Springfield Preservation Trust

Maple-High and Six Corners Second Saturday Walking Tour
2023-10-08 10:30 - 12:00 UTC | MA
Learn about the legacy, architecture, and neighborhood that surrounds one of Springfield’s most important historical business figures—Daniel B. Wesson, of Smith & Wesson fame.

On this walking tour, Preservation Trust Board Member Katherine Anderson Benson will provide a history of the Wesson Hospitals, the C.W. Porter School, and the beautiful homes that line the streets of the Six Corners neighborhood, where these structures reside. The walking tour departs from the rear of the High School of Commerce (Springfield Honors Academy entrance) and ends at the same.

The Six Corners neighborhood of Springfield once encompassed two of the city’s premier medical facilities—Wesson Memorial Hospital and the Wesson Maternity Hospital—founded by Daniel B. Wesson, also the co-founder of Springfield-based firearm manufacturer Smith & Wesson. Surrounded by beautiful homes, the neighborhood was also once home to Miss Charlotte Porter’s School, a preeminent private school for girls.

The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and is sponsored by a grant from the Springfield Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Voices from the Grave: Cemetery Tour
2023-10-15 13:00 - 14:00 | MA
On October 15, learn about important figures in Springfield history at the 10th annual “Voices from the Grave” historic cemetery tour. Hosted by the Springfield Preservation Trust and developed by SPT Secretary Michael Stevens, the tour is an hour-long experience through Springfield Cemetery. It is led by docents who take visitors on a tour to graves of interesting cemetery residents, where costumed interpreters will speak about each person of intrigue.
Hour-long walking tours will depart every fifteen minutes starting at 1:00PM at Springfield Cemetery. Please enter through the Pine Street gate to Springfield Cemetery, which is opposite 45 Pine Street. Purchase a ticket for $15, and non-members will purchase a ticket for $18.

Forest Park Photography Walking Tour
2024-04-13 10:30 - 12:00 | Washington Boulevard & Magnolia Terrace Springfield, MA 01108, Washington Boulevard & Magnolia Terrace, Springfield, MA, 01108, United States
Do you love historic homes and architectural detail? Do you have a camera? Come tour the Forest Park Heights Historic District!
Do you love historic homes and architectural detail? Do you have a camera? Come tour the Forest Park Heights Historic District surrounding Springfield’s Forest Park with architectural photographer and SPT board member Kate Benson. Whether you’re bringing a smartphone, cellphone, digital camera, or even film camera, Kate will be on hand to answer all your questions about photographing historic homes and landscapes, and there will even be a special guest!
Bring your camera and your questions and join us for this installment of our Second Saturday Walking Tour!
LOGISTICS
The tour will begin at 10:30 a.m. on April 13th at Washington Blvd at Magnolia Terrace, and will last approximately 1.5 hours. The tour route is about 1 mile in length, along a level path mostly along well-maintained, paved sidewalks. On-street parking is available on Washington Blvd and side streets. Please be sure to not block driveways or fire hydrants.
TICKETS
The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance via Eventbrite or check (payable to “Springfield Preservation Trust” and mailed to our office). Exact change or checks are accepted on-site, prior to the start of the tour.
THANK YOU, SPONSORS
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and generously sponsored by the Daboul Family Charitable Trust.

Walking Tour: Valentine Mansion & the Ames Hill/Crescent Hill Historic District
2024-05-11 10:30 - 12:00 | Valentine Mansion, 270 Maple Street, Springfield, MA, 01105, United States
Tour the Valentine Mansion and surrounding Ames Hill/Crescent Hill Historic District, home of some of Springfield’s largest historic mansions.
Join local historian Derek Strahan on a walking tour of the Ames Hill/Crescent Hill Historic District. The tour will focus on the mansions lining Maple Street, Pine Street, and Crescent Hill and will kick off with an interior tour of Valentine Mansion, the circa 1879 home at 270 Maple Street, historically known as the Frederick Harris House and admirably perched on the crest of the hill on Maple Street.
The tour will begin at 10:30 a.m. on May 11th at the Valentine Mansion (270 Maple Street), and will last approximately 1.5 hours. The tour route is about 1 mile in length, along a path that gently ascends the hillside neighborhood, mostly along well-maintained, paved sidewalks.On-street parking is available on side streets, and limited accessible parking will be available at Valentine Mansion. Please be sure to not block driveways or fire hydrants.
The tour is $15 for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members, and is $20 for non-members, payable in advance via Eventbrite or check (payable to “Springfield Preservation Trust” and mailed to our office).
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums. The 2024 Second Saturday walking series is sponsored by Daboul Family Charitable Trust.

