Tours

One of the most unique tours we've discovered lately is a culinary tour of the North End where you sample Italian food as you discover the history and nuances of Boston's Italian neighborhood.

Also for a personalized touch, consider a day with local historian Bill McDonough from historic Concord MA. Your private tour is designed based on your interests and can include history, architecture, and art.

Two and a half miles of American revolutionary history await you on Boston's Freedom Trail. Walk it yourself or take an organized tour.

Clang! Clang! Clang! goes the trolley.... One or two day passes on the Beantown Trolley or Old Town Trolley take you all over the city allowing on/off as much as you like.

Boston By Foot offers a variety of tours exploring Boston's rich heritage of architecture and history.

Nothing beats a bit a of American nostalgia and sports legacy like taking in a game at Fenway Park. But if you miss game day a tour of of America's second oldest ball park might be just what you are looking for.

North End Culinary Tour

Tour the Italian markets of Boston's historic North End and experience "Little Italy" like a native with a "native." Michele Topor's award-winning "North End Market Tours" reveal the secrets of America's oldest Italian neighborhood and its cuisine.

TOURS INCLUDE:

A three-hour tour of North End markets
Tastings of many authentic foods
Tips on food selection, preparation and preservation
Insights on new restaurant "finds"
Historical insights into the North End community

Tickets must be purchased in advance, and tours often sell out quickly. To maximize your chances of getting the day and time you prefer, please book well in advance. For more details visit Michele's website at www.micheletopor.com.

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Boston Private Tours

Retired Boston school teacher and local historian Bill McDonough will guide you through the battlefields, graveyards, and local pubs of Concord and Lexington. Get a vision of Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond and your off to the House of Seven Gables in Salem. Perhaps you want to see a pub from the Perfect Storm in Glouchester, you decide and Bill will help you find it all. Perfect for indiviuals or groups of all sizes.

To learn contact Bill McDonough call 800-620-1136 or e-mail liam@stories.com

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Boston Duck Tours

With Boston Duck Tours the fun begins as soon as you board your "DUCK", an authentic, renovated World War II amphibious landing vehicle. You'll cruise by the golden-domed State House, the Fleet Center, Boston Common, Copley Square, Government Center, Newbury Street and more. Then your ConDUCKtor splashes your DUCK right into the Charles River for a breathtaking view of the Boston and Cambridge skylines.

Operating Season / Hours:
March 28 - November 30 Tours depart rain or shine, 7 days a week, every half hour from 9:00am to approximately one hour before sunset. All DUCKS are heated.

To purchase tickets in advance or learn more about experiencing the duck, visit www.bostonducktours.com.

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Freedom Trail

One of the top attractions in Boston as well as for guests who stay at Clarendon Square is The Freedom Trail. From our bed and breakfast, many guests set out for a day of early American history, culture, and education. There are sixteen historic sites, all significant in this country's early struggle for freedom. They are connected by a 2.5 mile red brick line that not only links one place to another, but the past to the present.

Unlike many historical attractions, the Freedom Trail is special in that the sites are not recreations or adaptations. They are real. Each one has a role in the beginning of a nation, each one connects us to the spirit of Boston's early patriots whose hearts were ignited by the spark of liberty.

It is easy to explore without a tour, but if you are limited in time or energy, you may want to investigate the tours listed.

The Boston Common

Originally owned by William Blackstone who came to Boston in 1622, the Boston Common is America's oldest public park. Situated on 44 acres of open land, it was used as a common pasture for grazing cattle owned by the townspeople of Boston. The Common later became a "trayning" field for the militia and was used as a British Army camp during the occupation of Boston.

Over many generations, the Common has been the site of hangings, duels, public celebrations and spirited oratory. Now it hosts squirrels, pigeons, and plenty of neighborhood dogs that are walked here daily from their fashionable addresses on Beacon Hill.

The State House

Beacon Street
617-727-3676
Open Mon. - Friday, 10:00am - 4:00pm
www.state.ma.us/sec/trs   

Designed by Charles Bulfinch, the State House was completed on January 11th, 1798, and widely acclaimed as one of the more magnificent and well-suited buildings in the country. The land was originally used as John Hancock's cow pasture.

