DK Travel : Boston : Beacon Hill

With its elegant, 200 year-old row houses, quaint grocers, pricey antique shops, and hidden gardens, Beacon Hill screams “old money” like no other area in Boston. That some of the city’s most exorbitant apartment rentals can still be found here suggests it will remain an enclave of exclusivity for years to come. Yet throughout the 19th century and well into the 20th, this inimitably charming neighborhood was a veritable checkerboard of ethnicities and earning groups – segregated though they were. Little of Beacon Hill’s diversity has survived its relatively recent gentrification, but visitors can still experience the neighborhood’s myriad pasts inside its opulent mansions and humble schoolhouses, and along its enchanting cobblestone streets.

Black Heritage Trail

By and large the Paul Reveres and John Adam’s of this world have monopolized Bostonians’ collective understanding of their city’s history. As a refreshing counterpoint, the Black Heritage Trail posits that black Bostonians, through their long-marginalized histories, have played an indispensable role in the city’s development. The trail illustrates this point at every turn, taking visitors past the homes, businesses, and schools of some of Boston’s most influential black Americans. Tours leave from the Shaw Memorial at 10am, noon and 2pm (Memorial Day to Labor Day).

Note: Massachusetts State House is situated on the Freedom Trail (see Massachusetts State House)

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Marika’s Antiques

Packed to its dusty rafters with oil paintings, tarnished silverware, and mismatched china – nothing quite beats that thrill of discovery you’ll find here.
Massachusetts State House

A 200-year-old codfish, a statue memorializing a licentious Civil War General, and a 23-carat gold dome crowned with a pine cone – such are the curious eccentricities that distinguish Beacon Hill’s most prestigious address (see Massachusetts State House).
Museum of Afro-American History

Based in the African Meeting House (the oldest extant black church in the US) and the adjoining Abiel Smith School (the nation’s first publicly funded grammar school for African-American children) – the MAAH offers a look into the daily life of free, pre-Civil War African-Americans. The meeting house was a political and religious center for Boston’s African-American community and it was here that abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison delivered anti-slavery addresses in the mid-19th century. The museum has successfully preserved their legacy and that of countless others through education workshops, exhibitions, and special events.
Nichols House Museum

An 1804 Charles Bulfinch design, 55 Mount Vernon is one of the earliest examples of residential architecture on Beacon Hill. Rose Nichols, the house’s principal occupant for 75 years, bequeathed her home to the city as a museum, which would provide a glimpse of late-19th and early 20th-century life on the Hill. A pioneering force for women in the arts and sciences, Nichols gained fame through her authoritative writings on landscape architecture and far-reaching philanthropic projects.
Parkman House

George Parkman – once a prominent physician at Harvard Medical School – lived in this house during the mid-19th-century. In 1849, in one of the most sensationalized murder cases in US history, Parkman was killed by a faculty member over a financial dispute. Both the crime and its aftermath were grisly – in the ensuing trial dental records were entered as evidence for the first time.
Room with a Vieux

Owner Jeff Diamond scours France for unique furniture and light fixtures, which span the centuries. High-end Art Deco furniture pieces, bedboards, and Louis XV mirrors are strong points.
Seven’s Ale House

The epitome of a local Boston bar: dark wood, slightly surly staff, amiable patrons, a dartboard, and a rudimentary pub menu.
The Federalist

Anchoring the XV Beacon hotel, the Federalist combines luxurious dishes (think braised lobster with seared foie gras) with a savvy wine list.
Torch

Don’t let the chic interior fool you; Torch offers one of the most unpretentious French bistro-style dining experiences in town.
Upstairs Downstairs

This cozy shop places a refreshing emphasis on affordability and function. Everything from mahogany four-poster beds to belle époque opera glasses are on display.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes, and extra charges.
- under $30
- $30–$45
- $45–$60
- $60–$75
- over $75