Freedom Trail Audio Tour, from Boston Common to Granary Burial Ground
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Go beyond Revolutionary War history books with this self-guided Freedom Trail walking tour.
As you walk along the 1.5 mile route from the Massachusetts State House to Boston’s oldest standing structure, the Paul Revere House, I’ll point out important historical landmarks like the Boston Common, and tell you how it became entangled in America’s first fraudulent land transaction.
I’ll guide you through the Granary Burial Ground to the graves of some of America’s forefathers, where you’ll hear about Paul Revere and his 13 successful careers, John Hancock and the trouble caused by his love of Madeira wine, and Samuel Adams who may or may not have committed financial fraud as the town’s tax collector.
I’ll show you the Omni Parker House Hotel and introduce you to famous former guests like legendary Victorian writer, Charles Dickens, and presidential assassin, John Wilkes Booth. I’ll also share a story or two about some of the hotel’s former employees which included Malcolm X and Ho Chi Minh.
By the end of the tour, you’ll know the answers to questions like:
- Why did the Puritans establish the nation’s first public school?
- Which of Paul Revere’s many rides is considered his greatest accomplishment?
- Why was the King’s Chapel built on top of a cemetery?
- Was a medical degree necessary to be a coroner in Massachusetts in the 1700s?
- How was Fort Wagner, the site of two of the Civil War battles, connected to Boston?
- Who did Abraham Lincoln call “the little woman that started this big war”?
- Why was Bill Clinton refused service at a bakery in the North End of Boston?
With every step of this tour, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how America won its freedom, established democracy, and created its constitution.
Give yourself 90 minutes to complete the tour, or longer if you’d like to enjoy any of the 87 Italian restaurants in the North End.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Mitch Lapin
I work as a historical tour guide specializing in Boston, MIT, Harvard, and The Battle Road from Lexington to Concord. For the National Archives I transcribe historical documents online. Through the Find A Grave Foundation, I offer my services as a volunteer photographer to genealogists and family members. My genealogical research dates back to 1630, the start of the first Great Migration.
I broke new ground historically completing primary research into the five years Paul Revere was a coroner of Boston. Ongoing I am updating the original listing by Edward and Evelyn Stickney of the 429 church bells produced by Paul Revere and Sons. One-hundred and thirty four are confirmed in use as far away as Singapore.
The Arlington Sanctum is my first novel available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. We search out MIAs in every American War of the 20th century.
My educational degree from Temple University and paralegal certificates from Bentley University provided me with the tools to research and present Boston’s unique history.
May I guide you on my fifth tour, The Old City of Boston walking you back to the 17th century? You may prefer my Boston Civil War, Boston Massacre, Boston in Brass & Bronze, and Freedom Trail tour as worthyl options.
We look forward to hearing from you or answering questions through our website or [email protected] or downloading our tour at Voicemap.me/Boston
Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 44
Paul Revere Museum
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How VoiceMap Works
Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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Massachusetts State House
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Boston Common
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Granary Burying Ground
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Tremont Temple Baptist Church
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Omni Parker House
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King's Chapel
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Boston Latin School and Benjamin Franklin Statue
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Boston's Old City Hall
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Boston Irish Famine Memorial
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Jewett Publishing House: Today a Chipotle Restaurant
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Old State House
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Faneuil Hall Marketplace
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Mike's Pastry
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Old North Church
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Paul Revere Park
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The Paul Revere House
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start location24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133, USA
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Total distance3km
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Final location19 N Square, Boston, MA 02113, USA
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Distance back to start location1km
Directions to Starting Point
Our tour begins below the State House Dome at the highest point in Boston and works its way down to the harbor. The State House sits at the top of the Boston Common at 24 Beacon and Park Street. The Green and Red lines have a Park Street stop at the foot of the Common. Walk uphill to the statehouse.
The Boston Common garage lies under the Common. Underground parking tops off at $18 for a full day. Exit the garage and walk uphill to the State House visible from any corner.
Our tour ends 1.7 miles later at the Paul Revere Museum in the North End, a/k/a Little Italy. Quincy Market and the heart of Boston is two minutes away.
Show Directions
Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
If you are thirsty, stop at Sam Adams brewery tucked under a plateau on the opposite side of Faneuil Hall.
On the second floor of Faneuil Hall is one of the largest paintings in America, 30 x 10 feet of Daniel Webster speaking to John Calhoun. Prior to the covid pandemic, park rangers did a fantastic 15-minute talk on the Constitution. Save Quincy Market for the end of the tour but enjoy a slice of Regina's Pizza and clam chowder at the Oyster bar. Local political color and fresh seafood with a flair can be purchased downstairs at the Salty Dog or calmly enjoyed upstairs: situated at the front of Quincy Market that abuts Faneuil Hall.
Recommended restaurants in the Italian North End are Antico Forno, 93 Salem Street. Mother Anna's, 211 Hanover Street, closest to the Rose Kennedy Greenway and Luccia's across from the Paul Revere Park at 417 Hanover Street; the best spicy seafood and most unusual ceiling portraits. For an old-world taste and demeanor try to find Bricco Salumeria's pastry shop 11 Broad Alley between Cross and Richmond Streets.
Best time of day
10:30 and 1:30 are the best times of the day. Some National Park Service sites are closed Monday and at 4:00. During November/December sunsets at 4:00 prox.
Precautions
Most stops comply with the American Disability Act. The Granary Burial Ground, stop 5, has three steps up to navigate. Wheelchairs or strollers should do well in all other stops and walks. The steps at the actual Boston Massacre site, stop 23, can be circumnavigated by reversing course on State Street, turning right on Congress Street, and approaching the front of Faneuil Hall at ground level.
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Questions and Reviews
Questions and Reviews
