At Old North Church & Historic Site, we aim to create experiences that are welcoming and accessible for our visitors. As a historic site that was built over 300 years ago, there are many challenges and obstacles as we improve the church’s accessibility. We are in the planning stage of several projects that will make our campus more accessible for everyone.

2026 Accessibility Project

If you have visited us recently, you may have noticed some construction on our campus. We have embarked on an important project to make Old North and the Freedom Trail more accessible for our visitors! The project includes:

– Building a ramp to bypass Freedom Trail stairs behind the church.

– Adding a ramp to allow wheelchair access to the crypt.

– Reconfiguring the entrance ramp on Salem Street.

– Repaving walking surfaces with ADA-compliant pavers.

This project is being supported in part by the National Park Service Recreation Fee Fund and a Historic Preservation Fund grant administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Funded in part by the Freedom Trail® Foundation, the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, and Hampshire House Hospitality Group. Our General Contractor is Knollmeyer Building Corp, and our Landscape Architect is Copley Wolff Design Group. We’re so excited to have a campus that will better serve all of our guests!

Entrance

The entrance at 193 Salem Street, Boston, MA provides access to the historic church, the Washington Courtyard and Garden, and an accessible restroom.

Restroom

An ADA-compliant public restroom is located at the rear of the gift shop through an external door.

Service Dogs

We welcome service dogs. Emotional support dogs, comfort dogs, and other animals are not permitted.

Mobility

The church sanctuary is accessible for wheelchair users to explore the space.

Currently, our box pews are not wheelchair accessible. If you require wheelchair seating for a historic site event at the church, please contact our Operations Manager, Kaitlin R. Jencks, at tours@oldnorth.comin advance, and we will work with you to determine the best accommodation possible. If you need accessible seating for a church service, please contact Priscilla Burns at congregation@oldnorth.com.

Due to the historic nature of the buildings, some spaces – such as the steeple and balconies – will always require climbing stairs. Thanks to a partnership with UMass Boston, a virtual reality tour is available to allow you to explore our unique spaces from the comfort of home.

Language Accommodations

Our self-guided tour sheet for the church is available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian. Our audio tour is available in English and Spanish.

Visual Accommodations

Our self-guided tour sheets are available in large print. Additionally, the text from our exhibit panels is available in large print binders for visitors who may have difficulty reading smaller text. The exhibit content can also be listened to as narration on the Bloomberg Connects app.

Handheld audio guides are available to support your tour of the church sanctuary. The guide contains 35 minutes of content in English or Spanish. The audio guide is particularly useful for visitors who learn best by listening or those who may have difficulty reading our exhibit signage.

Auditory Accommodations

Assistive listening devices are available for group tours, church services, and any event in which speaking takes place over our PA system. Please ask a staff member to provide you with a headset.

The script for our audio guide is available upon request.