2024 Underground Railroad Historic Walking Tour, presented with PAHMUSA
2024-06-08 10:30 - 12:00 | Tower Square, 1500 Main Street, Springfield
Visit locations and meet people that salute the perseverance, ingenuity, and resilience of some of Springfield’s unsung early residents. The Underground Railroad was comprised of many people and places—Springfield was an important destination for freedom seekers and activists like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and John Brown.
Join the Springfield Preservation Trust, in partnership with the Pan African Historical Museum USA (PAHMUSA) for this Second Saturday Walking Tour. Special thank you to PAHMUSA Executive Director Sam Bradley and Board Member Regine Jackson for leading the organization and research of this tour.
This walking tour departs from the Tower Square Lobby, near Dunkin and Big Y. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and PAHMUSA members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite or at the outset of the tour. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and PAHMUSA members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite or at the outset of the tour.
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and generously sponsored by the Daboul Family Charitable Trust.
About PAHMUSA
This event is presented in partnership with the Pan African Historical Museum USA (PAHMUSA), a museum that links the African Diaspora to Springfield, MA and surrounding communities. PAHMUSA was founded in 1995 by Lujuana Hood and is located at Tower Square (1500 Main Street) in Springfield. To learn more, visit its website at pahmusa.org.
About the Springfield Preservation Trust
Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve, protect, and promote properties in Springfield that have architectural or historic significance. As the only non-profit, non-government advocacy group for historic preservation in Springfield, the Trust will continue to be the voice of preservation into the future. To learn more, visit its website at springfieldpreservation.org.

Springfield Food History Second Saturday Walking Tour
2024-07-13 10:30 - 12:00 | Stearns Square, 52-98 Stearns Square, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
Curious about food history in Springfield? Come learn about the city’s delicious past—and taste a bit of the beauty along the way!
Join James Johnson, Executive Vice President of Springfield Preservation Trust, on the July Second Saturday Walking Tour. This walking tour will depart from Stearns Square and be filled with historic buildings of restaurants and local attractions. Additionally, there will be extra TASTY surprises on this tour for each visitor! This walking tour departs from Stearns Square, the heart of the Worthington Street Dining District (Stearns Square at Worthington Street).
The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite, or in cash or check at the outset of the tour.
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and generously sponsored by the Daboul Family Charitable Trust.

Victorian Era Churches: A Downtown Springfield Walking Tour
2024-08-10 10:30 - 12:00 | Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
See where Victorian era parishioners worshiped, in this Victorian Era Churches in Downtown Springfield Second Saturday Walking Tour, led by Bob McCarroll, board member and officer-at-large.
The tour departs from the Springfield Museums Welcome Center and will stop at:

The former North Congregational Church, designed by Henry Hobson Richardson
St. Michael’s Cathedral, the oldest Catholic church in Springfield
Christ Church Cathedral, designed by Lord & Fuller of Boston
South Congregational Church, called one of the finest examples of the High Victorian Gothic Revival style in America.

We will enter at least three churches, barring weddings or church services.
The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite, or in cash or check at the outset of the tour.
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and generously sponsored by the Daboul Family Charitable Trust.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Morgan (Springfield Preservation Trust)

Springfield Armory: The Nation’s First Armory (A Walking Tour)
2024-09-14 10:30 - 12:00 | Springfield Armory National Historic Site, 1 Armory St #2, Springfield, MA, 01105, United States
See the Springfield Armory National Historic Site that commemorates the role of the nation’s first armory by preserving and interpreting the world’s largest historic U.S. military small arms collection, along with historic archives, buildings and landscape.

On this tour, attendees will explore the architectural details of buildings on the armory site, including the Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) campus and Springfield Armory Museum. Attendees will also explore the Museum collection.

Learn more about the Armory at: nps.gov/spar

The tour departs from the Springfield Armory. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite, or in cash or check at the outset of the tour.
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and generously sponsored by the Daboul Family Charitable Trust.

