Rachel Revere Square, Boston, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Rachel Revere Square is a small public space on North Street in Boston's North End, named for Rachel Walker Revere, the second wife of Paul Revere. It sits a short walk from the Paul Revere House and the Old North Church, which makes it an easy stop on a walk through the oldest part of the city.

The story behind it

Rachel Walker married Paul Revere in 1773, just as Boston was moving toward revolution. She joined a crowded household and helped raise a large family while her husband worked as a silversmith and took part in patriot activity. Revere had sixteen children across his two marriages, so the home he shared with Rachel was rarely quiet. The square gives her a place in a neighbourhood where the history books usually give the attention to him.

Her home gives the square its context. The Paul Revere House on nearby North Square was built around 1680 and is the oldest surviving house in downtown Boston. Revere bought it in 1770 and lived there on the night of his ride in April 1775. It stands on the site of the parsonage of Increase Mather, lost in the great North End fire of 1676. Revere sold the house in 1800. Over the next century it was divided up and used as a candy shop, a cigar factory, a bank and a fruit and vegetable market, while successive waves of immigrants lived in the neighbourhood. It was nearly demolished around 1900, but Revere's great-grandson helped save it, and it opened as one of the country's earliest historic house museums in 1908.

What to look for

• Look at the Paul Revere House on North Square, where the overhanging upper floor and small windows show how a Boston home looked in colonial times.
• Notice how the narrow streets around the square bend and cut across one another, a layout much older than the grid of modern Boston.
• Walk to the Paul Revere Mall nearby to see the equestrian statue of Revere, with the steeple of the Old North Church rising behind it.
• Pay attention to the Italian bakeries, cafes and shopfronts along the way, which tell the story of the immigrant community that shaped the North End.

Tips for your visit

• Allow a few minutes for the square itself, and longer if you combine it with the Paul Revere House and Old North Church.
• Go in the morning or late afternoon, when the streets are quieter and the light is good for photographs.
• The square is outdoors and free to see. If you want to go inside the Paul Revere House or the church, check current opening hours first.
• Stay for a coffee or a pastry afterwards, as the North End has many cafes within a short walk.

See it on a quest

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in North End, Boston is a good way to see this part of the city. You walk to the places on the route, the app tells you about each one as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Oz Escape in Boston turns a walk through the area into a game with an Oz theme. You reach the stops on foot, hear about each place on the spot and work out a puzzle as you go. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Oz Escape: A Wicked Glitch in Boston is another Oz-themed quest through the city. You follow the route at your own pace, learn about each place as you get there and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.