Founded in 1630 by Puritans who envisioned their settlement as a shining beacon to the world, Boston was among America’s first great urban centers. Its patriots led the rebellion that grew into the American Revolution, and few places in the US evoke so vividly the birth of a nation. Centuries later, Boston remains at the national forefront in politics, the arts, culture, education, and science. It retains its Classical proportions, with modern buildings nudging up against landmarks of the Colonial and Revolutionary eras.
NEED TO KNOW
Massachusetts State House • 24 Beacon St
Fenway Park • 4 Yawkey Way
African Meeting House • 46 Joy St
Boston Common and Public Garden
Granary Burying Grounds
Faneuil Hall • Dock Sq
Paul Revere House • 19 North Sq
USS Constitution • Charlestown Navy Yard, 1 Constitution Rd, Charlestown
Old North Church • 193 Salem St
Harvard Yard
- As you might expect, security is tight at the USS Constitution . Don’t carry anything you couldn’t take on an airplane.
- Quincy Market food court, adjacent to Faneuil Hall, offers good variety and value for a quick lunch.
1. Massachusetts State House
Completed in 1798, this legislative temple with its ornate marble and paneled halls was architect Charles Bulfinch’s masterpiece, and the model for capitols around the country.
Massachusetts State House designed by Charles Bulfinch
2. Fenway Park
All baseball fans long to see a game in Fenway. Opened in 1912, this is the oldest Major League Baseball park, and a shrine to the game.
3. Black History Trail
Boston’s free African American community helped lead the nation in struggles to abolish slavery and achieve equal rights. The trail ends at the African Meeting House
4. Boston Common and Public Garden
Concerts and Shakespeare plays enliven the Common, Boston’s green heart since 1634. Tens of thousands of flowers bloom in the Public Garden, while Swan Boats glide on its pond.
Swan boat at the Public Garden
5. Granary Burying Grounds
Some of Boston’s most famous characters are buried at this Tremont Street graveyard of more than 2,300 slate tomb-stones in the shadow of downtown skyscrapers.
6. Faneuil Hall
One of Boston’s most significant Revolutionary sites, Faneuil Hall heard firebrands like Samuel Adams call the populace to open revolt against the king. Public debates are still staged here among the historical portraits in the Great Hall.
7. Paul Revere House
Revere’s house, built around 1680, is the oldest in Boston. During a visit here you get an intimate look at the domestic life of this key figure in the history of the American Revolution.
8. USS Constitution
Now in dry dock, USS Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship. The three-masted frigate, nicknamed “Old Ironsides,” has served in the US Navy since 1797, battling North African pirates and foreign navies alike.
9. Old North Church
The spare decor typical of a Colonial house of worship barely hints at the fame of Christ Church, where lanterns hung in its belfry signaled British troop movements.
The famous Christ Church
10. Harvard Yard
Free student-led tours through Harvard Yard provide an insight into life at America’s first and most prestigious university, founded in 1636.
Harvard Yard
THIS WAY TO HISTORY
The Freedom Trail (a red line on the sidewalk, either paint or bricks) snakes through Boston highlighting important sites of Colonial and Revolutionary history. The 2.5-mile (4-km) walking trail begins at Boston Common and ends with climbing Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. Pick up a map and inquire about free, ranger-led Freedom Trail tours at the Boston National Historical Park visitor center at Faneuil Hall ( www.nps.gov/bost ).
