Greater Boston and Cambridge welcome guests to historic homes and sites
Literary Trail of Greater Boston
Omni Parker House
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-350-0358
A tour for everyone who loves history, good books, and beautiful settings. Discover the homes, gathering places, and landscapes of America's most beloved authors on a guided tour, or on your own with the Self-Guided Tour Package. Travel from Boston to Cambridge and Concord and visit sites such as Walden Pond, Longfellow House, Concord Museum, and Orchard House. Tours depart from the Omni Parker House the second Saturday of the month, beginning August.
Longfellow National Historic Site
105 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA
Phone: 617-876-4491
A historic "double whammy," this site was headquarters for George Washington in 1775 and 1776. It was author Longfellow's home in 1837-38. There is an admission charge.
Louisburg Square
Beacon Hill
Boston, MA
This residential and historic square is surrounded by homes once resided in by Louisa May Alcott, William Dean Howells, and other famous Boston residents.
Memorial Hall Transept at Harvard University
45 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 617-496-4595
This memorial space boasts a 2,600-square-foot marble floor, a 60-foot-high wooden gothic vault, two stained glass windows spanning 708 square feet each, stenciled walls, and 28 white marble tablets bearing the names of 136 Harvard associates who fell on behalf of the Union cause during the Civil War.
Mount Auburn Cemetery
580 Mount Auburn Street
Cambridge, MA
Phone: 617-547-7105
In this cemetery are the graves of architect Charles Bulfinch, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Winslow Homer, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, in a tranquil arboretum and garden-like setting.
New England Holocaust Memorial
Union Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-457-8755
Commemorates the millions of lives lost in Nazi concentration camps during World War II.
Nichols House Museum
55 Mount Vernon Street
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: 617-227-6993
Open: May 1 - October 31, Tuesday through Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; November 1 - April 30, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; closed most major holidays
Built in 1804, this home on Beacon Hill features exhibits of antique furniture and household items. Admission charge.
Old Burying Ground
Garden Street and Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA
Historic cemetery features the graves of eight Harvard presidents, and Cato Stedman and Neptune Frost -- both African-American veterans of the Revolution.
Old Corner Bookstore
1 School Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-367-4000
Still operating as a bookstore today, this historic site was home to quite a group: Longfellow, Thoreau, Emerson, Hawthorne, and Oliver Wendell Homes met here to plan and discuss their works.
Old Manse
269 Monument Street
Concord, MA 01742
Phone: 978-369-3909
Fax: 978-287-6154
Find your place
Overlooking the North Bridge, site of the first organized armed resistance of the Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775, this National Historic Landmark was built ca.1770 by the minister, Reverend William Emerson. Emerson's grandson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, first drafted his essay "Nature" while living at the Old Manse. Nathaniel Hawthorne and his bride, Sophia, honeymooned here from 1842 to 1845. Hawthorne named the house in 1846 when a collection of his short stories was published as “Mosses from an Old Manse”. The house contains 200 years of family furnishings, including a Steinway cross-strung grand piano, eighteenth-century Cantonware, William Emerson's clock, and Nathaniel Hawthorne's writing desk.
Old North Church
193 Salem Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-523-6676
Still in use today, the oldest church in Boston was built in 1723. The building played a truly reknowned role during the Revolution as the spot where lanterns were hung -- "one if by land, two if by sea" -- to warn about the approach of British troops.
Old Schwamb Mill
17 Mill Lane at 29 Lowell Street
Arlington, MA 02474
Phone: 617-643-0554
Open: Tuesdays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
The historic Old Schwamb Mill site itself survives as a continuously operating site where, for more than 300 years, immigrant Puritan, Yankee, and German entrepreneurs harnessed the water power of a fast-moving brook to run machines and develop a series of family-owned businesses. Today The Old Schwamb Mill continues to produce museum quality hand turned wooden oval and circular frames. See the production of a frame and hear what the woodworker says about his work.
Old South Meeting House
310 Washington Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-482-6439
Built in 1729, the Old South Meeting House was the largest building in colonial Boston. Hosting historic gatherings such as the outraged protests over the Boston Massacre to the infamous meeting where Samuel Adams launched the Boston Tea Party, Old South continues to be an active meeting place in Boston. The exhibition "Voices of Protest" and innovative, hands-free audio program "If These Walls Could Speak" tell the story of compelling figures from Old South's history and reveal the controversial history of free speech that continues to this day. Open daily, modest admission charged.
