Boston's Freedom Trail

Want to Take a Walk Through History?

Quick Links:  Boston Common | Massachusetts State House | Park Street Church | Granary Burying Ground | Kings Chapel | Kings Chapel Burying Ground | Benjamin Franklin Statue | Old Corner Bookstore | Old South Meeting House | Old State House | Boston Massacre Site | Faneuil Hall Marketplace | Paul Revere House | Old North Church | Copp's Hill Burial Ground | USS Constitution | Bunker Hill Monument

The red stripe marking the Freedom Trail, Boston's 2.5 mile (4 km) path linking 17 historic sites important to the birth of American liberty, is hard to miss.

Red brick in some places and red paint in others, the Trail leads you through history to:

• Paul Revere's house in Boston's North End - and the church where two lanterns signaled his historic midnight ride
• Graveyards containing American Revolutionary War heroes
• The USS Constitution, known as "Old Ironsides"
• Bunker Hill, where one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolutionary War raged
• Plus 13 more places closely linked to America's fight for independence, freedom, and justice for all.

Stretching from Boston Common all the way to the Charlestown waterfront, the Freedom Trail is Boston's most popular tourist attraction, but I'll let you in on a secret: locals enjoy it too!  

Following the Trail also gives you an excellent way to explore modern Boston as you wind through older parts of Downtown Boston, historic Charlestown, and the picturesque North End.

Instead of being in a separate "historical district," these Freedom Trail sites where the American Revolution began.

You'll find them right next to sleek skyscrapers, historic taverns where the Founding Fathers raised their glasses to toast freedom, gorgeous Boston Harbor waterfront views, great Boston shopping, top restaurants, and beautiful parks.

And as a bonus, they're located in three of Boston's most interesting and charming neighborhoods.

So while you're soaking up history along the Freedom Trail, you can also experience the best of today's Boston - especially if you know what's near each site.

So, keep reading to discover:

• How the Freedom Trail began - and how to get to it, plus where to get a free map
• What you'll find at each of the 16 sites - and why you may want to linger there (or not)
• My insider tips for what else you may want to explore nearby
• Additional suggestions about how to tour the Freedom Trail sites - based on your interests
  
  

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Boston's Living Museum

Boston's Freedom Trail began at a moment back in 1950 when a Boston journalist realized:

• Boston has more sites related to the American Revolution and America's fight for independence than any other city.
  
  
• These sites, so important in United States history, are within easy walking distance of each other.

Eight years later, the Freedom Trail became official - a way to commemorate the Founding Fathers' role in the birth of the U.S., and to ensure that these 16 historic sites would be protected from redevelopment fervor and preserved for future generations.

Perhaps it's due to Yankee frugality - but most of these sites such as Boston Common, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the State House, several of the churches, and of course the graveyards still are being used for their original functions.

Others such as the Old South Meeting House, the Old State House, Paul Revere's house, and the USS Constitution have been "re-purposed" as museums.

A very cool characteristic about the Freedom Trail sites is that they are the real thing - they're not re-creations or reproductions.  When you visit Paul Revere's house in the North End, for example, it's the real house that he really lived in.

What You'll Find on the Freedom Trail

Each Freedom Trail site tells part of the history of America's quest for independence.

I've organized the sites by neighborhood, starting with Boston Common at the edge of Downtown Boston. For more details plus my tips about other interesting places to see and things to do near each site, just click the link for each site.  And finally, if you're in a rush, we provide Quick Links.

In case you're wondering why we list 17, not 16 sites, the reason is that Freedom Trail maps usually lump King's Chapel and the adjacent King's Chapel Burying Ground together . . . but despite their names, they have never had any connection with each other other than location, so we list them separately.

Downtown Boston Freedom Trail Sites

Boston Common, America's oldest park, dates back to 1634. Stroll across its green slopes where the earliest Puritan settlers grazed their cows and hanged witches, where British troops camped during their occupation of Boston, where 19th century literary giants argued about poetry, and where Dr. Martin Luther King spoke eloquently about freedom in the 20th century.

Despite being completed after the end of the Revolutionary War, the Massachusetts State House embodies the self-governance ideals that the Patriots won. Revolutionary hero and Massachusetts State Governor Samuel Adams laid its cornerstone, famous architect Charles Bulfinch designed it, and its golden dome gleams high above Boston Common and Beacon Hill.

The soaring steeple of the beautiful Park Street Church used to be the first landmark that people could see when coming to Boston. A number of firsts closely associated with American freedom and the church's mission of human rights and social justice have taken place here, including William Lloyd Garrison's first major speech in Boston against slavery in 1829.

Granary Burying Ground, one of Boston's oldest historic sites, dates from 1660.  Because of all of the famous patriots and revolutionary heroes buried here, it is sometimes called the "Westminster Abbey" of Boston.  As you wander through the shaded slopes, you'll discover the graves of Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, Boston Massacre victims, and other Revolutionary War heroes.

