Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
first-come-first-served tours are limited to 30 people (rangers distribute stickers start-
ing 30 min. before tour time) and not available in bad weather. No tours October
through March.
The nonprofit
Freedom Trail Foundation
(
&
617/357-8300;
www.thefreedom
trail.org) is an excellent resource as you plan your visit. The foundation's costumed
Freedom Trail Players
lead 90-minute tours ($12 adults, $10 seniors and students,
$6 children under 13) on two different, overlapping routes around downtown and the
North End. Make reservations online, allowing time to explore the interactive web-
site. It lists a plethora of other activities, including a pub crawl (participants must be
21 years old) and holiday stroll.
The best time to start on the trail is in the morning. During the summer and fall,
aim for a weekday if possible. Try not to set out later than midafternoon, because
attractions will be closing and you'll run into the evening rush hour.
Boston Common
In 1634, when their settlement was just 4 years old, the town
fathers paid the Rev. William Blackstone £30 for this property. In 1640 it was set aside
as common land. The 45 or so acres of the country's oldest public park have served as
a cow pasture, a military camp, and the site of hangings, protest marches, and visits
by dignitaries. Today the Common is a bit run-down, especially compared with the
adjacent Public Garden, but an overhaul began in 2007. Even with large parcels of
land roped off for renovation, the Common buzzes with activity all day. You might see
a demonstration, a musical performance, a picnic lunch, or a game of tag—almost
anything but a cow. Cows have been banned since 1830, which seems to be one of the
few events related to the Common that isn't commemorated with a plaque.
One of the loveliest markers is on this route; head up the hill inside the fence, walk-
ing parallel to Park Street. At Beacon Street is a
memorial
designed by Augus-
tus Saint-Gaudens to celebrate the deeds (indeed, the very existence) of Col. Robert
Gould Shaw and the Union Army's
54th Massachusetts Colored Regiment,
who
fought in the Civil War. You might remember the story of the first American army
unit made up of free black soldiers from the movie
Glory.
To continue on the Freedom Trail:
Cross Beacon Street.
Between Beacon, Park, Tremont, Boylston, and Charles sts. Visitor information center: 146 Tremont St.
&
888/SEE-
BOSTON
or 617/536-4100. www.bostonusa.com. Mon-Sat 8:30am-5pm; Sun 9am-5pm. T: Green or Red Line to Park St.
Massachusetts State House
Boston is one of the only American cities where a
building whose cornerstone was laid in 1795 (by Gov. Samuel Adams) would be called
the “new” anything. Nevertheless, this is the new State House, as opposed to the Old
State House (see below). The great Federal-era architect Charles Bulfinch designed the
central building of the state capitol, and in 1802 copper sheathing manufactured by
Paul Revere replaced the shingles on the landmark dome. Gold leaf now covers the
dome; during World War II blackouts, it was painted black. The state legislature, or
Massachusetts General Court, meets here. The House of Representatives congregates
under a wooden fish, the
Sacred Cod,
as a reminder of the importance of fishing to
the local economy. Take a self-guided tour or call ahead to schedule a conducted tour.
Whether or not you go inside, be sure to study some of the many statues outside.
Subjects range from
Mary Dyer,
a Quaker hanged on the Common in 1660 for refus-
ing to abandon her religious beliefs, to Pres.
John F. Kennedy.
The 60-foot monu-
ment at the rear (off Bowdoin St.) illustrates Beacon Hill's original height, before the
top was shorn off to use in 19th-century landfill projects.