Today, the State House is the oldest building on Beacon Hill, and its grounds cover 6.7 acres of land. In 1802, the original wooden dome was covered with copper to prevent water leakage. In 1874, the dome was gilded with 23-carat gold leaf. The State House is the seat of Massachusetts' state government.

The Black Heritage Trail

The Freedom Trail meets another Boston trail, The Black Heritage Trail, at the Robert Gould Shaw/54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial on Beacon Hill.

The Black Heritage Trail takes you through Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood and recounts the early history of Boston's African-American community.

Park Street Church

Corner of Park and Tremont Streets
617-523-3383
Jun. 17 - end of Aug., Tue. - Sat. 9:30 - 3:30
Summer worship services - Sundays 10:45am and 5:30pm
Winter worship services - Sundays 8:30am, 11:00am, 4:00pm, and 6:00pm
www.parkstreet.org

This church was founded in 1809 in the midst of an exciting chapter in the nation's history. Ten people, including author Oliver Wendell Holmes, gathered in the mansion of William Thurston on Beacon Hill on February 27th, 1809, to discuss the organization of a church in this area. By mid-March, the committee had located a site at the corner of Park and Tremont Streets, and Park Street Church was founded.

"America" (My Country 'Tis of Thee), by Samuel Francis Smith, was first sung at the Park Street Church on July 4th, 1831. The church was also where William Lloyd Garrison delivered his first major public address against slavery in 1829.

Granary Burying Ground

Tremont Street
617-635-4505
Open daily 9:00 - 5:00
www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/

With its massive Egyptian Revival-style gates facing Tremont Street, the Granary Burying Ground is the final resting place of many eminent Revolutionary-era patriots, such as Samuel Adams, Peter Faneuil, Paul Revere, and John Hancock.

Originally called South Burying Ground because of its location at the most southerly area of Boston settlement, it was then renamed Middle Burying Ground, as Boston sprawled toward the south. The current name is derived from the grain storage building, or granary, which stood on the site where the Park Street Church now stands.

King's Chapel

Corner of Tremont and School Streets
617-227-2155
Summer Hours: Mon. Thu. Fri. Sat. 10:00 - 4:00
Winter Hours: Sat. 10:00 - 4:00
Services are held Wednesdays, 12:15pm and Sundays 11:00am
Concerts at King's Chapel: Tue. 12:15, Sun.5:00 (see website for performers)
www.kings-chapel.org

In 1688, the Royal Governor built King's Chapel on the town burying ground when no one in the city would sell him land to build a non-Puritan church. The first King's Chapel was a tiny church used by the King's men who occupied Boston to enforce British law. By 1749, the building was too small for the congregation, which had grown to include a number of prominent merchants and their families.

The congregation hired America's first architect, Peter Harrison, to design a church "that would be the equal of any in England." The new church was completed in 1754. Harrison's plans included a steeple, which has never been built, and a colonnade, which was not completed until after the Revolution. The magnificent interior is considered the finest example of Georgian church architecture in North America.

King's Chapel Burying Ground

Tremont Street
617-635-4505
Open daily, 9:00 - 5:00
www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/

Located next to King's Chapel on Tremont Street, King's Chapel Burying Ground was Boston Proper's only burying place for nearly 30 years.

The Burying Ground is the final resting place of some of Massachusetts Bay Colony's most prominent citizens - John Winthrop, the Colony's first governor; William Dawes, Jr., who rode with Paul Revere to Lexington and Concord; and Mary Chilton, the first woman to step off the Mayflower in Plymouth Colony.

Benjamin Franklin's Statue
Site of the First Public School

School Street
www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/firstpublic

As you follow The Freedom Trail down School Street, you will notice a half-smiling, half-serious statue of Benjamin Franklin outside the Old City Hall and a plaque on the sidewalk, marking the site of the first Public School.

It is the first portrait statue erected in the United States. This is also the site of the country's first public school, Boston Latin School (1635), which is still in operation in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston.

