Take a Free Black History Tour This Month in Philly — On Us

Note: As of February 12, 2026, the four Black history tours are sold out. Still interested in attending? Join the waitlist on each tour company’s Eventbrite page (here and here). 

For Black History Month this year, Visit Philadelphia (that’s us!) has partnered with two Philly tour companies to offer four free, professionally guided walking tours throughout the city’s historic Seventh Ward, as well as at sites where the city’s Black forebears walked, talked and helped shape the nation.

The tours — part of Visit Philadelphia’s ongoing Indivisible series — coincide with the year-long celebration of America’s 250th birthday and aim to explore the lived experiences of our shared multicultural history.

1838 Black Metropolis and The Black Journey lead two separate tours on four Saturdays from February 14 to March 7, 2026:

• 1838 Black Metropolis 101: This family-friendly tour guides you on an exploration of Philadelphia’s early free Black community, stopping at historic spots to share stories of what life was like for Black Philadelphians before the Civil War (February 14 & 21, 2026, 11 a.m.).
• The Seventh Ward Tour: This tour explores the city’s historic Seventh Ward — once the epicenter of Black cultural, civic and political life. Intended for more mature participants, the tour stops by iconic institutions while also discovering the unvarnished history of the neighborhood, including instances of racial violence (February 28 & March 7, 11 a.m.).

The 1838 Black Metropolis focuses its mission on sharing stories of Black Philadelphians who lived here between 1800 and 1880, with 1838 being the year a constitutional convention stripped 40,000 Black Pennsylvanians of their voting rights. The Black Journey leads numerous themed tours throughout the city, including the popular Original Black History Tour. Advanced registration for the tours is required.