Old State House (Museum of Boston History)
Corner of State Street and Washington Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-720-1713
Visit Boston’s oldest public building, the seat of Royal authority, where the American Revolution was fomented by Sam Adams, James Otis, John Adams, and John Hancock. See tea from the Boston Tea Party; objects from the Boston Massacre, Battle of Bunker Hill; Paul Revere’s handiwork; John Hancock’s red velvet coat. Daily 9-5. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Olmsted National Historic Site
99 Warren Street
Brookline, MA
Phone: 617-566-1689
A mansion with federal style architecture and early 19th century furnishings and household items on display. Tours are available to the public, there is an admission fee.
Otis House Museum
141 Cambridge Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-277-3956
Open year round, Wednesday-Sunday. Tours every half hour, 11 a.m. -5 p.m.
Discover what life was like for Boston’s elite after the American Revolution, as the city grew and Beacon Hill became the most fashionable address. In 1796, Harrison Gray Otis, a congressman and real estate entrepreneur, and his wife, Sally, lived and entertained lavishly in this elegant home, designed by Charles Bulfinch. Today the house portrays both high-style living in the Federal era and the cycles of change in a dynamic urban neighborhood. Museum shop.
Admission: $8. Seniors, $7; students and children, $4.
Park Street Church
1 Park Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-523-3383
Site where, in 1829, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison gave his first speech against slavery.
Paul Revere House
19 North Square
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-523-2338
The oldest building in downtown Boston, built in 1680, was also home to Paul Revere; whose patriotic ride is one of the most famous events
of the Revolutionary War. Open year-round. See www.paulreverehouse.org for information.
Quincy House
20 Muirhead Street
Quincy, MA
Phone: 617-227-3956
Open seasonally. Visit HistoricNewEngland.org for hours and admission
Built as a country estate in 1770 for Revolutionary War leader Colonel Josiah Quincy, the house features an unusual monitor, or half-story space above the roof with small windows on all sides. From here Quincy had a clear view of shipping lanes in and out of Boston Harbor and on October 10, 1775, scratched “Governor Gage sail'd for England with a fair wind” into one of the windows. That pane of glass was carefully preserved by the family, and is on display in the house today. The family produced three mayors of Boston and a president of Harvard.
Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial
Boston Common
Boston, MA
Sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gauden, commemorating the service of the Civil War's first black regiment.
Site of the First Public School and Franklin Statue
School Street
Boston, MA
Built in 1635, the nation's first public school had Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Cotton Mather as students.
State House
Beacon Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-727-3676
The capital building for the State of Massachusetts was originally designed by Charles Bulfinch and constructed in 1795. Tours of the site are held regularly, Monday-Friday.
Trinity Church
Copley Square
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-536-0944
This church, built in 1877, was designed by H. H. Richardson, and is a prime example of the Romanesque architectural style.
U.S. Naval Shipbuilding Museum
739 Washington Street (the former Fore River Shipyard)
Quincy, MA 02169
Phone: 617-479-7900
Open: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
This museum features the U.S.S. Salem, a U.S. Navy battleship in use early this century. Admission charge.
USS Cassin Young
Pier 1, Charlestown Navy Yard
Charlestown, MA
Phone: 617-242-5601
Guided tours of this floating museum focus on the history and active duty life of this World War II destroyer. Free admission.
USS Constitution Museum
Charlestown Navy Yard
Charlestown, MA 02129
Phone: 617-242-7511
Open: Open: April 15 –October 15, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; October 16-April 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Abiel Smith School
46 Joy Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-725-0022
The first public school in the U.S. to teach black children, built in 1834. Currently the site of the Museum of African-American History and the Black Heritage Trail.
Adams National Historic Site
135 Adams Street
Quincy, MA
Phone: 617-770-1175
This landmark estate was home to the Adams family for 4 generations, including two U.S. Presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Open seasonally. There is an admission charge.
African Meeting House
8 Smith Court
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-739-1200
Built in 1806, this structure is the oldest standing black church in the nation. In 1832 the Antislavery Society was founded at the site. Exhibits on display.
Black Heritage Trail
46 Joy Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-725-0022
Beginning at the African Meeting House on Smith Court, this walking tour follows the history of the African-American community in 19th century Boston. Many of the sites are open to the public and are listed separately here. The the walk includes the following: The African Meeting House (1806), Smith Court, the Abiel Smith School (1834), the George Middleton House (1797), 54th Regiment Memorial on Boston Common, Phillips School, the John J. Smith House, the Lewis and Harriet Hayden House, and Coburn's Gaming House (1844).
Boston by Sea: A Seafaring Adventure Through Boston's Past
Rowes Wharf
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-542-8000
Cruise the Harbor aboard Mass Bay lines as live actors bring the history of Boston and its Harbor to life through authentic maritime music, original skits, and fascinating true stories. Learn about the Boston Tea Party, "Old Ironsides," pirates, and more. Tours depart from Rowes Wharf.
Boston Common
Between Beacon and Tremont Streets
Boston, MA
The center of many activities throughout the year, the city's grand park is the oldest park in the United States. Nearly 50 acres in size.
