Your Guide to Walking the Freedom Trail in Boston

Boston’s iconic Freedom Trail attracts millions of visitors each year. Here’s how to see Boston’s most important landmarks in one day.

As a Boston native, I recently realized that I’d never walked the entire Freedom Trail from end to end. Although I’d visited every site along the way (and some of them dozens of times), I never had the full experience of following the trail on foot, visiting each stop in order.

So I decided to become a Boston tourist for a day to create this guide. I hope that my local’s perspective on this favorite Boston tourist activity is helpful for you!

Here’s how to plan your day getting to know Boston on your Freedom Trail walk.

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What is the Freedom Trail?

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile route encompassing many of the best historic places you need to see in Boston.

Although the American Revolution began in Boston (and many people believe that the trail only covers the history of that war) the Freedom Trail’s diverse sites include the history of the city before, during, and even well after the War of Independence.

Conceived in 1951 by Boston Herald-American journalist William Schofield and Old North Church member Bob Winn, the plan to create a pedestrian trail to link the most important Boston landmarks was put into place by Mayor John Hynes.

It was a success—by 1953, 40,000 people walked the trail each year. Today, that number has grown to over four million people annually, making it the number-one most popular thing to do in Boston.

The 16 stops on Boston’s Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail has sixteen historic stops along the way, ranging from verdant green spaces to historic cemeteries, an eighteenth-century naval ship, and fascinating museums housed in some of the city’s oldest buildings.

Here’s a quick history of each place you’ll see on your journey through Boston’s past, and how each site is an important part of Boston and the birth of the United States.

1. Boston Common

Beautiful Boston Common, established in 1634, is the United States’ oldest public park. Puritan colonists purchased the Common’s original 44 acres from Anglican minister William Blackstone, the first European settler of the area.

The Common was a multi-purpose site in its early days, serving as a cow pasture for local families’ livestock, as well as a site for public punishments and hangings.

During the British occupation of Boston in 1775, a thousand British soldiers camped on the Common when three Redcoat brigades marched to Lexington and Concord, where the first battle of the Revolutionary War took place.

Today Boston Common is a peaceful green oasis in the city, with sports fields, a carousel, and the Frog Pond for summer splashing and ice skating in the winter months.

The park also houses several notable monuments, including Saint-Gaudens’ bronze-relief Robert Gould Shaw Memorial depicting the 25-year-old colonel leading his African-American 54th Volunteer Infantry unit down Beacon Street in May 1863.

Freedom Trail walkers will want to stop at the park’s Visitor Information Center to pick up a map before starting their trek through Boston’s history.

Boston Common Visitor Information Center, 139 Tremont St, Boston, MA. Open daily 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. (617) 536-4100

Boston native tip: Although you might hear tourists say it, “Boston Commons” isn’t correct. It’s either “Boston Common” or (as most locals say) “The Common”.

2. Massachusetts State House

The seat of state government since 1798, the Massachusetts State House sits high on Beacon Hill overlooking Boston Common.

Designed by renowned architect Charles Bulfinch, The State House is a National Historic Landmark and is considered a masterpiece of Federal architecture.

The State House was constructed on land once owned by John Hancock, a signer of the Constitution and Massachusetts’ first elected governor. Revolutionary War Patriot Paul Revere presided over the building’s Masonic cornerstone ceremony, held on July 4, 1795.

Before the current State House was completed, Massachusetts’ primary government building was the Old State House, which will be stop #10 on your walking tour.

Today, The State House houses both the offices of the Governor as well as the state legislature and the Massachusetts General Court.

Tours of the interior, focusing on the building’s history and architecture, are free and last approximately 40 minutes. Tours must be pre-scheduled by calling (617) 727-3676.

Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA (tour entrance is through Ashburton Park on the Bowdoin Street side). (617) 727-3676. Open Monday to Friday from 8:45 AM to 5 PM, closed on weekends and holidays. Free to visit and tour.

3. Park Street Church

Built decades after the Revolution, Park Street Church was constructed in 1809 for a Trinitarian congregation that split from Boston’s Old South Church.

