Older than Boston itself, Charlestown puts the Bunker Hill Monument and USS Constitution a short walk apart, with steep streets of rowhouses in between.
Best forRevolutionary and naval history, the end of the Freedom Trail, harbor views from the Navy Yard piers.
The feelA residential hilltop neighborhood of brick and clapboard rowhouses, with a former Navy shipyard along the water below.
Getting thereOrange Line to Community College; the F4 (Charlestown) ferry from Long Wharf (South) to Charlestown (Navy Yard); bus routes 92 and 93 from downtown.
From Downtown CrossingAbout 10 minutes by Orange Line to Community College, or about 35 minutes on foot along the Freedom Trail to the Navy Yard.
ParkingTight. Most side streets are resident-permit only and there is none by the Monument; the National Park Service points visitors to a garage near the Navy Yard.
Charlestown is where the Freedom Trail ends, and most visitors treat it as a finale: see the ship, climb the monument, head back over the bridge. That works, but it undersells the place. Between the Navy Yard and the top of Breed’s Hill you get the trail’s last two stops, a waterfront path with a clear view back at downtown, and quiet residential streets that feel a long way from Faneuil Hall, though it is little more than a mile off.
Skip it if you want shopping, nightlife or a long restaurant row: Charlestown is mostly homes and a handful of neighborhood spots. The hill is steep, and the Monument’s 294 steps have no elevator.
Getting around
Orange Line: Community College station (Austin Street and Rutherford Avenue) is on the western edge; Sullivan Square is at the north end. Both are accessible.
From North Station: the Navy Yard is about 15 minutes on foot across the Charlestown Bridge, and the Monument about 20 minutes along the Freedom Trail.
Ferry: the MBTA’s F4 (Charlestown) ferry runs year-round between Long Wharf (South) and Charlestown (Navy Yard), a crossing of about 10 minutes.
Bus: route 92 runs to downtown via Main Street and route 93 via Bunker Hill Street; the 93 stops at Constitution Road for the Navy Yard.
Bluebikes: stations at the Navy Yard, the Navy Yard ferry terminal and Bunker Hill Community College.
Parking: resident-permit streets, and no parking near the Monument. The Park Service suggests the Nautica garage near the Navy Yard, 10 to 15 minutes’ walk from Monument Square.
Accessibility: the streets up to Monument Square are steep and the brick sidewalks can be uneven. The Monument is stairs only, though the lodge and base are accessible. On USS Constitution the top deck is reached by a ramp that depends on the tide; below decks means steep, ladder-like steps.
When to go
The ship, the museums and the Monument are open year-round, so Charlestown works in any season. Summer weekends bring the biggest Freedom Trail crowds; weekday mornings are calmer at the ship’s security line. In winter, check before climbing, since the Monument can close for weather.
Every June, on a Sunday close to the June 17 anniversary of the battle, Charlestown holds its Bunker Hill Day parade, which winds through the neighborhood to the Training Field. It traces its roots to the earliest commemorations of the battle, and it’s a local event first.
A short history
Charlestown is older than Boston proper. English settlers established the town in 1628 and 1629, and Boston was founded across the Charles in 1630. Charlestown became a city in 1847 and was annexed to Boston in 1874. On June 17, 1775, New England soldiers faced the British army here for the first time in a pitched battle, the Battle of Bunker Hill. The Marquis de Lafayette laid the Monument’s cornerstone in 1825, and it was dedicated in 1843.
The Navy Yard opened in 1800 and closed in 1974. USS Constitution earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” in battle, when enemy cannonballs seemed unable to get through her oak hull during the War of 1812. Today the ship is the Freedom Trail’s second-to-last stop.
Local tips
Walking the Freedom Trail, you reach the ship first and the Monument last, and that stretch is uphill. Save your legs on the way back: the ferry from the Navy Yard to Long Wharf takes about 10 minutes.
Bring photo ID for anyone 18 or older who plans to board USS Constitution, and pack light for the security check.
For the skyline photo, skip the crowd at the ship and keep walking out along the Harborwalk on the piers.
In icy or stormy weather the Park Service closes the Monument’s stairs; the museum across the square stays open.
Address 1 Constitution Rd, Charlestown Navy YardT North Station (Orange, Green), 15-minute walk; ferry from Long WharfHours Wed–Sun 10 a.m.–4 p.m.Admission Free; photo ID required 18+Phone 617-242-5601 (NPS Navy Yard visitor center)Webnavy.mil/USS-ConstitutionAccess Very limited; ramp boarding depends on tide
Launched at Edmund Hartt’s Boston shipyard on October 21, 1797, she is the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat, and she still has a Navy crew, about 75 active-duty sailors and officers, who double as your guides. In the War of 1812 she defeated four British warships, Guerriere, Java, Cyane and Levant, in three engagements, and earned her nickname when British shot was seen bouncing off her oak hull. Hartt is buried at Copp’s Hill.
