BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – The Freedom Trail will commemorate its 75th birthday on Thursday, June 11 marking when City of Boston Mayor John B. Hynes officially dedicated the Trail at 12 noon on June 11, 1951.

Mayor Michelle Wu will write a formal proclamation to the Freedom Trail Foundation as the City and Foundation collectively celebrate the occasion, the people responsible for preserving, maintaining, and promoting the Trail and its 16 historic sites, as well as our great history. Additionally, the Foundation will celebrate the 75-year milestone by embarking upon a new Freedom Trail signage project, celebratory events, and marketing efforts.

In 1951, the City of Boston installed "a series of painted signs along 30 prominent street corners pointing toward Old Boston's most famous historical shrines." The Freedom Trail took off immediately, and in 1953, it was recorded that 40,000 people visited the historic sites along the route. Today, millions visit and experience the historic sites and official Freedom Trail Tours led by the Foundation's 18th-century costumed guides.

“The Freedom Trail is a living connection to the people and events that helped shape our nation, continuing to inspire millions of residents and visitors each year,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “As we celebrate its 75th anniversary, we honor the generations of community members and everyday revolutionaries who have preserved these historic sites and ensured that Boston's history remains accessible, engaging, and welcoming to all for generations to come.”

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile route connecting 16 official, historically significant sites, including Boston Common, Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, King's Chapel & Burying Ground, Boston Latin School Site/Benjamin Franklin Statue, Old Corner Bookstore, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Boston Massacre Site, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, Copp's Hill Burying Ground, USS Constitution, and Bunker Hill Monument,  all of which preserve, maintain and interpret these historic gems.  The Freedom Trail is marked by a red line, which was originally painted starting in 1958, and now its 13,200 linear feet consists mostly of embedded red bricks in city sidewalks maintained by the City of Boston Public Works Department's dedicated employees.

"The Freedom Trail is quintessential Boston. Initially just an elegant idea for a line in the sidewalk to link the City's key historic landmarks, it has become the thing to do for every visitor. In addition to official Freedom Trail Foundation costumed walking tours, each of the sites along the Trail offers its own unique historical experience,” said Paul Revere Memorial Association Executive Director Nina Zannieri. “So I join with my colleagues at the sites and the Foundation in inviting you to take the time to go into the sites and marvel at what you will see and learn about the people and places that make Boston uniquely revolutionary."  

Boston's iconic Freedom Trail welcomes people from across the globe, educating residents and visitors alike about the founding of America and beyond, and is an economic driving force for Boston and Massachusetts' travel and tourism industry helping to create more than a hundred thousand jobs. The important contributions Boston and Massachusetts hold in American history as well as events, activities and programs hosted year-round along the Trail makes it a four-season must do for anyone living in or visiting the City and Commonwealth.

“For those of us who market Boston to visitors, it's impossible to overstate the impact of the Freedom Trail as a destination draw over the past 75 years,“ said Meet Boston President and Chief Executive Officer Martha Sheridan.  “People come to Boston to seek, to understand the origins of our nation and the figures and landmarks that were central to that story. The Freedom Trail offers that experience in such a unique and wonderful way, both for wayfinding and learning."

Founded in 1964, the Freedom Trail Foundation is the non-profit entity that markets, promotes and helps preserve the Trail and historic sites, through visitor services and programs, educational programs, and marketing and preservation efforts.

“For hundreds of years, Bostonians and keepers of the Trail's historic sites have and continue to care for these treasures, and the iconic Freedom Trail is an excellent connection to them,” said Freedom Trail Foundation Executive Director Suzanne Segura Taylor.  “We applaud the City of Boston team of dedicated employees, who, for 75 years, has ensured the Freedom Trail welcomes both residents and visitors from all over the world to experience our great city and history.” 

The Freedom Trail historic sites and the Foundation continue to join with Boston250 and Massachusetts 250 to also commemorate the 250th anniversary of America this summer, while keeping the stories of revolutionary people and historic sites alive every year, day in and day out.

For more information, please call (617) 357-8300 or visit TheFreedomTrail.org.

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Contact:
Suzanne Segura Taylor
(617) 357-8300 ext. 201