Springfield's Gilded Age: Art and Architecture from the City's Most Prosperous Period
2024-10-12 10:30 - 12:00 | Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
Join the Springfield Preservation Trust for a walk around downtown Springfield to explore the legacy of the City during the Gilded Age, American’s most prosperous period. This tour will be guided by Westfield Athenaeum Executive Director Guy McLain and features art and architecture across Springfield’s metropolitan landscape.

Mark Twain described America in the late nineteenth century as a Gilded Age. And indeed, the country experienced economic growth that hasn’t been matched before or since. But it wasn’t just a time for building new factories and businesses. A significant portion of the wealth created at this time was funneled into the arts. Museums, libraries, colleges, orchestras, and opera houses were established at a rate that seems astounding today. Springfield, just 25 miles north of Twain’s home in Hartford, was a perfect example of the prosperity that he was describing. During the Gilded Age, Springfield citizens founded most of the cultural institutions, monuments, and civic buildings that still serve the city today. Also influencing art and architecture at this time was the City Beautiful Movement. This movement was dedicated to advocating for civic structures that would bring greater beauty and cohesion to American cities. Springfield fully embraced the principles of this movement, and as a result, some of the most beautiful buildings in the city today were products of this time.

About the Tour Guide
Guy McLain, currently the Executive Director of the Westfield Athenaeum, has been devoted to the preservation and dissemination of Western Massachusetts history for more than 40 years. Prior to his current appointment in Westfield he served on the staff of the University of Massachusetts Archives, was the Special Collections Librarian and Archivist for the Springfield City Library, and was the founding Director of the Wood Museum of Springfield History. He is the author of the Pioneer Valley: a Pictorial History (1991), and a novel titled Drawing Without an Eraser (2020). He has also published in the Historical Journal of Massachusetts and is the editor of the book Springfield Fights the Civil War.
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and generously sponsored by the Daboul Family Charitable Trust.

“Voices from the Grave” Cemetery Tour 2024
2024-10-20 13:00 - 15:00 | Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street, Springfield, MA, United States
Learn about important figures in Springfield history at the annual “Voices from the Grave” historic cemetery tour. Hosted by the Springfield Preservation Trust and developed by SPT Secretary Michael Stevens, the tour is an hour-long experience through Springfield Cemetery. It is led by docents who take visitors on a tour to graves of interesting cemetery residents, where costumed interpreters speak about each person of intrigue.

Hour-long walking tours will depart every fifteen minutes starting at 1:00PM at Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street.

Tickets are $20 for Springfield Preservation Trust members, and $25 for non-members. (Use the “SPTMember” promo code to receive $5 off per ticket.) Please enter through the Maple Street entrance and check in at the registration table 5-10 minutes before your tour. This event is held rain or shine!

Hour-long walking tours will depart every fifteen minutes, on October 20 starting at 1:00PM at Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street.

Thank you to our sponsors!
Turnberg & Swallow Team | Coldwell Banker
Turnkey Media
Focus Springfield
Crystal Miller Photography
Springfield Cemetery & Crematory

Voices from the Grave: Heroes of the American Revolution, an MA250 Celebration
2025-03-11 08:00 - 17:00 | Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street, Springfield, MA, United States
Honor the legacy of the American Revolution and Springfield’s contribution at war and on the homefront, by joining us at our commemorative “Voices from the Grave: Heroes of the American Revolution” cemetery tour at Springfield Cemetery, on May 18, 2025.
Seven historical residents will be featured on the tour, including John Bryant III (1742-1816), first Armory Superintendent, who lost his arm in battle; Hannah Mason Bryant (1756-1829), who sewed flannel cartridges for the Continental army; Nathaniel Brewer (1711-1809), Deacon of First Church for 53 years, and a joiner by trade; and Susan Freedom (1784-1803), a Black indentured servant whose name poignantly symbolizes the struggle for freedom and identity among African Americans in the post-Revolutionary War era.
Join the tour to see who else from Springfield’s revolutionary history will be highlighted! This tour will highlight the oldest gravestones and residents ever featured on the “Voices from the Grave” tours, ongoing for more than a decade.

