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Boston African American National Historic Site, Boston, MA

Photo: Swampyank at English Wikipedia ., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sightseeing

Boston African American National Historic Site

A cluster of historic buildings on Beacon Hill that document Boston's 1800s Black community and its fight against slavery.

21 Second Avenue, Charlestown, MA 02129 (mailing address) · Boston, MA

About Boston African American National Historic Site

The site is centered on the north slope of Beacon Hill and preserves places tied to Boston's nineteenth-century African American community. Visitors can learn how these residents helped lead efforts to end slavery, supported the Underground Railroad, served in the Civil War, and pushed for equal rights and schooling. Key stops include the African Meeting House, the Abiel Smith School, the Hayden home, and the Robert Gould Shaw memorial. Ranger-led walks and self-guided audio tours follow the Black Heritage Trail through the neighborhood.

  • #Black history
  • #abolition
  • #Underground Railroad
  • #Civil War
  • #Beacon Hill

What's around here?

The closest stops to Boston African American National Historic Site, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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    African Meeting House

    Under $25

    Built in 1806, this Beacon Hill meeting house is considered the oldest surviving Black church building in the United States.

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  • Sightseeing

    Massachusetts Fallen Firefighters Memorial

    No admission fee

    A statewide monument in Beacon Hill honoring Massachusetts firefighters who have died in the line of duty.

    Steps awayMore like this

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    History Buff

    Massachusetts State House

    No admission fee

    Tour the gold-domed 1798 capitol on Beacon Hill, with marble halls, murals and the Sacred Cod in the House chamber.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    Steps awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Boston Athenæum

    Under $25

    Buy a ticket to tour the galleries and reading rooms of a Beacon Hill library founded in 1807.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Tours
    History Buff

    Tour of the Freedom Trail

    $25–$50

    Costumed guides lead a walking tour of Boston's Freedom Trail from Boston Common past the State House, Old South and Faneuil Hall.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Old South Meeting House

    Under $25

    The 1729 meeting house where thousands gathered before the Boston Tea Party, now a museum of protest and free speech.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

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