Boston Common

Purchased by Puritans from Anglican minister Blackstone, Boston Common was established in 1634 as a public park and is the oldest public one in America.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in Boston
Boston Public Garden
Located next to Boston Common, the Public Garden was the first public botanical garden in the country.
Park Street Church
Located on the Freedom Trail, Park Street Church was founded in 1809 and remains an active parish in the community today.
Granary Burying Ground
See the graves of several notable founding fathers, including Samuel Adams and John Hancock, along with the graves of Benjamin Franklin's parents.
Make Way for Ducklings statues
Bronze statues installed in Boston's Public Garden in 1987, representing the duck family in Robert McCloskey's children's classic 'Make Way for Ducklings'.
Memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the Massachusetts Fifty-Fourth Regiment
This bronze relief statue constructed in 1897 was the first public monument to pay homage to African Americans soldiers.
Charles Street Meeting House
The Charles Street Meeting House served as a space for social activism throughout its history.

Related Tours

Beyond Boston Freedom Trail: Private Half-Day Walking Tour

Boston is an iconic and historical city that is easy to explore on foot with incredible stories to tell, and a unique blend of colonial, French, and Georgian architecture. This walking tour will take you not only to the Freedom Trail but also to several other notable sights that make the city so unique.

On your private half-day tour, you will:

  • Meet your guide in Copley Square, and see Trinity Church and Boston Public Library, built as a “palace for the people” and was the first large, free municipal library in America;
  • Visit the historic 54th Regiment Memorial, where Robert Gould Shaw led the regiment out of Boston to fight the South in the Civil War;
  • Enjoy Boston Commons Public Garden, and see the fun Make Way for Ducklings statues;
  • Stroll through the picturesque Beacon Hill neighbourhood, lined with Federal-style and Victorian brick row houses lit by antique lanterns;
  • Visit the famous Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Quincy Market, and vibrant Boston Public Market;
  • Enjoy some of the key sites of the Freedom Trail, including the Granary Burying Ground, where Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Sam Adams are buried;
  • See Park Street Church, part of the Freedom Trail, from where the women’s march took place;
  • Pay homage at the site of the Boston Massacre of 1770, and hear the turbulent history which led to the tragedy;
  • Finish with an idyllic stroll along Boston Harbour, where the famous Boston Tea Party took place.

Whether this is your first time in Boston or your fiftieth, this tour is the insider’s tour, which will take you through the heart of the city’s highlights, while also hitting several of the spots often missed on whistle-stop tours.

On your private tour, you will get to unpack this city’s rich history – from its pre-revolutionary roots through to the modern-day.

You’ll hear stories of locals whose names you’ve heard your entire life – like John Hancock and John Adams – and learn lesser-known stories of the minorities – immigrants, African-Americans, and women – who have been ever-present in the city’s history, making it the iconic city it is today.

A trip to Boston is incomplete without enjoying its spectacular local fare, and your private guide will recommend you to their favourite spot in case you want to have a taste of the classics: a lobster roll and fantastic cider, made from locally sourced apples. 

Boston’s Freedom Trail: Private Tour including Paul Revere House

As the cultural capital of Massachusetts, Boston is one of the oldest municipalities in the USA, whose past recalls revolution and progression, and today the city remains powered by forward-thinking as a leader in arts, academia, literature, innovation, and entrepreneurship. To sightsee Boston is to visit a city that is one sprawling, historical outdoor museum, and playground.

On your private tour, you will:

  • Begin your tour in Boston Common - a resplendent green space and the oldest public recreation place in the country - perfect for trouncing through, and equally magical when coated in the snow;
  • Walk the Freedom Trail - where you can find sixteen of Boston’s most historical landmarks strung together by a 2.5-mile walking trail of museums, churches, meeting houses, burial grounds, and historic markers ;
  • Visit the Granary Burying Ground where you’ll see the final resting place of the famed Sam Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, and more;
  • Briefly step off the Freedom trail to visit Boston Public Market and taste fresh cider snacks from Boston's very own Red Apple Farm (light snack included);
  • Tour inside Paul Revere house, the colonial home of the American patriot during the American Revolution and a National Historic Landmark since 1961 (tickets included);
  • Your tour ends in the north end, where you will catch a glimpse of the USS Constitution, famed for have defeated five British warships in the War of 1812.

In a few hours, on your private highlights tour, you will see the major sights and attractions of the city, including Boston Public Market and Paul Revere’s home (with tickets included). First, begin your tour in Boston Common, the oldest green public space in America, dating from 1634.