Hosted by the Springfield Preservation Trust and developed by historian Derek Strahan and SPT Secretary Michael Stevens, the “Heroes of the American Revolution” tour is an hour-long experience through Springfield Cemetery. It is led by docents who take visitors on a tour to graves of interesting cemetery residents, where costumed interpreters speak about each person of intrigue.

Hour-long walking tours will depart every fifteen minutes starting at 1:00PM at Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street. Tickets are $20 for Springfield Preservation Trust members, and $25 for non-members. This event is held rain or shine!
This event is supported by a Massachusetts 250 Grant, administered by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) within the Executive Office of Economic Development, in celebration of the American Revolution’s 250th Anniversary. Thank you, MOTT!

Springfield Central Library: An Architectural & Historical Walking Tour
2025-05-10 10:30 - 12:00 | Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
Join us for an all-access, interior and exterior tour of the Springfield Central Library building at 220 State Street! This 1912 building, funded by Andrew Carnegie and the citizens of Springfield, is an important part of the downtown Springfield landscape and a contributor to the Quadrangle–Mattoon Street Historic District.

The tour is part of the Second Saturday Walking Tour series and will feature a full tour of the building interior, including the fourth floor, historical insights while circling the building’s exterior, and a brief history on the development of the Quadrangle. Along the tour, you’ll gain knowledge of the history of libraries in Springfield and the architecture of the Central Library building. Additionally, the tour will showcase how historical buildings adapt to modern usage. Included on the tour is an up-close look at the Rotunda which features open books and the bust of Athena.
This walking tour departs from the Springfield Museums’ Welcome Center at 10:30am and ends at 12:00pm. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members and $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite.
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.

About the Tour Guide
Maggie Keane (she/her) is a reference librarian at the Springfield City Library. Growing up in Holyoke, she has always been interested in local history from hearing family stories about Mountain Park to going to museums in the area. Nowadays you can find her at the Springfield Central Library running programs, helping folks with local history requests, and spouting fun facts about the building to all those interested.

About the Springfield Preservation Trust
Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve and protect properties in Springfield that have architectural or historic significance. As the only non-profit, non-government advocacy group for historic preservation in Springfield, the Trust will continue to be the voice of preservation into the future. Learn more at springfieldpreservation.org.

Voices from the Grave: Heroes of the American Revolution, an MA250 Event
2025-05-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street, Springfield, MA, United States
Honor the legacy of the American Revolution and Springfield’s contribution at war and on the homefront, by joining us at our commemorative “Voices from the Grave: Heroes of the American Revolution” cemetery tour at Springfield Cemetery, on Sunday, May 18, 2025.
Seven historical residents will be featured on the tour, including John Bryant III (1742-1816), first Armory Superintendent, who lost his arm in battle; Hannah Mason Bryant (1756-1829), who sewed flannel cartridges for the Continental army; Nathaniel Brewer (1711-1809), Deacon of First Church for 53 years, and a joiner by trade; and Susan Freedom (1784-1803), a Black indentured servant whose name poignantly symbolizes the struggle for freedom and identity among African Americans in the post-Revolutionary War era.
Join the tour to see who else from Springfield’s revolutionary history will be highlighted! This tour will highlight the oldest gravestones and residents ever featured on the “Voices from the Grave” tours, ongoing for more than a decade.
Hosted by the Springfield Preservation Trust and developed by historian Derek Strahan and SPT Secretary Michael Stevens, the “Heroes of the American Revolution” tour is an hour-long experience through Springfield Cemetery. It is led by docents who take visitors on a tour to graves of interesting cemetery residents, where costumed interpreters speak about each person of intrigue.
Purchase tickets through Eventbrite. Hour-long walking tours will depart every fifteen minutes starting at 1:00PM at Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street. Tickets are $20 for Springfield Preservation Trust members, and $25 for non-members. (Use promo code “SPTMember” if you are a Trust member, for the $5 discount.) This event is held rain or shine!
This event is supported by a Massachusetts 250 grant, administered by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) within the Executive Office of Economic Development, in celebration of the American Revolution’s 250th Anniversary. Thank you, MOTT!

