Krieger. Each panel features a contemporary map alongside a historic map that emphasizes how much the area has changed and provides detailed historical descriptions of that evolution.
More information can be found at walktothesea.com/index.html or check out Walk to the Sea’s Instagram @WalkToTheSeaBoston!