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-223-8666
This state park is part of the 34-island Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area. The islands can be reached via a 45-minute ferry ride from downtown Boston. Islands offer shell and slate beaches. Lovells Island has a swimming beach. Bumpkin Island has slate and shell beaches.
Boston Massacre Site
Next to the Old State House
Boston, MA
On March 5, 1770, British Redcoats fired on a mob of colonists at this site. Five were killed, among them Crispus Attucks, the first African-American patriot to be killed in the Revolution. The massacre was a watershed event in the period leading up to the American Revolution.
Boston National Historical Park Visitor Center
15 State Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-242-5642
Historical exhibits are featured at the park site, which also has a variety of available maps and brochures. The Freedom Trail tour is sponsored here.
Boston Public Library
666 Boylston Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-536-5400
Historic building, built in the style of the Italian Renaissance, and featuring sculptures, paintings, murals, and a courtyard.
Boston Women's Heritage Trail
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-522-2872
This walk honors some of the city's most prominent women, encompassing Beacon Hill, the North End, Chinatown, and downtown Boston. Maps for this walk are available at Boston Common.
Bunker Hill Monument
Monument Square
Charlestown, MA
Phone: 617-242-5641
Monument marks the site of the Bunker Hill skirmish, one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War, which took place on June 17, 1775. Free admission.
Bunker Hill Pavilion
55 Constitution Road
Charlestown, MA
Phone: 617-241-7575
The Battle of Bunker Hill is recreated in multi-media show, which runs seasonally. There is an admission charge.
Captain Robert Bennet Forbes House
215 Adams Street
Milton, MA
Phone: 617-696-1815
Built in the 19th century, this sea captain's home features a collection of antique porcelain, as well as other historic artifacts. There is an admission fee.
Charles River Museum of Industry
154 Moody Street
Waltham, MA 02453
Phone: 617-893-5410
Open: Thursday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Located in America's first factory, the history 1814 Boston Manufacturing Company textile mill, on the National Register of Historic Places. Exhibits include the American Industrial Revolution, steam power, Waltham Watch Company, plus the bicycle and automobile manufacturing industries along the Charles River. Explore the inventions that powered America into the modern age and the geniuses who perfected them. Admission charge.
Charlestown Navy Yard
National Historic Park
Charlestown, MA
Phone: 617-242-5692
Visitors will get a glimpse into the Naval history of Boston at this site, actively used by the U.S. Navy from 1800 until 1974. Includes a museum detailing the history of "Old Ironsides," the USS Constitution. Admission to the Navy Yard is free.
Christ Church
Garden Street
Cambridge, MA
Phone: 617-876-0200
Used as a barracks during the Revolutionary War, this 1761 church is the oldest surviving church building in the country.
Cambridge Turnpike at Lexington Road
Concord, MA 01742
Phone: 978-369-9763
Fax: 978-369-9660
Exploring historic Concord? Begin at the Concord Museum!
Concord’s remarkable past is brought to life through artifacts from an outstanding collection, self-touring galleries, period rooms, audios and hands-on activities. Highlights include the Exploring Concord film and engaging Why Concord? history galleries; a nationally-significant collection of Concord-made clocks, silver and furniture; Revolutionary War artifacts including the famous Revere lantern; American literary treasures in the Thoreau Gallery and the study of Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great spokesman for individualism and self-reliance. A visit to the Concord Museum provides an inspiring introduction for an exploration of this famous community. Open daily year round.
Copp's Hill Burial Ground
Uphill from the Old North Church
Boston, MA
Pre-revolutionary graves can be found here, including those of Cotton Mather and Edward Hart, builder of the USS Constitution.
Visitor Center - 1250 Hancock Street
Quincy, MA 02169
Phone: 617-471-1700
Fax: 617-471-3087
While in Quincy, be sure to visit our many historic treasures
Dorchester Heights Monument
Thomas Park
South Boston, MA
Phone: 617-742-5642
The site of the first battle won by George Washington during the Revolutionary War.
Dorchester Historical Society
195 Boston Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-265-7802
The Society maintains and exhibits three structures: The Blake House (built in 1648), the Lemuel Clapp House (built in 1710) and the William Clapp House (built in 1806), plus an extensive exhibit of Dorchester pottery.
Fairbanks House
511 East Street
Dedham, MA
Phone: 617-326-1170
Built in 1636, this is the oldest surviving wooden-frame house in North America. Exhibits feature original home furnishings and textiles. Admission fee.
Faneuil Hall
Merchants Row
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-523-1300
Built in 1742, this marketplace and meeting area became a focal point of discussion and protest against the British government during the colonial era. Historical talks are held daily in what has become known as the "Cradle of Liberty."
