Experiences
Located in the heart of downtown on the market floor of the historic 1742 building, the Faneuil Hall Visitor Center is the main visitor center for Boston National Historical Park and Boston African American National Historic Site. Maps and information for the Freedom Trail® and Black Heritage Trail® are available here. Tours begin here seasonally.
Located in Building 5 of the Charlestown Navy Yard, this Visitor Center features exhibits and a short film about the work and workers of the Navy Yard who supported the United States Navy from 1800 to 1974. Please note that access to this building is through a security checkpoint.
The park's main exhibits are at the Bunker Hill Museum. Located across the street from the Monument grounds, the exhibits are housed in the old Charlestown Branch building of the Boston Public Library.
Programming
Explore! Learn! Protect! Become a Junior Ranger at Boston National Historical Park. Opportunities for all ages (even adults) makes becoming a Junior Ranger an experience for the whole family.
The "Liberty" Junior Ranger Activity Book introduces you to the sites along the Freedom Trail® here in Boston. Travel along the sites as you learn about the early stirrings of the American Revolution.
When you come to the park, visit the Faneuil Hall Visitor Center or the Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center. A park ranger or volunteer can give you a copy of the Junior Ranger Handbook.
Or visit virtually! Most activities in the Junior Ranger book can be completed by reading through the book and visiting the websites of our partners. You can also complete your Ranger guided program by coming along on a virtual tour of the Bunker Hill Monument or learn about the battle with Ranger Patrick. Visit the Park's Junior Ranger page to get your virtual Junior Ranger badge and take the Junior Ranger oath.
Explore! Learn! Protect! Become a Junior Ranger at Boston African American National Historic Site. Activities for all ages (even adults) makes becoming a Junior Ranger an experience for the whole family.
Our Junior Ranger Activity Book introduces you to the sites along the Black Heritage Trail® here in Boston. Travel along the sites as you learn about the free Black community of the north slope of Beacon Hill and their fight for equal rights in the United States.
When you come to the park, visit the Faneuil Hall Visitor Center. A park ranger or volunteer can give you a copy of the Junior Ranger Handbook.
Or become a Junior Ranger virtually! Most activities in the Junior Ranger book can be completed by reading through the book and visiting the websites of our partners. You can also complete your Ranger guided program by coming along on a virtual tour of the Black Heritage Trail, listening to Ranger Shawn discuss the Maritime Underground Railroad, or learning about the story of Anthony Burns. Visit the Park's Junior Ranger page to get your virtual Junior Ranger badge and take the Junior Ranger oath.
Explore! Learn! Protect! Become a Junior Ranger at Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. Opportunities for all ages (even adults) makes becoming a Junior Ranger an experience for the whole family.
Our Jr. Ranger booklets introduce you to the wildlife, geography, and history of the islands. Through activities, you can identify marine life, interview a ranger, and discover all that these islands have to offer!
You can download Jr. Ranger booklets on Spectacle Island, Georges Island, Peddocks Island, and the Camping Islands (Lovells, Grape, and Bumpkin Islands). Visit the Kids and Families page on the Boston Harbor Islands Partnership website to download Jr. Ranger Booklets available in Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Haitian Creole.
Join our partner, the Paul Revere House, for their April School Vacation Programming!
At the Paul Revere House Courtyard Garden, draw your own postcard. Whether your artwork focuses on a single leaf, documents the Revere House in its setting, or imagines the Revere Family’s kitchen garden as it once stood on that site, enjoy a peaceful moment of reflection on the natural world around us. (Event will be held indoors with sample plants brought inside if necessary.)
Join our partner, the Paul Revere House, for a special program!
Enjoy a lively concert of music that accompanied colonists as they marched, danced, wooed their beloveds, and waged war. David Vose and Sue Walko provide fascinating insight into each selection they perform.
Events
Visit the Paul Revere's Ride to Revolution page for information.
Paul Revere's Ride to Revolution Timeline
Revere Departs
Paul Revere House 8:00 p.m.
Watch as Paul Revere departs his house on Hanover Street.
Lanterns Illuminated
Old North Church 8:15 p.m.
The lanterns will be illuminated from the steeple of Old North Church.
The Row
Langone Park and Charlestown Navy Yard Pier 1 8:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.
Watch as Paul Revere rows across Boston Harbor and arrives at Pier 1 in the Charlestown Navy Yard.
Revere Arrives in Charlestown
City Square Park 8:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Watch as Paul Revere arrives at Deacon Larkin's House and emerges to mount his horse and begin his ride.