Across the road, the Massachusetts State House, the grandiose structure that is the seat of government for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, holds court over Beacon Hill where your tour continues. Enjoy the centuries-old cobblestone roads and federalist homes which make this neighbourhood one of Boston’s most photographed.

Then, continue down the Freedom Trail to the home of the silversmith and the man who took America’s most famous horse ride. Visit Paul Revere’s home along the trail, and visit the Granary Burying Ground, where several founding fathers are laid to rest.

Your tour continues with a visit to Boston Public Market, where you will enjoy a true Bostonian treat, included in your tour. After, your guide will happily point you in the best direction of the best lobster rolls to try on your own. Your tour finishes in the North End, where your guide will tell you the story of the USS Constitution, before leaving you with ample knowledge on how to continue enjoying your day. 

Visit Boston & Cambridge: Private Full-Day Driving Tour

Enjoy the best of Boston, at a relaxed pace on a full-day tour, where you can soak in the local atmosphere in each of the four historic districts you’ll visit.

On your full-day driving highlights tour of Boston and Cambridge, you will:

  •  Drive along Boston’s Freedom Trail, and see many of its 16 highlights, including the Massachusetts State House, Boston Common, and Faneuil Hall;
  • Enjoy stops along the route, including Paul Revere’s House and the USS Constitution;
  • Explore Bunker Hill, where your guide will unpack the events which led up to the Revolutionary War and the battles that took place in and around the city;
  • Visit Boston's four historic districts, including the Italian North End and Back Bay;
  • See where the city’s beloved Red Sox play at Fenway Park;
  • Spend your afternoon in idyllic, intellectual Cambridge – home to both MIT and Harvard;
  • See the MIT campus, Harvard Square, the banks of the Charles River, and Mount Auburn Cemetery;
  • Drive down 'Tory Row' and learn about the storied history of the town which dates back several centuries;
  • Enjoy an easy drop-off somewhere central in the city of your choosing or back at your hotel.


If you are arriving in Boston and looking for a relaxed but thorough orientation to the city, then this is the perfect tour – full of the historic spots in the city, along with an overview of the city itself. You’ll get the feel of the city, and your guide will help you plan out a list of places you should return to and spend time at your own pace – helping you choose the best from the city’s eclectic food scene to its famous beer brewing industry.

If you have been to Boston before, but have never taken the time to really dig into its rich history, then your guide will happily tailor the tour on the day with you to slow down the pace, skip sites you’ve already seen, and to further explore places which pique your interest. Whether it’s the summer heat, the winter chill, or simply wanting a day to give your feet a rest, this driving tour is the perfect way to explore Boston.

In the morning, explore the best of Boston’s four historic districts, seeing both its highlights and the spots often missed by tourists. In the afternoon, you’ll find yourself amongst charming red-brick walls, bloom-filled terraces, and sprawling green quadrangles in Cambridge.

A day spent exploring these two cities by car is the perfect introduction to becoming a local, even if just for a day. 

The Best of Boston: Private Half-Day Highlights Driving Tour

See the best of Boston from one end of the city to the other on this private, half-day driving highlights tour.

On your tour you will:

  • Drive along Boston’s Freedom Trail, and see its highlights including the Massachusetts State House, Boston Common, and Faneuil Hall;
  • Enjoy stops along the route, which include Paul Revere’s House and the USS Constitution;
  • Explore Bunker Hill, where your guide will unpack the events which led up to the Revolutionary War and the battles which took place in and around the city;
  • Visit four historic districts in the city, including the Italian North End and Back Bay;
  • See where the city’s beloved Red Sox plays at Fenway Park;
  • Enjoy an easy drop-off somewhere central in the city of your choosing or back at your hotel.


If you are arriving in Boston with no idea where to start or how to orient yourself, then this is the perfect tour – full of the historic spots in the city, along with a thorough overview of the city itself.

You’ll get the feel of the city, and your guide will help you plan out a list of places you should return to and spend time at your own pace – helping you choose the best from the city’s eclectic food scene to its famous beer brewing industry.

If you have been to Boston before, but still want to be refreshed on the city, then your guide will happily tailor the tour on the day with you to slow down the pace, skip sites you’ve already seen, and to further explore places which pique your interest.

Whether it’s the summer heat, the winter chill, or simply wanting a day to give your feet a rest, this driving tour is the perfect way to explore Boston. 

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