I’ve walked the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail in downtown Boston three times in the past eight months. We walked the trail during a family vacation in August 2017. I walked it with a work colleague during a national public relations conference in October 2017, and again with a photography friend during another work conference in March 2018. I’m beginning to know the trail so well, I should become a designated tour guide.

Better yet, I’ll write about the Freedom Trail and invite you to walk the path that is full if history and the early events of the American Revolution.

Boston is known as the Cradle of Liberty. It’s in the buildings that dot the Freedom Trail where Paul Revere hung the lanterns that let everyone know if the red coats were coming by land or by sea; where mobs met to plan events like the Boston Tea Party; and where the first blood of the American Revolution was spilled, otherwise known as the Boston Massacre.

Where to Start on the Freedom Trail

Visitors to the Freedom Trail are not required to start at one end and finish at the other. While there are many sites scattered throughout Boston, visitors are welcome to visit them as their schedule allows. However, it is easier to start at one end and walk the 2.5 miles to the other end.

The Boston Common, similar to New York City’s Central Park, is likely the easiest place to start. There is adequate parking below the park, but you may end up paying upwards of $50 for a full day of parking. If possible, take the T (or metro) or a bus to one of the stops on the east side of Boston Common.

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The Visitor Information Center is a small gift shop on the east side of Boston Common. You’ll be able to pick up a map of the Freedom Trail, but if you’re planning to do the Jr. Ranger Program, they may or may not have those booklets. And they definitely aren’t equipped to swear Junior Rangers in once the book is complete – that is only doable at Faneuil Hall or at the U.S.S. Constitution.

Leading away from the entrance to the Visitor Information Center, you’ll notice red bricks forming a trail along the sidewalk and curving north toward the Massachusetts State Building. These red bricks will be your friend throughout the walk, as they indicate the path of the Freedom Trail.

Massachusetts State House

There are two entrances to the Massachusetts State House. The ornate entrance below the golden dome is only used for very special occasions – like visiting presidents or for the Massachusetts governor to use at the end of his term in office. The main entrance is known as the General Hooker Entrance, as visitors must walk past the equestrian statue of General Joseph Hooker, who had served in the Civil War.

Despite the building being more than two centuries, it is referred to as the New State House, helping to avoid confusion with the Old State House, which you’ll visit later along the Freedom Trail.

The New State House is open on weekdays for tours. Visitors must enter through the General Hooker Entrance and pass through a security check point. There are guided tours available of the building, or you can ask for a self-guided tour brochure and explore the building at your own pace.

Once you’ve completed your tour of the building, head southeast down Park Street to visit the Park Street Church.

Park Street Church

In the 1700s, this area of Boston was a granary, where wheat and other grains were stored and sold at low prices to the needy. But once the New State House was built, the city planners decided to put a church building next door, so the Park Street Church was designed and built in 1809.

On July 24, 1831, the hymn America, which is also known as “My Country ’tis of Thee,” was sung publicly for the first time on the steps of the Park Street Church. The Park Street Church has a long history of missionary work and helping those in need. For example, it’s the birthplace of the first prison aid society in 1824. Learn more about the history of the Park Street Church.

Today, the church has weekly Sunday sermons and other community and small group meetings during the week. As part of the Freedom Trail, the Park Street Church is open June 18 to August 30, Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:30-3 p.m.

Granary Burying Ground

The Granary Burying Grounds is said to be the last resting place of numerous patriots. Throughout the graveyard, you’ll note tombstones bearing names you may recognize: John Hancock, first person to sign the Declaration of Independence; Paul Revere, hero of the famous midnight ride; Elizabeth Goose, otherwise known as Mother Goose; Samuel Adams, said to be an organizer of the Revolution; and the five victims of the Boston Massacre, to name a few.

In the center of the graveyard, you’ll notice a tall obelisk with the name Franklin on it. Don’t be mislead to think this is the burial spot of Benjamin Franklin. He is buried in a cemetery in Philadelphia where he spent most of his adult life. However, the obelisk marks the burial site of Benjamin’s parents, Josiah and Abiah.

After visiting the burial sites of these famous American patriots, take a left out of the cemetery and follow the red brick trail to the next stop on the Freedom Trail.

King’s Chapel and Burying Grounds

A corner of Boston’s first and oldest burying place was seized by then Governor Andros in 1687 to erect an Anglican Church, otherwise known as the Church of England. The Puritans, who had fled England and settled in Massachusetts to find religious freedom, had not been willing to sell land to the Anglican Church to build the church ordered by King James II – thus requiring the land be seized.

A wooden structure was originally built, but in 1749 a stone building was built around the wooden one. The smaller wooden building was then torn out, leaving the structure seen today.

Despite the renovation, the pulpit and sounding board dates back to 1717 and was used in the original chapel. It was used following the renovation, making it the oldest pulpit in continual use on the same site in America. The organ, located in the rear of the church, was the first organ to be permanently installed in any church in what was known as British America (around 1713) – though the one today is only a replica.

