Hidden Treasures: From Boston’s Tunnels to a $30 Yard Sale Masterpiece
Boston has always been a city built on layers — of brick, of history, and sometimes, of mystery. This fall, two very different “hidden treasures” are captivating New Englanders: one beneath the city’s streets, the other on the wall of a lucky Massachusetts collector.
The tunnels below
A new walking tour series called “Boston Underground: Tunnels & Tales” has begun revealing portions of the 19th-century passageways once used for everything from rum-running to coal transport. Led by local historians, the tour covers newly accessible segments beneath the North End and Beacon Hill, including bricked-off cellars and abandoned speakeasy routes sealed after Prohibition.
Participants walk through narrow corridors lit by handheld lanterns while guides recount the city’s more mischievous moments — smuggling, gambling, and even whispers of Revolutionary-era escape tunnels. The tours, limited to groups of 10, sell out within hours of new dates being released.
The painting above
Meanwhile, in a far quieter setting, a Massachusetts man’s $30 yard sale find turned out to be worth more than a quarter million dollars. The painting, a small seascape purchased from an estate sale in Cape Cod this summer, was authenticated last month as an early work by Fitz Henry Lane, a 19th-century maritime artist whose pieces hang in the MFA and Smithsonian.
Experts say the unsigned canvas was likely painted between 1845 and 1850 — a “lost” study once thought destroyed. It sold at Skinner Auctioneers in Marlborough for $268,000 to a private collector, making headlines nationwide and reminding everyone that New England’s attics and estate sales still hold stories worth uncovering.
What connects them
From forgotten tunnels to rediscovered treasures, both stories remind us that Massachusetts is built on layers — and sometimes, the next great find is just underfoot… or hiding behind a dusty frame.
🧾 References
Boston.com. (2025, October 29). New “Boston Underground” tour explores city’s hidden tunnels. Retrieved from https://www.boston.com/travel/2025/10/29/boston-underground-tour/
The Boston Globe. (2025, October 31). Cape Cod yard sale painting sells for $268,000 at Skinner auction. Retrieved from https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/31/arts/yard-sale-painting-fitz-henry-lane/
Skinner Auctioneers. (2025, October 30). Fine Paintings & Sculpture Auction Results. Retrieved from https://www.skinnerauctioneers.com/
WGBH News. (2025, November 2). Lost masterpiece discovered at Massachusetts estate sale. Retrieved from https://www.wgbh.org/news/
