Boston Sights by Time Available
How much of Boston you can see depends mostly on the time you have, because the main sights sit close together along a walkable route. This page sorts them by time available, then lists the entry rules that can change a plan.
One hour: Boston Common and its neighbors
Start at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center, 139 Tremont St, where the Freedom Trail begins. The trail is 2.5 miles long, links 16 official sites and costs nothing to walk. In an hour you can reach the Massachusetts State House, which runs free docent tours on weekdays between 10 and 3:30. The tour takes about 45 minutes, begins in Doric Hall and comes after airport-style security.
Directly opposite, the bronze relief of Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, unveiled in 1897, deserves a quiet pause. The Granary Burying Ground on Tremont St is a working cemetery holding Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine and Paul Revere, so never lean on or rub the headstones. The Freedom Trail burying grounds are open about 9 to 4 daily.
Half a day: downtown and the North End
The Old State House and Old South Meeting House share one ticket: $18 for ages 18 to 64, $16 for seniors 65 and over and $10 for ages 6 to 17, with 5 and under free. Both are open 10 to 5 every day. A ring of cobblestones outside the Old State House marks where five colonists, including Crispus Attucks, were killed on 5 March 1770. See revolutionaryspaces.org .
Faneuil Hall’s Great Hall is free and, from 13 October 2026 until late May 2027, is open Wednesday to Sunday 10 to 4:30, closing on days when the city holds an event. The marketplace downstairs is open daily. King’s Chapel charges $5, is closed Sundays, and its hours have shifted during the year, so confirm them. The Old Corner Bookstore is a Freedom Trail marker, but it is now commercial space under restoration, so treat it as a photo stop.
In the North End, Paul Revere House at 19 North Square costs $6 for adults, $5.50 for seniors and college students and $1 for ages 5 to 17. It takes cash, or cards with a $10 minimum. It opens 10 to 5:15 from mid-April to October and 10 to 4:15 from November to mid-April. Old North Church, at 193 Salem St, is an active Episcopal parish and the place of the lantern signal of 18 April 1775. Its Discovery Pass is $10 for adults and $5 for youth. See paulreverehouse.org and oldnorth.com .
A full day: across the bridge to Charlestown
The Bunker Hill Monument is free, and you do not need a reservation or a timed ticket. It is 294 steps up a tight spiral stair, and the monument admits 25 people at a time on a first come basis. The last climb leaves 30 minutes before closing, and bad weather can shut it. Hours are currently Wednesday to Sunday 10 to 5. The Bunker Hill Museum at 43 Monument Square is free. Service animals cannot enter the monument itself. See the NPS Bunker Hill page .
USS Constitution, in the Charlestown Navy Yard, is free with no reservations. Visitors 18 and over need a physical government photo ID, since digital IDs are refused. It is open most days except Monday, and the National Park Service lists Tuesday as a closed day too, so check before you go. It also closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Free and easy extras
The Boston Public Library in Copley Square is free to enter, so look at its own site for tours. In the Public Garden, the Swan Boats have been run by the Paget family since 1877, from spring to about Labor Day, with fares in the $3.25 to $4.75 range.
Getting between sights
Subway rides cost $2.40. Arriving at Logan Airport, the Silver Line SL1 to South Station is free, with a free change to the Red Line. Fares are on mbta.com and the airport’s Massport page .
Bad weather
Nor’easters and deep snow from roughly December to March can close outdoor sights for the day, so check the forecast and MBTA alerts first.
For a guided overview, search GetYourGuide .
Read more: walking tours in Boston , bus tours and the 4-day itinerary .