If you’re planning a trip to Boston, look no further than our Guide to the Parks: Boston National Historical Park! My family loves National Parks. On every trip, we diligently pack our passport books (my husband and I have this one, and we purchased this one for our son!) and most of our vacations since we got married have been planned with passport cancellation sites in mind. A few months ago, we visited the Boston National Historical Park and the famous Freedom Trail. This iconic red brick line travels 2.5 miles and has 20 stops throughout the Cradle of Liberty, so put on your walking shoes and let’s go!
Stop 1: Boston Common
Boston Common is considered the oldest public park in the United States, and the start of the Freedom Trail! We stayed outside the city and rode the metro in, so when we got off at Park Street Station, we came right up into Boston Common! We enjoyed a stroll through the park and into the Boston Public Garden across the street. Make Way for Ducklings was one of my favorite books as a child, so coming across the statues dedicated to the beautiful classic by Robert McCloskey was a special treat. Other statues and monuments include the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, The Embrace, and the well-known George Washington statue.
Stop 2: Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial
Located on the edge of Boston Common, this memorial commemorates one of the first Black fighting units to serve in the Civil War. Designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and dedicated in 1897, this piece is considered one of the finest pieces of American art and has been an inspiration to artists, activists and many others.
Stop 3: Massachusetts State House
You can’t miss the shiny golden dome on the western edge of Boston Common, and it has topped the Massachusetts State House since its completion in 1798. You can take a self-guided tour or a free guided tour to learn more about the history of the state house itself and the state of Massachusetts.
Stop 4: Park Street Church
Park Street Church towers elegantly along the edge of Boston Common as you continue your journey further downtown along the Freedom Trail. According to the National Park Service, “the hymn ‘America’ was first sung here, and abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison gave his first antislavery speech here in 1829.”
Stop 5: Granary Burying Ground
Beside the Park Street Church stands the Granary Burying Ground, which is the final resting place of patriots John Hancock, Paul Revere, James Otis, Samuel Adams and Robert Treat Paine, as well as the victims of the Boston Massacre. We enjoyed walking through the cemetery and spotting the round “Boston Tea Party Participant” plaques that stood by a handful of graves.
BONUS: If you are ready for a break, across the street, Beantown Pub advertises itself as “The only pub in the world where you can drink a cold Sam Adams’ while viewing a cold Sam Adams”!
Stop 6: King’s Chapel & King’s Chapel Burying Ground
Designed for the first Anglican congregation in Boston, King’s Chapel possesses an elegant Georgian interior and was a stronghold of Loyalist opposition. You can visit the church via a 20- or 45-minute guided tour of the sanctuary, crypt and/or the upstairs galleries and Revere bell. The burying ground is next to the chapel and is the final resting place of John Winthrop, and contains the gravestone which inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic The Scarlet Letter.
Stop 7: First Public School Site & Benjamin Franklin Statue
A mosaic on the sidewalk marks the site of the Latin School, the oldest public school in America. A statue of former student Benjamin Franklin overlooks the site from the garden of Boston’s Old City Hall.
Stop 8: Old Corner Bookstore
This building was originally built as an apothecary in 1718 and is downtown Boston’s oldest commercial building. In the mid-1800s, it became home to the publishing company Ticknor and Fields, and was utilized by authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott and others. This building is now home to a classic American staple: Chipotle.
Stop 9: Old South Meeting House
The Old South Meeting House was the largest building in Colonial Boston and was the site of many gatherings to stoke the fires of revolution as they discussed, challenged and protested new British actions. It was here on December 16, 1773, that the Boston Tea Party began. This building and its museum exhibit “Voices of Protest” are free for active-duty US Military and up to 5 guests.
Stop 10: Old State House & Boston Massacre Site
It was the Old State House that John Adams spoke of in 1761 when he said, “then and there the child independence was born.” Nine years later, the Boston Massacre occurred in the shadow of this building, and on July 18, 1776, the people of Boston heard the Declaration of Independence read for the first time from the balcony of the building. This site is also free to tour for active-duty US Military and up to 5 guests.
Stop 11: Faneuil Hall & Visitor Center
Get your passport books ready for this one, because you can get multiple cancellations at the Faneuil Hall visitor center! Several places along the way have stamps for the Boston National Historical Park, but Faneuil Hall is also part of the Boston African American National Historic Site, and part of the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom due to strong ties to the Underground Railroad. Since its construction in 1742, Faneuil Hall has seen meetings, protests and debates throughout generations reaching from the Revolutionary War, to Abolitionists, women’s suffragists and labor unionists, including many others, even reaching to present day.
