Touring Town That Built Jack

An insider’s tour of the Boston area, as only a Kennedy could know it, runs through Oct. 13, sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Library and Old Town Trolley Tours.

“JFK’s Boston,” a three-hour trolley excursion that runs on weekends, takes visitors to the former president’s childhood home and neighborhood in Brookline, outside Boston; Boston’s North End, birthplace of Kennedy’s mother, Rose Fitzgerald; and the Kennedy library. Other stops include the Omni Parker House, site of Kennedy political gatherings; the Massachusetts State House; and an apartment above the Capitol Coffee Shop that served as JFK’s voting address.

On a taped introduction, the late president’s brother, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), reminisces about the family. In addition, the trolley drivers “explain little tidbits of Kennedy information that even die-hard fans don’t know,” said Dan Yaeger, a tour spokesman.

One of the more unobtrusive sites is a corner on Beacon Hill where JFK’s grandfather, Boston Mayor John F. “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald, worked at a newspaper stand in his youth.

The tour leaves at 9:30 a.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from the New England Aquarium at the Boston Central Wharf. Cost: $22, adults; $17 students and seniors; $12, children 6-12; free, children under 6. Tickets and information: (617) 269-7150.