Old North Church & Historic Site

Built in 1723 as Christ Church in the City of Boston, Old North Church is the oldest surviving church building in Boston and one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Freedom Trail. On the night of April 18, 1775, sexton Robert Newman and vestryman Captain John Pulling Jr. raised two lanterns in the steeple to signal that British troops were crossing the Charles River, helping set in motion the alarm associated with Paul Revere and the opening battles at Lexington and Concord.

Visitors can explore the historic sanctuary, a crypt containing more than a thousand burials, interpretive exhibits, gardens, and family-focused experiences through the site's Discovery Pass. A separate guided bell chamber tour climbs into the space where Paul Revere rang bells as a teenager. The active Episcopal church and its secular historic-site organization also interpret the building's broader religious, community, Black, and Indigenous history.