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Overview | Attractions | Events | Facts | Kids | Last Minute Deals
There is a wealth of historically significant attractions in Boston. Consider purchasing a 'Boston City Pass' and thereby pay half price for most of the finest attractions.
Freedom Trail: The Freedom Trail is one of the most popular walking tours in America. It covers approximately three miles and is very easy to follow. Park rangers give 90-minute guided walking tours of the Freedom Trail, which includes more than a dozen historic sites such as Paul Revere's house, the site of the Boston Massacre and the USS Constitution. The path is marked by painted red lines or bricks set into the pavement. Each site is identified by a marker or sign. The trail follows the original path set by the colonists in the early days of Boston. Most of the Trail is accessible only on foot for this reason. The Trail is best started either at Boston Common or at the USS Constitution (where there is free parking). The easiest way is to leave the car behind and take the subway (T) red or green line to Park Street.
Stops Along the Freedom Trail
1. Boston Common
2. Site of the Liberty Tree (Washington & Essex Streets)
3. State House (Beacon & Park Streets)
4. John Hancock’s House
5. The Beacon (The Monument behind the State House)
6. Park Street Church (Tremont & Park Streets)
7. Old Granary (Tremont St., near Park Street Church)
8. King’s Chapel
9. King’s Chapel Burying Ground
10. Benjamin Franklin’s Statue
11. The Old Corner Bookstore (3 School Street, Corner of Washington St.)
12. Site of Franklin’s Print Shop
13. Old South Meeting House
14. Site of Benjamin Franklin’s Birthplace
15. Old State House
16. Site of the Boston Massacre
17. Faneuil Hall
18. Quincy Market
19. The Tea Party Ship
20. Paul Revere’s House
21. Saint Stephen’s Church (Hanover Street)
22. Paul Revere Mall
23. Old North Church (193 Salem Street)
24. Copp’s Hill (Hull and Snowhill Streets)
25. USS Constitution (Charlestown Navy Yard)
26. Bunker Hill (Charlestown)
Boston Common
This 40-acre area is the nation's oldest public park. The land was set aside for public use in 1634 (originally as a cow pasture and training ground. The Commons also has a longstanding tradition as a place where demonstrators can exercise their right to freedom of speech without having to obtain a permit. Admission Free.
Park Street Church
Free, seasonal tours. Call (617) 523-3383 to learn more.
This church is best known for its location at "Brimstone Corner" (named for its use as a gunpowder storage area during the War of 1812) and as the setting of William Lloyd Garrison's first anti-slavery speech.
Granary Burying Ground
The first of the three burying grounds on the trail, Granary is notable as the final resting place of John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere.
King's Chapel and Burying Ground
Famous for its architectural beauty, King's Chapel became the first Unitarian Church in the U.S. after the American Revolution. Donations accepted. For more information, call (617) 227-2155.
Site of First Public School/Ben Franklin Statue
This Freedom Trail stop features a statue of Ben Franklin and the site of Franklin's alma mater: the Boston Latin School (built in 1635).
Old Corner Bookstore
This brick building, where legends like Longfellow, Emerson, Hawthorne and Thoreau gathered, was once the literary center of Boston.
Old South Meeting House
Much of the discussion and debate that led to the Boston Tea Party and other events connected to the American Revolution took place in the old South Meeting House. Call (617) 482-6439 to learn about the lectures and programs on American history and culture offered by the Old South staff.
Boston Massacre Site
A simple circle of cobblestones marks the site where five colonists were killed by British soldiers in 1770. The brutality of this incident helped spark the anti-British rage that ultimately led to the American Revolution. Free.
Old North Church
"Old North," Boston's oldest church building, is located in the city's Italian North End. The church played an important part in the American Revolution by acting as a signal (via two lanterns hung in its steeple) of British troop movement. Donations accepted. (617) 523-6676.
Copp's Hill Burying Ground
The last Freedom trail site on the south side of the Charles River, Copp's Burying Ground is the resting place of thousands of merchants, artisans and free blacks. Free. Not wheelchair accessible.
Bunker Hill Monument
(617) 242-5641
A tall granite obelisk commemorating the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill (which actually took place on Breed's Hill). You can climb this monument's 294 steps for a panoramic view of Boston. (No elevator). During the summer, visitors also can observe free musket firing demonstrations and "battle talks." Free.
