Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

All clear. The managing agency, the National Weather Service and wildfire reporting show no current alerts.

Overview

Centered on the north slope of Beacon Hill, the African American community of 1800s Boston led the city and the nation in the fight against slavery and injustice. These remarkable men and women, together with their allies, were leaders in the Abolition Movement, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, and the early struggle for equal rights and education.

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

  • Guided Tours
  • Self-Guided Tours - Walking
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Museum Exhibits

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Hours

Boston African American National Historic Site: Boston African American National Historic Site rangers offer tours of the Black Heritage Trail seasonally. Please check the park calendar for available tours and programs.

Museum of African American History: The Museum of African American History is a partner of Boston African American National Historic Site. They operate the Abiel Smith School and the African Meeting House in conjunction with the National Park Service.

Getting there

Site administrative offices are located at Faneuil Hall and the Charlestown Navy Yard. Seasonal ranger programs begin at either the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial on Beacon Street, or at the Museum of African American History at 46 Joy Street on Beacon Hill.

Visitor centers

Weather

Boston African American National Historic Site is located in downtown Boston which can see extreme cold in the winter months, as well as extreme heat and humidity throughout the summer months. Walking tours may be cancelled during severe heat and/or weather events.

Phone: 6174296760

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

A large bronze statue showing a man on horseback and soldiers walking alongside him
The Robert Gould Shaw/54th Regiment Memorial · Arlan Fonseca
A sign hanging from a lightpost that is attached to a brick wall.
Museum of African American History · NPS Photo
Close up of a plaque on the brick facade of the Hayden House, which has green shutters
Lewis and Harriet Hayden House · NPS Photo/ M. Bozio
View from the gallery overlooking the
African Meeting House · NPS Photo / M. Bozio
Close up of a bronze relief of a young soldier carrying a rifle.
Faces of the 54th Regiment · NPS Photo/ M. Bozio
Small gray wood building in between two brick buildings
George Middleton House · NPS Photo/ M. Bozio

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