Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
church (dotted with more plaques) are open to the public. On the south side of the
church, volunteers maintain an 18th-century garden.
Free tours of the church begin every 15 minutes, year-round. The 50-minute
behind-the-scenes tour
($8 adults, $5 children under 17), which includes visits to
the steeple and the crypt, is available on weekdays and on weekend afternoons from
June to October, and the rest of the year by appointment. Tickets are available for
advance purchase online.
To continue on the Freedom Trail:
Cross Salem Street onto Hull Street and walk
uphill toward Copp's Hill Burying Ground. On the left you'll pass 44 Hull St., a pri-
vate residence that's the narrowest (10 ft. wide) house in Boston.
193 Salem St.
&
617/523-6676.
www.oldnorth.com. $3 donation requested. June-Oct daily 9am-5pm; March-
May and Nov daily 9am-5pm; Dec daily 10am-5pm; Jan-Feb Tues-Sun 10am-4pm. Sun services (Episcopal) 9 and
11am. T: Orange or Green Line to Haymarket.
Copp's Hill Burying Ground
The second-oldest cemetery (1659) in the city is the
burial place of Cotton Mather and his family, Robert Newman, and Prince Hall. Hall,
a prominent member of the free black community that occupied the north slope of the
hill in colonial times, fought at Bunker Hill and established the first black Masonic
lodge. The highest point in the North End, Copp's Hill was the site of a windmill and
of the British batteries that destroyed the village of Charlestown during the Battle of
Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. Charlestown is clearly visible (look for the masts of the
USS
Constitution
) across the Inner Harbor. No gravestone rubbing is allowed.
To continue on the Freedom Trail:
Follow Hull Street down the hill to Commer-
cial Street (be careful crossing Commercial at the dangerous intersection with Hull)
and follow the trail to North Washington Street and across the bridge. Follow signs
and the trail to the Charlestown Navy Yard.
Off Hull St. near Snowhill St. Daily 9am-5pm (until 3pm in winter). T: Green or Orange Line to North Station.
USS Constitution
“Old Ironsides,”
one of the U.S. Navy's six original
frigates, never lost a battle. A tour, led by an active-duty sailor in an 1812 dress uni-
form, is an excellent introduction to an era when the future of the new nation was
anything but certain. The ship was constructed in the North End from 1794 to 1797
at a cost of $302,718, using bolts, spikes, and other fittings from Paul Revere's
foundry. As the United States built its naval and military reputation, the
Constitution
played a key role, battling French privateers and Barbary pirates, repelling the British
fleet during the War of 1812, participating in 40 engagements, and capturing 20 ves-
sels. The frigate earned its nickname during a battle on August 19, 1812, when shots
from HMS
Guerriere
bounced off its thick oak hull as if it were iron.
Kids
Security on “Old Ironsides”
The Charlestown Navy Yard, home to USS
Constitution
and the Constitution
Museum, is a heavily guarded area. At press time, a visitor center that incorpo-
rates a screening facility is in the works and scheduled to open in the summer
of 2008. Regardless of the security arrangements during your visit, expect a
search of your bags and a trip through a metal detector. And call ahead if the
national terror alert is high; the navy yard closes to civilians at the first sign of
a serious threat.
Tips
