Boston History: Three Iconic Experiences

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Experience American history like never before at Revolutionary Spaces in Boston. Explore the iconic Old South Meeting House and Old State House, filled with historic exhibits and artifacts.

Duration: 3 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Old State House - Old State House Historic Freedom Trail Site & Museum:
Built in 1713, the Old State House served as the hub of royal governance in the Massachusetts Bay colony and was central to many pivotal events of the Revolution, including the Boston Massacre.
Today, this historic site and museum—situated just two blocks from the Old South…

Old State House - Old State House Historic Freedom Trail Site & Museum:

Built in 1713, the Old State House served as the hub of royal governance in the Massachusetts Bay colony and was central to many pivotal events of the Revolution, including the Boston Massacre.

Today, this historic site and museum—situated just two blocks from the Old South Meeting House in downtown Boston—offers insightful exhibits, captivating walking tours, enriching educational programs, and engaging public events.

In 2026, discover “Road to Revolution: Massachusetts and the Independence Movement,” a new exhibit curated with the Massachusetts Historical Society. This exhibition marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, providing unique and personal insights into the events leading to the Declaration of Independence.

Old South Meeting House - Old South Meeting House Historic Freedom Trail Site & Museum:

Constructed in 1729, the Old South Meeting House was the largest building in colonial Boston and the venue for the most stirring mass meetings that sparked the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution.

Today, this historic site and museum—located just two blocks from the Old State House in downtown Boston—features thought-provoking exhibits, engaging walking tours, exciting educational offerings, and dynamic public programs.

In July 2026, “Ruckus!”, a bold new immersive show about Boston’s role in the American Revolution, will debut at the Old South Meeting House.

Old South Meeting House - STARTING JULY 2: Ruckus!

Enter Boston’s historic Old South Meeting House and experience “Ruckus!”, the event that sparked the American Revolution. This 24-minute immersive show places you at the center of the debate and defiance that once filled this iconic venue, where ordinary individuals initiated extraordinary change.

From the floorboards to the balconies, you will be enveloped by dynamic sound, lighting, and projected animations of passionate revolutionaries, determined citizens, and some unexpected troublemakers whose bravery resonated within these walls.

For visitors, locals, and adventurers of all ages, “Ruckus!” offers a powerful introduction to Boston’s crucial role in shaping the nation—a fast-paced and unforgettable reminder that a little Ruckus! can change everything.

Please arrive at the Old South Meeting House 15-20 minutes before your chosen showtime. Late entry is allowed up to 5 minutes after the show begins. Visit RevolutionarySpaces.org for more details.

What's Included

Combined entry to Old South Meeting House and Old State House

Additional Information

Old State House: Once the hub of royal governance in the Massachusetts Bay colony, the Old State House was central to many pivotal events of the Revolution, including the 1770 Boston Massacre. Today, visitors can explore exhibits, historic rooms, and revolutionary artifacts such as John Hancock’s coat of arms and ammunition from Revolutionary War…

Location

Old State House

206 Washington St,

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.7

(23 Ratings)

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Lockie

Dec 12, 2025

Wonderful exploration of our shared US history - Fabulous. I especially appreciated the wonderful video of indigenous folks talking about what happened at this space; it was beautiful, and please don’t miss it as part of your experience. The building itself is also historic and lovely, as we know. It’s one of the buildings that was at the cornerstone (no pun unintended, on stones and buildings) of our budding democracy. The internal staircase is beautiful. And the exhibits are thoughtful. I also really love the interactive conversation about busing in schools. The exhibit asked visitors to join in a conversation concerning public education today. Similar to their sister exhibit, at the Old South Meeting house, guests were invited to pen post-it notes and reflections. (See photos). Some are funny, such as “more recess” and “pay kids to go to school” but many are quite meaningful and bring up larger thoughtful ideas, such as “pay teachers more” and “don’t ban books”. I love this interactive sort of exhibit. The only thing I found was a little odd were some of the ‘squeeze and smell’ exhibits. Squeeze to smell the House of Representatives? No thank you. :) It was just a little funny. I don’t think they meant it to be humorous. And I know they were talking about how it would’ve smelled back then, but it’s a little odd!

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Mary

Nov 26, 2025

The real history of Boston and American progress - I had SUCH a blast talking to the staff about the Liberty Tree and other important American history that my education has neglected to inform me of until now. I could have talked to the staff member about it FOREVER, what inspiring stories of the many who were not being considered by the few powerful, rich decision makers. The video they played upstairs highlighting the indigenous families who returned to see where their ancestors where stripped of their humanity in a single decision was very powerful and changed the whole experience (in a very important and necessary way). I appreciate that they had that video, and the four exhibits in the central room (on women, Native Americans, working class, and black people at that time) more than I can express.

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Joe_w

Nov 3, 2025

So much History in these 2 buildings - While these are not guided tours, there is so much history and the museums are easy to navigate and learn about their historical significance. We did have a guided tour before we came back to visit of the Boston history and that helped us put into context what we saw in these 2 buildings.

Review provided by Viator

Danibee33

Oct 20, 2025

Great museum, fascinating walking tour included—not to be missed!! - Loved this museum. We were lucky enough to have Monica lead our tour, about the Boston massacre. She was phenomenal, despite our group having only five people, she spent a full 90 minutes with us, giving us a fascinating overview of the events leading up to this historical moment and the intrigue and ambiguity surrounding it. She made sure our group was comfortable, found lots of places to sit as she was describing things and kept our interest piqued the whole time. I cannot recommend her tour highly enough. It was included in the cost of seeing the museum.

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F723srcathys

Sep 25, 2025

Great history lesson - The information was great… and Megan brought history to life with her insights. We had the opportunity to dialogue with her and get into the finer details of the Writs of Assistance, the framing of the Constitution and the vantage points of the writers and the populace. An incredible experience! $15 covered both the Old State House and Old South Meeting House. We visited these for about 90 minutes.

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Q6109fxcarolynr

Sep 20, 2025

The American Revolution - Our trip to the State House ( we didn't make it to the Meeting House) was very interesting. It provided us with more information about the Revolution than we ever got in textbooks. The way everything was presented gave us a well chronicled history of the events leading up to the Revolution and beyond. The house itself was very impressive. To think, we were standing in the actual State House that stood tall while all that history surrounded it, was pretty amazing. We were glad to have had this opportunity to see it. It was well worth the trip!

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Randy_b

Sep 20, 2025

Boston State House and Meeting House - This is a self guided tour through the old State House and the Meeting House. The State House has many artifacts from the events leading to the Revolutionary War. The Meeting House provides a look at a large church with parishioner boxes. It is so large, that it served as a meeting location for discussion leading to acts of defiance such as the Boston Tea Party. This is a good history tour.

Review provided by Viator

Nicholas_f

Aug 20, 2025

Love the history here. - My family and I did the freedom trail. We stopped at Boston’s old state house and old south meeting house. The staff was super friendly. It’s very well kept. Packed full of historical facts. Would definitely recommend stopping here.

Review provided by Viator

Lynnea

Jul 23, 2025

Enriching experience - We had a great tour with Madison who was really knowledgeable and charming bringing history into current context. Beautiful buildings with interesting exhibits

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Shelly_f