"Bowne Around Towne" Flushing Walking Tour

Come see where the Bowne family lived from their earliest days in 17th-century Flushing. Learn about how they helped cultivate the landscape and establish a community in what was once a densely wooded area. Visit the places in which the family worshipped, the land they worked, and the homes they resided in. Whether you are just visiting the neighborhood for the day or have lived here for years, you will come away with a new appreciation for the long history of Flushing!

The Bowne family were among the first European settlers of Flushing, arriving in the 1650s and maintaining the same family home for 9 generations. John Bowne led one of the earliest documented fights for religious freedom in the 1660’s. Later generations of family members continued to practice Quakerism and persisted in a pacifist way of life, eventually becoming staunch supporters of the anti-slavery movement. The Bowne House is now the only Queens site on the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. 

• DATE: Sunday, September 13th
• TIME: 1:00pm to 3:00pm
• TOUR GROUP MEETING LOCATION: Bowne House at 37-01 Bowne Street, Flushing, NY 11354
• WHAT YOU NEED: Comfortable walking shoes, a bottle of water, and an adventurous spirit!
• TOUR STOPS (in order): Bowne House; Fox Oaks Stone; Forest Hills High School; Flushing Friends Meeting House; Former site of Flushing Female Association School; Former site of Macedonian AME Church; Weeping Beech Tree.
• ESTIMATED TOUR DISTANCE: One mile total distance.
• ACCESIBILITY: Short breaks will be made throughout the tour. For inquiries about tour accessibility, please contact us at [email protected].