The Freedom Trail

Sixteen historic sites, all significant in this country's early struggle for freedom, are connected by a 2.5 mile red brick line that not only links one place to another, but the past to the present. What makes the sites on the Freedom Trail so special is that they are not recreations or adaptations. They are real. Each one has a role in the beginning of a nation, each one connects us to the spirit of Boston's early patriots whose hearts were ignited by the spark of liberty.

The Trail starts on Boston Common, about half a mile from HI Boston. Walk up to the Boston Common Visitor Information Center on Tremont Street and follow the red line from there.

The sixteen sites, in order

1. Boston CommonAmerica's oldest public park, established in 1634, and the start of the Trail.
2. Massachusetts State HouseDesigned by Charles Bulfinch and completed in 1798, crowned by its gold dome.
3. Park Street ChurchWhere "America" ("My Country, 'Tis of Thee") was first sung in 1831.
4. Granary Burying GroundResting place of Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere and the victims of the Boston Massacre.
5. King's Chapel and Burying GroundA granite chapel of the 1750s beside the city's oldest burying ground.
6. Boston Latin School Site and Benjamin Franklin StatueSite of America's first public school, founded in 1635.
7. Old Corner BookstoreBoston's oldest commercial building, once home to the publishers of Hawthorne and Emerson.
8. Old South Meeting HouseWhere the meeting that sparked the Boston Tea Party took place in December 1773.
9. Old State HouseBoston's oldest public building; the Declaration of Independence was read from its balcony in 1776.
10. Boston Massacre SiteA ring of cobblestones marks where British soldiers fired on a crowd on March 5, 1770.
11. Faneuil HallThe "Cradle of Liberty", Boston's town meeting hall since 1742.
12. Paul Revere HouseBuilt around 1680, the oldest house in downtown Boston.
13. Old North ChurchWhere two lanterns signaled "by sea" on the night of April 18, 1775.
14. Copp's Hill Burying GroundA hilltop burying ground in the North End with views across to Charlestown.
15. USS Constitution"Old Ironsides", launched in 1797 and the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat.
16. Bunker Hill MonumentA 221-foot granite obelisk marking the battle of June 17, 1775.

Tips for walking the Trail

• Allow a few hours to walk the whole Trail with stops; many people split it over two days.
• Several sites are free to visit. Others charge admission or offer timed tours.
• Stop at Quincy Market for lunch halfway, then continue through the North End for Italian pastries.
• Join one of HI Boston's Walk of Freedom outings to see it with other travelers.

More Information

Freedom Trail Website for opening hours, guided tours and events.