Old North Church & Historic Site
Areas of Focus: American Revolution, immigration, architecture, abolitionism, maritime history, food ways including chocolate, literature/poetry, and active citizenship. Museum tours and programming.
Available Programs
To Register for a Field Trip: Please contact Visitor Experience Manager, Julius Hobert, at jhobert@oldnorth.com or tours@oldnorth.com or call 781-352-2069.
Website: www.oldnorth.com
Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/oldnorth1723
Program Fees: All of our programs are free for Boston Public Schools.
For All Grades
Each visit begins in the sanctuary of the church with a seated, interactive talk about Old North’s role in Paul Revere’s famous ride. You can also choose activities from the list below for your students to participate in.
Gallery Tour (Gr. 3-12)
The gallery tour takes students to the sanctuary’s balcony and focuses on the experiences of early Black congregation members, on some of its most remarkable artifacts, and on the people who built the church. Steep stairs
Bell Chamber Tour (Gr. 3- 12)
The bell tower tour brings students to the archive room and then the bell ringing chamber where they learn the history of Old North’s change ringing bells and its steeple. Steep stairs.
Copp’s Hill Tour (Gr. 3-12)
Visit Copp’s Hill Burying Ground with one of our educators (rain or shine) to learn more about Puritan burial practices and how they differed from Anglicans, and see the graves of some of the notable Bostonians buried there. The graveyard, located steps away from Old North Church, is another site on the Freedom Trail.
Crypt Tour (Gr. 4-12)
The crypt tour leads students below the historic church to experience the crypt where 1,100 people are interred. Students learn about burial practices in the 18th and 19th centuries and the differing beliefs of Anglicans and Puritans. Stairs and confined spaces.
Note: The crypt will be unavailable for tours in the late fall and winter of 2022/2023 while it is closed for restoration work.
Specialized Offerings (by grade level)
Prince’s Pew Pursuit Scavenger Hunt (Grades 2-4)
Students solve clues, learn history, and have a chance to better understand Old North through a scavenger hunt experience “led” by Prince the Cat, the friendly black cat who used to frequent the church
Trades Spotlight Experience (Gr 3-5)
In this activity, students explore the sanctuary space as they collect information about Old North community members from the 18th century and their jobs. They then participate in a facilitated discussion of how the labor of these community members helped to create Old North.
Old North History Hunt (Gr 5-12)
Students complete 10 challenge questions by hunting through the church for the answers. This activity encourages students to read signage, ask questions, and think outside the box.
Chocolate Spotlight Experience (Gr 9-12)
In this activity, students use primary sources to take a deeper look at the colonial chocolate industry in Boston and how some Old North congregation members were connected to this industry. They will interpret recipes from the past to learn about urban slavery and how to write inclusive histories.
Transportation Options
School Bus Availability:
No, our organization does not offer buses.
MBTA Accessibility :
Accessible to Haymarket or North Stations (Green Line, Orange Line)
Previous Offerings (not currently available in 2022-2023)
A History Mystery: Who Hung the Lanterns at the Old North Church? (Gr. 3-5)
This two-hour exploratory activity invites students to use historical documents, grave markers at Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, and clues inside Old North Church to investigate the unsolved mystery of who hung the lanterns in the Old North steeple on the eve of the American Revolution. Students learn to discern between primary and secondary sources and how to incorporate them into their research.
Behind-the-Scenes Tour: How Things Work (goes into bell ringing chamber and crypt) (Grades 5-12)
This exciting 30-minute guided tour is our most popular program and offers a more in-depth view of the Old North and its history within the theme of “how things work.” Students visit the bell-ringing chamber and the crypt, only accessible through guided tours. Essential questions guiding student learning: How is the church building structured? What are change-ringing bells and how do they function? What is a crypt and how was it used?
Bones & Burials Tour (gr. 8-14)
This fascinating 40-minute guided tour investigates life, death and burial in colonial Boston. Students visit the second story church gallery (only accessible through this tour), the crypt, and Copp’s Hill Burying Ground as they explore the differences between Anglican and Puritan religious practices.
Sacred Seats: Social Implications of Colonial Church Pews (Grades 9-12)
Students embrace the untold stories of Old North’s congregants of color and women in this hour-long facilitated program by creating their own interpretations of colonial-era constrictions. Students use primary source documents from the church’s archives to formulate thoughts, questions, and ideas about the social implications of church seating. Guiding questions help students draw parallels between their personal experiences today and the colonial experience.
Celebrating Craftsmanship: Anglican Art & Architecture Tour (Grades 9-12)
This hour-long interactive tour examines the church’s interior and exterior architecture and three fine art pieces utilizing Visual Thinking Strategies. Students consider these visual elements within the context of the 18th and 19th centuries and decode their meaning by looking, discussing, and looking again. There’s always more than meets the eye!
