Perhaps no other city was more integral to the earliest days of the U.S. than Boston. It is where colonists first rebelled against the British, where war sentiment was stoked and where countless patriots called home.
So it’s no surprise that Boston is full of neat historical sites. Here are a few Boston historical sites you can’t miss the next time you’re in town.
Paul Revere House: One of the Oldest Historical Sites in Boston
Located in the city’s beautiful North End, this is the home from which Paul Revere left on his famous midnight ride to warn of the advancing British Army. It’s an architectural beauty, built in 1680 and now maintained as a museum that visitors can explore for a small entry fee.
While you’re in the North End, be sure to take a walk around the historic neighborhood, which consists of haphazardly arranged, narrow cobblestone streets and a number of highly regarded restaurants.
Boston Common
Boston Common is the oldest city park in the U.S. It comprises 50 acres of land in central Boston, right next to the Granary Burying Ground and in the shadow of the Massachusetts State House, a historic building worth a visit in its own right. It’s been the site of many important civic events over the years, and it’s still used for civil gatherings today.
While you’re there, walk a block east to the intersection of Essex and Washington streets. Here once stood the famous Liberty Tree, under which colonists staged their first act of defiance against the British — a protest of the Stamp Act. The tree was later chopped down in retaliation by British loyalists, and a monument marks the spot today.
Boston Tea Party Site
Perhaps no historical event is so closely connected to Boston as when colonists dumped a shipment of tea into the harbor to protest taxes levied by the British Parliament in 1773. It’s an event still referenced in American politics today.
The Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum was built in the middle of Fort Point Channel near the Congress Street Bridge to mark the spot. On boats built in the colonial style, actors reenact the famous scene for museum visitors. The museum is also home to one of the original chests that held tea that day in 1773.
Granary Burying Ground
Dating back more than 350 years, this graveyard is located right in the middle of a busy section of Boston, but it’s full of so much greenery and colonial character that you’ll forget all about the city around you. It’s a calm reprieve and, despite its age, it’s not even the oldest cemetery in the Boston.
The Granary Burying Ground is the final resting place of Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock and many other patriots integral to America’s war for independence.
Walk the Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail was crafted to link some of Boston’s most important historical sites together in one path. It links 16 locations in a walkable route marked on the sidewalks. It begins in Boston Common and ends at the Bunker Hill Memorial.
Here’s a map of the entire trail.
Boston is an American treasure. Whether you are there on business or just for fun, make sure you devote some time to checking out the historical sites in Boston that offer a glimpse into the earliest days of the U.S.
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