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The Freedom Trail, Boston, MA
SightseeingIconicHistory BuffFamily Favorite

The Freedom Trail

Starts at Boston Common Visitor Center, 139 Tremont St · Boston, MA

Why you should go…

This 2.5-mile red brick line is the single best introduction to Boston, stringing together 16 landmarks including Paul Revere's House, Old North Church, and Faneuil Hall. Walk it free on your own or join a costumed 18th-century guide for the full story. It is quite simply the most famous walk in America.

  • #walking tour
  • #history
  • #landmarks
  • #self-guided
  • #revolutionary war

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to The Freedom Trail, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Free Entry

    Boston Common Visitor Center

    Free

    Meet Boston's walk-in visitor center on the Tremont Street edge of Boston Common, beside Park Street station, with maps, brochures and attraction tickets.

    Right next doorMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Granary Burying Ground

    Free

    A 1660 burial ground on the Freedom Trail where Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and John Hancock rest among slate headstones.

    Steps awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Massachusetts State House

    Free

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

    Steps awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Boston Public Garden & Swan Boats

    Free

    America's first public botanical garden, weeping willows, the Make Way for Ducklings statues, and famous Swan Boats.

    0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Eat & Drink
    Iconic

    Cheers Beacon Hill

    $25–$50

    The real Beacon Hill bar whose exterior inspired the TV sitcom Cheers, tucked beneath the historic Hampshire House.

    0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink

  • Eat & Drink
    Foodie Favorite

    Union Oyster House

    Free

    Eat oysters and seafood at the original oyster bar inside a Georgian building on Boston's Freedom Trail near Faneuil Hall.

    0.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink