History Camp, the unconference for all things history
Iowa 2015 slides
Slides are posted from two Iowa presentations.
Boston 2015 Slides
We have slides posted from six sessions, check them out.
Cambridge 2014 Videos
In 2014, we posted four session videos, as well as slides.
Contact
Contact us for all press inquiries and other questions.
What is History Camp?
History Camp is an unparalleled opportunity to connect with authors and administrators, researchers and reenactors, educators and students, and others from all walks of life who are passionate about history. At History Camp, everyone is welcome.
History Camp started in Cambridge in March 2014 and it was a hit. Here's one of the many comments we got, "I hoped it would be good . . . and it was great!"
If you love history, don't miss the next History Camp. If there's not one already planned in your area, help us bring History Camp to your town!
What people are saying about History Camp
Learn more about History Camp
Recently Posted
October 5: The Stories Maps Tell at Leventhal Map & Education Center
Maps come in many shapes and forms. Come to the Leventhal Map Center for a special collections viewing straight from our vault! The LMEC’s collection includes everything from an 18th-century map of Boston on a powder horn to fanciful pictorial maps from the 20th century. Come experience some of the more unusual and delightful ways map[…]
August 10: Behind the Scenes at the Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation and the Ether Dome
The Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation presents the 200-year evolution of health care and medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. The Ether Dome at MGH is the historic surgical amphitheater where surgical anesthesia was first successfully, publicly demonstrated in 1846. The visit will include a guided tour of the Ether Dome,[…]
July 20: Technological Marvels Tour of the Eustis Estate
When the Eustis Estate was built, it was a wonder of the age, with all the latest technological advances. W.E.C. Eustis, the original owner, was an engineer and kept up with the changing technologies of the time to keep the house current. This specialty tour will look at the latest advancements of the day and[…]
June 8: Discover General Washington’s Cambridge Headquarters at the Longfellow House
George Washington arrived in Cambridge at the beginning of July 1775. Two weeks later, he moved his headquarters to the abandoned mansion of John Vassall, along the road to Watertown. Slightly less than nine months later, the Commander-in-Chief would depart a changed man. During this period, Washington experienced things that profoundly shaped his development as[…]
May 4: Director’s Tour of the Gropius House
We will be visiting the former Lincoln home of Walter Gropius (1883-1969), the founder of the school of design known as the Bauhaus in Germany. The Bauhaus embraced new materials, new technology, and sought to create a new aesthetic, unencumbered by historical tradition. Students were taught that beauty was to be found in the economy[…]
April 6: Walking Tour of Boston Common with Bob Allison
Updated at 10:30 pm on April 5: Yes, we’re “on.” See you Saturday morning at the Boston Common Visitors Center located on Tremont Street across from West Street. Address: 139 Tremont Street. — Jennifer . . . Join Suffolk University History Professor Bob Allison on a tour of Boston Common & Public Garden–America’s oldest urban[…]
February 23: Private Tour of the Cyrus E. Dallin Art Museum
The Cyrus E. Dallin Art Museum founder, James McGough, and Geri Tremblay, President of the Board of Directors and Trustee of the Museum, look forward to presenting Cyrus Dallin: Sculptor, painter, and citizen. While you might not recognize the name, you surely know his work, which includes the Revere Statue near the Old North Church, and[…]
January 26: PEM behind the scenes and a curator’s tour of “Empresses of China’s Forbidden City”
Dr. Daisy Yiyou Wang, the Robert N. Shapiro Curator of Chinese and East Asian Art and the curator of the Peabody-Essex Museum’s special exhibit, “Empresses of China’s Forbidden City,” will give us a tour and describe what went into putting together this exhibition, including the years-long planning, and provide a look behind the scenes at the[…]
2019 Outings
Updated February 18: Jennifer Clifford has volunteered to take over management of our History Camp Boston monthly behind-the-scenes outings. She has been instrumental in finalizing the calendar for the year and has volunteered to take over all aspects of our monthly outings. This is time-consuming since it involves identifying and securing the sites, posting to[…]
[slides] Smallpox, Localism and Liberty in Rhode Island History
Long before threats to public health were coordinated by the Center for Disease Control, the response to epidemic disease handled almost entirely at the local level, with support provided only when needed from provincial governments. Using Rhode Island as a case study, WRICHS Archivist Mark Kenneth Gardner will outline the provincial laws that gave sweeping[…]
November 3: The Nichols House Museum Up Close on a Private Tour with the Curator
The Nichols House Museum occupies an impressive four-story town house constructed in 1804 by famed Boston architect Charles Bulfinch. In 1885, the house became home to Dr. Arthur Nichols and was later inherited by his eldest daughter, Rose Standish Nichols, the noted landscape architect, writer and suffragist. Rose Nichols cared for the house until her[…]
October 20: Behind the Scenes at the Pilgrim Hall Museum and the 17th Century Archives at the Registry of Deeds
Updated October 1: Just received this note from Michele Pecoraro, Executive Director of Plymouth 400: “After the registry visit I can take people on a tour of the monuments and we can have the “Rock Talk” that DCR does at Plymouth Rock. It’s only 10 minutes and has a great deal of information that isn’t known[…]
September 15: A Visit to Historic Hingham Square
We will take a private tour of three historic buildings Hingham Square. They’re all within walking distance, and weather and time permitting, we’ll see a number of others as we make our way through Hingham’s downtown. The Old Ordinary Since 1688, the Old Ordinary has been an inn, a tavern, a private home, and—since 1921—a[…]
Postponed to August 18: Exploring the Granite Railway Quarries Historic Site