Renowned for its beauty, the church originally sported an even more towering spire à la Christopher Wren’s designs in London (the steeple was rebuilt in its current shorter form in the late nineteenth century).

The corner of Park and Tremont streets where the church stands became known as Brimstone Corner, partly due to the early preachers’ hellfire-laced sermons. During the War of 1812, actual “brimstone” (sulfur) was stored in the basement crypt for use in gunpowder.

But the picturesque church isn’t just known for its architecture, religion, or war contributions. Park Street Church is also famous for its missions of human rights and social justice.

In 1829, William Lloyd Garrison gave his first major speech in Boston against slavery from the Park Street Church pulpit. In 1911, Boston’s chapter of the NAACP began at the church.

Park Street Church welcomes Freedom Trail visitors from Tuesday through Saturday during July and August. The church is closed on Mondays and reserved for church services on Sundays.

Park Street Church, 1 Park St, Boston, MA. Open Tuesday to Saturday during July and August. (617) 523-3383. Free to enter.

4. Granary Burying Ground

To alleviate overcrowding in the nearby King’s Chapel burying ground, in 1660 Boston’s officials set aside what was then part of Boston Common as another burial site. The site was known as the South Burying Ground until 1737, when it was renamed after the grain storage building which stood on the site of what is now Park Street Church.

The Granary Burying Ground contains 2,345 gravestones and tombs, though historians estimate that five thousand people are buried there.

The cemetery is the final resting place of many of Boston’s notable residents, including:

During the mid 19th century, notable architect Isaiah Rogers designed the Granary Burying Ground’s Egyptian Revival gate and fence.

Granary Burying Ground, 95 Tremont St. Boston MA. Open 7 days a week, 9 AM to 4 PM. Free to enter.

5. King’s Chapel and Burying Ground

In 1686, Royal Governor Sir Edmund Andros founded the King’s Chapel congregation, the first Anglican Church in New England. Two years later, the original wooden King’s Chapel was erected at the corner of Tremont and School Streets.

The current 1754 neoclassical stone structure, designed by Peter Harrison, was built around the wooden church, and the wooden building was then dismantled.

The adjacent cemetery (despite its name) isn’t affiliated with the church, and actually predates the church’s original building by more than fifty years!

Established in 1630, King’s Chapel Burying Ground is Boston’s oldest graveyard, and was the only burying ground in the city until 1660. Today there are 505 headstones, 59 footstones, and 78 tombs, but it’s believed that over a thousand people are buried in the small space.

Notable interments at King’s Chapel Burying Ground include:

King’s Chapel, 58 Tremont St. Boston MA. Open Tuesday to Saturday, hours vary seasonally. Chapel admission $5 adults, free for children under 7 and EBT cardholders and their guests. Guided tours usually available hourly from 10 AM to 4 PM. Tickets $10 adults, $8 students, $5 children, free for EBT cardholders.

King’s Chapel Burying Ground, 40 Tremont St. Boston MA. Open daily 9 AM to 4 PM. Free to enter.

6. Site of the original Boston Latin School (and Benjamin Franklin statue)

Boston Latin School, founded in 1635, is the oldest public school in the United States. The school offered a free education to all boys, regardless of social class. Although Boston Latin did occasionally admit girls beginning in the 19th century, it only became fully co-educational in 1972.

Classes were originally held in the home of the first headmaster, Philemon Pormont, until the wooden schoolhouse was built on this School Street spot in 1645. The original building was torn down to make way for the expansion of King’s Chapel, and the students were moved to a new building on the south side of School Street.

Five signers of the Declaration of Independence attended Boston Latin School—Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, and William Hooper.

Interestingly, a statue of Franklin—Boston Latin’s most famous dropout—marks the site of the original schoolhouse, along with a mosaic.

Boston Latin has been housed in five school buildings in its almost four-hundred-year history, including its current location on Avenue Louis Pasteur.

Boston Latin School site, School Street across from the intersection of Chapman Place, Boston MA. Free to visit.

