Freedom Trail in Boston

The Freedom Trail includes most of the historic sites in Boston and can be done on your own or with a guided tour. Tours can be booked at The Freedom Trail. I wanted to book a guided tour but needed to be more flexible to get my Fenway Park tour in as well. I did most of the Freedom Trail on my own first thing in the morning, then finished up in the afternoon after my Fenway Park tour.

The first stop on the Freedom Trail is Boston Common. Boston Common is a 44-acre park that opened in 1634 and was the first public park in the country.

In Boston Common is the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial. If you have seen the movie “Glory,” that is the regiment this is for. Robert Gould Shaw was portrayed by Matthew Broderick in the film.

Across the street from Boston Common is the Massachusetts State House which opened in 1798. It houses the House, Senate, and Executive branches. The senate chamber is under the gold dome and the governor’s office is in the west wing.

On another corner of Boston Common is the Park Street Church. It was built in 1809 and used to be the first landmark people would see when approaching Boston.

Next to Park Street Church is the Granary Burial Ground. This is where Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams are buried.

The tall monument in the middle is where Benjamin Franklin’s parents are buried.

This is the grave of John Hancock who is mostly known for his signature on the Declaration of Independence. He was president of the Second Continental Congress at the time and was later the first freely elected Governor of Massachusetts. He served in that role for the remainder of his life with the exception of 1786.

Sam Adams, the second cousin of President John Adams, served as Lieutenant Governor under John Hancock and succeeded him as Governor of Massachusetts. 

Just down the street is King’s Chapel which became the first Anglican church in Boston in 1686.

The exterior of the church was rebuilt using granite in 1754. It was built around the original wooden church so that services could still be held during construction.

They’re doing some restoration on the church now.

Next to King’s Chapel is King’s Chapel Burial Ground which is the oldest cemetery in Boston.

This is the grave of the first governor of Massachusetts, John Winthrop. He was governor for 12 of the first 20 years Massachusetts was a colony.

William Dawes rode with Paul Revere.

Behind King’s Chapel is Old City Hall.

Before City Hall was built on this property it was home to the first pubic school in Boston. John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, and Samuel Adams were among those who attended school here. In 1810 a courthouse was built on this property. It was repurposed as the city’s second City Hall from 1841 to 1862.

In 1865 this building opened and served as Boston’s third City Hall until 1969. Now it houses offices and businesses.

On the corner is Old Corner Bookstore built in 1718 is downtown Boston’s oldest commercial building. It’s now a Chipotle.

Across the street is the Old South Meeting House which was built in 1729 as a Puritan meeting house.

Let’s take a look inside. They sell tickets to get in here but veterans get in for free.

This is the oldest remaining pew in the building. The wood from the other original pews was used to reconstruct one of the walls.

They have a gift shop.

It looks like you can use this entrance to go in the gift shop even if you don’t want to pay for the museum.

Built in 1713, the old State House is the oldest surviving building in Boston. It is also the site of the Boston Massacre.

The old state house is a museum now. The entrance is through the gift shop. The ticket that got me in the Old Meeting House also gets me in the Old State House.

Some of the items on display include cannon balls and a musket found at Bunker Hill.

Here we have some artifacts from John Hancock.

Down there is the site of the Boston Massacre.

Next is Faneuil Hall which was built in 1741 as a meeting hall and marketplace. Faneuil Hall was the location of America’s first Town Meeting.

Out front is a statue of Samuel Adams.

Next up is Paul Revere’s House.

Built in 1680, Paul Revere’s house is the oldest structure in Downtown Boston. Revere owned this house from 1770-1800.

Across the street from Paul Revere’s House is Rachel Revere Square which is named after Paul Revere’s second wife.

Down the street is the Old North Church. Built in 1723, this is Boston’s oldest church.

This is where the “one if by land, two if by sea” signal lanterns were located during Revere’s ride.

Uphill from the church is Copp’s Hill burying ground which was the primary resting place for people who lived in the North End.

We are approaching our last two stops of this self-guided tour as the Bunker Hill monument is in sight.

That will be our final stop.

Bunker Hill was the site of the first battle of the American Revolution.

Our final stop is the USS Constitution. 

The USS Constitution was launched in 1797 and is the oldest US warship on the water today. 

The Constitution was nicknamed “Old Ironsides” during the war of 1812 when cannon balls were seen bouncing off of it.

You have to be on a guided tour to access the lower deck.

This ship still serves a ceremonial role in the US Navy. As you can see it is still manned by members of the Navy.

That completes my self guided Freedom Trail tour. I found it to be very easy to follow. I hit all of the sites and I ended up visiting them in the exact same order as The Freedom Trail website with the exception of the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill. The website had Bunker Hill last.