North End Self-Guided Tour

A modern park with breathtaking views of both the Boston skyline and the North End. The area was dominated by an elevated highway until a $22 billion project called the Big Dig moved the highway underground, creating the Rose Kennedy Greenway in 2006.

The Greenway marks the border to the North End. Before the Big Dig, crossing into the North End required passing under the unsightly bridge, effectively isolating the neighborhood from other communities nearby. Now, entering the North End is just a pleasant walk across the Greenway, opening up the neighborhood for tourists and city residents alike.

One of the oldest wooden houses in Boston, the Paul Revere House was built in 1680. Paul Revere purchased it in 1770 and lived here with his first wife Sara, five of their children, and his mother Deborah. Revere would eventually have 16 children, 11 of whom survived into adulthood.

The house reflects how homes were built in early Boston. Firewood was scarce and expensive on the peninsula, so houses were designed to keep heat in: low ceilings, small windows with shutters, and dark paint to absorb sunlight. Every house on North Square once looked like this, but a series of "Great Fires" destroyed most of the original wooden buildings.

Next door is the Pierce-Hichborn House, one of the oldest surviving brick houses in Boston, built in 1711.

We will learn more about Paul Revere and his famous midnight ride at a later stop on the tour.

North Square is one of the oldest public squares in the United States, and has been continuously occupied since at least the 1630s. Formerly known as Clark Square, it has been a community gathering place and bustling market area for nearly four centuries. Paul Revere's house, the oldest wooden building in downtown Boston, faces the square.

The square is currently used for outdoor dining by multiple surrounding restaurants. Enjoy a lovely Italian meal with a stunning view of the North End skyline.

North Square Stories (4 Bronze Sculptures)

• North End Story Map - a relief of Boston in 2019. Can you find the Easter Eggs? (Hint: cannoli and garlic anyone?)
• North Square View - a relief of North Square as it was in 1798. Who is the boy with the spyglass?
• Fantastical Historical Nautical Monument - examine the markings and peek through the five spyglasses to get a glimpse of important figures from Boston's past.
• What We Brought With Us - a monument dedicated to the immigrants of the area.

The Nazzaro Community Center Bath and Gymnasium (formerly known as the North Bennet Street Public or the North End Bath House) is one of the last remaining grand public bath houses, situated at the heart of Boston's oldest neighborhood.

Many of the early tenement houses in the North End didn't have baths or showers, forcing the residents to rely on a public bathhouse. The building evolved into a community center and a popular meeting place for after-school programs, seniors, community meetings, holiday parties and voting for over 100 years.

A statue commemorating Paul Revere's midnight ride stands at the entrance of the beautiful Paul Revere Mall. The Old North Church and the tree-lined park provide a perfect Revolutionary backdrop for photos during the day or night, summer or winter.

Don't miss the beauty of the rest of this small urban oasis. The Paul Revere Mall, inspired by the Paseo del Prado in Havana, was built to create a direct sightline between two historic landmarks: The Old North Church and St. Stephen's Church.

The crucifix-shaped park is lined with a nine-foot brick wall ornamented with plaques dedicated to famous historical figures associated with Paul Revere.

Take a brief pause on a bench in the shade next to the soothing fountain or take a few minutes to read the plaques around the park before proceeding.

Note the name on the fountain. Do you know who George Robert White was and why his name shows up on multiple statues and buildings around Boston?

The Clough House was built around 1715 by master bricklayer Ebenezer Clough as a home for himself and his family. It is a rare example of a surviving brick rowhouse, and is one of the oldest buildings in Boston.

Today it is home to Printing Office of Edes & Gill where you can attend free live demonstrations of the colonial printing process. Pop into the Heritage Goods + Gifts gift shop for a souvenir made by family-owned companies with unique stories.

(Looking for more souvenirs? Check out the locally-owned gift shop Loft & Vine, located on Salem Street, just a 3 minute walk from the Old North Church.)

The steeple of this church is where the famous lanterns were hung by Paul Revere's compatriots before his midnight ride to warn people that the troops from Britain were approaching and the war was starting.

This ride was the origins of the famous poem that commemorated the phrase "one if by land, two if by sea." One lantern was to notify Charlestown that the British Army would march over the Boston Neck and the Great Bridge, while two lanterns would notify them that the troops were taking boats across the Charles River.

The lanterns were hung in the steeple windows for just under a minute to avoid alerting the occupying British troops, although this was enough time for the Charlestown Patriots to notice the signal.

Today, the church is an active Episcopal Church with congregations every Sunday.

Before we begin, please note that this is an active home, not a museum, so please be polite and refrain from peering in the windows.

This narrow four-story house, squeezed between two generic townhouses, has the "uncontested distinction of being the narrowest house in Boston." Also known as the Spite House, the origins behind the unusual architecture are unclear. There are two common legends, and one story, that, while unexciting, is likely the closest to the truth.

