Today we’d like to introduce you to Ted Clark.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I arrived in Boston from Maine four years ago, after graduating with a Bachelor’s of Arts in U.S. History from Bowdoin College, where I also worked as a student teacher in a local social studies classroom. As a lover of history, I quickly discovered the Freedom Trail® and began dragging friends and roommates and coworkers along to explore every last landmark, tombstone, and minuscule plaque along the 2.5-mile brick line. After running out of willing acquaintances to coerce into walking with me, I decided to take a second job as a historic interpreter at the Paul Revere House, one of the most iconic (and well-visited) sites on the Freedom Trail® . Over time, my role expanded to include that of outreach educator, in which I visited elementary schools around Massachusetts teaching rather exuberant third graders the story of Paul Revere’s midnight ride via playacting, kid-sized colonial costumes and all.
At the end of my second summer in Boston, I accepted a managing position with Old South Meeting House, another downtown Freedom Trail® landmark renowned as the origin for the Destruction of the Tea (read, the Boston Tea Party). When Boston National Historical Park was seeking experienced Freedom Trail® guides the following spring, I leapt at the opportunity to don the snazzy National Park Service straw hat and lead historical tours up, down, and around the Freedom Trail® in both Boston and Charlestown. Countless tours, two years, and one extremely worn-out pair of shoes later, I decided to launch my very own walking tour company, Hub Town Tours.
Has it been a smooth road?
As a walking guide, I am intimately familiar with Boston’s lack of anything remotely resembling a smooth road! My journey with Hub Town Tours is still in its earliest stages, but it hasn’t been without some bumpy cobblestones here and there. Take, for instance, my company’s grand opening planned for April 1 this spring, which ended up washed out by an April Fool’s Day sleet storm. I am at the mercy of Mother Nature as an outdoor walking tour operator, so complaining about poor weather has become a rather large part of my life these days!
Aside from an unpredictable Mother Nature this spring, perhaps the most significant struggle is my status as a sole proprietor. There have been many moments when I would love to be in five places at once: leading a public tour; pitching myself to area hotels and restaurants; designing my company’s website and marketing materials; drawing up a customized private tour itinerary; responding to a client’s phone call or email…you name it! I enjoy a very supportive network of family, friends, and industry colleagues who have encouraged me every step of the way, but at times it has been daunting to operate this business by myself.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Hub Town Tours – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
When originally discussing my plans to launch Hub Town Tours with family, friends, and colleagues within the industry, I insisted there was no need to reinvent the tourism wheel in Boston. This city prides itself as the “hub of the solar system”—hence Boston’s enduring status as “The Hub” and my company’s name—and I don’t see that mindset changing anytime soon! Folks from every corner of the United States and wider world are drawn to the unique historical fabric of Boston, and often delighted to discover how walkable our little city is. Boston’s walking tour industry is quite competitive, but I contend it’s also vastly underserved; I’ve witnessed enough summer walking tours with well over 100 people straining to hear as evidence!
To that end, I think what sets Hub Town Tours apart is as basic as it is essential to any excellent tour company: we are accurate, affordable, and engaging. First, I’ve heard some wild fables in my time guiding the Freedom Trail® , which I find unfortunate since the factual stories are in many ways more fascinating and inspirational. Pre-Revolutionary Boston was a pretty dynamic place—there’s no need to exaggerate! Second, many tour operators charge upward of $15 for general admission or several hundred dollars for a private experience; my public tours are just $10 apiece, and I keep all group sizes to a reasonable number. Third, and without a doubt most crucial, I think any effective history lesson goes beyond disembodied facts and obscure dates to craft an understandable narrative that engages listeners of all backgrounds. After all, history is the compilation of individual human choices. As a storyteller, I try to humanize, rather than blindly lionize, every historical character you meet with Hub Town Tours.
Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years? Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
Boston’s already-robust tourism industry is only going to continue thriving, in my estimate. (And I certainly hope Hub Town Tours has something to do with that growth, too!) As a regional capital, a historic town that played a vital role leading up to the American Revolution, and a thriving coastal city with so much to see and do, the City of Boston draws historically-minded visitors from across New England, the United States, and all around the world.
While I certainly embrace Boston’s expanding status as a world-class city and popular tourism destination, I also find myself hoping we never lose that core feeling of a smaller town. Boston hasn’t officially been a town since 1822, but the small scale of its geographic footprint, tight-knit neighborhoods, and easy walkability help keep Boston feeling small, in the best possible way. Hub Town Tours is my attempt to keep the Town of Boston alive. Because let’s face it: Boston is never going to be as big or as busy as New York City, and that’s why we love it!
Pricing:
- Public tours are $10 for general admission
- Active military and children ages 0-4 are always free
- Customizable private tours also available, starting at $100
Contact Info:
- Address: Tours meet on Rose Kennedy Greenway, at intersection of John F. Fitzgerald Surface Road and State Street
- Website: www.hubtowntours.com
- Phone: 857-770-1HUB (1482)
- Email: info@hubtowntours.com
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