What: Old North Church
Where: 193 Salem St.
Boston, MA
Who: All ages
Old North Church is both a working church and a national landmark. This church which was established way back in 1723 is where the lanterns were hung to warn the colonists that the British were coming. Tours are available for this historic venue Monday through Friday from 10:00 to 4:00 or Saturdays from 10:00 to 2:00 for a small fee of $5.00 per person. Children under 5 are admitted free. While the tours are self-guided, you will be given a written guide you can follow, and there are plenty of knowledgeable staff members on hand to answer any questions you may have as well. Unfortunately, the guide is not something you can take home with you but just something you can look at while you are at the location.
On the tour, you can walk around and view the old-fashioned box pews and learn the stories of some of the notable people who owned them during revolutionary times. They include General Gage, the British Commander; Mary Gibbs, a wealthy widow and a rare woman who actually owned her own pew; and Robert Newman the sexton of the church during that time period. You'll also see the pew of the Gentlemen of the Bay of Honduras, which is the largest and most prominent pew, as well as the Newman window, the bust of George Washington, and more. You can even learn about how much of what we know about the Old North Church, Paul Revere's ride and the hanging of the lanterns which we learned from Longfellow's famous poem is wrong.
Additional tours and activities are available for families. They include tours of the Bell Ringing Tower and a Gallery tour. Each of these tours requires an additional fee of $5.00 per person. There is also an Old North Church scavenger hunt for children 6-10 and their families which is available for free.
And that's our view. For more about the Old North Church or to reserve tickets online, visit www.oldnorth.com
Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.
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