90-minute tour through a history-rich upscale neighborhood explores the transformation from its beginnings as a polluted lagoon

• Expires Nov 21, 2012
• Limit 2 per person, may buy 2 additional as gifts. Limit 1 per visit. Valid only for option purchased. 24hr cancellation notice or $5 fee may apply. Must use promotional value in 1 visit.
• See the rules that apply to all deals.

• $14 for a Back Bay Deconstructed walking tour for two (up to a $30 value)
• $24 for a Back Bay Deconstructed walking tour for four (up to a $60 value)

After tours depart from Boston Common, guides use historic maps and photos to show the neighborhood's evolution before leading groups to the heart of Copley Square and discussing the social and civil engineering schemes that transformed the Back Bay from a dirty salt marsh to a skyscraper-laden metropolis. Once home to rampant pollution and a failed industrial experiment, the marshes, channels, and mudflats were filled through an ambitious 40-year project with the aid of emerging engineering technology. The Back Bay Deconstructed tour is appropriate for all ages.

Three history buffs founded Boston Strolls and after researching their city's past, they came across a number of characters and events that were kept secret from the mainstream. As the research continued further, they pinpointed their first neighborhood: Beacon Hill, an upscale district not always known for its past. Today, guides lead all tours past historic brick and stone facades, as well as the occasional Bruins shrine, and immerse participants in an interactive exploration of Boston's lesser-known history.

In addition to their often humorous anecdotes, they pass around photos of historic figures and relevant items to illustrate their points. They also personalize the tour to each group by judging the knowledge base of their participants and accommodating anyone who is allergic to Boston. Even with their careful planning, the tours—which have expanded to focus on sites of civil engineering in Back Bay and the city's medical past—often take surprising turns.