Freedom Trail, Boston

The trail cuts across Boston Common to Beacon Street, with the State House of Massachusetts, built on Beacon Hill in 1798. The middle section, with a high gilded dome, was designed by Charles Bulfinch, who built the Capitol in Washington DC. On the terrace in front of the buildings are statues of two New England statesmen, Daniel Webster (1782-1852) and Horace Mann (1796-1859). On the first floor are the Doric Hall, which is used for civic occasions, the Hall of Flags (with flags and historical paintings) and the Great Hall (1990). On the second floor are the Governor's offices, the Senate Chamber, the Senate Reception Room and the Chamber of the House of Representatives. In the north wing is the State Library.

English architect Peter Banner designed Park Street Church in 1809. In 1829, William Lloyd Garrison made his first anti-slavery address from the pulpit of this Christopher Wren-style church. The 217-foot (66m) wooden steeple is a popular landmark of this active Evangelical Church in downtown Boston.

Adjoining Park Street Church, the Old Granary Burying Ground contains the graves of several governors of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin's parents, the victims of the Boston Massacre of 1770 and a number of notable Bostonians, including Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Robert Treat Paine, three signatories of the Declaration of Independence.

At the corner of Tremont Street and School Street is King's Chapel, on the site of Boston's first Anglican church of 1686. The present building was built in Georgian style in 1749. This modest place of worship, Episcopalian until 1787, now belongs to the Unitarians. In the churchyard, the oldest in Boston, is the grave of Governor John Winthrop (1588-1649).

Further along School Street, set back from the street, is Old City Hall, now occupied by offices and a restaurant. In front of it are statues of Benjamin Franklin and Josiah Quincy (1772-1864), second mayor of Boston and founder of Quincy Market. Also in School Street is Boston's first public school, at which Benjamin Franklin and John Hancock were pupils.

The Old Corner Book Store is one of Boston's oldest buildings. Originally built in 1712 as a dwelling house and business house, in the mid 18th century it was occupied by a publishing house. In the 19th century it was a meeting-place of writers and poets.

The Old South Meeting House was built by Puritans as a church in 1729. On December 16, 1773 more than 5,000 colonists spawned the idea for the Boston Tea Party. During that operation, patriots, loosely disguised as Native Americans snuck aboard English ships and dumped tea into Boston Harbor to protest British taxes.Today, the plain brick and wooden structure is a museum with rare historical artifacts and interactive presentations such as audio reproductions of some of the famous speeches delivered here.

The site of the house in which Benjamin Franklin was born and spent his early years is opposite the Old South Meeting House.

The Old State House, built in 1713, is Boston's oldest public building. It was the seat of the Royal Government in the colonies before the Revolution. The infamous Boston Massacre took place here on March 5, 1770. On that day, British soldiers fired into a crowd of protestors, killing five people. It was also the meeting place for the Massachusetts Assembly and many fiery speeches were made here leading up to the Revolution. The Declaration of Independence was read from its balcony on July 18th, 1776 and the fledgling government continued to meet here until the new State House was built in 1798.Today, it is run as a museum by the Bostonian Society, the same organization that saved the building in 1881 from being moved to Chicago for the world's fair. The exhibits include historical objects and artifacts dating back to 1630, with an emphasis on the Revolutionary War, maritime history and domestic furnishings and decorative arts.

Charlestown was first settled in 1628 and grew considerably two years later when a group of about 1000 Puritans under the direction of Governor John Winthrop set up camp here. Charlestown gained a reputation as a shipbuilding town when the U.S. Navy Yard opened in 1800. Most of the Yard's employees lived here until it was decommissioned in 1974 and made into a national historic landmark. Charlestown is the site of the Bunker Hill Monument, and the USS Constitution.The neighborhood is also home to many historic houses. Visitors will likely see some of Charlestown if they are taking in the sights of the Freedom Trail. Some of the sights may also seem familiar considering the area has been used in movies and various television programs over the years.

After closing in 1974, the Charlestown Navy Yard was made part of Boston National Historical Park. It was originally constructed in 1800 as a repair and supply depot and helped to kick start the shipbuilding industry in Charlestown. It is home to the famous USS "Constitution" and the WWII destroyer USS Cassin Young.

The Bunker Hill Monument is a 220ft/67m high granite obelisk commemorating the battle of Bunker Hill on June 17th 1775; a spiral staircase leads up to the top. The battle, which was actually fought on Breed's Hill and not on Bunker Hill, ended in a British victory over the American militia.The visitor center at the base of the monument has models and historical exhibits related to the battle. It is one of the seven sites that make up the Boston National Historic Park.

Boston's city hall was designed by acclaimed architects Kallman, McKinnell and Knowles and built between 1963 and 1968. The style of the pre-cast concrete building is known as brutalist modern and it created a stir of controversy at the time for it's unorthodox and anti-traditional appearance.