Boston's Puritans fled England to escape religious persecution by the Church of England.  Not surprisingly, Anglican religious services were banned in Boston.  So imagine the Puritans' outrage when the English king demanded that they build King's Chapel, an Anglican church, on part of a Puritan graveyard (now known as King's Chapel Burying Ground).  Did the Dead roll over in their graves?

King's Chapel Burying Ground is Boston's oldest graveyard.  It was bigger before King's Chapel was built next door.  You'll find many of the first generation of the city's early English settlers in this tranquil spot, covered with intricately carved gravestones. See if you can find the one showing Father Time wrestling with Death!  And if you enjoy ghost stories, this burying ground has a chiller.

Born poor in Boston in 1706, Benjamin Franklin became a printer, publisher, political thinker, scientist, writer, inventor, and statesman. He got his start by writing for his brother's newspaper under the name of Mrs. Silence Dogood, getting lots of praise . . . until his jabs at witch-hunter Rev. Cotton Mather and other Puritan political powers in Boston landed him in hot water.

Built in 1718 and one of Boston's oldest brick buildings, the Old Corner Bookstore started life as a commercial space - and that's what it still is today. Occupied in the 19th century by the company that published famous authors Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and many others, the mellow red brick building now contains a jewelry store.

On December 16, 1773, Boston's Old South Meeting House, scene of many speeches supporting liberty, held a crowd of 5,000 Colonists tensely waiting to hear if ships carrying unwanted British tea would be permitted to leave Boston Harbor to return to England.  When they learned that the answer was "No!" - meaning they'd have to pay tax on the tea - they decided to have a tea party . . . in Boston Harbor.

The Massachusetts Assembly and the British Royal Governors met and clashed in the Old State House until the Revolutionary War. Patriots made some of their most compelling arguments against British tyranny here, and on July 18, 1776, colonists gathered around an outside balcony to hear the Declaration of Independence read aloud for the first time in Massachusetts.

After the British occupied Boston in 1768, tension filled the air and taverns lined the streets in an explosive combination.  On March 5, 1770, a street brawl turned ugly and left 5 colonists dead, killed by the British soldiers - who some witnesses said the colonists provoked.   Crispus Attucks, of African and Native American ancestry, was the first to die in the Boston Massacre, as the Sons of Liberty quickly labeled the killings.

Back in 1742, wealthy merchant Peter Faneuil felt Boston needed a marketplace. The city wasn't convinced, so Faneuil built Faneuil Hall Marketplace at his own expense and donated it to Boston. After Sam Adams and other Sons of Liberty made many fiery speeches upstairs, it became known as "The Cradle of Liberty." Today, Quincy Market, as this area is called, is still one of Boston's best shopping marketplaces.  The Boston Holocaust Memorial is nearby.

North End Freedom Trail Sites

Crafted from carved timbers and wooden pegs, Paul Revere's house, a medieval-style structure in the North End, is the only 17th century wood dwelling still standing in its original Boston site.  Open today as a museum, the well-crafted house displays examples of some of Revere's metal work - spoons, bowls, dental wiring, bells, engraving plates - as well as late 17th century maps, furniture, and furnishings.

Not far away from Paul Revere's house is the beautiful Old North Church.  Built in 1723, it is the oldest place of worship still standing in Boston and its active Episcopal congregation holds weekly services.  In 1775, sexton Robert Newman, a friend of Paul Revere, hung 2 bells from the steeple to warn Charleston Patriots that the British would arrive by sea.  The steeple still soars above surrounding buildings.

You can still see gravestones with pockmarks from musket balls, made when Redcoats used Copp's Hill Burial Ground, dating from 1660 and the 2nd oldest cemetery in Boston, for target practice. Generals watched from this hill in 1775 as their troops burned Charlestown to the ground - and continued watching in horror as half of their men died during the Battle of Bunker Hill.  Also nearby is the site of a later horror, the Great Molasses Flood.

Charlestown Freedom Trail Sites

Built in 1793 to protect U.S. merchant ships from attacks by the Barbary pirates, the wooden USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world.  Nicknamed "Old Ironsides" after British cannonballs bounced off her seemingly impervious sides during the War of 1812, the Constitution is now open as a museum - a favorite of many kids.

The soaring 221 foot Bunker Hill Monument commemorates the first major battle of the Revolutionary War, and also the deadliest. Fought on Breed's Hill - the real Bunker's Hill is half a mile to the west - the encounter lasted only 2 hours. The victory went to the British, but the battle strengthened the resolve of the Patriots to win the war.

How to Tour the Freedom Trail

You have lots of choices for touring the Freedom Trail:

• Pick up an excellent free map of the Freedom Trail at the Visitor Information Center on Boston Common (near the Park Street T station) or the National Historical Park Visitor Center at 15 State Street in Downtown Boston. Walk along at your own pace. Start and stop wherever you like. Walk fast and cover the whole trail in a couple of hours, or visit just a couple of sites, perhaps detouring for some super shopping in Faneuil Hall Marketplace or for a steaming cup of cappuccino in the North End - it's your choice!
  