Just northeast of the King’s Chapel is the burying ground, which was first used only a few months after the town of Boston was settled in 1630. As noted, the burying ground is filled with some of Boston’s most prolific Puritans, so the Anglican Church housed on the same grounds likely wasn’t ideal for them.

As with many of the burial grounds in Boston, there are some significant names noted on headstones: Mary Chilton, the first Pilgrim to touch land in the Americas.

Benjamin Franklin Statue and Boston Latin School

After exploring the graveyard, head back past the entrance to King’s Chapel and turn left on School Street. You may notice a hopscotch-like design in the sidewalk near the rear of King’s Chapel. It marks the spot where America’s first public school building was built in 1635. It was attended by the likes of Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and Samuel Adams.

In fact, a statue of Benjamin Franklin stands nearby. But did you know that he was the Latin School’s most famous drop out? Turns out he was famous in more ways than one.

Old South Meeting House

The Old South Meeting House was not built as a church, but rather a meeting place where the Puritans could worship. However, it was the largest meeting hall in the area in the early days of the American Revolution, and many key meetings relating to its cause were held here.

One of the most notable early meetings held in the meeting house was on December 16, 1773. The colonists were required to unload shipments of tea that had arrived from England and then pay the tax. Since they didn’t feel they should have to pay the tax as they had no representation in government, they met to determine how to handle the situation.

When no resolution could be made, and shortly after the meeting ended, nearly 1,000 men dressed as Mohawk Indians stormed the wharves, throwing 340 crates of tea into the harbor – otherwise known as the Boston Tea Party.

There is a fee to tour inside the Old South Meeting House:

• Adults are $6
• Kids (ages 5-17) are $1
• Seniors are $5
• Children under 5 are free.

The meeting house is open daily, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 1 through October 31 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November 1 through March 31. The meeting house is closed on Thanksgiving Day, December 24 and 25, and January 1.

The tour offers you the chance to see tea leaves and a tea crate label from the Boston Tea Party, a popular 3-D model of colonial Boston that is over 100 years old, John Hancock’s portable writing desk and other historic artifacts.

Old State House

The Old State House was built in 1713. Did you know it is the oldest public building still standing in the eastern United States?

It’s where the members of the British government overseeing the commonwealth of Massachusetts would meet. However, it was also where the Massachusetts Assembly (legislature) would meet, meaning the two governmental bodies with differing opinions of how the colonies should be governed we frequently cross paths.

The Old State House is said to be the place where the first act of opposition to the British rulers occurred, when James Otis delivered a speech against the writs of assistance in 1761. When Boston received a copy of the Declaration of Independence from Philadelphia once it was drafted, it was read aloud from the balcony on the east side. That was the first time the Declaration was read aloud to the residents of Massachusetts. In fact, every Fourth of July, the Declaration is read out loud from that second floor balcony.

Tours of the Old State House are available, but there is a cost for admission. You are welcome to visit the gift shop, found just inside the south entrance doors – it’s also where you purchase admission tickets.

• Adults are $10
• Kids (ages 6-18) are FREE
• Seniors are $8.50
• Children under 5 are free.

The Old State House is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but remains open until 6 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day. The Old State House is closed on Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1. It is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

The tour offers visitors the chance to see historic artifacts, like the red velvet suit John Hancock was said to have worn when he was sworn in as governor of Massachusetts.

Site of the Boston Massacre

On the east side of the building is a circle of stones marking the general area of the Boston Massacre. The actual massacre took place throughout that entire intersection, but the marker needed to be placed somewhere that allowed tourists to check it out without standing in the middle of the road.

The story of the Boston Massacre is quite interesting. In short, tensions between the red coats and the colonists were high. When a group of red coat soldiers became surrounded by an angry mob, one of the soldiers ended up firing into the crowd. More shots rang out, ending with five dead Bostonians.

The colonists played up the incident to further the resentment toward the red coats. Illustrations showed red coat soldiers firing at defenseless colonists, which wasn’t exactly the case. The event made great propaganda.

Faneuil Hall

Faneuil Hall (pronounced fanyel) is known as America’s first meetinghouse. The ground floor is the official Visitors Center and marketplace – lots of souvenir options. The second-floor meeting space is accessible from the doors on the east side of the brick building.

It’s in this meetinghouse where the colonists spoke of revolution and the phrase, “No taxation without representation” came about. Today, this meeting space is used multiple times a year for anywhere from 300 to 500 people to take the Oath of Allegiance and become new citizens of the United States of America.

When you’re outside of the building, look up at the weathervane and you’ll see a golden grasshopper. In fact, during the war of 1812, spies were exposed if they couldn’t correctly answer the question: “What’s on the top of Faneuil Hall?” A grasshopper, of course.