Springfield’s Lost Riverfront (A Walking Tour)
2025-06-14 10:30 - 12:00 | Riverfront Park, Springfield, MA
Come learn about the historic Springfield riverfront, including histories of the bridges, steamboat access, buildings, and even the sewage system.
Derek Strahan will be leading the Second Saturday Tours series on June 14th at 10:30am. It will start at Riverfront Park, at the parking lot directly across from the end of State Street. The Springfield Preservation Trust walking tours this season are sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.
This walking tour departs from the Riverfront Park at 10:30am and ends at 12pm. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite or at the tour’s outset.
The Second Saturday Tours series explores historic Springfield and is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.
About the Tour Guide
Derek Strahan is a former board member and former chair of the Educational Programming committee at the Springfield Preservation Trust, which is focused on protecting, preserving, and promoting historic properties in Springfield. He was on the board from 2017-2024 and served as president of the nonprofit from 2019 to 2023. He leads historic walking tours of Springfield, presents lectures about Springfield’s history, and has also been a costumed interpreter at several of the organization’s annual “Voices of the Grave” cemetery tours. Aside from his work with the Trust, Strahan also runs the local history website LostNewEngland.com, and he is the author of “Lost Springfield, Massachusetts” and “New England Then and Now,” and is the host of the Western Mass History podcast. Derek has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Bachelor of Science degree in Regional Planning from Westfield State University, and currently serves as a land use and environmental planner at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. He and his wife Melissa are proud owners of a circa 1760 farmhouse, where they are raising their two young sons.
About the Springfield Preservation Trust
Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve and protect properties in Springfield that have architectural or historic significance. As the only non-profit, non-government advocacy group for historic preservation in Springfield, the Trust will continue to be the voice of preservation into the future. Learn more at springfieldpreservation.org.

Underground Railroad: Springfield’s Contributions to Emancipation (Tour)
2025-07-12 10:30 - 12:00 | Tower Square, 1500 Main Street, Springfield
Immerse yourself in the history of Springfield by visiting locations and meeting people who embody the perseverance, ingenuity, and resilience of some of the city’s early residents. The Underground Railroad, a network of many people and places, played a significant role in Springfield’s history, making it a destination for freedom seekers and activists like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and John Brown.
This walking tour departs from the Tower Square at 10:30am and ends at 12pm. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums & PAHMUSA members, and $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite or at the tour’s outset.
The Second Saturday Tours series explores historic Springfield and is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.
About PAHMUSA
This event is presented in partnership with the Pan African Historical Museum USA (PAHMUSA), a vital institution dedicated to connecting the African Diaspora to Springfield, MA, and its surrounding communities. Founded in 1995 by Lujuana Hood, PAHMUSA is located in Tower Square (1500 Main Street) in Springfield, MA. To learn more about its mission and exhibits, visit pahmusa.org or follow them on Instagram at @pahmusa1619.
About the Springfield Preservation Trust
Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve and protect properties in Springfield that have architectural or historic significance. As the only non-profit, non-government advocacy group for historic preservation in Springfield, the Trust will continue to be the voice of preservation into the future. Learn more at springfieldpreservation.org.

Rushville: Springfield’s Oldest Craftsman Neighborhood (A Walking Tour)
2025-08-09 10:30 - 12:00 | MA
The early 20th century saw the rise of the Craftsman style architecture. It grew out of the Arts & Crafts movement, a reaction to the ornate styles and decor of the Victorian era. Its arrival in Springfield coincided with a building boom in single-family houses in neighborhoods such as Pine Point, Forest Park, Liberty Heights, and East Springfield. The popularity of Craftsman homes also occurred at the same time as use of concrete block for foundations and sometimes for entire houses.
The tour will focus on some of the earliest and more unusual Craftsman houses in Springfield. It will leave from the corner of Berkshire Avenue and Dewey Street. On-Street parking is available on Dewey, Hobson, and Elizabeth Streets.
The Second Saturday Tours series explores historic Springfield and is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.
About the Tour Guide
Bob McCarroll has been a significant force for the preservation of Springfield’s historic properties since the mid-1970s, when he was part of the reactivation of the Springfield Preservation Trust into an advocacy organization.
Between 1972 and 2002, he worked in the Springfield Planning Department, where he helped create five of the early local historic districts. Now retired, Bob served for 11 years on the Springfield Historical Commission and has served on the Springfield Community Preservation Committee since its formation in 2017. Bob has served for more than 45 years on the board of the Springfield Preservation Trust, where he has organized house tours, worked on self-guided walking tour brochures, and applied for and coordinated grant work at 77 Maple Street. Bob is a long-time resident of the Mattoon Street Historic District and coordinates the annual Mattoon Street Arts Festival, the region’s oldest arts and crafts show. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary and a Master of City and Regional Planning degree from Rutgers University.
Bob is a recipient of the 2016 Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Awards Local Preservationist Award, the 2018 Preservation Massachusetts K. Julie McCarthy Community Spirit Award, the 2018 Order of William Pynchon Award, and the 2024 Mass History Alliance Bay State Legacy Award.
About the Springfield Preservation Trust
Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve and protect properties in Springfield that have architectural or historic significance. As the only non-profit, non-government advocacy group for historic preservation in Springfield, the Trust will continue to be the voice of preservation into the future. Learn more at springfieldpreservation.org.