7. Old Corner Bookstore

Freedom Trail walkers often wonder why a Chipotle is part of this tour of historic Boston sites! The restaurant is located in the 1718 building that was originally Timothy Crease’s residence and apothecary shop. Crease built his shop a few years after Boston’s Great Fire of 1711 destroyed famous “heretic” Anne Hutchinson’s home that stood on the site.

In 1829, Timothy Carter opened the Old Corner Bookstore in the building, and between 1845 and 1865 noted booksellers Ticknor and Fields operated their shop there, as publishers of Hawthorne, Longfellow, Emerson, Thoreau, and other prominent authors.

After Ticknor’s death, the shop was sold to a succession of other booksellers and publishers. The building last housed a book shop in 1997 when the Globe Corner Bookstore closed.

Today, the Old Corner Bookstore building is best viewed from the outside—interior renovations have covered up most of its historic charm. But if you do enter to grab a quick lunch, you’ll be able to say you ate a burrito in the oldest commercial building in Boston.

Old Corner Bookstore building, 283 Washington Street, Boston MA.

8. Old South Meeting House

Built in 1729, the Old South Meeting House is a historic Congregational church that was the Boston Tea Party organizing site on December 16, 1773. A group of over five thousand colonists gathered at the church, then the largest building in Boston, to resist a shipment of taxed tea.

Today, the Old South Meeting House is still used as a meeting place, but it’s also a museum dedicated to its history as a spot where Bostonians have long gathered to discuss controversial topics. Visitors can experience the museum’s exhibits on a self-guided tour, with a free audio guide and knowledgeable docents on hand to answer questions.

Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington St, Boston, MA. Open 7 days a week, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Tickets $15 adults, $8 children 12 and under, $14 students and seniors 65+. Includes admission to the Old State House (#10). (617) 720-1713

9. Site of the Boston Massacre

A cobblestone and brass ring set in the sidewalk in front of the Old State House marks the site where growing tension between Britain and the American colonists turned deadly. On the night of March 5, 1770, British soldiers fired into a crowd of people, killing five.

President John Adams later described the significance of the massacre, remarking “How slightly however, historians, may have passed over this event, the blood of the Martyrs, right, or wrong, proved to be the seeds of the Congregation. Not the Battle of Lexington or Bunkers Hill; not the surrender of Burgoyne, or Cornwallis, were more important events in American history than the battle of King Street, on the 5th of March 1770.”

Boston Massacre Site, intersection of State, Devonshire, and Congress Streets, Boston, MA. Free to visit.

10. Old State House

Boston’s 1713 Old State House (it was originally called the Town House) is the oldest surviving public building in the city—and one of the oldest in the US! This beautiful and rare example of Anglo-Flemish Baroque architecture in Boston is dwarfed by the surrounding skyscrapers, giving visitors a striking feel for Boston’s old-meets-new charm.

The building originally served multiple functions, both as a merchant’s hall as well as the seat of colonial government prior to the Revolution.

Today, the Old State House is a museum with living-history reenactors and fascinating exhibits detailing how Massachusetts transformed from a British colony to a Commonwealth.

Old State House, 206 Washington St, Boston, MA. Open 7 days a week, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Tickets $15 adults, $8 children 12 and under, $14 students and seniors 65+. Includes admission to the Old South Meeting House (#8). (617) 720-1713

11. Faneuil Hall

Peter Faneuil, the eldest child of a well-to-do Huguenot family that fled France, was a successful merchant and slave trader in early 18th-century Boston. But when his uncle Andrew Faneuil, one of New England’s wealthiest men, died in 1738—leaving Peter the bulk of his fortune—he became one of the richest men in colonial America.

In 1740, Faneuil wanted to donate money to the city to build a market building, but it was a controversial gift. Other markets built by the city had been destroyed by a mob just a few years before. Some residents feared a central market would lead to higher prices for goods, and the vote to accept Faneuil’s offer at the Boston Town Meeting only won by a slim margin.

Faneuil Hall was used as a marketplace and also for town meetings until 1822, where voters engaged in intense discussions around British colonial rule. The room above the market held so many prerevolutionary meetings that Faneuil Hall became known as America’s “Cradle of Liberty”—despite the fact that the building itself was paid for by a slave owner and partially funded by profit from the slave trade.

