Historic walking tour on Newbury Street

From its earliest beginnings 150 years ago, the Back Bay embraced major cultural institutions alongside the exclusive private homes of Boston’s elite. The Museum of Fine Arts and MIT, the first American university to confer architectural degrees, both trace their origins to the neighborhood.

In fact, its major civic space, Copley Square, was originally called Art Square until renamed in honor of the City’s celebrated painter of the colonial period. Art was not only central to the Back Bay’s identity as a fashionable district, but remains an integral part of its essence today.

The tour is conducted by William Young, of Epsilon Associates, a former staff member to the Back Bay Architectural Commission. This is a free event sponsored by the Newbury Street League. Reservations required. The tour is limited to 30 people.