What we’re about
The Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides holds monthly meetings which feature a guest speaker on a topic of historical significance in Philadelphia or a field trip for a behind-the-scenes tour of a local historic site. Meetings are open to aspiring and working tour guides as well as anyone with an interest in Philadelphia-focused history. Attend one meeting for free and then it is $60 to join the association for the year or $10 per monthly meeting event. If you love and want to learn more about this amazing, vibrant city of 'firsts' - the birthplace of the United States - please join us!
Upcoming events (3)
See all- The Life of John DickinsonPhilly's Gourmet Steaks, Philadelphia, PA
The Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) will hold its next monthly meeting on Wednesday, July 9 at 7 pm. July's speaker will be Doug Thomas of Historic Philadelphia, Inc. who will tell us us about the life of John Dickinson, the "Penman of the Revolution", who opposed independence from Britain but supported the rights of the colonists.
In the decade before the American colonies declared independence, no patriot enjoyed greater renown than John Dickinson. In 1765 he helped lead opposition to the Stamp Act, Britain’s first effort to get colonists to cover part of the mounting cost of the empire through taxes on paper and printed materials. When Parliament passed the Townshend Duties of 1767, Dickinson galvanized colonial resistance by penning Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, a series of impassioned essays widely read on both sides of the Atlantic. Upon hearing of his death, Thomas Jefferson said: ”His name will be consecrated in history as one of the great worthies of the revolution.”
Long-time Dickinson portrayer, Doug Thomas - as himself, not in character - will talk about Dickinson's history and what aspects of this forgotten founder he most enjoys sharing. For almost 30 years, Thomas has been portraying people from American history, using their stories to entertain, inspire, and educate thousands.
Thomas routinely performs for corporate events, universities, international tour groups, patriotic organizations, schools, and libraries, and has had the honor of entertaining Presidents of the United States as well as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. You can often see him in action at famous locations which include Valley Forge National Historical Park, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Mount Vernon in Virginia, and the National Archives in Washington, DC.
Over the years, Doug has personally developed and portrayed more than 20 famous characters from history, from the American Revolution into the early 19th century. As the Director of History Makers for Historic Philadelphia, Inc., he directs and trains others in first person interpretation, writes scripts, and works with the program team to vet content for historical accuracy.
In designing historical programs, Doug’s mission is to inspire people and organizations to connect with the past in an entertaining and engaging way, allowing them to create the skills, knowledge, and teamwork that will move them forward and give them hope for the future.
The meeting will held in-person at 114 Market Street on the 2nd floor of Philly’s Gourmet Steaks. Come early for dinner and drinks! The meeting will also be livestreamed on Zoom. The Zoom link will be shared in the APT Tour Talk newsletter the week of the meeting. Non-members should email Marianne Ruane at president@phillyguides.org no later than 5 pm the day of the meeting to receive the Zoom link. A recording will be available on the APT YouTube page for a month following the talk.
APT meetings are open to aspiring and working tour guides as well as anyone with an interest in Philadelphia-focused history. Attend one meeting for free and then it is $60 to join the association for the year or $10 per monthly meeting in-person event. Zoom meetings are free. Please join us for convivial company, good food, fascinating presentations, and lively discussions.
- July Book ClubNeeds location
The Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) will hold its next Zoom book club meeting on Tuesday, July 15 at 7 pm. All are welcome to attend. July's book club choice is Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy by Nathaniel Philbrick.
When George Washington became president in 1789, the United States of America was still a loose and quarrelsome confederation and a tentative political experiment. Washington undertook a tour of the ex-colonies to talk to ordinary citizens about his new government, and to imbue in them the idea of being one thing—Americans.
In the fall of 2018, Nathaniel Philbrick embarked on his own journey into what Washington called “the infant woody country” to see for himself what America had become in the 229 years since. Writing in a thoughtful first person about his own adventures with his wife, Melissa, and their dog, Dora, Philbrick follows Washington’s presidential excursions: from Mount Vernon to the new capital in New York; a monthlong tour of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island; a venture onto Long Island and eventually across Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The narrative moves smoothly between the eighteenth and twenty-first centuries as we see the country through both Washington’s and Philbrick’s eyes.
APT members will find Zoom details in the Tour Talk newsletter the week of the meeting. Non-APT members who would like to participate in the May book club should email APT Secretary Pam Covey at secretary@phillyguides.org no later than 5 pm the day of the meeting to receive the Zoom link. Please join us!
- Tour of Christ ChurchChrist Church, Philadelphia, PA
The Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) has organized a special tour of Christ Church hosted by APT member Tish Byrne on Saturday, July 26, at 11 am. There is no cost for this tour and it is expected to last 90 minutes. Tish has worked as a guide and docent for Road Scholar, Philadelphia Landmarks, Mural Arts, and Old St. Joseph's Church. She also serves as a docent at Christ Church. We are grateful to Tish and the generous staff of Christ Church for inviting us on this special tour. To register, please write to Mike Teti vicepresident@phillyguides.org and include CHRIST CHURCH in the subject line. Thank you. Please join us for an inside look at the early nation's cathedral - the tallest building George Washington saw in his lifetime!