Revere Rides out of Charlestown
Main Street Charlestown 9:10 p.m. - 9:20 p.m.
Watch as Paul Revere rides out of Charlestown to complete his ride.
USS Constitution Museum Open House & Lantern Workshop
April 18, 2025 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
USS Constitution Museum
Visit USS Constitution Museum and explore its galleries for the Museum's special Open House hours from 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. While there, prepare for Paul Revere's arrival on Pier 1 by creating your own wooden lantern to help escort him through Charlestown.
Paul Revere Bids Farewell - Paul Revere House
Friday, April 18, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Encounter Paul and Rachel Revere in their home as he prepares to depart on his Midnight Ride. Tour the museum's Visitor Center, where museum staff will share the full story of Revere's adventures on April 18, 1775.
As the evening progresses, gather in North Square to witness Revere's depature from his home, and follow in his footsteps as he makes his way stealthily to the waterfront.
Paper Lantern Workshop
Friday, April 18, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
The Prado (Paul Revere Mall)
Create your own paper lantern at The Prado (Paul Revere Mall) before following Paul Revere on the first leg of his journey through the North End to the waterfront. A Wooden Lantern Hub will also be available at the USS Constitution Museum in Charlestown for those who want to join the National Park Service in welcoming Paul Revere at Pier 1 of Charlestown Navy Yard. Then, join the procession to City Square in Charlestown, on the tails of Revere's row across the Charles River.
Revolutions Edge - Old North Illuminated
Friday, April 18, 6:30 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
Old North Church - Prado
To kick off Boston's Patriots' Day weekend celebrations in partnership with the City of Boston, Old North Illuminated will stage a free reading of the hit play Revolution's Edge behind Old North Church on Paul Revere Mall. Mayor Michelle Wu and other local officials will attend the play and give remarks to commermorate this historic anniversary. Written by Patrick Gabridge and produced by Plays in Place, Revolution's Edge is a gripping 45-minute historical drama that ran at Old North Church in the summers of 2023 and 2024. Guests will be greeted with live music before brief speaking remarks welcome the crowd and introduce the 45-minute cosutmed read of the play. Old North's lanterns will light up soon after the play's conclusion, at the beginning of the reenactment of Revere's row across the Charles River.
Lantern Service at Old North Church
Friday, April 18, 2025 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Old North Church
Hear from historian Heather Cox Richardson, a renowend American historian and professor of history at Boston College, as the Old North congregation hosts a special Lantern Service at the iconic Old North Church. Old North's two-lantern signal will light up the famous steeple at 8:15 p.m.
Meet Deacon John Larkin at City Square
Friday, April 18, 8:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
City Square, Charlestown
Wait in anticpation in City Square with John Larkin and the Charlestown militia for Paul Revere to arrive in Charlestown. Joe Bagley, City of Boston archaeologist, will talk about Larkin's role in the events leading up to the Revolutionary War and the Midnight Ride, offering insights into Charlestown's critical position in American history.
Two if By Sea, Evening Harbor Cruise from Long Wharf - Boston Harbor Now and Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park
Friday, April 18, 8:00 p.m.
Long Wharf North
Embark on a captivating one-hour cruise through Boston Harbor and witness Paul Revere's legendary midnight crossing to Charlestown. Experience history come to life as a costumed reenactors recreate Revere's daring journey, signaling the start of the American Revolution. Enjoy stunning waterfront views, live narration, and an immersive glimpse into this pivotal moment in history.
Sign up at Boston Harbor Islands.
The Reasons for Revere's Ride at USS Constitution Museum
Friday, April 18, 8:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
USS Constitution Museum
Broaden your understanding of the famous ride with J.L. Bell, a respected author and historian specializing in the American Revolution. Bell will speak to the context of Paul Revere's Midnight Ride, helping us to understand why it happened and its importance.
Race to Tell the Minutemen on Main Street in Charlestown
Friday, April 18, 2025 9:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Main Street, Charlestown
Observe as Paul Revere races down modern-day Main Street in Charlestown to tell American Minutemen north of the city that the "Regulars are out!" The National Lancers will portray Paul Revere and Larkin's horse, Brown Beauty.
Bunker Hill Monument Illuminated
Friday, April 18, 2025 9:30 p.m.