Today the building houses retail shops as well as the second-floor Great Hall, staffed by National Park Service Rangers. The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company occupies the fourth floor, with a museum and meeting hall.

Boston native tip: Many out-of-towners have trouble saying the name of this historic building—it’s not pronounced the French way, and it doesn’t rhyme with flannel! Most Bostonians say it as “FAN-yull” (rhymes with Daniel), “FAN-you-ull” (or some combination of the two).

Faneuil Hall, 1 South Market Street, Boston MA. Great Hall and Visitor Center open 11 AM to 4 PM, Wednesday to Sunday. Closed on major holidays. Visitor Center closed during the winter season. Fourth-floor museum open weekdays 9 AM to 3 PM. Free to enter.

12. The Paul Revere House

Paul Revere, the Boston silversmith and Patriot best known for his “midnight ride” on the night of April 18, 1775, owned this small wooden home in the North End from 1770 to 1800.

The two-story townhouse was built about 1680, a few years after the Great Fire destroyed a parsonage on the site.

After Revere sold the home, it became a sailors’ boarding house, then an immigrant tenement with various shops on the ground floor. Over the years, a candy store, cigar factory, Italian bank, and a produce business occupied the retail space.

In 1902, Revere’s great-grandson bought the house to save it from demolition, and money was raised to preserve and renovate the structure. In 1908, the Paul Revere House opened as one of the first historic house museums in the US.

Today, the house looks much like it would have in Revere’s time, and contains period furniture including several pieces from the Revere family. Visitors can take a self-guided tour and interact with the museum’s interpreters.

Paul Revere House, 19 North Square, Boston MA. Open daily 10 AM to 5:15 PM. Admission adults $6, seniors and college students $5.50, children 17 and under $1. (617) 523-2338

13. Old North Church

Just a short walk from Paul Revere’s house is the Old North Church, famous for the “one if by land, two if by sea” lantern signal that alerted Revere that British troops decided to advance to nearby Concord.

Built in 1723 as Christ Church, the design of the Old North Church took inspiration from Christopher Wren, the architect of so many of London’s structures that were rebuilt after that city’s Great Fire. Today, it’s the oldest standing church in Boston and a National Historic Landmark.

The church’s eight change ringing bells (the oldest in the US), were cast in England in 1744 and are regularly rung by the MIT Guild of Bellringers.

Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the interior and ask questions of the church’s knowledgeable educators. You can also take a crypt tour to learn about the burial practices of early congregants.

Tip: Families with kids age 6-12 can ask for a copy of Prince’s Pew Pursuit when entering the church. It’s a free scavenger hunt activity, included with your ticket price!

Old North Church, 193 Salem Street, Boston, MA. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday from 12:30 PM to 5 PM. General admission $5, children 5 and under free. Crypt tour is an additional $5, free for kids 5 and under. (781) 352-2069.

14. Copp’s Hill Burying Ground

Originally named North Burying Ground in 1659, Copp’s Hill Burying Ground is the second-oldest cemetery in Boston. It contains about 1200 marked graves, but historians estimate it may house the remains of over 10,000 Bostonians.

The cemetery wasn’t originally included on the Freedom Trail—but it’s since become a popular spot, especially for photographers.

By the time of the Revolutionary War, Copp’s Hill was the burial site of over a thousand free and enslaved Black Bostonians. Additionally, thousands of artisans and tradesmen are buried here, reflecting the diverse makeup of the North End’s residents during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Notable people buried at Copp’s Hill include:

Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, 45 Hull Street, Boston, MA. Open daily, 9 AM to 4 PM. Free to visit.

15. USS Constitution

Also known as Old Ironsides, the Constitution is a three-masted wooden-hulled frigate belonging to the US Navy. She’s also the world’s oldest ship of any type still afloat today!

Launched in 1797, the USS Constitution‘s first duties were to provide protection for American merchant ships during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat pirates in the First Barbary War.

She was retired from active service in 1881 and was designated a museum ship in 1907. The Constitution is still seaworthy, and last sailed under her own power in 2012 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of her victory over Guerriere.

