Walking the Boston Freedom Trail: All 16 Stops

Completing the Boston Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile red brick path that snakes through Boston, connecting 16 historic spots from America’s fight for independence. The trail runs from Boston Common downtown, through the North End, and finishes at Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown.

Dreamed up in 1951 by journalist William Schofield, the trail was made to link important landmarks and make Boston’s revolutionary story easy to explore.

They added the red brick line in 1958, and by 1972 the trail included all 16 historic sites we see today. If this is your time following this historic path, here’s every stop you need to make.

1. Boston Common

Built in 1634, Boston Common is the oldest public park in America. The Puritans bought the 44-acre space from minister William Blackstone and first used it as a place to graze their sheep and cattle.

Back in 1775, British soldiers gathered here before heading out to Lexington and Concord, starting the Revolutionary War. Over the years, the Common has hosted everything from hangings to duels to big celebrations.

Today, you can catch free Shakespeare shows, ride the carousel, swim or skate at Frog Pond, or just hang out and enjoy the green space.

2. Massachusetts State House

The Massachusetts State House sits on Beacon Hill, designed by architect Charles Bulfinch and finished in 1798. John Hancock, the first governor of Massachusetts, used to own this land for his cows.

The hill got its name from a warning beacon that once stood on top. The building’s famous golden dome was just wood at first. Paul Revere’s company covered it with copper in 1802 to stop leaks, and in 1874, they added 23-karat gold leaf that still shines today.

3. Park Street Church

Park Street Church is at Park and Tremont Streets, where the town’s grain storage used to be. The church’s massive 217-foot steeple was the first thing visitors would spot when coming to Boston.

This is where abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison gave his first anti-slavery speech in 1829, and the church helped start the Boston branch of the NAACP. On July 4, 1831, people sang “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” here for the very first time.

Locals called it “Brimstone Corner” because of its fiery sermons and because they stored gunpowder in the basement during the War of 1812.

4. Granary Burying Ground

Named because it was next to Boston’s first granary, this cemetery gets more visitors than any other in Boston. It’s where many of America’s most important early citizens are buried.

Some big names you’ll find here: John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin’s parents, all five Boston Massacre victims, and Peter Faneuil.

Though you’ll see about 2,345 grave markers, experts think over 5,000 people are actually buried here. Back then, families often shared a single grave to save space.

5. King’s Chapel and King’s Chapel Burying Ground

In 1686, King James II took land from Boston’s first cemetery to build the first Anglican Church in town. By 1749, they needed more room, so they built the stone chapel you see today right around the wooden church.

After the Revolution, King’s Chapel became America’s first Unitarian church—a big break from how the Puritans worshipped. The church still uses America’s oldest pulpit in regular service, and the bell in the tower was made by Paul Revere in 1816 after the original English bell cracked.

Right next to King’s Chapel is Boston’s oldest cemetery, started in 1630. For almost 30 years, it was the only place in Boston to bury the dead.

The cemetery has some of the best-preserved tombstone art from colonial times. The detailed slate headstones show skulls and crossbones, winged cherubs, and other symbols that show how people’s ideas about death changed over the years.

6. Boston Latin School Site & Benjamin Franklin Statue

Boston Latin School, started on April 23, 1635, is America’s oldest public school. It gave free education to boys from all backgrounds, while girls had to learn at home. Until they built the school in 1645, classes happened in the first headmaster’s house.

The school taught four men who signed the Declaration of Independence: Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine—though Franklin was the only dropout of the bunch.

Today, a mosaic in the sidewalk marks the spot, and a statue of Ben Franklin from 1856 stands in front of the old City Hall.

7. Old Corner Bookstore

Built in 1718, the Old Corner Bookstore is downtown Boston’s oldest business building. By the mid-1800s, it became home to the publishing company Ticknor and Fields.

They published famous works like Thoreau’s “Walden,” Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter,” Longfellow’s “Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” and Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic” in their magazine, the Atlantic Monthly.

The original building on this spot was home to Anne Hutchinson, who got kicked out of Massachusetts in 1638 for her religious ideas.

Saved from being torn down in 1960, rent from the building now helps pay for historic preservation around Boston.

8. Old South Meeting House

The Old South Meeting House echoed with Puritan sermons, town meetings, and heated arguments about the tea tax. In 1729, it was Boston’s second oldest church and the biggest building in colonial Boston. When crowds got too big for Faneuil Hall, they met here instead.

