Follow the Freedom Trail

One of the best free things to do in Boston is to follow the Freedom Trail, which is a favorite pastime of both locals and visitors. The 2.5-mile Freedom Trail was created in 1951 and includes 16 historic sites. Any trip to Boston must include this trail as a mandatory stop. On the very streets where the city's most significant historical events took place several hundred years ago, this historical attraction literally lays out Boston's colonial history before you.

You can learn almost everything you need to know about Boston's history from this red-bricketed path. You can either go on a self-guided tour of the sites or join one of the many historical figures who have visited Boston. The trail will take you a few hours to walk, and much, much longer if you stop at every site.

You can begin your tour in the beginning, middle or the end, visiting the sites in any order you choose. The official start of the trail begins at Boston Common. The trail winds its way to the other sites including the Massachusetts State House, the Park Street Church (open summer time only), Granary Burying Ground, Kings Chapel, Kings Chapel Burying Ground, Benjamin Franklin Statue & Boston Latin School, Old Corner Book Store and much more.