Fans of sailing ships and naval history will want to dedicate at least a couple of hours to tour both this fascinating old vessel, as well as the adjacent museum.

The interior of the ship is free to visit, and crew members are on hand to provide information and answer questions about the ship and her history.

USS Constitution, 1 Constitution Road, Charlestown, MA. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 6 PM, closed Mondays and major holidays. Free to visit and tour.

USS Constitution Museum, Building 22, Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA. Open Daily 10 AM to 5 PM, closed on major holidays. Suggested admission of $10 – $15 for adults, $5 – $10 for children. (617) 426-1812.

16. Bunker Hill Monument

The final stop on the Freedom Trail (or the first stop, if you’re starting in Charlestown!) is the striking obelisk known as the Bunker Hill Monument.

The monument was erected between 1825 and 1843 to remember one of the first major battles between the American Patriots and the British in the Revolutionary War.

The British won the battle in June 1775 (the colonists were far outnumbered, especially after the third attack, when the British Royal Marines were called in). However, the Patriots only suffered about 450 casualties during the battle compared to the Redcoats’ 1100, giving them a boost of confidence.

Tip: Consider visiting the free Bunker Hill Museum nearby before walking up the hill to the monument.

If you’d like to go inside the monument and climb the 294 steps to the top, note that only twenty people are allowed inside at a time. The last climb is at 4:30 PM, 30 minutes before closing.

Bunker Hill Monument, Monument Square, Charlestown, MA. Open 7 days a week, 10 AM to 5 PM. Free to visit.

How long is the Freedom Trail in Boston?

Officially, the Freedom Trail is only a 2.5-mile (4km) walk. But unless you plan to just walk the trail and not explore any of the sites, your walking distance will be considerably longer.

On our recent Freedom Trail walk, Mr. SBC and I walked 7.6 miles, and because they were closing, we had to skip the USS Constitution and museum altogether! (We’ve been there before, and I hope to return soon to cover it for the blog.)

As you can see from my watch’s readings, our day on the Freedom Trail earned us over 16K steps! We really didn’t do anything else that day—got up early, drove into the city, and had a big breakfast to prepare for the walk.

After walking the Freedom Trail, we had dinner near Bunker Hill in Charlestown and Ubered back to our hotel. So 95% of the distance covered in the above photo is just from walking the trail!

How long does it take to walk Boston’s Freedom Trail?

For the best experience, plan for between four and seven hours to walk the Freedom Trail. This gives you enough time to explore the sites that you’re most interested in, without feeling rushed.

Of course, if you were to walk the entire Freedom Trail without stopping (or going inside any buildings), most people could do it in under 40 minutes.

Many websites claim that 90 minutes to two hours is enough time to set aside for your Freedom Trail walk. If you just want a quick overview, that’s enough time to snap a pic outside each location, and maybe spend a few minutes at each site reading the historical plaques.

But if you’re interested in Boston’s history, two hours isn’t nearly enough time to really experience each location.

What days and times are best to walk the Freedom Trail?

Tuesday through Saturday are the best days to walk the Freedom Trail, since the majority of the sites will be open.

If you’re planning to spend at least four hours for your walk, it’s best to start at about 10 AM at the earliest if you begin at the Bunker Hill end of the trail. You can begin a bit earlier at the Boston Common end, but no earlier than 8:30 AM.

If you start too late (especially from the Common), you’ll start to encounter many of the sites closing by the time you reach the North End and Charlestown. I’d advise beginning no later than 11 AM from this end of the trail.

How much does it cost to walk Boston’s Freedom Trail?

Walking the Freedom Trail is free! You can get up close to all of the historical sites along the way, and even go inside most of them at no charge.

However, some of the sites do charge an admission fee to enter. These include:

• King’s Chapel: Admission $5 adults, free for children under 7 and EBT cardholders and their guests. Guided tours: $10 adults, $8 students, $5 children, free for EBT cardholders.
• Old State House / Old South Meeting House: (dual admission) $15 adults, $8 children 12 and under, $14 students and seniors 65+.
• Paul Revere House: Admission adults $6, seniors and college students $5.50, children 17 and under $1.