On December 16, 1773, over 5,000 angry colonists packed in to protest the tea tax. When talks failed, Samuel Adams gave the signal to start the Boston Tea Party.

During the British occupation (1775-1776), soldiers trashed the place, using it as a horse stable and riding school while serving drinks from the balcony. They chopped up the pulpit and pews for firewood.

9. Old State House

Built in 1713, the Old State House is Boston’s oldest public building still standing and was the hub of government and business. The ground floor had a merchant’s exchange (an early stock market), while government offices and elected representatives worked upstairs.

From the balcony, someone read the Declaration of Independence to Bostonians for the first time in 1776. Many pivotal events happened here, from James Otis’ 1761 speech against unfair search warrants to the Boston Massacre in 1770.

10. Boston Massacre Site

On March 5, 1770, after months of tension over British troops and taxes, Bostonians and British soldiers clashed in the streets. Five civilians died: Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, and Patrick Carr.

This bloody event united Bostonians against British rule and forced troops to leave Boston until 1774. A round marker in the middle of State Street (once King Street) shows where it happened.

The design has a five-pointed star for the five who died, six cobblestones for the six wounded, and 13 cobblestone lines for the original colonies.

11. Faneuil Hall

Known as “the home of free speech” and the “Cradle of Liberty,” Faneuil Hall hosted America’s first Town Meeting. Rich merchant Peter Faneuil built it in 1742 as a gift to Boston.

The first floor was a market, while the upstairs Great Hall became a meeting place where colonists spoke out about their problems.

After the Revolution, Faneuil Hall kept hosting important causes, including anti-slavery speeches by William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, and Frederick Douglass.

The women’s rights movement, temperance campaigns, and war debates all happened within these walls.

12. Paul Revere House

Built around 1680, the Paul Revere House is downtown Boston’s oldest building and the only home on the official Freedom Trail. Paul Revere owned it from 1770 to 1800, and this is where he started his famous midnight ride.

Revere wasn’t just a patriot. He worked as a silversmith, made copper, pulled teeth as a part-time dentist, created engravings, and fathered 16 children.

Up to eight kids lived here with him, plus his mother and his first wife (and after 1773, his second wife).

13. Old North Church

Boston’s oldest church is famous for its role in Paul Revere’s midnight ride. On April 18, 1775, church caretaker Robert Newman hung two lanterns in the steeple to warn that British troops were coming by sea, starting the American Revolution.

The oldest church building in Boston has a traditional English interior with box pews, a wine-glass shaped pulpit, and colonial artifacts. Starting January 2025, it costs $8 for adults, $6 for students, military and seniors, and $4 for kids under 12 to enter.

14. Copp’s Hill Burying Ground

Named after shoemaker William Copp, this cemetery from 1659 is the final resting place for merchants, craftspeople, and artisans from Boston’s North End.

Notable people buried here include Puritan ministers Cotton and Increase Mather; Shem Drowne, who made the grasshopper weathervane on Faneuil Hall; Robert Newman, who hung the lanterns in Old North Church; and Prince Hall, the first African American Mason.

Since it sits high up overlooking Boston Harbor, British soldiers used the cemetery to aim their cannons at Charlestown during the Battle of Bunker Hill and for target practice. Look for Daniel Malcom’s gravestone, a Son of Liberty, where you can still see marks from British bullets.

15. USS Constitution

Built in Boston in 1797, USS Constitution is the oldest warship still floating anywhere in the world. She got her nickname “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812 when she fought the British ship HMS Guerriere and cannon balls seemed to bounce off her wooden hull.

The ship is still an active U.S. Navy vessel with real sailors who give free tours and tell visitors about its history.

Next door is the USS Constitution Museum, open daily with a suggested donation of $5-$10 for adults, $3-$5 for kids, and $20-$25 for families, though you can pay whatever you want.

16. Bunker Hill Monument

The Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, was the first major battle of the Revolutionary War and showed how the rest of the war would go. The monument was dedicated on June 17, 1843, exactly 68 years after the battle, with famous speaker Daniel Webster giving the main address.

The 221-foot granite tower marks where colonial forces held off repeated British attacks, only retreating when they ran out of bullets. You can climb the 294 steps to the top for amazing views of Boston.