Old North Church

Old North Church tickets: which one to buy

Old North Church stands in Boston's North End and is a stop on the Freedom Trail, the red-brick line on the pavement that links sixteen historic sites of the American Revolution. Entry to the church is by a small donation or ticket, and a behind-the-scenes tour, which includes the bell tower and the crypt, is sold separately and is well worth it for its access to spaces otherwise closed. Freedom Trail walking tours, some led by guides in colonial costume, stop here along with Paul Revere's House a few blocks away.

The North End is Boston's Italian neighbourhood, full of restaurants and bakeries, and a visit to the church combines naturally with lunch or cannoli. The church remains an active Episcopal congregation, and services are held on Sundays. Visiting is limited during services and special events. Tickets for the behind-the-scenes tour are sold in the gift shop next to the church and on the church website.

Visiting Old North Church: what to see

Old North Church, officially Christ Church, was built in 1723 and is the oldest standing church building in Boston. It is famous for a single night: on 18 April 1775 the church sexton, Robert Newman, and vestryman John Pulling climbed the steeple and hung two lanterns to signal that British troops were leaving Boston by sea, across the Charles River, rather than by land, starting Paul Revere's midnight ride to warn the militias at Lexington and Concord. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem made the phrase one if by land, and two if by sea famous.

Inside, the church has white box pews, which families once purchased, brass chandeliers, a pipe organ case from 1759 and bells cast in England, the oldest set in North America. Behind the church, the Washington Memorial Garden holds thousands of dog tags honouring American soldiers killed in recent wars. The church still displays an early bust of George Washington, said to be the first memorial to him in the country, and a replica of the lanterns hangs in a window. The crypt beneath the church holds more than a thousand bodies buried in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Old North Church opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open daily, with hours varying by season, and it is busiest from spring to autumn, especially at weekends and during school holidays. Early morning is the quietest time. Patriots' Day in April commemorates the lantern signal with a special ceremony at the church, and the Boston Marathon on the same weekend fills the city. The Fourth of July brings large crowds and fireworks on the Charles River.

Autumn is beautiful in New England and a popular time for visiting. Winter is cold and snowy, but the church and the North End restaurants are cosy. Allow about half an hour for the church, or an hour with the behind-the-scenes tour. Copp's Hill Burying Ground, one of the oldest cemeteries in Boston, is a short walk up the hill and is also on the Freedom Trail.