A story of two brothers:

Two brothers inherited land from their deceased father. While one brother was away serving in the military during the American Civil War, the other built a large home, leaving the soldier only a shred of property that he felt certain was too tiny to build on. When the soldier returned, he found his inheritance depleted and built the narrow house to spite his brother by blocking the sunlight and ruining his view.

A tale of the typical Boston temper:

Legend has it that an unnamed builder erected it to shut off air and light from the home of a hostile neighbor with whom he had a dispute. Believed to have been built after 1874.

The likeliest true story:

This house was once part of a larger structure. The rest of the building was demolished for the larger brick houses that stand next to it today, and the Skinny House, for whatever reason, was left behind.

The next three stops all take place in the Copp's Hill Burying Ground. Note that Copp's Hill closes at 4pm each day, so if you reach this point after that time, you will be unable to visit the next three stops, although we encourage you to still read about them!

Copp's Hill was Boston's largest colonial burying ground. It is the second-oldest burying ground in the city, with records dating it to 1659. Named after shoemaker William Copp, the Burying Ground is the final resting place for merchants, artisans, and craftspeople who lived in the North End, as well as revolutionaries. Be on the lookout for signs marking participants of the Boston Tea Party!

Because of its height and panoramic vistas, the British used this vantage point to train their cannons on Charlestown during the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.

A note from our founder: I want to bring special attention to one fascinating tomb plaque on the northern edge of this section. I've been playing video games all my life, and if they have taught me anything, it's that a plaque located in a peaceful, forgotten part of an old burying ground, bearing the name "John Smith," in surprisingly pristine conditions after 200 years, is suspicious at best. I believe this location activates a quest, but I have not yet figured out how to proceed in the main story line to unlock this for my character.

A small community of free African Americans lived on the steep slope of Copp's Hill from the 17th to the 19th century. More than 1,000 of them may be buried in Copp's Hill Burying Ground, primarily in the northwest corner, in the area along Snow Hill Street that has fewer surviving gravestones. The lack of stones may be because the stones were removed or lost, or the memorials were made of wood that has since decayed. The local free African American community started about 1650, when a small number of slaves gained their freedom.

Prince Hall (c. 1735-1807)

One of the more notable people buried in this area is Prince Hall, who "was one of the most influential free Black leaders in the late 1700s," and was sometimes referred to as the "forgotten founding father."

After being freed from slavery at the age of 35, he assumed a leadership role in the African American community. He left a legacy of activism and fighting for equality:

• Drafting petitions for the abolition of slavery
• Protesting the slave trade and objecting to the exclusion of African American children from schools
• Actively speaking out against the kidnapping of free Black men from Boston
• Founding the African Lodge of the Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons of Boston, the first lodge of black Freemasonry

When he died, it appears that he was buried near his first wife, Sarah Ritchie, as his name is inscribed on the back of her grave marker (D-16).

This spot is simply a good location to take in the neighborhood and view around you. The view toward Charlestown and the water is spectacular, especially in the colder months when the lack of tree leaves allows for unobstructed views.

Like the Spite House, please note that this is an active home, not a museum, so please be polite and refrain from peering in the windows.

The 500-square-foot (46 square meters) house at 54 Snow Hill Street is the North End's tiniest standalone single-family home. It's also one of the 10 tiniest houses in Boston.

Despite its tiny size, the house packs a lot of stuff! Inside includes a loft bedroom, a full kitchen, full bathroom, full living room, and even a fireplace! Outside has a small patio, and, of course, very quiet neighbors across the street.

Take a short break in this cool shaded urban retreat while you take in views of Charlestown, Bunker Hill Monument, and the marina across the bay.

By the 1890s, the North End was one of the most densely inhabited urban districts in the United States, packed with tenement buildings and many shops. Through the urging of councilman (and future mayor) John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, Copp's Hill Terrace was built as the largest open space in this teeming district.

However, the architect in charge of the job was not as elated as residents. After designing the terrace, Charles Eliot wrote in sadness to his wife in 1895 that Copp's Hill Terrace provided a recreation retreat for "the slum people . . . unclean beings, children pushing everywhere and swarming in every street and alley".

A few decades later, a large crowd observed the destruction wrought by Boston's Great Molasses Flood of 1919 from the safety of this very terrace.

This multi-named park (Puopolo Playground, Langone Park, and Puopolo Athletic Field are various parts of it) is a favorite neighborhood hangout spot with bocce, basketball, baseball, a public pool, and chess tables.

This stop offers a great skyline view that includes the Zakim bridge, Bunker Hill Memorial, the USS Constitution, and parts of East Boston.

USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides")

The USS Constitution is the world's oldest ship still afloat, having launched in 1797. It is technically still a commissioned ship of the US Navy, and her crew are all active-duty service members, but today she is mostly used as a museum and heritage site. Every day at sunset, the crew fires a salute cannon which can be heard from this park.

