It was an absolutely freezing December day but we were enjoying every minute. Our guide was interesting, engaging and charming. Our family group was ages 19-85 and we all loved it. Totally recommend! read more

Beyond the Bell Tours - Walking Tours Near Me

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Amazing tour through Philly sharing the history, struggle and eventual Pride of Philly. With our private tour through our employer we moved up from a walking tour to a trolley tour going through Philly and Central City jamming out to songs and artists that are Allies of the Queer Community. I would highly encourage everyone to check out this great company that continues to shed light on the sometimes forgotten history but actually should SHINE and RING out loud about what makes the city and the community great. read more

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My 14 year old granddaughter who was visiting from Colorado, my daughter, her boyfriend, and I took the Philly Gayborhood and LGBTQ History Walking Tour. The three of us females had taken the Badass Women History Tour two years prior, and liked it so much that we knew we wanted to choose Beyond the Bell Tours again. Joey was our guide, and we couldn't have asked for a better person to show us different historical landmarks, relate the history of the gayborhood in Philly, and answer our questions. Even though three of us have lived in Philly for some years, we learned so much. I wish history had been taught in such an interesting way in school! We all really enjoyed this tour, and want to take more ones from Beyond the Bell Tours. read more

Beyond the Bell LGBTQ tour rocks! I did this tour today with our charming and charismatic guide, Rebecca, who regaled us with a wealth of fascinating and truly illuminating information. I thought I knew a lot about our history, but Rebecca provided the stories BEHIND the history! And all in a very warm, joyful manner. I had a blast, and I'm sure you will, too. read more

I grew up around Philly and have lived in the city for over 8 years, so I had never really thought to take a local guided tour. I recently took the LGBTQ History Walking Tour with some friends from out of town and learned SO much about the city's unique involvement in queer history and culture in America. I left the tour with a new sense of pride and love for my city because of all I learned. The guide is incredibly well informed and manages to incorporate her sense of humor into the tour while telling touching stories and answering any question thrown at her. I can't wait to take more Beyond The Bell tours and will definitely be recommending this one to friends visiting as well as those that have lived here for years. Thanks Rebecca! read more

Beyond the Bell Tours - Walking Tours Near Me

Really great tour. Nice topics, and a lot of interesting history about philly and their place with LGBTQ evolution.

My group of three took the Badass Women's History Tour and I can't recommend it more highly. We had a great time and plan to do their other tours soon too. Rebecca was friendly, caring and deeply knowledgeable- we learned about so many interesting yet sadly obscure women in Philly history. We enjoyed the small group camaraderie, and loved that the presentations were never a droning on about facts or dates but rather human stories brought to life... just great! (Significant for also was that "bio breaks" as needed for anyone were readily accommodated). read more

Thank you Joey for such an incredible, thoughtful and informative tour. As a traveler and a tourist, I want to learn the stories of the folks who have been left out of the dominant narrative. Beyond the Bell shared the beautiful communities and contributions of queer folks, Black folks, Native folks, and of course shined light on the "inconsistencies" within origin stories of Philadelphia. I laughed, I thought, and I learned. Please join them on their tours- read more

We laughed. We cried. We learned. 10/10, would recommend Rebecca as your Gayborhood tour guide.

Fascinating tour of the Gayborhood. Joey was an informed, passionate and educational guide.

My friends and I did the City of Pride Trolley Tour and had a great time! Warren kept us laughing the entire time and was an awesome tour guide. The entertainment (Kosner and guitarist) were so so good! The bathroom/bar break was well timed out. I would recommend this tour to everyone! We WILL be rebooking soon! read more

I would do this tour again in a heartbeat. Rebecca is knowledgeable, personable and a great listener. We saw things that we really off the beaten track, and learned so much. She kept it lively and interesting and we saw the city with new eyes. She turned history into a real page-turner! read more

When I was searching tour options for our trip, I specifically wanted something different than the standard blah blah blah. I was traveling with my daughters (20 & 17) as well as my mother. When I came across this tour, I knew it was perfect! Joey was friendly, engaging, and very knowledgeable about the lesser-known aspects of history or what you didn't learn about in boring old history books! This tour was EXCELLENT! If and when we return to Philly, we will definitely book another tour! read more

The badass women's history tour is so cool! I am still new-ish to Philly and learned so much more about this city than you learn in high school history - and I learned stuff that I actually care about! Joey is an amazing tour guide and I just loved learning how Philadelphians played a key role in so many civil rights movements across history (rather than "this is where the Declaration of Independence was signed, yadda yadda!) The flow of the tour was intuitive and easy to follow. This tour made me feel so much closer to and more enthusiastic about my city. I can't wait to do another tour with friends! read more

When I first heard the name Beyond the Bell, I took it directly as meaning that we would look at monuments other than the Liberty Bell. But the meaning is actually more deep, as our guide explained the meaning of each site beyond what it was literally meant to represent. Why is the John Fryer Memorial on Edie Windsor Way? Why does the Gloria Casarez mural depict a little girl rollerblading on the side of it? I never would have known before, but now I won't ever forget. Do not come to this tour expecting a text book to be recited to you - Joey's perspective was uniquely informative, and made me appreciate the beauty and honesty of Philadelphia's history. read more

I took this tour this morning and I absolutely loved it. Anyone in the medical/nursing/medical social work field I highly recommend to take. The tour operators tie in key people/venues and link them to medical history if it isn't a direct connect site. I wouldn't mind taking it again.... read more

Absolutely the best tours of Philadelphia. I've gone on two of their tours now - one walking, one trolley - and they were both extremely informative. I learned more in the collective two tours than I ever did in four years of high school history classes. Joey and Rebecca are able to make historical tours light hearted and humorous while portraying the the seriousness of these people and events. I hope to get a chance to go on all of the tours they offer! read more