  
• Join a free guided tour given by Rangers from the National Park Service. The tours start in Boston Common, last 90 minutes, and include some but not all of the sites. Inquire about schedules at the Visitor Information Center or the National Historical Park Visitor Center.
  
  
• Go on a guided Freedom Trail tour. Several different groups give these, and the cost varies. Typically, the tours last 1-2 hours and include some but not all of the sites. Many of the tour guides are knowledgeable historians and skilled actors and entertainers. Some of them wear colonial costumes. I often eavesdrop for a few minutes when I walk past one of these groups, and am impressed by the value that they deliver.
  
  
• Take a Boston city tour, such as one of the popular Boston Duck Tours. You'll drive by several Freedom Trail sites. The guide will point them out and perhaps tell an anecdote. You can explore them on foot later, as well as the others.

Boston Common in Downtown Boston anchors one end of the Freedom Trail, and Bunker Hill in Charlestown anchors the other. You can start at either end, or at any point in the middle.

The Freedom Trail is not a loop - so if you walk from one end to the other, you will not be close to where you started. Fortunately, all of the sites are reasonably close to the T. The free Freedom Trail map shows nearby T stations.

Remember, the Freedom Trail is a walking tour. You can't experience it by driving, as Boston's narrow, winding streets make car maneuvering difficult, plus not all sites can be seen by car.

Insider Tips

If you plan to explore only part of the Freedom Trail, pick one of the neighborhoods and focus on the sites in that area.

In the Downtown section of the Trail, Faneuil Hall Marketplace makes a great focal point. You can see Faneuil Hall itself with the famous grasshopper weathervane, admire the statue of Sam Adams, explore the shops, and and enjoy the food in Quincy Market. Other Freedom Trail sites are nearby, plus you're close to the Holocaust Memorial, Haymarket, and parts of Harborwalk along the waterfront.

In the North End section, Paul Revere's house gives an interesting glimpse of how people lived in the late 1700s. If you're on this part of the Freedom Trail, you'll want to spend time walking around the North End. 

Hanover Street, right around the corner from Revere's house, is lined with tempting restaurants and bakeries, and if you turn north on Cross Street and then right on Salem Street, you'll find even more. You can also find some of the city's best seafood and Italian restaurants in this neighborhood. After a final espresso, you can cross the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and walk past Haymarket to Faneuil Hall.

If you decide to focus on the Charlestown Freedom Trail sites, the easiest - and most scenic - way to get there is to take the MBTA ferry from Long Wharf.  Tickets are $2 each way, and even less if you use the T's "CharlieCard."

As you walk from the USS Constitution in the Charlestown Navy Yard to Bunker Hill, take a small detour down Main Street. You'll pass the Warren Tavern, great place for lunch or dinner for over 200 years, as Paul Revere and George Washington could attest . . . if they were still alive. You'll also find some other great choices, such as Figs - or head back to the waterfront to Tavern on the Water.

You'll find more "Insider Tips" following specific information about each Freedom Trail Site.

Details and Directions

Open: You can visit outdoor Freedom Trail sites such as Boston Common and monuments all day, every day.  The graveyards are open during daylight hours.  Indoor sites open for specific hours and close on some days, so call or check the website for each site that you want to visit. Churches still in use for worship have services on Sunday and sometimes at other times which you're welcome to attend; they are not available for Trail tours during these times.

Accessibility: Although many of the sites are wheelchair accessible, some are not due to their age and historical preservation restrictions, so check in advance at each site if applicable.

Cost: Most of the sites are free. The churches gratefully accept contributions to help with maintenance.  Three (Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Paul Revere's House) charge small fees.  Fees for 2008 range from $3-5 for adults, with reduced rates for children, seniors, and students.  A combo ticket to all 3 sites is also available and saves a couple of dollars.

Locations: Downtown Boston, North End, and Charlestown.  See details about each site for more specific information.

Closest T stations to each end of the Freedom Trail:

• Boston Common: Red and Green Lines/Park Street
  
  
• Bunker Hill Monument: walk back across the Charlestown Bridge to Orange and Green Lines/North Station; alternately, you can walk back to the Naval Shipyard (USS Constitution location) and take the MBTA commuter ferry back to Long Wharf, near the Blue Line/Aquarium station and the Boston Marriott Long Wharf hotel
  
• For other sites, please see details for each site
  
  

Parking your car:

If you arrive in Boston by car, you'll need to park it. Parking in Boston tends to be expensive. Choices near either end of the Freedom Trail include:

• Boston Common Parking Garage, below the Boston Common. Enter on Charles Street
  
• A limited number of parking spaces as well as commercial parking garages are available in Charlestown near the USS Constitution site
  
  

• Freedom Trail Foundation - markets, manages, and supports the Freedom Trail sites, and operates popular guided tour. Call 617-357-8300; website http://thefreedomtrail.org
  
• National Park Service - offers free 90 minute tours, weather permitting, and also provides information at the USS Constitution. For more information, call 617-242-5642.

For information about each specific site, see the links above.

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