History · Boston · United States
8 historic sites to see in Boston
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: ajay_suresh, CC BY 4.0
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Quick answer
Start with Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market and Fenway Park. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 13–15 hours across 6 areas; 5 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 5
- Time to see them all
- 13–15 hours
- Areas
- Downtown, Fenway–Kenmore and North End
Historic sites in Boston
Historic site · Downtown
1.Freedom Trail
A red-brick line in the pavement links sixteen historic sites over about 4 km: Boston Common, the State House, the Granary Burying Ground where Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and John Hancock are buried, the Old State House near the Boston Massacre site, Faneuil Hall, the Paul Revere House, Old North Church and, across the river in Charlestown, USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Outdoors
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Market · Downtown
2.Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market
Behind it, the 1820s granite colonnade of Quincy Market is a long food hall, and the cobbled plazas between the market buildings fill with street performers.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Food
- Shopping
Landmark · Fenway–Kenmore
3.Fenway Park
Guided tours run year-round, including on many game days.
- Time needed
- 3 hours for a game; 1 hour for a tour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- After dark
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Religious site · North End
4.Old North Church and Paul Revere House
A few blocks away, the Paul Revere House of around 1680 is the oldest building in downtown Boston.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Iconic
- Architecture
Historic site · Charlestown
5.USS Constitution
US Navy sailors lead free tours of her decks, and the USS Constitution Museum stands next to her in the Charlestown Navy Yard.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Kids
Historic site · Cambridge
6.Harvard Yard
Nearby are the Harvard Art Museums, under a Renzo Piano glass roof, and the Harvard Museum of Natural History with its collection of botanically precise glass flowers.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Architecture · Back Bay
7.Boston Public Library, Central Library
Inside are the barrel-vaulted Bates Hall reading room with its green lamps, John Singer Sargent's mural cycle on the third floor and an arcaded courtyard with a fountain, all free to visit.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- History
Religious site · Back Bay
8.Trinity Church
H. Richardson's 1877 church of rugged Romanesque Revival stone faces Copley Square, its interior covered in murals by John La Farge. Its reflection in the mirrored glass of 200 Clarendon, the tower formerly known as the John Hancock Tower, is one of Boston's classic photographs.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Photo spot
- Art
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown | Freedom Trail and Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market | 3–4 hours + 1 hour |
| Fenway–Kenmore | Fenway Park | 3 hours for a game; 1 hour for a tour |
| North End | Old North Church and Paul Revere House | 1.5 hours |
| Charlestown | USS Constitution | 1.5 hours |
| Cambridge | Harvard Yard | 1–2 hours |
| Back Bay | Boston Public Library, Central Library and Trinity Church | 1 hour + 45 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 5 free, 2 low cost, 1 mid-priced. Book ahead for Fenway Park. The longest visit is Freedom Trail; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Fenway Park: Popular games sell out; buy through the Red Sox's official ticketing rather than street resellers.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Downtown): Freedom Trail → Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Fenway–Kenmore and North End): Fenway Park → Old North Church and Paul Revere House, at least 5 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Charlestown, Cambridge and Back Bay): USS Constitution → Harvard Yard → Boston Public Library, Central Library, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Back Bay): Trinity Church, at least 1 hour.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 4°C (39°F), about 10 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Still deep winter and the snowiest month in many years; good for indoor museums and hockey.
- January: highs of 3°C (37°F), about 11 rainy days, very quiet crowds. The coldest month, with snow and biting wind; museums are quiet and hotel rates are among the lowest of the year.
- November: highs of 11°C (52°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and grey after the leaves fall, with good hotel value outside Thanksgiving week.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Back Bay — Victorian brownstones, Newbury Street boutiques and Copley Square
- North End — Boston's Little Italy, with trattorias, pastry shops and Paul Revere's house
- Cambridge and Harvard Square — Harvard Yard, MIT, bookshops and cafés across the Charles River
- Fenway–Kenmore — Fenway Park, the Museum of Fine Arts and student bars on Lansdowne Street
More of Boston
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Boston?
Freedom Trail. A red-brick line in the pavement links sixteen historic sites over about 4 km: Boston Common, the State House, the Granary Burying Ground where Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and John Hancock are buried, the Old State House near the Boston Massacre site, Faneuil Hall, the Paul Revere House, Old North Church and, across the river in Charlestown, USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument.
+Which of these are free in Boston?
Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, USS Constitution, Harvard Yard and Boston Public Library, Central Library.