The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) path through downtown Boston, Massachusetts, that passes by 16 locations significant to the history of the United States. Marked largely with brick, it winds between Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. Stops along the trail include simple explanatory ground markers, graveyards, notable churches and buildings, and a historic naval frigate.
While most of the sites are free or suggest donations, the Old South Meeting House, the Old State House, and the Paul Revere House charge admission. The Freedom Trail is overseen by the City of Boston’s Freedom Trail Commission and is supported in part by grants from various nonprofits and foundations, private philanthropy, and Boston National Historical Park.
Although tourists flock the Freedom Trail, this pedestrian path coincides with the day-to-day rush of downtown Boston. You’ll see revolutionary sites in a modern setting and walk alongside commuters and kids after-school. The experience paints a fitting portrait of how Boston has evolved around these landmarks, which have become a part of everyday life.
Comprised of 16 places of interest, each one a milestone in the evolution of Boston from English colony to independence, the Freedom Trail is an essential component of any trip to Boston. This historic attraction literally lays out Boston’s colonial history before you on the very streets where the city’s most transformative events unfolded several hundred years ago.
The Freedom Trail Foundation offers 90-minute guided tours led by historical actors dressed in 18th-century garb. If you can get over the costumes, you’ll learn a lot from guides, who provide an in-depth primer on revolutionary history while in character, which is harder than it looks! If you would rather take an audio tour, download the foundation’s snazzy new smartphone app and benefit from guided expertise on your own schedule. During Black History Month (February) and Women’s History Month (March), the foundation also leads specific tours with a narrow focus on the historic contributions of each group.
According to en.wikipedia; trolleytours.com. Source of photos: internet
