Check below for last minute cancellations.
This filled up on May 9, but there are usually some cancellations when we are a few days from the event. The number of tickets available, if any, will appear in the ticket order window below.
This Independence Day weekend, join us for a private tour of the homes of John and Abigail Adams. When you think of the Declaration of Independence, you probably think of Thomas Jefferson. However, John Adams was an early and ardent supporter of independence. In many ways, he acted as a ghost author of the Declaration as a member of the ‘Committee of Five’ tasked with drafting it, then he championed its adoption through fierce debates in Congress.
Throughout his time at the First and Second Continental Congresses, as well as many years away from home as a diplomat in France, ambassador to the Netherlands and Britain, Vice President, and eventually President of the United States, John Adams’ letters and diaries reveal a constant, powerful longing to return home to his simple farm in Braintree (now Quincy), a longing which is only reluctantly overcome by a sense of duty to his country.
“I am suffering every day for Want of my farm to ramble in. … I lead a lonely melancholly Life, mourning the Loss of all the Charms of Life, which are my family, and all the Amusement that I ever had in Life which is my farm.” John Adams, May 1777
Our tour will take us through three historic homes of the Adams family, including the birthplaces of both John and John Quincy as well as the grand estate that the family moved into after the Revolution. Using that established sense of place, we will explore the lives of John and Abigail Adams and their relationship with Thomas Jefferson during the founding period and the early Republic.
Our guide for the day will be Robert Shimp, a PhD candidate at Boston University whose in-progress dissertation is on John Quincy Adams’ Anglo-influences over the course of his life and career.
Adams National Historical Park was the home of two American presidents and subsequent generations of their descendants from 1720 to 1927. The family’s experience represented, shaped, and mirrored significant events in the social, cultural, political, and intellectual history of the nation. The purpose of the park is to preserve and protect the grounds, homes, and personal property of four generations of the Adams family and to use these resources to interpret the history they represent and to educate and inspire current and future generations. In addition, the Adams Memorial Society, consisting of members of the Adams family, charged the National Park Service with the distinct mission to “foster civic virtue and patriotism” at Adams National Historical Park. This mission still continues today through partnerships, including those with the Adams Memorial Society, local organizations, and the city of Quincy.
When
Saturday, July 2, 2016. Meet at 1:00 for an interpretive film; tour departs promptly at 1:45.
Where
Meet at the Adams NHP Visitor Center located in The Galleria at President’s Place at 1250 Hancock Street Quincy, MA. Validated parking is available in the same building.
Transit
Take the Red Line Braintree branch to Quincy Center Station. Turn right upon exiting the train and at the top of the stairs, turn left and exit the station to Hancock Street. Walk across Hancock Street to 1250 Hancock Street. The National Park Service Visitor Center is located in the Galleria at President’s place.
Register
Please use the Eventbrite form below to reserve a ticket. At the request of the park, tickets for this free tour are extremely limited. If you won’t be able to attend, please cancel your reservation or contact us so we can offer your spot to someone else.