New England Aquarium
Phone: (617) 973-5200
Located on the city's waterfront at Central Wharf off Atlantic Ave. (T: Aquarium).
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9-6, Fri.-Sun. and holidays 9-7, July 1-Labor Day; Mon.-Fri. 9-5, Sat.-Sun. and holidays 9-6, rest of year. Closed Jan. 1 until noon, all day Thanksgiving and Dec. 25
Admission charged.
The aquarium displays more than 15,000 specimens representing more than 600 species of fish and aquatic animals. An outdoor seal exhibit features a raised tank for visitors to view the animals above and below the water's surface. In the west wing, a 6,000-square-foot gallery highlights changing exhibits. Rising from the center of the building is a four-story, circular glass tank containing a coral reef, more than 200,000 gallons of water and hundreds of tropical fish and marine life, including sharks, turtles and moray eels. A colony of penguins is on the ground level. “Edge of the Sea� lets visitors handle tide pool animals. Whale-watch cruises and “Science at Sea� harbor tours are offered April 1 to November 1 for a fee. An IMAX theater is on site. Food is available. Allow 2 hours minimum.
The USS Constitution
Charlestown Navy Yard
55 Constitution Rd, Charlestown, Boston, 02129
617- 426 –1812
Open: daily
The last stop on the Freedom Trail is Charlestown Navy Yard, home of the USS Constitution. The ship is the oldest officially commissioned warship in existence. It never lost a battle, and its victories during the War of 1812 are legendary. The ship is open daily 10 am-4 pm, with self-guided tours of the top deck available (sailors are on hand to answer questions). The adjoining museum is open daily 9 am-6 pm May-October, 10 am-5 pm November-April. Anchored at an adjacent pier is the World War II destroyer USS Cassin Young. Admission Free.
Boston Public Library
700 Boylston Street, Copley Square, Boston
617-536-5400.
(Copley T stop on the Green Line),
Monday-Thursday 9 am-9 pm, Friday-Saturday 9 am-5 pm; October-May, also open Sunday 1-5 pm. One-hour art and architecture tours daily, except Wednesday. Call for times.
America's first free municipal library offers visual arts, as well as books. This magnificent Italian Renaissance Revival building houses a John Singer Sargent Gallery on the third floor. The Bates Reading Room is a work of art with its impressive vaulted ceiling. Monday-Thursday 9 am-9 pm, Friday-Saturday 9 am-5 pm; October-May, also open Sunday 1-5 pm. One-hour art and architecture tours daily, except Wednesday. Call for times. Free Admission.
Franklin Park Zoo
1 Franklin Park Road, Boston, 02121
(617) 541 5466
This 72-acre site nestled in historic Franklin Park was founded in 1911 and recently underwent a period of expansion. Highlights include one of the world's largest indoor exhibits of western lowland gorillas, the Bongo Congo (zebra, ibex and ostrich), the Giraffe Savannah, Australian Outback (kangaroo, wallaby and emu), Franklin Farm (including a "contact corral" where visitors can pet goats, sheep and other farm animals) and, late May-September, a butterfly enclosure.
Old State House
206 Washington St.
(State T stop on the Blue and Orange lines, Downtown Crossing T stop on the Red and Orange lines, or Park Street T stop on the Green and Red lines)
Boston, MA 02109 USA
(617) 720-1713
Admission charged.
Hours: Daily 9-5.
The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Boston took place from the balcony of the Old State House in 1776. Two centuries later, Queen Elizabeth II delivered an address from the same spot during the U.S. bicentennial celebrations. The building overlooks the cobblestone circle that marks the site of the Boston Massacre. Built in 1713, this is the oldest public building in Boston and now functions as the city's history museum.
Paul Revere House
19 North Sq.
Boston, MA 02113 USA
Phone: (617) 523-2338
Admission charged.
Hours: Daily 9:30-5:15, Apr. 15-Oct. 31; daily 9:30-4:15, Apr. 1-14 and Nov.-Dec.; Tues.-Sun. 9:30-4:15, rest of year. Closed Jan. 1, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25
Paul Revere House, 19 North Sq. (T: Haymarket), was built about 1680 and is the oldest house in downtown Boston. The restored home, which Paul Revere owned 1770-1800, contains 17th- and 18th-century furnishings and Revere memorabilia including silver. A Colonial herb garden and Revere-made bell are on the grounds.
