The Freedom Trail

A line of red paint or red brick on the sidewalk, the 2 1/2-mile Freedom Trail links 16 historic sights, many of them associated with the Revolution and the early days of the United States. The route cuts across downtown, passing through the busy shopping area around Downtown Crossing, the Financial District, and the North End, on the way to Charlestown. Markers identify the stops, and plaques point the way from one to the next.

This section lists the stops on the trail in the customary order, from Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument. It's important to remember that this is the suggested route, and nobody's checking up on you. You don't have to visit every stop or even go in order -- you can skip around, start in Charlestown and work backward, visit different sights on different days, or even (horrors!) omit some sights. Here's a suggestion: If you find yourself sighing and saying "should" a lot, take a break.

A hard-core history fiend who peers at every artifact and reads every plaque can easily spend 4 hours along the trail. A family with restless children will probably appreciate the enforced efficiency of a free 90-minute ranger-led tour.

The excursions, from the Boston National Historical Park Visitor Center, 15 State St. (tel. 617/242-5642; www.nps.gov/bost), cover the "heart" of the trail, from the Old South Meeting House to the Old North Church. From April through mid-June, they begin on daily at 2pm, plus weekends at 10 and 11am. From mid-June through September, starting times are daily at 10 and 11am and 2pm. The first-come-first-served tours are limited to 30 people (rangers distribute stickers starting 30 min. before tour time) and not available in bad weather. No tours October through March.

The nonprofit Freedom Trail Foundation (tel. 617/357-8300; www.thefreedomtrail.org) is an excellent resource as you plan your visit. The foundation's costumed Freedom Trail Players lead 90-minute tours ($12 adults, $10 seniors and students, $6 children under 13) on two different but overlapping routes around downtown and the North End. Make reservations online, allowing time to explore the interactive website. It lists a plethora of other activities, including a pub crawl (participants must be 21 years old) and holiday stroll.

The best time to start on the trail is in the morning. During the summer and fall, aim for a weekday if possible. Try not to set out later than midafternoon because attractions will be closing and you'll run into the evening rush hour.

Listen Up: The Audio Freedom Trail -- The Freedom Trail Foundation (tel. 617/357-8300; www.thefreedomtrail.org) rents handheld digital audio players, for use with or without headphones, that allow visitors to take a narrated tour of the Freedom Trail at their own pace. The 2-hour narrative includes interviews, sound effects, and music. Players rent for $15 (credit cards only); they're available at the Boston Common Visitor Center, 146 Tremont St., and can be dropped off there or at several other locations.

A Pep Talk: Get Lost! -- Almost nothing is as stereotypical or as distressing as sightseers shuffling along in lockstep, looking only at what's described in their travel guides, and going only where the Freedom Trail takes them. This is a guidebook, not the boot-camp curriculum, and getting really lost in downtown Boston is nearly impossible -- it's just too small. If time allows, wander away from the trail and look around on your own. I promise you won't be sorry.

Church Chat

One surefire way to announce yourself as an out-of-towner is to pause on Hanover Street between Prince and Fleet streets and proclaim that you see the Old North Church. The first house of worship you see is St. Stephen's, the only Charles Bulfinch-designed church still standing in Boston. It was Unitarian when it was dedicated in 1804. The next year, the congregation bought a bell from Paul Revere's foundry for $800. The design is a paragon of Federal-style symmetry. St. Stephen's became Roman Catholic in 1862 and was moved when Hanover Street was widened in 1870. During refurbishment in 1965, it regained its original appearance, with clear glass windows, white walls, and gilded organ pipes. It's one of the plainest Catholic churches you'll ever see.

Trailing Off

If you don't feel like retracing your steps at the end of the Freedom Trail, you have two public transit options. Return to the Charlestown Navy Yard for the ferry to Long Wharf, which leaves every half-hour from 6:45am to 8:15pm on weekdays (every 15 min. 6:45-9:15am and 3:45-6:45pm), and every half-hour on the quarter-hour from 10:15am to 6:15pm on weekends. The 10-minute trip costs $1.70 (or show your 7-day LinkPass), and the dock is an easy walk from Old Ironsides. Alternatively, walk to the foot of the hill; on Main Street, take bus no. 92 or 93 to Haymarket (Green or Orange Line).