Old State House
Beginning with its construction in 1713, the Old State House was the headquarters of British government in Boston. The building's distinctive cupola was once the tallest and most impressive building in the town, sending the message that there was no higher authority than the king.
It was just outside these doors that the Boston Massacre unfolded in 1770, and from this balcony that the Declaration was first read to the people of Boston in 1776. Now, Old State is the oldest surviving public building in Boston, housing as a museum of Boston history operated by the Bostonian Society.
The Old State House/The Bostonian Society
Corner of State and Washington Streets
617-720-1713
Open daily 9:00 - 5:00
Closed Thanksgiving, Dec. 25, Jan. 1
www.bostonhistory.org
On the way out of the Old State House, notice the ring of cobblestones marking the site of the Boston Massacre on what is now a traffic island. This event helped to fuel the spirit of rebellion in the Colonies.
The "Cradle of Liberty," Faneuil Hall was the site of many fiery town meetings. Wealthy merchant Peter Faneuil built it in 1742 and to the town as a gift. Faneuil Hall has served as an open forum meeting hall and marketplace for more than 250 years.
Built around 1680, the Revere House was home to silversmith and patriot Paul Revere when he made his famous ride in 1775. Inside the house, visitors obtain a fascinating glimpse into everyday life for the Reveres during the Revolutionary era. 
On April 18th, 1775, Robert Newman, sexton of the Old North Church displayed two lanterns to warn Paul Revere and others of the British troop movements. Paul Revere's famous "midnight ride" began with that signal, and so did the American War for Independence. 
Copp's Hill Burying Ground is the final resting place of merchants, artisans and craft people who lived in the North End. Located on a hill on which a windmill once stood, the land was given to the town. 
The oldest commissioned warship in the world became known as "Old Ironsides" during the war of 1812 when she fought the British Frigate H.M.S. Guerriere. The Guerriere sank like a stone, while the cannonballs she fired at the U.S.S. Constitution merely "bounced off" as if she were made of iron. 
"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" This famous order, which legend attributes to Colonel William Prescott, has come to immortalize the determination of the ill-equipped Colonists facing the powerful British Army during the famous battle fought on this site on June 17, 1775.
Walking Map