Do you need a map for the Freedom Trail?

It’s entirely possible to walk Boston’s Freedom Trail without a map. Conveniently, the city has installed a helpful red brick trail marker along the entire trail so you don’t lose your way. Each stop along the route also has a marker.

However, having a map is helpful to make sure you don’t miss any stops. You can pick up a map at the Boston Common Visitor center, or download a free one at boston.com.

Can you take a guided tour of the Freedom Trail?

If you’d prefer to have a guided tour of Boston’s Freedom Trail, there are several options. Be sure to check each tour’s meeting point and start time—most don’t meet at the cruise port.

• 2.5-Hour Freedom Trail Walking Tour
• Historic Walking Tour of the Freedom Trail
• North End, Freedom Trail Food & History Walking Tour

Or, you could download a GPS guide with audio narration (don’t forget your headphones!) for an inexpensive self-guided tour.

Which direction should you walk the Freedom Trail?

Most people walk the Freedom Trail starting at Boston Common, winding through downtown Boston and the North End, and finishing at the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. But you don’t have to do it that way!

I actually advise anyone visiting Boston for the day on a cruise ship to start their walk at the Charlestown end of the trail, which is the farthest point from the cruise port.

As you walk, you’ll be getting closer to the cruise port, so it’s quicker to taxi or rideshare back to the port if your Freedom Trail adventure takes longer than you planned.

If you have extra time to spend after walking the trail, there’s also much more to do near the Boston Common end vs. the Charlestown end.

What is there to do before and after walking the Freedom Trail?

At the Boston Common end

If you complete your Freedom Trail walk at Boston Common, you could easily spend an hour strolling through the park and the Boston Public Garden just across Charles Street.

Once you exit the Public Garden (home to the famous Swan Boats and the Make Way for Ducklings statue), you’ll find yourself on Arlington Street in the heart of the Back Bay.

Many tourists then head over to the Cheers Bar, based on the long-running sitcom—but it’s a crowded tourist trap and looks nothing like the neighborhood hangout on the show.

Instead, take a stroll down Newbury Street where you’ll find eight blocks of boutiques and restaurants housed in charming 19th-century brownstone buildings.

At the Bunker Hill end

The Bunker Hill end of the Freedom Trail lands you in a relatively quiet residential neighborhood in Charlestown. So don’t expect tons of excitement for your post-walk celebration!

However, my number-one recommendation for anyone looking for a hearty meal (that long walk can work up an appetite) and a refreshing drink is to head to the nearby Warren Tavern.

This neighborhood pub on Pleasant Street is the oldest tavern in Massachusetts and was visited by both Paul Revere and George Washington.

Tips for walking the Freedom Trail in Boston

If you plan to walk the entire Freedom Trail in a day, here are my best tips to make sure you’re comfortable on your journey:

• Wear your most comfy shoes. A supportive walking shoe or even running shoes are perfect! Boston is a casual city, and you won’t feel out of place in your sneakers.
• Dress in layers, and remember that Boston in the summer can be very hot and humid! Temps in July and August can reach into the 90s or even over 100°F (37°C) occasionally.
• Pack an umbrella or good raincoat for your walk. New England weather is notoriously changeable (we locals say “if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute!”)
• Plan for a break in the middle of your walk for lunch or a snack. Avoid history overload, and take time to rest and process what you’ve learned. You’ll find plenty of food options in Quincy Market near Faneuil Hall. There are also TONS of restaurants in the North End near the Paul Revere House.
• Give yourself more time to walk the trail than you think you’ll need. You may find that one or more of the historic sites just speak to you, and you want to spend more time there. Or you might want to spend more time wandering a neighborhood instead of sticking to a schedule. You can always finish the trail on your next visit to Boston!

More resources for your day in Boston

• 30+ Fun Facts About Boston (By a Boston Native)
• Iconic Boston Food You Need to Try
• How to Get to Boston’s Cruise Port

Have you walked the Freedom Trail before? Or are you planning to on a future visit to Boston? Let me know in the comments below!

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