Sunday, November 10, 2013

Experience History With Boston Freedom Trail Tours

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By Katrina Wheeler


On Boston Freedom trail tours visitors are exposed to two and a half centuries of significant historical events in an hour or more. A red brick or painted line connects the sites and serves as a guide. This route was created by citizens who were concerned about preserving this history and soon it was attracting many visitors. They were able to see museums, churches, burial grounds and meeting houses along the route.

A coalition of public and private sector groups helped it to survive. Eventually an information center was opened and free maps distributed to visitors. Finally a foundation was set up to market the route and help with its preservation. Today over 80 000 people walk this route every year.

There are several other companies offering tours too. They cater for different sizes of groups, from individuals to families and larger groups. Some offer shorter walks suitable for children and longer ones for enthusiasts who want to spend more time at each site. There are even some that are conducted in the evening.

Well informed and entertaining guides lead these groups. They tell stories and give background and perspectives about the past that one would probably not be found in many history books. This is why people often prefer to take a tour than to just walk the route themselves.

An interesting site along the route is the Old South Meeting House. This was the place where many meetings were held prior to the American Revolution. This included the one held the evening prior to the act of civil disobedience when tons of taxable tea were jettisoned from the holds of ships overboard into the harbor. The old wooden Paul Revere House is another official site and it is the oldest building found downtown. It is from this house that Paul Revere began his famous ride to Lexington.

Another official site is the Boston Latin School. This school is the oldest in America and Benjamin Franklin is one of its well known dropouts. A statue of Benjamin Franklin stands in front of the school, marking the original location of the schoolhouse. Other signers of the Declaration of Independence like John Hancock and Samuel Adams also attended this school.

There are many daily tours on offer. Some cover all sixteen sites while others cover only the downtown area, beginning or ending at Faneuil Hall. There is also a separate tour of the North End on offer. There are those designed for individuals and small groups whilst others cater for schools and even corporate groups. Some funds raised in this way go back to preserving the historic sites.

One can check availability and book tickets for the Boston Freedom trail tours online. It was in this city where the American Revolution first began. Nothing tops this trail as an insight into the years leading up to the American Revolution and the early years of the United States.




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