BONUS: Across the street from Faneuil Hall sits Quincy Market, the oldest food hall in the country! Built in 1826, this market is still thriving, and sells many New England specialties, such as lobster rolls and clam chowder, as well as classics like pizza and hot dogs! This is a great pit stop along the Freedom Trail, whether you’re looking for a full meal or just an ice cream cone.
Stop 12: Paul Revere House
The Paul Revere House is the only site along the Freedom Trail that was a home. Built in 1680, this is downtown Boston’s oldest building, and in 1770, Paul Revere moved in with his wife Sarah, their 5 children, and his mother Deborah. It was from his home here that Paul Revere set out on his infamous midnight ride on April 18, 1775.
Stop 13: Old North Church
“One if by land, two if by sea” on April 18, 1775, the lanterns warning of the British troops marching on Lexington and Concord were hung from the steeple of Old North Church. A statue of Paul Revere sits out front, and you can go inside the church to see the window where, according to legend, patriot Paul Newman escaped after assisting with the lanterns. You can even take a guided tour to see the bell ringing chamber where Paul Revere rang the church bells as a teenager.
BONUS: in the brick building behind Old North Church sits the Printing Office of Edes & Gill, an 18th-century style print shop that does free colonial printing demos on Fridays and Saturdays, so you can get a firsthand look at how historic documents were printed for distribution in Colonial times.
Stop 14: Copp’s Hill Burying Ground
Copp’s Hill is the final resting place for thousands of people who lived their lives in Boston’s North End. Among the most famous interments are merchant John Pulling Jr. and Old North Church caretaker Robert Newman, the two men believed to have held the signal lanterns on April 18, 1775, in Old North Church; as well as Samuel, Increase, and Cotton Mather, three infamous theologians from Boston history. Copp’s Hill was also used during the Battle of Bunker Hill due to its views of the harbor and surrounding area.
Stop 15: Bunker Hill Museum
Located across the river in Charleston, the Bunker Hill Museum sits in the shadow of the Bunker Hill Monument on Breed’s Hill. This is a National Park visitor center as well as an informative museum about the battle of Bunker Hill and the effects it had on the American Revolution.
Stop 16: Bunker Hill Monument
Dedicated in 1843, this obelisk was built to commemorate the first major battle of the Revolution. You may climb the 294 steps to the top of the monument if you are so inclined, it’s clearly not stroller-friendly, so we skipped it this time, and instead enjoyed the view of Boston and the harbor from the top of Breed’s Hill.
Stop 17: Charlestown Navy Yard & Visitor Center
The Charlestown Navy Yard was a shipyard for the U.S. Navy for 174 years, with its most productive years during World War II. The visitor center has a small museum dedicated to the history of the Navy Yard throughout its years of service. This building and the ships in the yard are all accessible through a security checkpoint.
Stop 18: USS Constitution
The USS Constitution may be better known for its legendary reputation during the War of 1812 as “Old Ironsides,” and was part of the core of the US Navy in the 1790s. Today, the ship is America’s “Ship of State”, and you can board the ship for a self-guided tour of the deck, both above and below, to get a glimpse of what it would have been like to sail on board the USS Constitution in her heyday.
Stop 19: USS CASSIN YOUNG
This stop jumps ahead in American History to 1943, where the USS Cassin Young was one of 175 destroyers built during WWII. You can tour the destroyer and learn about its history from the park rangers on board.
Stop 20: USS Constitution Museum
The USS Constitution Museum is an interactive museum to learn all about the history of Old Ironsides. From displays about the construction of ships, to the story of how school children and their pennies saved the USS Constitution, this museum is great for children and families to get some hands-on learning about naval history.
And that’s the Freedom Trail!
BONUS:
For some additional Revolutionary War history while you’re in Boston, check out the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, where you can throw actually throw tea into the harbor!
Just down the street from the museum sits the actual Boston Tea Party historical marker.
Only 25 minutes away from Boston is Minute Man National Historical Park and Lexington Green, where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired.
Some of these sites have been a part of the Blue Star Museums program in years past, so check out this year’s updated list when you’re planning your trip! Some of these sites have admission charges, and there are plenty of tour options for the Freedom Trail. Whether you choose to pay for a guided tour from the Freedom Trail organization, a free seasonal tour with a park ranger, or simply take it at your own pace, you’ll learn so much and just remember that, in Boston, history is literally around every corner.
For more information, check out Homepage | The Freedom Trail and Boston National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service), and if you’re planning a road trip and need some tips to travel with kids, check out our Travel Guide for Moms!
