Historic Site Events

Friday, July 4, 2025
10am – 7pm
Old North Church Historic Site
193 Salem St, Boston, MA

Join us at Old North Church for our annual Independence Day celebration. The delightful musical duo Tripp and Toddy will entertain visitors with period music and stage a “duel to the death.” Throughout the day, there will be dramatic readings of the Declaration of Independence in the sanctuary, complete with booing and hissing at the mention of the king. We will also have traditional outdoor children’s games for young visitors to enjoy, such as marbles, cat’s cradle, and hopscotch. Come and explore Boston’s oldest surviving church building, see the newly revealed angel mural, and discover the secrets of the historic crypt.

Schedule of Events

Performances (Included in $10 admission ticket)

Interactive Reading of the Declaration of Independence: 11:30, 1:00, 3:00

Tripp and Toddy: 2:00, 4:00, 5:30
Tripp and Toddy will enlighten and entertain as they whisk audiences back to the 18th century and teach about period music and instruments, manners and mannerisms, 18th century humor, and more. And all while dressed in period attire, of course!

Tours ($5 add-on)

Bell Chamber Tours: 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30, 6:00

Crypt Tours: 10:05, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30, 6:00

Available Throughout the Day (Free of Charge)

Unearthing Childhood: 300 Years of North End Kids — Exhibit in the Clough House behind Old North Church

Historic Childhood Games and Toys — Paul Revere Mall behind Old North Church

Wednesday, July 16, 2025
7:00 – 8:30pm
With Author Dr. Alexandria Russell,
Live on Zoom 

Since the late 1800s, African American women have organized to create memorials commemorating Black women across time. As members of clubs, preservation organizations, and other groups, Black women have told their own stories through public history.

During the Jim Crow era, the most memorialized Black woman in America was the writer Phillis Wheatley. Born in West Africa around 1753, Wheatley was kidnapped as a child, sold into slavery, and brought to Boston, where she learned English and became a poet. She is considered the first African American author of a published book of poetry. More than a century after her death, Wheatley’s legacy was kept alive by Black women living across the United States, from Massachusetts to New Mexico.

In this online talk, Dr. Alexandria Russell, the author of Black Women Legacies: Public History Sites Seen & Unseen, will share the major themes of her book and trace the remarkable efforts to memorialize Phillis Wheatley. Facing limited resources and widespread discrimination, Black women operated with resourcefulness and savvy to create public memorials that shaped American culture.

A paint restoration project is currently underway at Old North to remove layers of white overpaint and reveal some of the church’s colonial-era artwork! Expert craftspeople are uncovering angels in the church’s sanctuary that were painted in the late 1720s and 1730s by congregation member John Gibbs. Visitors to Old North will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see long-hidden history being revealed.

On April 16, 2025, we were honored to present the celebrated filmmaker Ken Burns with the Third Lantern Award at Lanterns & Luminaries, our annual celebration of “two if by sea.” The award recognizes those who embody the values of leadership, courage, hope, tenacity, and active citizenship.

This video includes the full program, including remarks by Mr. Burns, Senator Ed Markey, and Governor Maura Healey. Guests at Lanterns & Luminaries enjoyed a sneak peek of Mr. Burns’s new documentary, The American Revolution, which is scheduled to premiere on PBS on November 16, 2025. An abbreviated clip from the documentary is shown in this recording of Lanterns & Luminaries.