"Boston citizens had the wisdom in 1958 to preserve the largest collection of original 18th-century American buildings to create the most significant and convenient walking-history experience in the country," said Mimi La Camera, president of the Freedom Trail Foundation, in a release announcing the remarkable line-up of events scheduled to celebrate the Trail's 50th year. A walk along the Freedom Trail—always one of the best ways for visitors to immerse themselves in Boston's dramatic history—will be "a special experience this year," added La Camera.
50 Events to Celebrate 50 Years
Highlights of the 50 events scheduled between May and December 2008 to commemorate the Freedom Trail's 50th anniversary include:
- Special tours of 18th-century gardens in Boston's North End (July 3-5)
- Reenactment of the Second Continental Congress at the Old State House Museum (July 5)
- British Encampment on Boston Common (August 15-17)
- Rose Kennedy Greenway Opening Festival (October 4)
- 235th Reenactment of the Boston Tea Party at the Old South Meetinghouse (December 14)
- Historic Holiday Stroll of the Freedom Trail (November 20 through January)
In conjunction with the Freedom Trail's 50th anniversary, the Freedom Trail Foundation is offering two new themed tours, one for the public and one for tour groups. Tickets can be purchased online for the African American Patriots Tour, which highlights the Revolutionary contributions of Boston's black population. The new Pirates, Privateers & Patriots Tour, which focuses on the waterfront and Boston's colorful seafaring history, is available to private groups by advance reservation.
Special Freedom Trail Exhibits
Consider a visit to one of these special exhibits being held during the Freedom Trail's 50th year:
- Constitution vs. Guerriere Battle Paintings at the USS Constitution Museum/Charlestown Navy Yard (May 23-November 14)
- Revolutionary Era Books and Manuscripts Exhibit at the Boston Athenaeum (August 1-29)
- Art on the Trail - People & Places of the American Revolution, a special exhibit of Bank of America's 18th-Century Collection at 100 Federal Street Bank of America Gallery (November and December)
The following Boston hotels are offering special getaway packages in conjunction with the Freedom Trail's 50th anniversary celebration:
