The 1.6-mile Black Heritage Trail covers sites on Beacon Hill that preserve the history of 19th-century Boston. The neighborhood was the center of the free black community, and the trail links stations of the Underground Railroad, homes of famous citizens, and the first integrated public school in the city. You can take a free 2-hour guided tour with a ranger from the National Park Service's Boston African American National Historic Site (tel. 617/742-5415; www.nps.gov/boaf). Tours start at the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, on Beacon Street across from the State House. They're available Monday through Saturday from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and by request at other times; call ahead for a reservation. Or go on your own, using a brochure (available at the Museum of African American History and the Boston Common and State Street visitor centers) that includes a map and descriptions of the buildings. The only buildings on the trail that are open to the public are the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School, which make up the Museum of African American History. Check ahead for special programs in February.
Across the river, the Cambridge African American Trail focuses on significant sites in the history of the city's large black community. To buy the guide, visit the office on the second floor of 831 Mass. Ave., download an order form from the website, or send a check for $3.50 (includes shipping), payable to the Cambridge Historical Society, to the Cambridge Historical Commission, 831 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 (tel. 617/349-4683; www.ci.cambridge.ma.us/~historic).
