Freedom Trail, Boston: history, the 16 sites, how to get there and tickets

The Freedom Trail in Boston is a 2.5-mile walking route through downtown, the North End and Charlestown. It links 16 historic sites, from Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument, and a red line on the sidewalks shows the way. Walking it is free and needs no ticket; only four partner-owned sites along it charge admission. People come to see in one day where the American Revolution began.

Freedom Trail history: from a newspaper column to a red line

The Freedom Trail Foundation tells the story this way. In 1951 Bill Schofield, a writer at the Boston Herald-Traveler, and Bob Winn, a member of Old North Church, saw that visitors had trouble finding the historic sites. Schofield proposed a marked route in his column of March 8, 1951. On June 11, 1951, at noon, Mayor John B. Hynes dedicated the Freedom Trail, and the city put painted signs at 30 street corners.

The first trail was about 1.2 miles, Boston Common to the North End, and some 40,000 people used it in 1953. The Freedom Trail Committee formed in 1958, the year the red line went down; before that only signs marked the path. The nonprofit Freedom Trail Foundation followed in 1964. In 1972 the trail was extended into Charlestown and came to include all 16 official sites.

More than 4 million people walk it each year, by the foundation's count. Several sites belong to Boston National Historical Park, 43 acres in downtown Boston, Charlestown and South Boston run by the National Park Service; others belong to park partners. Since 2009 the foundation's Preservation Fund has given those sites more than $450,000 for repairs.

What to see on the Freedom Trail: the 16 sites

The foundation lists the official sites in this order:

1. Boston Common
2. Massachusetts State House
3. Park Street Church
4. Granary Burying Ground
5. King's Chapel and King's Chapel Burying Ground
6. Boston Latin School Site and Benjamin Franklin Statue
7. Old Corner Bookstore
8. Old South Meeting House
9. Old State House
10. Boston Massacre Site
11. Faneuil Hall
12. Paul Revere House
13. Old North Church
14. Copp's Hill Burying Ground
15. USS Constitution
16. Bunker Hill Monument

Faneuil Hall holds an NPS visitor center on the first floor and the Great Hall on the second, both free. In summer, ranger-guided tours start in its basement.

In Charlestown, guided tours of USS Constitution are given by active duty US Navy sailors. At the Charlestown Navy Yard you can also board the museum ship USS Cassin Young. The Navy Yard visitor center is in Building 5, just past Gate 1, the Yard's original main entrance.

The trail ends at the Bunker Hill Monument, a 221-foot granite obelisk marking the battle of June 17, 1775, the first major battle of the Revolution, fought on Breed's Hill. Lafayette laid the cornerstone 50 years after the battle, and the monument was dedicated in 1843. The top is 294 steps up a tight spiral stair. Touch screens in the Bunker Hill Lodge show live views from the top if you would rather not climb.

How to get to the Freedom Trail

The foundation points to these MBTA subway stations:

Park Street station is at Tremont and Winter Streets and has elevators (station page on mbta.com). Foundation information centers are on Boston Common (139 Tremont Street), at Faneuil Hall (the ArtsBoston Booth, south side, near the Sam Adams statue) and at the Charlestown Navy Yard.

In Charlestown, Community College station on the Orange Line is at Austin Street and Rutherford Avenue; NPS names North Station as the closest station to the Navy Yard. Commuter ferries run to the Navy Yard throughout the day from Long Wharf and Lovejoy Wharf. Garages listed by the foundation include Boston Common Garage (0 Charles Street), Government Center Garage (50 New Sudbury Street) and Nautica Parking Garage (88 Constitution Road) in Charlestown; the full list is on its directions and parking page.

Freedom Trail hours and tickets

No entrance pass is needed for the national park. NPS says site hours vary with the seasons, and peak season in Boston is generally May through October. The Navy Yard grounds are open 24 hours a day.

The Paul Revere House (19 North Square) is open 10 am to 5:15 pm from April 15 to October 31 and 10 am to 4:15 pm from November 1 to April 14. It closes Mondays in January, February and March, and on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Old South Meeting House and the Old State House are open daily 10 am to 5 pm. Old North Church is open to visitors Tuesday to Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 12:30 to 5 pm.

Hours and prices checked on November 5, 2026 at nps.gov, revolutionaryspaces.org, oldnorth.com and paulreverehouse.org.

The paid sites are privately run, rely on admission fees and do not accept National Park passes. For current hours of the free sites, see the park's operating hours page or call 617-242-5601.

Tours and tips before you go

The foundation runs its own tours. Walk Into History lasts 90 minutes and starts at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center. Others, also 90 minutes, include North End Paul Revere (from the ArtsBoston Booth), African American Patriots, Revolutionary Women, Rainbow Revolutionaries and Lantern. The Freedom Trail Tour App covers the route in about two hours. Times and tickets are on the foundation's tours page; NPS offers a free app for iOS and Android.

Rules from NPS: visitors 18 and over may need a photo ID at the USS Constitution security entrance, and the ship has limited accessibility. Only 25 people may be inside the Bunker Hill Monument at a time, climbing may close for weather, and service animals cannot go in. To avoid steps in the Old North Church courtyard coming from downtown, turn left on Unity Street, right on Tileston Street, then right on Salem Street. More sights are in what to see in Boston, and the city itself is on our Boston page.

Questions people ask

Where does the Freedom Trail start and end?

The Freedom Trail starts on Boston Common, where the Freedom Trail Foundation has a visitor information center at 139 Tremont Street. It runs through downtown Boston and the North End and ends at the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. The whole route is 2.5 miles and is marked by a red line on the sidewalks.

Do you need a ticket to walk the Freedom Trail?

No. Following the red line is free, and Boston National Historical Park needs no entrance pass. Faneuil Hall, the Bunker Hill Monument and USS Constitution are free. Old South Meeting House, the Old State House, the Paul Revere House and Old North Church charge admission and do not accept National Park passes.

How many steps are in the Bunker Hill Monument?

The 221-foot granite Bunker Hill Monument has 294 steps, all on a tight spiral stair. Entry is free, but only 25 people may be inside at a time, and climbing can close for weather. For those who skip the climb, the National Park Service has touch screens with live views from the top in the Bunker Hill Lodge.

When was the red line added to the Freedom Trail?

Mayor John B. Hynes dedicated the trail on June 11, 1951, after Bill Schofield proposed it in his newspaper column, but at first only signs at 30 street corners marked the way. The red line was added in 1958, and the trail reached Charlestown, with USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument, in 1972.