Springfield Armory: Hill Shops Walking Tour
2025-09-13 10:30 - 12:00 | Springfield Armory National Historic Site, 1 Armory St #2, Springfield, MA, 01105, United States
Join us for a walking tour of the historic Hill Shops at the Springfield Armory, with Springfield Armory National Historic Site staff member and tour guide Carl Steele. Learn about the unique architecture around the green and what the buildings were used for when the Armory was in operation.
This is your opportunity to visit the Springfield Armory National Historic Site that commemorates the role of the nation’s first armory by preserving and interpreting the world’s largest historic U.S. military small arms collection, along with historic archives, buildings and landscape. Learn more about the Armory at: https://www.nps.gov/spar
The tour departs from the Springfield Armory. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite, or in cash or check at the outset of the tour.
The Second Saturday Tours series explores historic Springfield and is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.
About the Springfield Preservation Trust
Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve and protect properties in Springfield that have architectural or historic significance. As the only non-profit, non-government advocacy group for historic preservation in Springfield, the Trust will continue to be the voice of preservation into the future. Learn more at springfieldpreservation.org.

Made in Springfield: Places & People of Springfield's Industrial Legacy
2025-10-11 10:30 - 12:00 | Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
Explore downtown Springfield and learn about the places and people who invented and created in Springfield in its industrial heyday.
Springfield is the home of the first gas powered automobile, the monkey wrench, basketball… and so much more. Come see what made Springfield the center of innovation in the late 19th Century, and examined the geographies and buildings where it all began.
The tour departs from the Springfield Museums Welcome Center at 10:30am. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite, or in cash or check at the outset of the tour.
This tour is part of the Second Saturday Tours series, which explores historic Springfield and is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.
About the Tour Guide
Erica Swallow is president of the Springfield Preservation Trust board of directors. She also serves as a Springfield Museums Advancement Committee member and Forest Park Civic Association board member, and is a local REALTOR®. She holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and other degrees from NYU Stern and Simmons University, with nearly two decades of marketing experience in the fields of technology and education. Raised in Arkansas and educated in New York and Boston, she chose Springfield as home out of love for its deep history, cultural diversity, and progressive energy. She has served on several Springfield City Council committees and is proud and honored to live in the Forest Park Historic District. She is the mother of two cats.
About the Springfield Preservation Trust
Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve and protect properties in Springfield that have architectural or historic significance. As the only non-profit, non-government advocacy group for historic preservation in Springfield, the Trust will continue to be the voice of preservation into the future. Learn more at springfieldpreservation.org.

“Voices from the Grave” Cemetery Tour 2025
2025-10-19 13:00 - 15:00 | Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street, Springfield, MA, United States
Learn about important figures in Springfield history at the annual “Voices from the Grave” historic cemetery tour. Hosted by the Springfield Preservation Trust and developed by SPT Secretary Michael Stevens, the tour is an hour-long experience through Springfield Cemetery. It is led by docents who take visitors on a tour to graves of interesting cemetery residents, where costumed interpreters speak about each person of intrigue.

Hour-long walking tours will depart every fifteen minutes starting at 1:00PM at Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street.

Tickets are $20 for Springfield Preservation Trust members, and $25 for non-members. (Use the “SPTMember” promo code to receive $5 off per ticket.) Please enter through the Maple Street entrance and check in at the registration table 5-10 minutes before your tour. This event is held rain or shine!