Monument Square, Charlestown
As Paul Revere's figure fades into the distance, the National Park Service will illumunate the pyramidion of Bunker Hill Monument to reveal likenesses of the two flags Bunker HIll Monument Association flew from the Monument at its grand opening in 1843. The Monument will be illuminated nightly through July 4, 2025 - inviting us to relfect on lives lost in service to the nations' founding ideals and the monument's timeless significance as a beacon of hope and possibilty.
Join our partner, the Paul Revere House, for their April School Vacation Programming!
Try on reproduction colonial clothes, just like the ones Paul Revere’s kids wore, write with quill pens, or play an 18th century game with your companions.
Join our partner, the Paul Revere House, for their April School Vacation Programming!
Chat with Paul’s wife, Rachel (portrayed by History At Play’s Judith Kalaora) as she roams throughout the site. You may come across her in the house, the garden, or relaxing in the courtyard if the weather is fine. Learn more about the dangerous missions her husband undertakes, the many children she is raising, and life in Colonial Boston.
Join our partner, the Paul Revere House, for a special program!
The art of spinning is best learned by the young, and Zoe Lawson has been practicing the craft of spinning by drop spindle and on a wheel since childhood. She shares her techniques while in 18th century garb while illuminating the various methods colonists used to produce their own textiles.
“Lafayette in America”
Join the Bunker Hill Monument Association and the Friends of the Charlestown Branch Library for their speaker series at the Charlestown Public Library!
Alan Hoffman, President, MA Lafayette Society, will speak on the Marquis’s activities in 1777 to 1781 during the Revolutionary War and his grand tour in connection with the 50th anniversary of the Revolution and the laying of the cornerstone at the Bunker Hill Monument 1824 to 1825.
Join our partner, the Paul Revere House, for their April School Vacation Programming!
Michael Lepage brings Boston’s favorite patriot vividly to life. Learn about the details of his Midnight Ride, his many children, and his work as a gold and silversmith.
Join our partner, the Paul Revere House, for their April School Vacation Programming! On April 19th, Diane Lent brings to life Harriet Revere, one of Paul Revere’s 16 children. Join her in reminiscing about her father’s dramatic life, the adventures of her many siblings, nieces, and nephews, and growing up in the historic North End.
“Lady Editor”
Join the Bunker Hill Monument Association and the Friends of the Charlestown Library for their speaker series at the Charlestown Public Library!
Melanie Kirkpatrick, biographer of “Sarah Josepha Hale and the Making of the Modern American Woman,” will enlighten us on Mrs. Hale's patriotic and feminist work, especially the famous bake sale that raised funds to the completion of the Monument.
Join our partner, the Paul Revere House, for their April School Vacation Programming!
Stop by to chat with Hopestill Bradley, a member of the Massachusetts Militia in 1775, as portrayed by Henry Cooke. Learn how militia members drilled and the conditions they faced in the days immediately following the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
Bunker Hill Remembrance Ceremony & Oration
Tuesday, June 17, 3:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Bunker Hill Monument and Grounds
The National Parks of Boston is proud to be a part of a community partnership working together to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
The National Parks of Boston, Bunker Hill Monument Association, and American Legion J.W. Conway Bunker Hill Post 26 will host the annual Battle of Bunker Hill Remembrance Ceremony & Oration on the grounds of the Monument.
Embark on a captivating one-hour cruise and witness Paul Revere's legendary crossing of Boston Harbor from the North End to Charlestown.
Embark on a captivating one-hour cruise through Boston Harbor and witness Paul Revere’s legendary midnight crossing to Charlestown. Experience history come to life as costumed reenactors recreate Revere’s daring journey, signaling the start of the American Revolution. Enjoy stunning waterfront views, live narration, and an immersive glimpse into this pivotal moment in history.
The trip will begin at Long Wharf and end at Long Wharf after cruising to the site where Paul Revere crossed Boston Harbor.
On this cruise you will enjoy:
- Narration by local historians
- Boston Harbor Islands park staff available for questions
- Period music and merriment aboard the cruise
- Views of Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution
- Full bar and other refreshments available for purchase onboard
Join our partner, the Paul Revere House, for a special program!
Daniel Leonard was a successful lawyer from a prominent family in Norton and practiced law in Taunton. In the early days of protest against the policies of His Majesty’s government, he was part of the Patriot inner circle along with John Hancock and Samuel Adams. But by the “Destruction of the Tea,” he had changed sides and was a staunch defender of the government. He even debated fellow lawyer, John Adams in the newspapers under the name “Massachusettensis.” Listen as Leonard (portrayed by reenactor Michael Lepage) explains why he changed sides and what it cost him.
Experiences
Event Programming
