Freedom Trail emblem on the sidewalk, Boston National Historical Park
The Freedom Trail® is an urban history trail that takes visitors to all of the historic sites within Boston National Historical Park except for Dorchester Heights in South Boston. The trail has its southern terminus at Boston Common and its northern terminus at Bunker Hill. The most ingenious thing about the trail is that it is actually marked in the sidewalk with a pattern of colored bricks, so as long as you can find your way to a point on the trail, you don’t even need a map—just follow the Yellow Brick Road, so to speak. However, be sure to get a Freedom Trail brochure so you know what sites to be looking for. These are available at the Boston Common Visitor Center, Faneuil Hall Visitor Center, the Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center, and the Bunker Hill Museum.
Boston’s Freedom Trail is marked with colored bricks in the sidewalks
The Freedom Trail was originally conceived in 1951 by Bob Winn, the sexton at the Old North Church. He told his idea to a newspaper reporter who then promoted it in the paper. The mayor and the Chamber of Commerce got on board, and soon signs were placed around the city that directed visitors to twelve different historical sites. The trail ran from the Massachusetts State House to Copp’s Hill Burying Ground. Today there are twenty-one sites that include historical buildings, churches, cemeteries, sites of historic events, and markers for buildings that no longer exist. Some sites offer tours, some offer exhibits and museums, and some you simply enter, take a look around, and leave.
At 2.5 miles from one end to the other, the Freedom Trail can easily be walked in a day, but there is no way to see all of the historical sites in a day. You’ll need two days at a minimum, and if you really want to give each site a thorough visit—catching all of the tours and reading through everything in the museums—give yourself three full days. A fitting strategy is to visit the sites south of Faneuil Hall on Day One, and those on the north side of the trail on Day Two. Keep in mind that most attractions are only open from 9 AM to 5 PM, even on the weekends, so you need to be in downtown Boston first thing in the morning to have a chance to get everything done in two or three days.
Boston National Historical Park differs from most National Parks in that the National Park Service does not own or operate most of the attractions. Instead, it helps manage and promote the park in conjunction with private and non-profit organizations, the City of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and even the United States Navy. Because of this, fees and operating hours differ per site. See the following reviews for complete information (sites are listed from north to south).
- Climb the monument
- Allow 30 minutes
- Covers the history of Charlestown and the Battle of Bunker Hill
- Information desk
- Gift Store
- Restrooms
- Allow 1 hour
- Covers the history of the USS Constitution
- Allow 1-2 hours
- Tour ship
- Allow 1-2 hours, depending on the wait in line
- Tour ship
- Allow 30 minutes
- National Park Service visitor center
- Navy Yard Museum
- Allow 1 hour
- Explore the cemetery
- Allow 30 minutes
- Multiple tours
- Allow 1 hour (includes time for one tour)
- Self-guided House Tour
- Allow 30 minutes
- National Park Service visitor center
- Freedom Trail Tour meeting place
- Great Hall
- Allow 30 minutes to see the Great Hall, and up to 3 hours for tours and lectures
- Building and Boston Massacre Site Tours
- Boston History Museum
- Allow 1.5 to 2.5 hours
- Historic site
- Commercial Building (currently a Chipotle Mexican Grill)
- Self-guided architecture tour
- Voices of Protest exhibit
- Allow 1 hour
- Historic Site Marker
- Self-guided exploration of the main floor
- Bells and Bones Tour
- Allow 1 hour
- Explore the cemetery (no association with the church)
- Allow 30 minutes
- Visit the interior
- Short film about the church
- Allow 15-30 minutes
- Explore the cemetery
- Graves of Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Robert Paine, and the Boston Massacre victims
- Allow 1 hour
- Tour
- Allow 1 hour
- Public park
- Information station
- Allow 30 minutes
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Last updated on January 27, 2024
