Visiting Boston On A Budget

The Freedom Trail is a redbrick, 2.5-mile walking trail that takes in 16 different historic sites of national significance, all of which had a part to play in the events of the American Revolution and the break from the British. There are plenty of guided walks available, including those led by costumed re-enactors, but the trail is easily navigable on your own, at your own pace.

Starting in Boston Common, some of the highlights include the Massachusetts State House (also open for free tours) and Faneuil Hall, a famous marketplace, original ‘Cradle of Liberty’, and site of many famous speeches – from Samuel Adams denouncing the British, to Senator Edward Kennedy announcing his candidacy for president, to John Kerry’s concession speech in 2004.

Tip: The trail begins in Boston Common, but you can walk as long or short a section as you like. Maps and more tips are available online.

The 221-foot-tall Bunker Hill Monument, a giant granite obelisk, was built to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775, a major battle of the American Revolution where Colonel William Prescott famously issued the order “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!”, in response to the army’s lack of ammunition.

A stop along the Freedom Trail, the monument is free to enter, and those climbing the 294 stone steps to the top will be rewarded with panoramic views of the Boston skyline, Cambridge and out across Logan airport to Massachusetts Bay. You’ll need to keep moving once you’ve started – it’s a tight squeeze up there!

At Monument Square, Charlestown, Boston. Hours vary and note only a certain number of people are permitted to climb the monument at any one time.

The oldest still-sailing commissioned naval vessel in the world, the USS Constitution, sits in the former Charlestown Navy Yard in the city where she was built, at the end of the Freedom Trail. Best known for her role during the War of 1812 with Great Britain, she’s now a museum ship and invites visitors to come on board and learn about her sailors, who ate a diet of grog and hardtack (a non-perishable biscuit made from flour and water) and climbed the perilous 200-foot-tall masts.

Discover how she acquired the nickname “Old Ironsides” on a year-round, free public tour led by her crew of 60 active-duty US Navy officers and sailors.

The ship is free to visit on a first come, first served basis. Donations up to $25 are suggested for museum admission.