Boston Common Visitor Center
Boston Common Visitor Center
3.5
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
About
Official Visitor Information Center located on the Boston Common and the start of the Freedom Trail. Provides Greater Boston information, souvenirs, ticketing for trolleys, duck tours and walking tours. Open 8:30-5:00 Monday - Friday and 9:00-5:00 Saturday and Sunday.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
87 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
32
Average
17
Poor
6
Terrible
8
Lee L
Valhalla, NY1,920 contributions
Oct 2022
This is the first stop and start of the Freedom Trail. They have lots of tourist brochures and some souvenirs. Didn't stay too long just enough to get a map and a few more brochures and be on my way.
Written 4 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kay-cee-1138
Houston, TX443 contributions
Sep 2022
Since we were going to do the Freedom Trail at our own pace, we stopped in to the Visitor's Center on the Commons just long enough to buy a couple of copies of the official guidebook. No problem with the purchases, and then we were off!
The center is located approximately mid-way along the Common's Tremont Street frontage.
The center is located approximately mid-way along the Common's Tremont Street frontage.
Written 23 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Silvercompass
Dublin, Ireland49 contributions
If you love learning about the history of a place and are looking for an intelligently delivered and informative history tour of revolutionary-era Boston, then this tour is not for you. Our guide was not a historian but a costumed re-enactor. Got the tickets from the Boston Common Visitor Centre. $50 for 3 of us. There were a lot of homeless people and some seriously unwell junkies on Boston Common and the surrounding streets which was very upsetting to see. Chose this tour over the Boston tea Party Museum as I decided that one might be cheesy and targeted more towards young children, and that this one would be more informative. I made a mistake. I should have known what we were in for when he spent over 20 minutes introducing himself and finding out where everyone in the very large group was from. The tour was boring, lacking in detail, and too slow. The tour guide assumed that his audience already knew all about the Revolution and the key players and just wanted the local sites pointed out to them. There was too too much waffle, melodrama and trivia. I am from Europe and came on the tour to learn all about the Boston Tea Party and Boston’s role in the American Revolution. By the end of the tour I knew where Paul Revere was buried but not who he was or what he did. The guide strung out his sentences so much and used so many dramatic pauses that I found myself constantly losing interest and switching off. He took over 90 minutes, on an uncomfortably hot August day, to deliver a tenth of what I could have read on Wikipedia in 10 minutes. What a waste of time! Speaking in a melodramatic voice, wearing a colonial costume, using a walking stick as a musket and singing John Kanaka-naka tu-lai-ay is not enough to create an engaging and informative history tour. Should have done the Boston Tea Party Museum after all. At least you get to throw the tea chests in the River there!Extremely disappointing. Come on Boston, let’s have a serious history tour led by historians, not these imposters!
Written 22 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tim L
Green Bay, WI10 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
Visitor Center Aaron's assistance was outstanding! He was very friendly, professional and knowledgeable . He explained all the area's attractions and coordinated our Freedom Trail tours. John Adams (Tim) and Captain Nate were amazing and taught us much with enthusiasm!Thank you from Wisconsin!
Written 20 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
XSki007
New Jersey1,360 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
I guess this is a good place to stop for a map and some pointers to help navigate the city.
That said, not much else, however there are public rest rooms!
That said, not much else, however there are public rest rooms!
Written 6 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TSmithy7
Windsor, UK20 contributions
Dec 2021 • Friends
My husband and I have just returned from Boston after an amazing trip with some friends. We went to the visitor’ centre twice. Oh the first day we decided to do the Freedom Trail so went to get details. The lady working there helped us pick a guide book and explained how the trail works. We thoroughly enjoyed it. On our second visit, there was a man working and he was extremely helpful, taking the time to give us some local tips. He really stood out and I wish I got his name. Anyone visiting Boston should go to the visitors centre for sure!
Written 5 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveller
New York City, NY3,203 contributions
Nov 2021
My wife, daughter, two friends and I visited the Boston Common Visitor Center in November 2021. I went back a second time by myself. The staff were very helpful and they had a lot of books and maps on the Freedom Trail for sale. I bought a Freedom Trail guide book and a map. I would recommend going here if you plan to go on the Freedom Trail.
Written 30 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scenic706155
1 contribution
Apr 2019
Asked one question which was answered politely. Second question was answered with venom spewing! An employee (volunteer? - can’t imagine her being paid with her attitude) not much older than myself was beyond rude! But something good came out of it - when visitors in our town ask for directions I jump in my vehicle and have them follow me to their destination. There is no excuse for the bad attitude! Get another gig if you can’t stand it! I could name the individual but won’t.
Written 17 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amy T
Bridgeport, WV516 contributions
Oct 2019
This is where we started on our Freedom Trail walk. They have nice restrooms and a gift shop with very reasonable prices. A great meeting place.
Written 16 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
on_the_go_98765
Tucson18,350 contributions
Sep 2019
Two cashiers will take payments for the guided walking tours, souvenir clothing, some snacks, and gifts. The "Freedom Trail Foundation" produces a great little booklet that gives a manageable amount of detail relating to the trail's highlights. Get that booklet here.
We bought our tour tickets here ($25.20) reduced fare and brought our receipts outside to give to our guide. We assume that is how he gets paid. Just a head's up: the 90 minute tour will only cover half of the trail and ends at the Faneuil Hall Information and Tourist Office. We assume an additional tour can be bought for this leg (we just walked it in our own).
This info office is right on the edge of the frog pond, near tadpole playground, and behind a huge tiered concrete fountain. Go in there to plan your excursions.
We bought our tour tickets here ($25.20) reduced fare and brought our receipts outside to give to our guide. We assume that is how he gets paid. Just a head's up: the 90 minute tour will only cover half of the trail and ends at the Faneuil Hall Information and Tourist Office. We assume an additional tour can be bought for this leg (we just walked it in our own).
This info office is right on the edge of the frog pond, near tadpole playground, and behind a huge tiered concrete fountain. Go in there to plan your excursions.
Written 7 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beverly D
4 contributions
Can I park here to take the Trolley tour?
Tigerman777
923 contributions
Hi Beverly, you can park under the Boston Commons in an underground garage. The website to check the rates is bostondiscoveryguide. They wouldn't let me put hyphens between boston, discovery and guide for some crazy reason.
Make sure to put hyphens in the right places.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Boston Common Visitor Center
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