In 1830, when the Navy planned to dismantle her, a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes, then a 21-year-old Harvard law student, rallied the public and she was repaired instead. Boarding is free, first come, first served; ask the crew anything. Visit the USS Constitution Museum first and the ship will make more sense.
Tip Everyone 18 and over needs a physical photo ID or passport to board; digital IDs are not accepted.
2
USS Cassin Young
Historic SitesWorth a visit
Address Pier 1, Charlestown Navy YardT North Station (Orange, Green), 15-minute walk; ferry from Long WharfHours Late May–Nov 11: Tue–Sun in summer, Wed–Sun from mid-October; tours 11 a.m., 1, 2 and 3 p.m.Admission FreePhone 617-242-5601Webnps.gov/bostAccess Limited; below decks by ladder (48-inch height minimum)
Old Ironsides gets the crowds; this World War II destroyer at the end of Pier 1 gets you below decks. Built in San Pedro, California, in 1943 and named for Captain Cassin Young, a Medal of Honor recipient, she fought in seven Pacific battles and survived two kamikaze hits off Okinawa. The second, on July 30, 1945, killed 22 of her crew, and she was the last ship the kamikazes struck in those waters.
Charlestown workers built 14 of her Fletcher-class sisters, and the yard overhauled her through the 1950s. Rangers lead free 45-minute tours from late May until November 11, after which the ship closes for the winter. Tickets are handed out on board, first come, first served, and each tour takes only 12 people, so collect yours as soon as you reach the yard.
3
USS Constitution Museum
MuseumsWorth a visit
Address Charlestown Navy Yard (GPS: 88 Constitution Rd)T North Station (Orange, Green), 15-minute walk; ferry from Long WharfHours Daily 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.Admission By donation (suggested $15 adults)Phone 617-426-1812Webussconstitutionmuseum.orgAccess Fully accessible; elevator to both floors
Come here before you board: the museum turns a handsome old ship into the story of her crew, about 450 officers, sailors and Marines in 1812. In All Hands on Deck: A Sailor’s Life in 1812, children and adults sign on with that crew, scrub the decks and balance aloft to furl a sail, following real sailors and their families traced through diaries, letters and pension records. “Old Ironsides” in War and Peace carries the ship from her building through the War of 1812 to her preservation.
Admission is a suggested donation, so pay what suits you. If you arrive in the afternoon, board the ship first: she closes at 4 p.m. most of the year, and the museum stays open later.
4
Charlestown Navy Yard
Historic SitesWorth a visit
Address Visitor center: Building 5, Constitution Rd, CharlestownT North Station (Orange, Green), 15-minute walk; F4 ferry from Long WharfHours Grounds 24 hours; visitor center Wed–Sun 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Tue–Sun to 5 p.m. late May–mid-Oct)Admission FreePhone 617-242-5601Webnps.gov/bostAccess Grounds and visitor center accessible; ships limited
For 174 years, from 1800 to 1974, the Navy built, repaired and supplied warships here, and the yard’s granite and brick still feel like a working port. It opened in the age of carpenters, ropemakers and riggers and closed in the age of welders and pipefitters. Two ships are the draw, USS Constitution and the destroyer USS Cassin Young, but don’t skip Dry Dock 1 nearby: on June 24, 1833, when it was brand new, Constitution herself was floated in for restoration.
Start at the visitor center for rangers, exhibits and restrooms. Walk the piers for the view across the harbor to the North End, then take the F4 ferry back to Long Wharf instead of retracing your steps over the bridge.
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Bunker Hill Monument
Historic SitesMust-see
Address Monument Sq; museum at 43 Monument Sq, CharlestownT Community College (Orange); bus 93Hours Wed–Sun 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (1–4 p.m. Oct 13–May 28)Admission FreePhone 617-438-4034Webnps.gov/bostAccess Base and museum accessible; top is 294 steps, no elevator
Climb it. The 221-foot granite obelisk stands on Breed’s Hill, where Provincial soldiers dug their earthen redoubt before the battle of June 17, 1775. The British took the field, but of the 2,400 or so soldiers and Marines they sent in, about 1,000 were killed or wounded. Lafayette laid the cornerstone 50 years later. Money ran short, and it took a fair organized by Sarah Josepha Hale and other New England women in September 1840 to raise the rest; the monument was dedicated in 1843.
Enter through the Lodge at the base for the 294-step spiral. Only 25 people may be inside at once, and the last climb is 30 minutes before closing. The free Bunker Hill Museum across the street explains the battle and has restrooms.
Tip From mid-October to late May it opens only 1–4 p.m.: board USS Constitution in the morning and climb after lunch.
Where to eat
Restaurants in Charlestown
Charlestown’s restaurants cluster along Main Street and City Square, close to the Freedom Trail’s final stops, with a second group in the Navy Yard by the harbor. Expect neighborhood taverns and brunch spots more than destination dining.
