Boston National Historical Park The Boston National Historical Park is an association of sites that showcase Boston ' s role in the American Revolution . It was designated a national park on October 1 , 1974 . Seven of the eight sites are connected by the Freedom Trail , a walking tour of downtown Boston . Several of the sites within the park are neither owned nor operated by the National Park Service , and operate through cooperative agreements established upon the park ' s creation . The park service also operates visitor centers in downtown Boston and at the Charlestown Navy Yard , as well as the Bunker Hill Museum , not far from the Bunker Hill Monument . All eight properties are National Historic Landmarks . Properties . Bunker Hill Monument . The Bunker Hill Monument , located at the top of Breed ' s Hill in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston , is a granite obelisk that was constructed in the mid - 19th century to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill , fought June 17 , 1775 . The property is owned and administered by the National Park Service . The park service also operates the nearby Bunker Hill Museum . Charlestown Navy Yard . The Charlestown Navy Yard is located on the southern edge of Charlestown on the banks of the Charles River . Used during the American Revolutionary War as a shipyard , it continued to serve as a base of the United States Navy until 1975 , when the Navy turned the property over to the National Park Service . The Yard is home to the USS Constitution ( the oldest floating commissioned naval vessel in the world ) , and the USS " Cassin Young " , a destroyer from the Second World War that is now operated as a museum ship . Dorchester Heights . The park service also owns and operates Dorchester Heights , a key location that was fortified by General George Washington in March 1776 , compelling the British to withdraw from Boston and ending the Siege of Boston . A monument was erected on the site in 1902 . Located in South Boston , Dorchester Heights is the only site in the park that is not on the Freedom Trail . Faneuil Hall . Faneuil Hall was first constructed in the 1740s , and was the site of important pro - independence speeches . The hall is owned and operated by the city of Boston , with the park service offering tours of the facility . Old North Church . The Old North Church , built in 1723 , was the location where Paul Revere had signal lanterns lit on the night of April 18 , 1775 , prior to his " midnight ride " that led to the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the start of the revolutionary war . The church , the oldest operating in Boston , has an Episcopalian congregation , which owns and operates the building . Old South Meeting House . The Old South Meeting House , built in 1729 was the site of numerous pre - revolutionary meetings , including one , attended by a crowd estimated at more than 5 , 000 , on the evening prior to the Boston Tea Party in December 1773 . It served as a church until 1877 , when it became a museum operated by a nonprofit organization dedicated to its preservation . Old State House . The Old State House is the oldest municipal building in Boston . Built in 1713 , it was the seat of the colonial government , and afterward the state government , until 1798 . The Boston Massacre took place just in front of the buildling . In 1881 it was purchased by the Bostonian Society , which was formed specifically to preserve it . The society still owns the building and operates it as a museum . The Boston Massacre is reenacted regularly under the society ' s auspices . Paul Revere House . Now owned and operated by the Paul Revere Memorial Association , the Paul Revere House is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Boston . It was built in 1680 , and was purchased by Paul Revere in 1770 . It is now a museum . Park Service activities . The National Park Service , in addition to managing its properties that are part of the park , operates visitor centers at Faneuil Hall ( 1st Floor ) and at the Navy Yard . It offers guided tours of the Freedom Trail and the USS " Cassin Young " . The Navy offers tours of the USS " Constitution " .