Best Boston Historic Sites

Boston's historic sites are laid out here for first-time visitors and locals who never got around to going in. Most sit along the Freedom Trail and the Black Heritage Trail, spread across downtown, the North End, Beacon Hill and Charlestown. The Old State House is the city's oldest surviving public building, and a cobblestone circle outside marks the Boston Massacre site. Nearby, Faneuil Hall has a grasshopper weathervane on its cupola. In the North End, Old North Church is where two lanterns in the steeple signaled "by sea," and its crypt tours are a highlight. In Charlestown, climb the 294 steps of the Bunker Hill Monument for a free view of the city where the Freedom Trail ends. On Beacon Hill, the African Meeting House is the oldest Black church building still standing in the U.S.

Paul Revere House fills with tour groups on summer days, so go early.