Old Corner Book Store

School Street
617-367-4004
Winter Hours: Mon - Fri, 9:00 - 5:30
Sat 9:30 - 5:00
Closed Sundays.
www.historicboston.org

This little brick building sits at the Corner of School and Washington Streets, Old Corner Bookstore was a flourishing literary center in the mid-1800s. The original building was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1711, and was replaced by the current gambrel-roofed structure built in 1718 by Dr. Thomas Crease.

The street level of this house was used as a pharmacy, the upper stories as a residence. The transition from medicine shop to marketplace for ideas began in 1829 when the house was leased to Timothy Harrington Carter, a bookseller. The first bookseller's business, Carter & Hendlee, was followed by nine similar companies over a 75-year period, the most famous being Ticknor & Fields.

Old South Meeting House

310 Washington Street
617-482-6439
November - March: daily 10:00 - 4:00
April - October: daily 9:30 - 5:00
www.oldsouthmeetinghouse.org

Built in 1729, Old South Meeting House was a Puritan house of worship. It was from here that an outraged Samuel Adams gave the signal to proceed with the Boston Tea Party. Following a two-year rehabilitation and restoration project, the Old South Meeting House reopened in October of 1997.

Old South's reputation as a place for history-making oratory has continued through the generations. You can go inside to visit "Voices of Protest," a permanent exhibition that tells Old South's story over two centuries. It's a sometimes disturbing, often inspiring, frequently controversial, but always fascinating story of the people who have made history within these walls.

The Old State House
The Bostonian Society

Corner of State and Washington Streets
617-720-1713
Open daily 9:00 - 5:00
Closed Thanksgiving, Dec. 25, Jan. 1
www.bostonhistory.org

Beginning with its construction in 1713, the Old State House was the headquarters of British government in Boston. The building's distinctive cupola was once the tallest and most impressive building in the town, sending the message that there was no higher authority than the king.

It was just outside these doors that the Boston Massacre unfolded in 1770, and from this balcony that the Declaration was first read to the people of Boston in 1776. Now, Old State is the oldest surviving public building in Boston, housing as a museum of Boston history operated by the Bostonian Society.

Site of the Boston Massacre

On the way out of the Old State House, notice the ring of cobblestones marking the site of the Boston Massacre on what is now a traffic island. This event helped to fuel the spirit of rebellion in the Colonies.

Five men were killed in this clash of Patriots and Redcoats on March 5, 1770, including Crispus Attucks, the first African-American to die in the Revolution.

Faneuil Hall

617-242-5642
Open daily 9:00am - 5:00pm.
Historical talks every thirty minutes, 9:30 - 4:30
www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/

The "Cradle of Liberty," Faneuil Hall was the site of many fiery town meetings. Wealthy merchant Peter Faneuil built it in 1742 and to the town as a gift. Faneuil Hall has served as an open forum meeting hall and marketplace for more than 250 years.

The first floor served as a marketplace for the local townspeople to sell their goods. The second floor housed the town meeting hall. Here, Bostonians protested the taxation policies of the British Empire and set the doctrine of "no taxation without representation."

It was here on November 5, 1773, that John Hancock and other Bostonians held the first of the tea meetings to discuss the fate of that "baneful weed." Famous abolitionists Wendell Philips, William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglas all spoke here.

The Paul Revere House

19 North Square
617-523-2338
Apr. 15 - Oct. 31: 9:30 - 5 :15;
Nov. 1 - Apr. 14: 9:30 - 4:15
Closed Mondays, Jan. - Mar., Thanksgiving, Dec. 25, Jan. 1
www.paulreverehouse.org

Built around 1680, the Revere House was home to silversmith and patriot Paul Revere when he made his famous ride in 1775. Inside the house, visitors obtain a fascinating glimpse into everyday life for the Reveres during the Revolutionary era.

Old North Church

193 Salem Street
617-523-6676
Winter hours: Daily 9:00 - 5:00
Summer hours: Daily 9:00 - 6:00
www.oldnorth.com

On April 18th, 1775, Robert Newman, sexton of the Old North Church displayed two lanterns to warn Paul Revere and others of the British troop movements. Paul Revere's famous "midnight ride" began with that signal, and so did the American War for Independence.

Built in 1723, Old North is the oldest church building in Boston, and continues to serve a thriving, active Episcopal congregation.

