While the family and I were in Boston we knew we wanted to visit some of the historical sites and learn more about our country’s rich history. We are so thankful for our rights and freedom, and it’s important to know what our country’s founders went through to give us the liberty that we have today. We went to the heart of downtown Boston, which is where the 2.5-mile path of the Freedom Trail begins. The Freedom Trail is filled with historical sites that pay homage to many of those who gave us the freedoms we enjoy today.
Here are 10 of our favorite places we visited in the city; some from the Freedom Trail and others are great finds!
- Boston Commons: This is where the freedom trail starts. The Boston Commons has been a place that has marked American History for hundreds of years. It is a place of remembrance for the Revolution and a place to celebrate independence. The Boston Commons is where recruitment for the Civil War took place, as well as anti-slavery meetings. There are gardens marking the victory of World War I and the original iron fence was donated to World War II for scrap metal. The Boston Commons continues to be noted as a remarkable place for free speech and public assembly.
- Vintage bookstores: We stopped into this amazing vintage bookstore to see what treasures we could find. While we were there Evee was able to pick up a copy of Mother Goose while I picked up Aesop’s Fables and a book of poems by Robert Louis Stevenso.
- Granary Burying Grounds: Next to the Park Street Church is the Granary Burying Grounds, which were established in 1660. The historic burying grounds has approximately 2,300 markers of some of America’s most remarkable citizens including many of those who signed the Declaration of Independence, Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin’s parents, and many people who died in the Boston Massacre.
- Paul Revere’s house: Paul Revere is as widely known as his famous lines “The British are coming! The British are coming!” Revere warned the colonists about the British attack during his midnight ride. Paul Revere’s house was built in the 1680’s, and was owned by the legendary patriot from 1770-1800. This house is the oldest remaining structure in downtown Boston and also the only home on The Freedom Trail.
- Boston Latin School: This school, founded in 1635, was the first public school in America. It offered free education to boys – rich or poor – while girls attended private schools at home. Classes were originally held in the house of the first headmaster until the schoolhouse’s construction was completed in 1645. This site houses a statue of former student Benjamin Franklin.
- The Old State House: This was a place where a lot of American history was made. This is where the Boston massacre happened, which led to the publication of “The Shot Heard Around The World”, which led to the Revolutionary War. Old State House stands as the oldest surviving public building in Boston. Built in 1713.
- Boston Tea Party Museum:This museum was a lot of fun and very interactive. There was an exhibit with a live-action show reenacting the plotting of the patriot act, which took place in 1773. This was a monumental site for America’s history, it’s what started the revolution, and what eventually gained us our independence from King George III. We even got to throw “packages of tea” overboard into the bay.
- Quincy Market: Since 1826, these Grecian buildings have been serving the public from daily retail food supply of meat, produce, and dairy goods to the wholesale role at a later time. This is where we enjoyed a much-needed lunch break. We had lobster mac n’ cheese, lobster bisque, giant shrimp, and more. It was all so good that we had to come back for dessert.
- Rose Kennedy Greenway Park: This park is located between Quincy Market and Paul Revere’s house. There are beautiful trees and an abundance of flowers during this time of year. There are also a few swings, which were a much-welcomed break from walking. There is also a fountain/splash pad.
- Little Italy: We finished our day off at this classic Italian restaurant, where we chowed down on some pasta. After walking through and learning about the sites in the heart of Boston we had worked up quite an appetite.
- Make sure to follow along with us on the rest of our road trip adventures!! We make stops in Washington DC, Jamestown, and many more places!
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