I took the LGBTQ History Walking Tour with Joey. This tour is incredibly important. There is no other continuously offered tour that is LGBTQ-focused in Philly. Joey is passionate about highlighting the history, culture, and geography of our community, which is systematically excluded from history. Joey's passion shines through. This is an interactive tour, and Joey is flexible to suggested changes and attentive to your needs. This is clearly not a canned or standard memorized tour. It felt special, organically emerging along the way. But, Joey knows his stuff; I felt comfortable with where we were going and it was clear why we were going there. Most importantly, I deeply value Joey's commitment to an intersectional focus. He made sure to tell the story of lesbian and bi women, trans people, cis and trans women of color - those integral members of Philly's queer history that are overlooked, not reflected in memorials and queer collective memory. Joey is providing an invaluable service to our community (and the broader society) through these tours. read more

We did an activism in Philly tour with Joey. The tour was the highlight of our trip! WOW! Joey is so knowledgeable and passionate about Philly, its history, and making sure that he is sharing lesser-known stories. I appreciated learning about the unique and powerful women, people of color, and LGBTQ folks that have made their mark on the city. Joey answered a million of my questions with excitement and a smile on his face. I would highly recommend this to anyone in Philly (locals and visitors alike). I guarantee you'll learn something you didn't know before. Thank you Joey for the fantastic tour! I can't wait to do another one the next time I'm in town. read more

I recently went on the 'drunk history tour' and it did not disappoint! Joey and Rebecca were absolutely amazing guides. They clearly care deeply about the city of Philadelphia and telling the stories of people who have often been overlooked throughout history. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a unique, fun, and informative night in Philly! read more

Fun and interesting Drunk History Tour of Philly. Informative and knowledgeable native tour guides Rebecca and Joey were great.

Phantastic tour. Learned more on this tour than any other tour. Joey our guide was the nicest. Highly highly recommended

Obviously, I'm a Very Happy Customer. Read the entire review & you'll clearly see why. Beyond The Bell Tours are not to be missed! Discover the American History that lies beyond the iconic places & personages. Also, hear revealing additions to the more familiar, famous stories enshrined within them. Check out the Tours' next scheduled departure. You will not be disappointed. My tour last week was a walking one & comfortably paced; free, ice-cold water & fresh pretzels--with mustard!--included: thoughtful, much appreciated amenities. The content was thoroughly researched & interestingly presented. I received what was advertised, as well as what I expected. Our tour guide was very professional & personable. He shared a bit of his background & his close identification with Beyond The Bell's mission & message. The brief ice-breaker exercise ushered our small group into a relaxed, reflective & most enlightening afternoon together. Overall, exceptionally well-done. Place the tour on your to do list. (Please continue reading.) The lives of people "co-starred" with the famous sites on the tour. A few examples: Independence Square. Hannah, second (much younger) wife of our state's namesake, Quaker visionary & idealist William Penn. She was way more practical-minded & far better organized than her husband. Before the tour, I knew nothing about her contributions to the success of Philadelphia. I thought: Not just Founding Fathers. What about our Founding Mothers, like Hannah! Who are the others? Picky, demanding Philadelphians. The Liberty Bell's crack is common knowledge, but not the fact that Philadelphians protested, because its ring was weak. I thought: The ring of liberty is often a muted sound in American history. Hercules & Ona Judge. At the first President's Mansion, we heard these two once-forgotten voices; viewed their portraits (handouts); looked into their excavated slave quarters; learned of their escape to freedom; their children left behind. I thought: Seeking freedom & family separation are bound together, even today. I reflected again on The Bell of Liberty's muffled ring & then I said to myself: how symbolic & prophetic. Front & Market Streets. Statue of Chief Tamanend, "The Affable", Legendary leader of the Lenni Lenape Indians. He co-signed with William Penn, friendship & peace agreements--the story behind Penn Treaty Park. However, history does not confirm a pact was signed there. The treaties were later broken by Penn's sons. I thought about the Indian land grabs--war instead of peace--that continued, ending with today's Indian reservations. The tour guide commented on attempts to move the statue closer to the more historic sites. One in the group responded that retaining its location speaks to the long & tragic history of Native American dis-location. My thoughts circled around our nation's ideals as we headed to the last stop, Elfreth's Alley, the oldest continuously inhabited street in America. Freedom, Equality, Justice for some but not for all. How sad: fallen ideals. Far sadder to lie about it. But they are not final failures. An unbiased history teaches that our highest American values impartially judge us all. They outlive our efforts because they are eternal verities. Patriotic ideals can live authentically & redemptively, but only through relentlessly honest, collective, transparent & shamelessly dogged striving to realize them for all citizens. read more

Rebecca and Joey execute what few tour services realize they lack. Beyond the Bell brings you Philadelphia's historical past that you don't experience on your average tour and manages to make historical dialogue coterminous with its modern day implications. Even though our societal values are changing, the monuments and narratives around them don't expand or change with us. Because of this, Rebecca and Joey are paving the way to open up a true discussion on what has long been overlooked and pushed aside. Bravo! read more

I did the Center City Deep Dive tour and it was excellent! I was just passing through Philly but I came away with my eyes opened to the city's rich history and living, breathing culture. The guides are extremely knowledgeable and passionate, and they want to share their infectious zeal for and observations on the city with anyone and everyone. They are also incredibly thoughtful and perceptive and ensure to portray many aspects of Philadelphian history, the lovely and the unsavory alike, as part of the long and continuing narrative of a marvelous American city. It was a tasty slice of history and it helped me fully appreciate how the city came together and how it presents itself today. All in all it was a splendid tour! read more