Philly 103: The Other Philadelphia (Black and Indigenous History)

If you think you know the full story of the American history, think again. Kessler, brought an entirely different lens to the founding of this nation surfacing cultural threads and perspectives that rarely make it into the standard telling. It completely reshaped how I think about that era of history. Beyond the depth of knowledge, what made the experience unforgettable was that he was genuinely thoughtful, sharp with the details, and quick with the humor that kept the whole tour engaging from start to finish. Highly recommend for anyone who wants more than the textbook version of American history.

Absolutely exceptional experience despite winter temperatures! Keshler is clearly passionate about history, extraordinarily knowledgeable and was easy to communicate with in preparation for the tour. Everyone found the experience tremendously informative and enjoyable. He showed up with alacrity, was punctual and beyond generous with his time. As someone who has lived in Philadelphia for 10 years over my lifetime, I acquired more historical knowledge on this tour than I did over my time living there and taking multiple out of town visitors on sightseeing tours in the past. Would highly recommend if you are looking to take in some history during your time in Philadelphia!

Keshler is an absolutely fantastic guide. He is not only full of dates and names and historical facts, but he grasps the connections that they each have to each other. With charm and a great sense of humor, he weaves the buildings and memorials into the story of us. I would love to return to Philadelphia and simply spend an entire day with him.

Great city to visit with LOTS of interesting history and I learned a lot of new facts about our countrys past. Our guide, Keshler, was EXREMELY prepared and VERY knowledgable. If you book a tour, be sure you select him We highly recommend him.

Kessler has an encyclopedic knowledge of Philadelphia's history, particularly from the perspective of the "losers" in history be it the Native Americans, the British, the Blacks, the Italians or the Jews. He will quickly dispel the history you remember from middle school and replace it with the real story- even if it makes you uncomfortable! Apparently the Founding Fathers were NOT flawless Demi-Gods!

We hired Keshler to be our guide for our work team retreat. As we work with social justice issues and center racial equity in our work, we wanted a tour that would do the same - help us understand Philly from the perspectives of the people whose stories are often not told. We appreciated his deep knowledge, sarcastic humor, and his analysis of Philly race and politics. He was generous with his time and really catered to our group.