Climate-Resilient Design

Langone Park is the first park in Boston to integrate the standards set forth by the City of Boston's Climate Resilient Design Standards. The design incorporates structural elements to elevate the park up to seven feet without affecting adjacent structures.

"The Secret" - Boston's Buried Treasure

Note the red symbol on the map with the chest icon located at the home plate of the baseball field. There is no visible marker in real life, but this marks the location of Boston's real buried treasure!

A local family made this incredible find after solving a puzzle from a 1982 book called "The Secret". The hunt involves a search for twelve treasure boxes across the United States and Canada. As of October 2019, only three of the twelve boxes have been found.

Proceed down the half-paved, half-cobblestone alley to reach Charter Street Park, one of Boston's best urban parks tucked away in a quiet part of the North End.

This quiet park is a great spot to enjoy a cup of coffee and take a breather. The flowers are planted by local school children from the Eliot School across the street. Look out for the lower level gardens around the park.

Can you spot the balconies with no windows or doors?

Nestled in the North End of Boston, this alley is called All Saints Way. Behind an iron gate you can see the Wall of Saints: portraits ascending up the exterior brick wall of the adjoining building.

This private collection has grown into a street-side shrine, with a display of the canonized including photos, statues, prayer cards, and tribute to Roman Catholic saints.

While the shrine is a personal project on private property, the owner, Peter Baldassari, was known to give quick tours before he passed in 2025. A group of volunteers now maintains it, and if you get lucky, one may let you in! A good portion of the collection is visible from the street, even if the gate is locked.

This free pocket museum documents Battery Wharf's maritime history. In 1646, a shoreline battery was built here to protect the mouth of the Charles River and cover Boston Harbor. On June 17, 1775, more than half the British soldiers who attacked Breed's Hill departed from this wharf.

Exhibits cover shipbuilding, waterfront industry, and the "Birthplace of the Coast Guard." The museum floor was milled from the original live-oak pilings that once supported the wharf. An observation deck on the second floor offers views of Boston Harbor and the active Coast Guard station next door.

Free admission • Open daily until 9pm

Water Taxi

Outside the Museum is a waiting area for the water taxi stop. A unique (although somewhat pricey) way to get around Boston, Boston Water Taxis stop at nearly 20 points around Boston Harbor. It is not a regularly-scheduled service; you must pre-book to be picked up.

There are numerous wharves along the Harborwalk sticking out into the harbor, all with amazing views. There is nothing in particular to point out at the exact location of this stop; the entirety of the Harborwalk from the prior stop to the next stop is worth walking and viewing.

Make your way down to Columbus Park following our recommended route along the Harborwalk, or the quicker direct route via Commercial Street.

This secluded space honors America's Gold Star Mothers as well as Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, mother of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

American Gold Star Mothers is a veterans' service organization that provides support for mothers whose child was lost in the line of duty while serving in any branch of the US Military.

Mrs. Kennedy became a Gold Star Mother on August 12, 1944, the day her oldest son, Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr. was lost in action when his airplane exploded over the English Channel.

A beautiful spot for pictures any time of day or year. During the summer, the path under the trellis is often lined with potted flowers and other seasonal decorations. The lawn will often be packed with tourists and locals alike enjoying the sun and the view.

In the winter, the park is decorated and the trellis lit for the holidays.

Stop to take a picture, or watch the planes take off from the airport across the harbor!

When originally built, the shoreline was near Faneuil Hall, and the wharf extended more than a third of a mile into the Harbor. This length thrust it considerably farther than other wharves into deep water and thus allowing larger ships to tie up and unload directly to new warehouses and stores, instead of using tender boats to get their goods ashore.

Constructed by Captain Oliver Noyes, it was lined with warehouses and served as the central focus of Boston's great harbor. Today the wharf building is occupied by a hotel, several restaurants and shops. At the seaward end, there is a large plaza with extensive views of the harbor.

Climate Change Impacts

Due to recent climate change related flooding, Boston has been experiencing unusually high water in low lying areas of the city. The Long Wharf area has recently made headlines for the very noticeable levels of flooding in the area. Local news has reported "wicked high tides," with floodwaters covering the Wharf up to a meter deep during bad weather and making it almost entirely inaccessible.

Here your tour ends! There are a few places to go from here:

• New England Aquarium - The geometric buildings on the water are the New England Aquarium and its adjacent IMAX theater. Go see the seals outside the Aquarium for free, or buy tickets to see the penguins, the giant 200,000 gallon Central Ocean Tank, and much more inside!
• Faneuil Hall Marketplace - Just 3 blocks to your Northwest, across Atlantic Ave, is the famed Faneuil Hall Marketplace, with loads of shops and food.
• Continue on the Greenway or Harborwalk - Both options are beautiful ways to continue southbound. If you need food, both will take you the half-mile to the world-famous James Hook Lobster Co for a lobster roll or chowder!
• Greenway Artisan Market - On Saturdays from May 1 through October 31, this stretch of the Greenway hosts the local artisan market. Stay and browse!