Boston National Historical Park

Park Collection of Revolutionary War sites across central Boston

Historic circuit of Revolutionary War sites threaded through downtown Boston - parts of the Freedom Trail, Bunker Hill Monument and Charlestown Navy Yard. Visitors arrive for guided history walks, museum exhibits and Revolutionary-era architecture.

Boston National Historical Park is a U.S. National Park Service unit that encompasses multiple sites in Boston and Charlestown tied to the American Revolution and the early United States. It preserves and interprets key historic buildings, monuments, and landscapes in the city.

The park includes a network of historic sites and structures that are accessed by walking routes such as the Freedom Trail; visitors can see period buildings, markers, and monuments that explain events from the colonial era through the Revolution. Many locations offer NPS visitor information, interpretive panels, and ranger-led programs.

The park was established by the federal government to protect and interpret Boston-area sites associated with the Revolutionary period and the early Republic. Individual sites date from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries and have been preserved, restored, or adapted for public interpretation.

Sites are distributed across central Boston and the Charlestown neighborhood, within and close to the city’s historic core and accessible on foot or by short public-transit trips.

Multiple historic sites: Comprises multiple Revolutionary-era and early Republic sites across central Boston and Charlestown that are connected by the Freedom Trail and other historic routes.
National Park Service unit: Most sites are managed or interpreted by the U.S. National Park Service and are clustered within walking distance of downtown Boston.

How to Get to Boston National Historical Park #

Boston National Historical Park sites are distributed across central Boston. The Freedom Trail begins at Boston Common (Park Street Station on the Red and Green Lines) and continues east toward the North End; many sites are within easy walking distance of Downtown Crossing and Faneuil Hall (State Street and Government Center stations on the Blue/Orange/Green Lines).

Tips for Visiting Boston National Historical Park #

Start the Freedom Trail at the Boston Common Visitor Center (near Park Street station) and follow the red brick line-do the route in the morning to avoid tour groups.
Bring a printed or downloaded National Park Service map; some site hours (e.g., Old State House, Faneuil Hall areas) vary seasonally.
Take the short detour to the South End's black brick rowhouses if time allows-Boston's architectural shifts are compressed and visible on foot.