Beacon Hill & Boston Common Explorer

1. 

   Mission 1

   The Hill That Named a City

   Beacon Hill gets its name from an actual beacon — a pole with a tar-filled pot on top erected on the summit in 1634 to warn surrounding towns of approaching danger. The hill was originally 60 feet taller than it is today — developers in the early 1800s shaved the top off and used the fill to extend the shoreline into the Charles River, creating the flat land where parts of modern Boston now sit.

2. 

   Mission 2

   The Acorn Street

   Acorn Street is the most photographed street in Boston — a narrow cobblestone lane barely wide enough for a single car, lined on both sides by Federal-style brick rowhouses built in the 1820s for the coachmen and tradespeople who served the wealthy families on nearby streets. The cobblestones are original — the same stones that have been there for 200 years — and the gas-style lanterns lining the street are lit every evening.

3. 

   Mission 3

   The Purple Windows

   Several of the Federal-style rowhouses on Beacon Hill have window panes that glow a distinctive lavender or amethyst purple in sunlight — a famous quirk that was entirely accidental. The glass was manufactured in England in the early 1800s with a slight chemical impurity involving manganese dioxide, which turned purple after decades of exposure to sunlight. The purple windows are now considered a status symbol — they can only be found in houses built before 1820.

4. 

   Mission 4

   The Underground Railroad on Beacon Hill

   Beacon Hill was home to one of the largest free Black communities in antebellum Boston, centered on the north slope around Joy Street and Smith Court. The African Meeting House on Smith Court, built in 1806, is the oldest surviving Black church building in America and was called the Black Faneuil Hall because of the fiery antislavery speeches delivered there.

5. 

   Mission 5

   America's Oldest Park

   Boston Common has been public land since 1634 — purchased by the Massachusetts Bay Colony for 30 shillings and set aside as common grazing land. It is the oldest public park in the United States by a wide margin, predating New York's Central Park by more than 200 years, and has never been privately owned in nearly 400 years of Boston history.

6. 

   Mission 6

   The Soldiers and Sailors Monument

   The Soldiers and Sailors Monument at the top of Boston Common was dedicated in 1877 to honor the Massachusetts men who fought and died in the Civil War. Massachusetts sent more than 150,000 men to fight, and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry — one of the first official African American regiments in the Union Army — was organized in Boston in 1863.

7. 

   Mission 7

   The State House at the Top

   Charles Bulfinch designed the Massachusetts State House in 1795 and it became the most influential building in American public architecture for the next generation — its combination of red brick, white columns, and a central dome was copied by state capitols across the country. Bulfinch went on to design the completion of the United States Capitol after the British burned it in 1814.

8. 

   Mission 8

   The Neighborhood That Held

   Beacon Hill is one of the very few 19th century urban neighborhoods in America that survived the 20th century essentially intact. The neighborhood was designated a historic district in 1955, one of the first in the country, which prevented the demolition that destroyed similar neighborhoods in Boston's West End and in cities across America.

More in Boston

Harbor · History · Family

Harbor & Waterfront Explorer

Walk Boston's historic waterfront where the Tea Party, Old Ironsides, and a great harbor cleanup all share the same water.

8 missions · 1.5-2.5 hours

Little Italy · Revolution · Family

North End Explorer

Wander Boston's oldest neighborhood where Paul Revere's house, the Old North Church, and the best cannoli in America share the same narrow colonial streets.

8 missions · 1.5-2.5 hours

Bunker Hill · Navy Yard · Family

Charlestown & the Navy Yard Explorer

Cross the bridge to Boston's oldest neighborhood where a famous battle, the world's oldest warship afloat, and a great naval yard all share one waterfront.

8 missions · 1.5-2.5 hours