Built in 1780, among the first buildings raised after the British burned Charlestown, and named for Dr. Joseph Warren, killed at Bunker Hill. George Washington and Paul Revere drank here in its first life; it closed as a tavern in 1813, served as a bakery, a club and a warehouse, and reopened in 1972. It makes an easy Freedom Trail stop for chowder, a lobster roll or shepherd’s pie with a pint. Opens 11 a.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. weekends; reserve for groups.
B
Monument Restaurant & Tavern
American · $$
251 Main St, Boston, MA 02129 · T Community College (Orange Line), 8-minute walk
A neighborhood tavern on Main Street with a New England–leaning menu of tavern favorites and seasonal plates, plus local beer and craft cocktails. It covers every hour: weekday lunch, weekend brunch from 9 a.m., dinner nightly and a late-night menu. The patio opens in good weather; reserve for weekend brunch.
C
Pier 6
Seafood · $$$
1 Eighth St, Boston, MA 02129 · T Charlestown Navy Yard ferry dock (F4 ferry), 5-minute walk
Mon–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; bar daily to 1 a.m. · 617-337-0054 · pier6boston.com
A Navy Yard restaurant on Pier 6, with wide views across the harbor to the downtown skyline. The menu sticks mostly to New England seafood — clam and corn chowder, a lobster roll, crab cakes — plus steak frites and burgers. Lunch weekdays, brunch weekends, dinner nightly; book a waterside table for sunset.
D
Dovetail
New American · $$$
1 Sixth St, Boston, MA 02129 · T Charlestown Navy Yard ferry dock (F4 ferry), 5-minute walk
A Navy Yard restaurant with its own market-café next door, cooking a well-traveled menu of small and large plates and house-made pastas: honey-harissa carrots, spaghetti alle vongole, duck au poivre and a house burger. Lunch weekdays, brunch weekends, dinner nightly. It suits a meal after visiting USS Constitution; book for dinner.
E
Prima
Italian steakhouse · $$$
10 City Sq, Boston, MA 02129 · T Community College (Orange Line), 10-minute walk
A modern Italian steakhouse on City Square, at the Charlestown end of the bridge from the North End. Order prime steak, house-made pasta, fresh mozzarella or a brick-oven pizza with a cocktail. Dinner from 4 p.m. on weekdays and from 2:15 p.m. on weekends, brunch Saturday and Sunday, lunch on Fridays and a late-night menu until midnight. Book for weekend dinner.
F
Emmi Bakery & Café
Bakery and café · $
100 City Sq, Boston, MA 02129 · T Community College (Orange Line), 10-minute walk
A bakery-café on City Square, right on the Freedom Trail’s route into Charlestown and a handy start or finish for the walk. Stop for pastries and coffee, a breakfast bagel or avocado toast, or a panini and salad at lunch. Open daily from 7 a.m. (8 a.m. on weekends) until late afternoon; order at the counter.
G
Sunnyside Café
Breakfast and brunch · $$
100 Hood Park Dr, Boston, MA 02129 · T Community College (Orange Line), 12-minute walk
An all-day brunch café at Hood Park with a playful, sugar-forward menu: red velvet or cookies-and-cream pancakes, cookie-dough waffles and caramel-banana French toast, plus straight-ahead plates such as corned beef hash and eggs. Seasonal drinks include a pumpkin caramel hot cocoa. Open daily from morning to midafternoon; reservations are taken.
Where to stay
Hotels in Charlestown
Across the harbor from the North End, Charlestown pairs the Bunker Hill Monument and USS Constitution with quiet streets of 19th-century row houses. Hotels are scarce, and that is the appeal: you sleep in a neighborhood, then walk the bridge to the North End or ride the MBTA ferry from the Navy Yard to Long Wharf. It suits repeat visitors, families and longer stays.
40
Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Harbor on Tudor Wharf
Mid-range · $$
34–44 Charles River Avenue, Boston, MA 02129 · T North Station (Orange and Green Lines), across the bridge
Access Accessible main entrance; mobility-accessible suites with roll-in or transfer showers; hearing-accessible rooms and kits; pool lift; TTY
An all-suite hotel on Tudor Wharf, built for longer stays: studio, one- and two-bedroom suites with full kitchens and harbor views. Hot breakfast is included, there is a heated indoor pool, and the Freedom Trail passes nearby on its way to USS Constitution. North Station, TD Garden and the North End are a walk across the bridge.
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Green Turtle Floating Bed and Breakfast
Boutique · $$
1 Pier 8, 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129 · T Charlestown Navy Yard ferry stop (F4 ferry to Long Wharf); nearest subway is North Station (Orange and Green Lines)
For a night that rocks gently, sleep afloat in the Charlestown Navy Yard. The houseboat Green Turtle I holds two queen suites, Loggerhead and Sea Turtle, each with its own bath and kitchenette; Green Turtle II, a 45-foot cruiser with a pair of queen cabins, is rented whole and sleeps six. Wake to the skyline across the harbor, then walk to USS Constitution or ride the ferry downtown.
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