Hour-long walking tours will depart every fifteen minutes, on October 20 starting at 1:00PM at Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street.

Mind & Medicine: An Architectural Bus Tour of Historic Health Institutions
2026-04-11 10:30 - 12:00 | MA
This Second Saturday Tour explores medical buildings and history, all from the comfort of a Peter Pan charter bus. The tour will take place on Saturday, Apr 11, from 10:30 am to 12 pm.

Hosted in partnership with Springfield Museums—and sponsored by Peter Pan Bus Lines—this guided bus tour offers a fascinating journey through Springfield’s most historically significant medical institutions. Purchase tickets for $20 for members and $25 for non-members through Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mind-medicine-an-architectural-bus-tour-of-historic-health-institutions-tickets-1985850457175?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Led by Dr. Kate Benson, the tour explores how architecture, medicine, and social history intersect—highlighting the buildings and institutions that shaped the city’s approach to mental health and disability care. From visionary founders to evolving treatment philosophies, each stop reveals stories that continue to influence Springfield today.

Perfect for history enthusiasts, architecture lovers, medical professionals, and curious locals alike, this experience invites you to see the city through a new lens—comfortably aboard a Peter Pan charter bus.
The Second Saturday Tours series explores historic Springfield and is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.

Springfield Armory: Hill Shops Walking Tour
2026-05-09 10:30 - 12:00 | MA
Springfield Armory: Hill Shops Walking Tou

Join us for a walking tour of the historic Hill Shops at the Springfield Armory, with Springfield Armory tour guide Carl Steele. This will take place on May 9 from 10:30am-12pm. Register here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/springfield-armory-hill-shops-walking-tour-tickets-1985857520301?aff=erellivmlt

Join us for a walking tour of the historic Hill Shops at the Springfield Armory, with Springfield Armory National Historic Site staff member and tour guide Carl Steele. Learn about the unique architecture around the green and what the buildings were used for when the Armory was in operation.
This is your opportunity to visit the Springfield Armory National Historic Site that commemorates the role of the nation’s first armory by preserving and interpreting the world’s largest historic U.S. military small arms collection, along with historic archives, buildings and landscape. Learn more about the Armory at: https://www.nps.gov/spar
Second Saturday Tours explore historic Springfield. The series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and Springfield Libraries—and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council. This specific tour, offered for free, is made possible through funding provided by the American Alliance of Museums and National Park Service.

Underground Railroad: Springfield’s Contributions to Emancipation (Tour)
2026-06-13 10:30 - 12:00 | MA
Underground Railroad: Springfield’s Contributions to Emancipation (Tour)

Visit locations and meet people that salute the perseverance, ingenuity, and resilience of some of Springfield’s unsung early residents. Purchase tickets here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underground-railroad-springfields-contributions-to-emancipation-tour-tickets-1985858726910?aff=erellivmlt. Meet at Tower SquareSpringfield, MA on Saturday, Jun 13 from 10:30 am to 12 pm.

Immerse yourself in the history of Springfield by visiting locations and meeting people who embody the perseverance, ingenuity, and resilience of some of the city’s early residents. The Underground Railroad, a network of many people and places, played a significant role in Springfield’s history, making it a destination for freedom seekers and activists like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and John Brown.
This walking tour departs from the Tower Square lobby at 10:30am and ends at 12pm. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums & PAHMUSA members, and $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite or at the tour’s outset.
Second Saturday Tours explore historic Springfield. The series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and Springfield Libraries—and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.
About PAHMUSA
This event is presented in partnership with the Pan African Historical Museum USA (PAHMUSA), a vital institution dedicated to connecting the African Diaspora to Springfield, MA, and its surrounding communities. Founded in 1995 by Lujuana Hood, PAHMUSA is located in Tower Square (1500 Main Street) in Springfield, MA. To learn more about its mission and exhibits, visit pahmusa.org or follow them on Instagram at @pahmusa1619.
About the Springfield Preservation Trust
Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve and protect properties in Springfield that have architectural or historic significance. As the only non-profit, non-government advocacy group for historic preservation in Springfield, the Trust will continue to be the voice of preservation into the future. Learn more at springfieldpreservation.org.