4 South Market Bldg.
Boston, MA 02109
Phone: 617-523-1300
Fax: 617-523-1779
Faneuil Hall Marketplace rests adjacent to historic Faneuil Hall, which was built by merchant Peter Faneuil in 1742 and is now a prominent stop on The Freedom Trail. It began in 1764 as “The Cradle of Liberty. Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty rallied colonists to assert their independence during the American Revolution. Today it’s Boston’s central meeting place. The Marketplace is a treasure trove for shopping and dining in the Greek Revival-style Quincy Market filled with 45 international eateries and the flanking North and South Market buildings with 80 specialty shops. For information call 617-523-1300.
First Church
Garden Street
Cambridge, MA
Phone: 617-547-2724
Built in 1872, this church is a prime example of 19th century architecture.
Freedom Trail Foundation
99 Chauncy Street
Boston, MA 02111
Phone: 617-357-8300
Fax: 617-357-8303
Explore the rich history of America's Revolution
General Sylvanus Thayer Birthplace
786 Washington Street
Braintree, MA
Phone: 617-848-1640
Originally constructed in 1720, this home has been restored to its 18th century appearance and features authenic furnishings from that period. There is an admission charge.
Gibson House Museum
137 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-267-6338
Open: Year-round; visits are by guided tour, Wednesday-Sunday, 1, 2, 3 p.m.; closed New Year's Day, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
This Victorian home, built for Catherine Hammond Gibson in 1859, is open for visitors to observe the 19th century lifestyle and culture in Boston. Admission charge.
Granary Burying Ground
Tremont Street
Boston, MA
America's most historic cemetery features the graves of John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and those killed in the Boston Massacre. Free admission.
Harborwalk
Boston, MA
Phone: 850-337-8250
A self-guided walk that traces the history of the Boston waterfront. The tour begins at the Old State House, brochures are available at the National Park Service Visitor's Center on State Street.
Harvard University
26 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA
Phone: 617-495-1000
America's oldest university and one of the world's most revered learning institutions, Harvard has given degrees to some of the nation's most important historical figures. Campus tours are available regularly, admission is free.
Hooper Lee Nichols House
159 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA
Phone: 617-547-4252
The original structure, much of which is still visible, was built between 1685 and 1690. The house was remodeled into a Georgian mansion in the 1730s. Tours are available and there is an admission charge.
Innovation Odyssey Tour
28 State Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-350-0358
Visit the people and places behind Boston's great inventions. An actor/tour guide brings Boston innovations - from the telephone to the Internet - to life on this cutting-edge, two-hour tour of Boston and Cambridge. Sites include Harvard, MIT, and the Ether Dome at Massachusetts General Hospital. Imagine a world without computers, telephones, or anesthesia. Tours depart from 28 State Street, every Saturday at 2:00 pm. A shuttle from the Museum of Science departs at 1:40 pm.
527 Washington Street
Newton, MA 02458
Phone: 617-796-1450
Open: Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; closed Mondays and major holidays
The Jackson Homestead, a 1809 Federal-style farmhouse, is a nationally accredited museum and home to Newton's Historical Society. The exhibits and programs concentrate on topics of New England history, including the home as a site on the Underground Railroad. Collections include paintings, costumes, photographs, manuscripts, maps, and historical artifacts.
John Adams Birthplace
133 Franklin Street
Quincy, MA
Phone: 617-773-1177
This colonial saltbox, built in the early 18th century, was the birthplace of the 2nd President of the United States, John Adams. There is an admission fee.
John F. Kennedy Birthplace National Historic Site
83 Beals Street
Brookline, MA
Phone: 617-566-7937
Guided tours are available at the site, covering the house and neighborhood, where President John F. Kennedy was born in 1917. There is an admission charge.
Columbia Point
Boston, MA 02125
Phone: 617-514-1600
Toll-Free: 866-JFK-1960
Fax: 617-436-3395
The life, leadership, and legacy of President Kennedy
Situated on a 10-acre park overlooking Boston Harbor, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the nation's official memorial to John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States. The museum at the Kennedy Library enables visitors to step back into the recreated world of the early 1960s and experience first-hand the life and legacy of John F. Kennedy. In 25 dramatic exhibits, including three theaters and 20 video presentations, visitors are inspired by the stirring eloquence of John F. Kennedy and by the grace of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Open daily, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; closed New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
John Quincy Adams Birthplace
141 Franklin Street
Quincy, MA
Phone: 617-773-1177
In 1767, the 6th President of the United States was born here. Open seasonally. There is an admission fee.
King's Chapel
58 Tremont Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-523-1749
Founded as the first Anglican Church in America in 1754, this became the site of the country's first Unitarian church soon after the Revolution.