If you’re planning to do the Junior Ranger Program and haven’t yet grabbed a packet, this is one of the places to pick one up and speak with a Park Ranger.

Faneuil Hall is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Don’t miss the larger market place one building east of Faneuil Hall or any of the street performers putting on a show in the area.

Paul Revere’s House

This is the home where Paul Revere lived when he made his famous midnight ride. It was built around 1680 and is the oldest remaining structure in downtown Boston. It’s also the only home found on the Freedom Trail.

Visitors can explore inside Paul Revere’s house for the price of admission.

• Adults are $3.50
• Seniors and college students are $3
• Children are $1

Tour times vary by season and the house is closed on Mondays, January through March. It’s also closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.

• April 15 – October 31: 9:30 a.m. to 5 :15 p.m.
• November 1 – April 14: 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Old North Church

On the night of April 18, 1775, two lanterns hung in the steeple of the Old North Church, warning the people in Charlestown that the British army were coming by sea (“One if by land; two if by sea”). It’s synonymous with the poem about the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.

The Old North Church – officially known as “Christ Church in Boston – is Boston’s oldest standing church building. It opened its doors in December 1723 and the same congregation still meets in the building.

The famous steeple has been blown off the church twice in its history during hurricanes, one in 1804 and 1954. However, the steeple copies the design of the one used in 1775 to hang the lanterns.

Visitors can enter the Old North Church to see the main floor. Hours also vary by the time of year:

• January – February: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• March – May: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• July – October: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• November – December: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Worship services: Sundays 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.
• Closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas

Additional tours to other areas of the church are available for admission (ranging from $4 to $6 per person) – the bell ringing chamber and the church’s crypt.

You’ll also want to check out the Edis & Gill Print Office and the chocolate shop, both of which are located on Unity Street behind the Old North Church.

Copp’s Hill Burying Ground

Copp’s Hill Burying Ground is the designated cemetery of the North End neighborhood. Take a moment to read the inscriptions on some of the headstones. You may find creative ones like this shown on the headstone of Thomas Wiliston:

“Stop here my friend & cast an Eye, As you are now, so once was I, As I am now, so you must be, Prepare for Death, and follow Me.”

The next stop of the Freedom Trail is a little bit of a walk to get to. It’s a jaunt across the bridge and up the hill on the other side to Bunker Hill.

Bunker Hill

The first major battle of the Revolutionary War was at Bunker Hill on April 17, 1775. It took 3,000 British troops and three advances against the redoubts of the colonists on top of the hill to eventually win the battle – but it showed the courage of the colonists and set the stage for the remainder of the war.

It was in this battle that the well-known strategy, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes” is said to have been uttered by Colonel William Prescott.

The Bunker Hill Monument was started in 1825 – 50 years after the battle – and completed in 1842. There are stairs that circle up through the obelisk and many people make their way to the top – but it’s a tough climb. There is one window on each side of the monument, allowing views of Boston in all directions.

The museum and gift shop for Bunker Hill is located across the road on the south side of the monument. The hours vary by season, but during July and August, it’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. – otherwise it’s hours are roughly 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and 9-5 p.m. to weekends.

U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides)

The U.S.S. Constitution Visitor Center requires everyone to pass through a quick security checkpoint, including everyone 18+ showing a valid picture ID; probably because it’s a Navy area. Once in the Visitor Center, you can tour artifacts and stories from the U.S.S. Constitution. Then make your way outside to visit the ship and walk its decks.

One of the best parts from our visit was a young sailor who told the story of how the ship got its nickname, Old Ironsides. He recounted the story as if he had been on the ship during the battle in the War of 1812 as the crew watch cannonballs bounce off the side of the ship. He definitely knew how to captivate the audience, and he was gracious enough to post for a photo.

Complete the Junior Ranger booklet and be sworn in as the newest Junior Ranger at the Visitor Center. If you’re starting at this end of the Freedom Trail, here is where you pick up your Junior Ranger packet. Note: Faneuil Hall is the only other place where you can turn in the booklet and be sworn in, so plan accordingly.

Just east of the Visitor Center is the U.S.S. Constitution Museum. The museum offer many hands-on and interactive exhibits, but there is an admission fee.

Some Extra (and Fun) Stops Along the Way

Photos from around Boston and New England are available in my online photography portfolio.

While you’re making your way along the Freedom Trail, don’t hesitate stopping at some very noteworthy sites. Here’s a list of the things you’ll want to see for some added culture and history:

• Boston Common Gardens and Swan Boats (Seasonal)
• Cheers (the bar facade for the 1980s sitcom, Cheers)
• Old Corner Bookstore (on the corner of School and Washington – between the King’s Chapel and Old South Meeting House)
• Holocaust Memorial
• Ye Olde Oyster House (a historic place to stop for lunch or dinner and enjoy some Boston seafood)
• Black Heritage Trail

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