Boston's Freedom Trail: Revolutionary Sites Walk

The Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile path through Boston, passes the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill. The cornerstone was laid on 4 July 1795 in a Masonic ceremony led by Paul Revere, then Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. The land was once owned by John Hancock. The wooden dome leaked, so in 1802 Revere's own company covered it with copper.

Visitor guidance: Located on Beacon Street.

Founded in 1660 on Tremont Street, the Granary is Boston's third-oldest cemetery and holds many Revolutionary names. Samuel Adams, signer of the Declaration of Independence, is buried here, and so are the five victims of the 1770 Boston Massacre near the Tremont Street entrance. An obelisk raised in 1827 honours the parents and relatives of Benjamin Franklin.

Visitor guidance: Free to enter from Tremont Street; the graves are in the older part near the gate.

Built in 1729 on Washington Street, this meeting house was the organizing point for the Boston Tea Party. On 16 December 1773 a crowd of 5,000 to 7,000 people met here to hear Samuel Adams speak against the Tea Act. After the meeting, a group raided three tea ships in the harbour. Today the building is a museum and historic church.

Visitor guidance: The museum is at 310 Washington Street.

Before the Revolution this was the seat of the colonial government. When the Boston Massacre happened nearby on 5 March 1770, Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson stood on the balcony and ordered colonists to go home. On 18 July 1776 the Declaration of Independence was read from the same balcony, and crowds burned the lion and unicorn on the roof. A cobblestone marker just east of the building shows where the Massacre took place.

Visitor guidance: Now a museum; the Massacre is reenacted outside every 5 March and the Declaration is read every 4 July.

Opened in 1742, Faneuil Hall was designed by artist John Smibert as a marketplace and meeting hall. It regularly hosted speeches by pro-independence Patriots such as Otis and Samuel Adams and was nicknamed the "Cradle of Liberty". The National Park Service runs a visitor center on its first floor, where you can get tours and free Freedom Trail maps.

Visitor guidance: The visitor center on the first floor is a good place to pick up a map.

Paul Revere bought the house at 21 North Square on 13 January 1770. It had been built by 1680 and was first owned by the merchant Robert Howard. In 1775, amid the American Revolution, Revere started his midnight ride from this house on 18 April. The same evening, lanterns were hung in the steeple of Old North Church, the next stop on the route.

Visitor guidance: The house is at 21 North Square.

Built in 1723, Old North Church is the oldest standing church in Boston. On 18 April 1775 lanterns were hung in its steeple to warn patriots in Charlestown about the movements of the British Army. Sources credit sexton Robert Newman, sea captain John Pulling, or both. The steeple rises 191 feet, and its eight bells, cast in 1744, are the oldest in North America.

Visitor guidance: The church stands on Salem Street in the North End.

USS Constitution was launched in 1797 and is the oldest naval vessel still afloat. She got the nickname "Old Ironsides" after a famous fight, when an American sailor reportedly shouted "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!" as British shots bounced off her hull. A crew of 75 officers and sailors still takes part in ceremonies and educational programs.

Visitor guidance: The ship is in Charlestown.

The route ends on Breed's Hill in Charlestown, where the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on 17 June 1775. The Americans had fortified the peninsula the night before under General Israel Putnam and Colonel William Prescott. The 221-foot granite obelisk on Monument Square was the largest obelisk in the United States when it was completed.

Visitor guidance: The monument is in Monument Square, Charlestown.