Copp's Hill Burying Ground

Hull Street
617-635-4505
Open daily 9:00 - 5:00
www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/

Copp's Hill Burying Ground is the final resting place of merchants, artisans and craft people who lived in the North End. Located on a hill on which a windmill once stood, the land was given to the town.

The grounds are also the final resting place of thousands of free African-Americans who lived in a community on the current Charter Street side of the burying ground, called the "New Guinea Community.

Because of its height and panoramic vistas, the British used this vantage point to train their cannons on Charlestown during the Battle of Bunker Hill.

USS Constitution

Charlestown Navy Yard
617-242-5670
Winter Hours: Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun. 10:00 - 4:00
Summer Hours: Daily, 10:00 - 4:00
Tours occur every half-hour, 10:30 - 3:30
www.ussconstitution.navy.mil

USS Constitution Museum

Charlestown Navy Yard
617-426-1812
Nov. 1 - Apr. 30: 10:00 - 5:00
May 1 - Oct. 31: 9:00 - 6:00
www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org

The oldest commissioned warship in the world became known as "Old Ironsides" during the war of 1812 when she fought the British Frigate H.M.S. Guerriere. The Guerriere sank like a stone, while the cannonballs she fired at the U.S.S. Constitution merely "bounced off" as if she were made of iron.

In fact the Constitution is made of a three-layer sandwich of wood from all across America. Her "ironsides" are white oak from New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts; her frame is the dependable live oak from Saint Simons Island off Georgia; and her masts are yellow pine from Georgia and the Carolinas.

Bunker Hill Monument

Monument Square
Charlestown
617-242-5641
For group tours call 617-242-5689
Exhibit lodge open daily, 9:00 - 5:00
Monument open daily 9:00 - 4:30
www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/

"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" This famous order, which legend attributes to Colonel William Prescott, has come to immortalize the determination of the ill-equipped Colonists facing the powerful British Army during the famous battle fought on this site on June 17, 1775.

The Battle of Bunker Hill marks the first time a unified Colonial army held its own against the British army. Today a 221-foot granite obelisk denotes the site of the first major battle of the American Revolution.

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Freedom Trail Tours

Public Walking Tours

Colonial, costumed-guided walking tours of the Freedom Trail are offered everyday throughout most of the year. Our 90-minute walking tour leaves from the Boston Common Visitors Center and ends at Faneuil Hall, covering nearly a dozen sites along the Freedom Trail. Our Freedom Trail Players ensure that the tour is engaging and interactive, while remaining historically accurate. The tour is appropriate for all ages, and consists of less than a mile of walking.

Walking tours everyday @ 11:00
Friday & Saturdays @ 2pm as well
$12 –adults, $6 – kids

www.thefreedomtrail.org/book.htm

Privateer Sail

Join your Colonial host on a tall ship sail See the sites of the Freedom Trail from a whole new perspective by sea! Begin with a half-hour walking tour of the Trail from the Old South Meeting House to Long Wharf, then board the Clipper Ship Liberty for 90 minutes in full sail on the water. Colonial, costumed characters will tell the stories of Boston's Revolutionary sites from shore to ship. Interactive and fun for all ages! Available June through August.
Available June -August

Call 617-357-8300 for rates and reservations.

National Parks Free Tour

The Boston National Historical Park Visitor Center is located at 15 State Street. Friendly Park Rangers staff the center year round and provide scheduled, seasonal free tours. A book and souvenir shop inside the center offers a variety of informative reading materials, postcards and other visitor products.

Tour Season: 10 & 2
Winter: 2PM only

Call: 617-242-5642 for info and reservations.

The Greater Boston Convention and Visitor Center

The Visitor Center is located at 147 Tremont Street on Boston Common, and is operated year-round. Visitors can purchase a range of maps and informative guides about the Trail , which begins here, at nominal prices. The Visitor Center also distributes free brochures and pamphlets about other Boston and Greater Boston attractions.
Regularly scheduled Freedom Trail Tours, and The Freedom Trail Foundation's self-guided Antenna Audio Tour are available from this site throughout the year.

Hours: Monday through Saturday 8:30-5; Sunday 9-5

Call: 1-888-SEE BOSTON

www.BostonUSA.com