Places To Go

The Freedom Trail

Connected along the Freedom Trail, the park sites in downtown Boston are part of a unique collaboration of public and private organizations. The sites listed here are among the most significant sites in downtown Boston. They were identified in the park's 1974 establishing legislation as possessing the greatest importance in the creation of the United States.

As historic sites, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, and USS Constitution Museum are each operated by independent non-profit organizations. The US Navy operates USS Constitution. Faneuil Hall remains a City-owned building and it is operated in collaboration with the National Parks of Boston.

As you Plan Your Visit to the Freedom Trail®, check out some Things to Do to enhance your trip, including free self-guided audio tours and ranger programs.

 
The brick Old South Meeting House with its clock tower capped with a steeple

Old South Meeting House

Before the Boston Tea Party, a series of "meetings of the body" gathered thousands to resist what they saw as a threat to liberty.

The brick building of the Old State House with a lion and unicorn figures on the top of the facade

Old State House

Overlooking the site of the Boston Massacre, explore the building which housed the royal colonial government of Massachusetts Bay.

A view of brick Faneuil Hall with its white cupola with a gilt dome.

Faneuil Hall

Known for generations as the "Cradle of Liberty," this hall remains an active site of meetings, debate, and protest for 275 years.

The grey painted wooden home of Paul Revere, as seen today.

Paul Revere House

Visit the oldest building in downtown Boston and the home of Paul Revere and his family during the time of the Revolution.

A bronze statue of Paul Revere riding a horse with the white steeple of Old North in background

Old North Church

Visit Boston's oldest standing church, forever made legendary in Longfellow's poem "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere."

Bunker Hill Monument on a clear, blue day.

Bunker Hill Monument

In "The Battle of Bunker Hill," New England soldiers clashed with the British army in a battle long remembered with a lasting monument.

USS Constitution underway in Boston Harbor
America's Ship of State

USS CONSTITUTION

Visit "Old Ironsides"—the oldest and most storied commissioned warship in the U.S. Navy.

A crane and buildings at a navy yard.

Charlestown Navy Yard

Discover the stories of innovation and service at the Charlestown Navy Yard.

 

Visit the National Parks of Boston

Boston is a National Park city. On your visit, you can explore the three parks of the National Parks of Boston: Boston National Historical Park (The Freedom Trail®), Boston African American National Historic Site (The Black Heritage Trail®), and Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. These parks highlight the political, social, and environmental revolutions of the City of Boston.
 
 

National Parks in the Area

Beyond the three parks of the National Parks of Boston, there are several parks in and around Boston, as well as throughout Massachusetts. These parks share the stories of revolutionaries and activists, poets and politicians, and industrialists and innovators.

 

In and Around Boston

Facade of 3-story symmetrical yellow Georgian house with large green front lawn, flanked by trees.
National Historic Site

Longfellow House-Washington Headquarters

Visit Gen. Washington's first extended headquarters of the Revolution and the home of renowned poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

A dirt road flanked by low stone walls cutting through the forest. A wooden house is also visible.
National Historical Park

Minute Man

Visit the battlefields and structures associated with April 19, 1775, the opening battle of the Revolution.

The John Adams Birthplace in Spring, a dark wooden house.
National Historical Park

Adams

Explore the homes of generations of Adams family members, whose ideas helped shape the nation.

Two story gray house with two dormers in roof. Flag flying on pole in front, gas lamp on sidewalk.
National Historic Site

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Learn about the early years of a future president at his birthplace.

House and landscape at Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site
National Historic Site

Frederick Law Olmsted

Walk through the home and design office of the founder of American landscape architecture.

A wharf that juts out into the water with a small lighthouse at the end of the wharf.
National Historic Site

Salem Maritime

Dive into over 600 years of New England's maritime history through exploring historic buildings and Salem's waterfront.

 

Massachusetts Park Units

Weave Room at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum
National Historical Park

Lowell

Go back in time to the industrial revolution and learn about the people behind the mills that catapulted the nation.

Side and partial front view of the park visitor center, a brick building with a pediment.
National Historical Park

New Bedford Whaling

Uncover the story of the whaling industry and how it lit a nation.

View of Salf Pond, a marshy area with water and a small hut.
National Seashore

Cape Cod

Walk, bike, or swim while enjoying the diverse landscape of the Cape Cod seashore.

Ranger stands in doorway of a large wood-sided structure used to forge iron.
National Historic Site

Saugus Iron Works

Learn how iron workers used their skills to help the growing Massachusetts colony.

A three-story brick building with a tower built in the center of the facade. The tower has a clock.
National Historic Site

Springfield Armory

Explore the nation's first armory and a site of innovation and engineering.

The Old Slater Mill, a yellow paneled building with a cupola.
National Historical Park

Blackstone River Valley

Learn how this River Valley of Massachusetts and Rhode Island became central to the nation's role in the Industrial Revolution.

 

Last updated: January 24, 2025

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

Boston National Historical Park
21 Second Ave

Charlestown, MA 02129

Phone:

617 242-5601

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