Faneuil Hall
4 S. Market St.
Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (617) 242-5675
Admission Free
Hours: National Park Service Rangers give historical talks every half-hour daily 9-5. Museum open Mon.-Fri. 9-3. Marketplace open Mon.-Sat. 10-8, Sun. 10-6, third Mon. in Apr.-Dec. 24; daily 10-6, rest of year.
(T: State Street or Government Center).
The 1742 building was given to the city by Peter Faneuil. It burned in 1761, was rebuilt in 1763 and was enlarged in 1805. The upper story served as a meeting hall, the scene of many gatherings during the Revolutionary movement. British officers used the building as a theater during their occupation of the city. Known for its grasshopper weather vane, the hall contains a military museum and paintings of notable battles.
The Faneuil Hall Marketplace includes North and South Markets, Faneuil Hall and the adjacent Quincy Market, a renovated 19th-century complex containing more than 125 restaurants, boutiques, produce stands and retail pushcarts. Street performers entertain continuously.
Museum of Afro-American History
46 Joy St.
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 725-0022
Admission charged.
Hours: Daily 10-4, Memorial Day-Labor Day; Mon.-Sat. 10-4, rest of year. Closed Jan. 1, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25
Museum of Afro American History is at 46 Joy St. The museum includes the African Meeting House, dedicated in 1806 and said to be the oldest standing African-American church building in the United States, and the Abiel Smith School. Changing exhibits are displayed in the gallery. Guided gallery tours are available. The museum's Black Heritage Trail walking tour links 14 historic sites; maps and guided tours are available
New State House
Beacon St. & Park St.
Boston, MA 02133 USA
Phone: (617) 727-3676
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-5; closed holidays.
Admission: Free. Guided tours by appointment.
The New State House is on Beacon St. at the head of Park St. (T: Park Street). The golden dome, which is one of the city's best known landmarks, marks the political center of Boston. Completed in 1795, the "new" State House was designed by architect Charles Bulfinch, who later planned the Capitol in Washington, D.C. The original brick front section, completed in 1798, remains almost unchanged. Statues, historical paintings, transparencies of battle flags and war relics are displayed inside. Across the street, Shaw Memorial, a bronze bas-relief of Col. Robert Gould Shaw by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, recalls the first black regiment to serve in the Civil War.
Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston
617-267-9300
The MFA is located in the Fenway area, one mile west of Copley Square. It is easily accessible via public transportation by taking the Orange Line to the Ruggles stop or the Green Line E trolley to the Museum of Fine Arts stop.
Hours: Mondays and Tuesdays, 10 AM to 4:45 PM; Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 10 AM to 9:45 PM (West Wing only Thurs. and Fri. after 5); Saturdays and Sundays, 10 AM to 5:45 PM
The Japanese Garden is open Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 AM to 4 PM
Admission: charged. Admission reduced by $2 on Thursdays and Fridays after 5 PM.
Boston's finest and most comprehensive art museum is a world unto itself: art galleries from all periods and cultures; three restaurants; two gift shops; lecture and film series; gallery talks; concerts all season ; and exceptional special exhibits. The museum is especially well known for its collections of European paintings, European and American decorative arts and furnishings, Egyptian sculpture, and Asian fine and decorative arts.
The Museum of Fine Arts is so vast and the collections so extensive that several visits are required to really enjoy and appreciate its wonders. The galleries are laid out in the shape of a two-story figure eight, with two courtyards in the middle.
The "period" rooms include an early 19th century mansion from Peabody thought to have been designed by Samuel McIntyre, and the wood carving in the rooms from Hamilton Palace, a Scottish castle.
First Church of Christ Scientist
175 Huntington Avenue
617-450-2000
Open Daily
No admission charge.
The world headquarters of the Church occupies 14 acres of Boston’s Back Bay and is a remarkable structure. Most notable is the Mary Baker Eddy Library and the Mapparium. The Mapparium, on the first floor of the extension, is a huge,brightly colored stained glass globe. By walking inside it, you can stand at the center of the world. It shows the political boundaries of the 1930s (the time at which it was constructed) . Each of the 608 panels making up this impressive structure, covers 10 degrees of latitude and longitude.
The church itself is a huge open space which seats over 3,000. It is dominated by one of the world’s largest organs, which is played at every service. The basilica- type, impressively domed structure is actually an extension of the original small granite building which was outgrown within a few years of the church’s founding in 1892.
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