Updated August 10 at 9:30 pm: Due to the high probability of rain on our original date, August 11, we have postponed this to August 18 at the same time. If you already have a ticket, there is no need to register again or notify me. We’ll look forward to seeing you on the 18th.[…]
June 2: Private Tour of the King Caesar House and the Bradford House in Duxbury
A private tour of the King Caesar House and the Bradford House with Erin McGough, Executive Director and Historian/Archivist, Carolyn Ravenscroft of the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society. We will tour the houses below, learn about the history of Duxbury and its role in global shipping and trade, and see some archival items and collections objects that[…]
May 19: Dorchester Historical Society Private Tour
Updated April 6: The initial 20 spots went quickly, so we’re adding another 20 and will split the groups. Thanks to Earl for being especially accommodating. We’ll enjoy a private tour of the Society’s five buildings, which are on two campuses, separated by about five blocks distance. This should be a real treat. 735 Columbia Road[…]
April 7: Behind the Scenes at the Abigail Adams Birthplace
Our structural tour of the Abigail Adams Birthplace is be a behind-the-scenes look at the ca. 1685 building’s construction, and will include the second floor and basement, which isn’t usually included on tours. The building was home to Abigail for the first 20 years of her life and has been relocated twice. The tour will[…]
March 17: Hidden Beverly History Tour
Take a private tour of Hale Farm, which was originally the home of John Hale, first minister and a key figure in the Salem Witch Trials. The house, owned by the family until 1937, reflects the evolution of Beverly from farming community to summer vacation spot for the affluent. Following the tour, Assoc. Director for[…]
February 10: Buckman Tavern and a Tour of the Lexington Historical Society’s Collection
Our tour will be led by Erica Dumont, Lexington Historical Society Executive Director, and Stacey Fraser, Collections Manager. Stacey will discuss a some of the fascinating objects in the Society’s collection, such as the William Diamond drum, which called the militia into formation on Lexington Green on April 19, 1775. Stacey and Erica will also take our[…]
January 27: Ayer Mansion Tour and Wine and Cheese Reception
Updated December 21: All the spots have been taken. A private tour of Boston’s Ayer Mansion with the preservation expert leading their current effort, and a wine and cheese reception. Here’s how the organization describes the mansion: “[A] rare surviving example of the residential work of designer Louis Comfort Tiffany. . . . The Ayer Mansion[…]
December 2: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
December 1 update: We have one spot available. It’s as a result of a cancellation. If you’re interested, contact me; you can work out payment with the person who cancelled later. (Ignore the “sold out” message below. When this spot is taken, I’ll update this page.) Take a private tour of the spectacular Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum before[…]
November 11: The Edmund Fowle House
Thanks to Marilynne Roach and the folks at the Watertown Historical Society, we have an opportunity to take a private tour of the Edmund Fowle House. The Fowle House was the headquarters of the executive branch of the Massachusetts legislature for a year and a half at the beginning of the Revolution when Watertown was the de facto[…]
Our “Behind the Scenes” Outings Planned for 2018
Nearly every month we head to a historic site for a one-of-a-kind experience designed for people who love history. Our goal is to raise awareness of little-known institutions and their collections and to gain new insights into established institutions. The outings help both the individuals and the institutions. Notices go to the History Camp Boston[…]
September 16: Salem Witch Trials Walking Tour with Author Emerson Baker
Updated: Event pictures by Jake This is a special tour for History Camp which will only take place this once. It includes stops and content that are not part of the public tours. It is led by Professor Emerson “Tad” Baker of Salem State University, author of A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and[…]
August 5: The history and architecture of 17th & 18th Century Marblehead
Please join us as we explore historic Marblehead on a morning walk, lunch, a tour of the Lee Mansion, and an afternoon walk. Come for one or more—or all. When and where 9 am to 11 am: Marblehead 17th Century Walking Tour This walk focuses on the early settlement of Marblehead (up to 1715) and includes a discussion[…]
July 22: Tour of the Fairbanks House with the curator
Built in 1637, the Fairbanks House is the oldest wooden structure standing in North America. Eight generations of the Fairbanks family lived in and added onto the house between 1637 and 1904. The museum is still owned and operated by the family today. Largely untouched and unrestored, the house is considered to be a prime example of colonial architecture.[…]
Postponed: Radicals of the Best Sort: Women and Industrialization in Lowell from 1830 to 1860
Updated June 10, 2017: We are moving this to the fall. Subscribe to the History Camp Boston mailing list to be notified of the new date, and of other special “behind the scenes” events for history lovers. As a followup to his very popular session at History Camp (“Lowell Mills, Industrialization and the Rising of Women[…]
May 6: Colonial Newport
We’re headed to Colonial Newport for the day, with a tour of their archives, lunch at the historic White Horse Tavern, and a walking tour of Colonial Newport. Based on our current arrangement with the guides in Newport, this is limited to 12 people. If you are interested in going, please register below now. (Note[…]
[slides] Boston in the Women’s Suffrage Movement
As the centennial of women’s suffrage in the United States approaches, there are events and commemorations planned throughout the country. What was Boston’s part in the campaign for the right of women to vote? We will talk about some of the important players in Boston – both women and men – and some of the[…]
[video] How Governor Phips Stopped the Salem Witch Trials (sort of)
Freedom of Thought Day on October 12, a lesser-known-celebration, commemorates the day in 1692 when Massachusetts Governor Sir William Phips supposedly ended the witch trials. But history and Massachusetts politics are seldom so straightforward. Despite growing opposition to the trials after nineteen executions and escalating accusations, Phips still had to deal with crowded prisons, potential[…]