If you are planning a trip to Boston it is possible that the first thing you find in travel blogs is the Freedom trail. And it is actually the most important attraction in the city. But do you know what it is? Do you want to know how it goes? How much distance does it have? What places are visited? All this information on the Boston Freedom Trail and much more we tell you next.

It is a route that allows visit the key points of Boston's history (and of the American Revolution). It has a length of about 4 km They can be easily traveled on foot in a couple of hours.

It's free (olé) and all you have to do is follow the "path" marked by a red brick line. There is also the option to join one of the guided tours They leave from the Visitor Center of the park, with a price of $ 12 and a duration of about 90 minutes.

The Freedom Trail has 16 different stops: from Boston Common Park to the port area and flagship USS Constitution.

Below we detail each of the most important monuments of the Freedom Trail, which show the history of Boston and the beginning of the USA. as a country:

Boston Common

Not only is it the most popular park in Boston, but it is the oldest public park in the entire United States: it was opened in 1634, which in the history of the country is very early. We recommend starting the visit here since between squirrels and small trees is the Freedom Trail Visitors Center, where we can get some map and free information.

What today is a recreation and rest center, during the War of Independence was a battlefield witnessing public executions. He also had an important role in the fight for civil rights, as it was the scene of the talks by Martin Luther King Jr, who, if you did not know, studied in Boston 😉 We already told you: Boston is a city full of history!

Massachusetts State House (Massachusetts Parliament)

It is the seat of the Massachusetts government, famous for its golden dome ... well, it is actually copper and coated with gold sheets. The strangest thing about the site is that, on the roof of the chamber of deputies, a cod is hung. As it is. At first it seems very freaky but it has a reason: Massachusetts was always famous for the fishing industry and, little by little, this fish became its symbol, so much so that it began to appear on its coins, stamps and posters of the city. Come on, it's a kind of Massachusetts totem, so I smelled for him. It also does not smell bad because it is made of wood.

Park street church

It is a church founded in 1809 that has a curious ex-record: its bell tower, with a height of 66 meters, was the tallest building in the United States, until in 1846, the Trinity Church was built, of course, in New York. What a cutie!

Here, William Lloyd Garrison delivered his first speech against slavery.

Granary Burying Ground

In the heart of the city is this cemetery with a few illustrious "guests". This is the case of Samuel Adams, Robert Treat Pain and John Hancock, three of the 56 signatories of the Declaration of Independence, or of the 5 nobles killed for protesting against the increase in rates during the Boston Massacre, which occurred on March 5, 1770. This date, together with that of December 16, 1773 (Tea Riot), was key in the beginning of the American War of Independence.

King's Chapel

It is called that since its president was, nothing more and nothing less, than King James II of England. The reason? I wanted there to be an Anglican church in the New Territories. It was built on the site of the oldest cemetery in the city, where some of the first settlers in the United States were buried. Among these was Mary Chilton, the first European woman to disembark in the New World, having crossed the Atlantic Ocean aboard the famous Mayflower in 1620. Joe, what are we telling you about, huh? XD

Statue of Benjamin Franklin and the Latin School of Boston

The Boston Latin School, opened in 1635, was the first public school in the United States. Here Benjamin Franklin, one of the most enlightened minds in the nation, studied. Throughout his life he was a poet, scientist and one of the parents of the country, although everyone remembers him for having been the inventor of the lightning rod (although I did not understand well if, when he did the kite experiment, he finished a seared tad).

Old Corner Book Store

It is one of the most beautiful buildings in downtown Boston and one of the most beloved by its inhabitants, in fact they were the ones who saved it: in 1960 they created an association to raise money and buy the building, protecting it from an announced death, because The plan of the city was for this land was the construction of a parking lot.

(We have put a photo of how it would be in the past, to see if with this reference you can find it today).

All right! We continue with the 8 remaining stops of Boston Freedom Trail tour

Old South Meeting House

This is where the meeting that started the tea riot (Tea Party) was held. And what was the tea riot? It was a protest during which the shipment of tea from England was thrown into the sea. Why was it done? Because England had just passed a new tax that imposed the importation of several products, among which was tea. And why did England increase import taxes? Because the colonists bought tea from the Dutch with better prices than those of the British Company of the Indies.

The tea riot was so important that it is remembered as the starting point of the War of Independence: the colonists, having crossed an entire ocean, wanted to get rid of the laws, taxes and the belt that had them at once. tied to England. Spoiler: they got it.

→ Here we leave you more info about the History of the United States.

Old state house

It is one of the most famous and striking buildings in Boston, especially for its architectural environment. It was the seat of the British Colonial Government until 1776, date that marks the Independence of the United States.

Boston Massacre Place

A stone circle recalls the exact location of the Boston Massacre, just in front of the east facade of the Old State House.

Faneuil Hall

It is one of the points that made us more excited to visit and the reason is nothing historical: right next to the Faneuil Hall is the Quincy Market, a gastronomic market (quite tourist, everything is said). Peeero, the Faneuil Hall is famous for something quite different: many know it as "the Cradle of Freedom" as the speeches that laid the foundation for the American Revolution were given within its walls.

Paul Revere House

It is considered the oldest house in Boston, built with wood in 1680. Here lived, between 1770 and 1800, Paul Revere, one of the heroes of the War of Independence, famous for the famous Midnight Ride, in which he warned the settlers of the arrival of the British.

Old North Church

It is famous for being the place from where the sacristan Robert Newman obeyed Paul Revere's instructions: “One if by land, and two if by sea”. He meant to light a lamp in case the British arrived from the ground, and two if they did it from the sea. He lit two. It was April 1775 and British troops would soon arrive to dispute the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Copp's Hill Cemetery

It is the second oldest cemetery in Boston, where Rober Newman rests among others. In the tombstone of Daniel Malcom, a merchant and patriot, you can see some holes caused by gunfire: apparently the English soldiers, who settled here their artillery during the War of Independence, trained firing between the graves.

Bunker Hill Monument

This obelisk commemorates the battle of Bunker Hill, the largest contest between British and Patriots, which ended with the victory of the English, although with a lot of deaths. Eye ... they won the battle and not the war, but that's another topic 😉

Navy frigate USS Constitution

The last stage of the Freedom Trail is this legendary ship of the American Navy, nothing more and nothing less than the oldest active warship in the US. As a curiosity to tell you that it owes its name to George Washington himself, the first president who wanted to call it the Constitution for which both (and many) fought.

Up to here our Boston Freedom Trail tour, we hope you liked it like us

Video: All 16 Stops on the Boston Freedom Trail (April 2024).