boston freedom trail audio tour

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Last updated: December 20, 2023

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Boston National Historical Park 21 Second Ave Charlestown, MA 02129

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Boston Freedom Trail Self-Guided Tour with Audio Narration & Map

TICKET PRICES STARTING FROM

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Walk in the footsteps of Revolutionary War heroes with this self-guided audio tour of Boston’s Freedom Trail! Get the facts behind the story of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride, relive the fight for American Independence, and much more. Journey back in time to historic Boston in the days of Paul Revere and Samuel Adams. As you walk the Freedom Trail, you’ll learn about everything from the Boston Common to the USS Constitution. Plus, relive the Battle of Bunker Hill with a riveting bonus tour! New, extra validity — now, it’s yours for an entire year! Use multiple times over multiple trips! After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. The preceding steps require good internet/wifi access. This is not an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit. With this purchase, you can enjoy a complimentary self-guided walking tour of the Bunker Hill Monument.

Ticket Options

1 Option Available

Boston Freedom Trail Self-Guided Tour with Audio Narration & Map: $9.99

Ticket Information

• Mobile or paper ticket accepted
• One per booking

What's Included

• Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
• Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
• Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
• Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
• Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
• Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
• Learn more: dive deeper into any story you enjoyed with extra stories.
• Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!

What's not Included

• Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations

Cancellation Policy

• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Additional Info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• How to access: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a confirmation email and an instructions email. Follow the instructions right away: • Download the app • Enter the password • Download the tour • MUST DO while in strong wifi/cellular
• How to start the tour: Once onsite, open the Action's Tour Guide App: • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If there are multiple tour versions, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction. • Go to the starting point. (Note: no one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided). • The audio will begin automatically at the starting point. If you face audio issues, visit the FAQ. • Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
• Amazing savings: Walking Tours: While each person typically needs their tour, couples or small groups can share one using split headphones.
• Flexibility and Convenience: • Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. There's no expiration, making it perfect for revisiting on future trips. • Start and pause the tour at your leisure, accommodating breaks and side excursions without the pressure of keeping up with a group.
• Comprehensive Tour Experience: •The app provides a full itinerary, travel tips, narrated audio stories, scripts, images, videos, and recommendations for additional activities. • Enjoy a private experience without the crowds, ideal for personalized stops and photo opportunities.
• Ease of Use and Accessibility: • The app is hands-free and activates stories via GPS, offering support through call, chat, or email. • There is no need for a continuous cell or Wi-Fi connection as the GPS map works offline.
• Memorable Keepsakes: • Utilize the app’s images to create a photo book or share on social media, ensuring you have high-quality, crowd-free memories from your trip.
• Preparation: • After booking, download the app and the tour using a strong Wi-Fi connection. • Review the tour at home before your trip for a better experience.
• Starting the Tour: • Open the app upon arrival at your destination. • Select the appropriate tour based on your starting point. • Head to the starting location; the audio will begin automatically. • Follow the suggested route and adhere to the speed limit for an optimal experience. • By following these instructions and taking advantage of the app's features, users can enjoy a personalized, flexible, and in-depth exploration of their destination at their own pace and convenience.

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Boston Freedom Trail Self-Guided Tour With Audio Narration & Map

As visitors walk along the Boston Freedom Trail, they are like time travelers stepping through the pages of history, each cobblestone telling a tale of the city’s past. The self-guided tour, enhanced with audio narration and a detailed map, beckons explorers to uncover the secrets of Boston’s pivotal moments.

Imagine unraveling the mysteries of the American Revolution as you follow in the footsteps of patriots and rebels. But what unexpected twists in history might one encounter on this immersive journey?

• Engaging self-guided audio tour along Boston’s Freedom Trail
• Comprehensive route with offline maps for easy navigation
• User-friendly app for hands-free experience and flexibility
• Historical and cultural significance highlighted with interactive storytelling

Here's some more nearby activities we've reviewed

• Harvard University Campus Guided Walking Tour
• Freedom Trail: Small Group Tour of Revolutionary Boston
• Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum Admission
• Tour of Historic Fenway Park, Americas Most Beloved Ballpark

Tour Highlights

Embark on the Boston Freedom Trail self-guided tour to uncover captivating historical landmarks and stories that paint a vivid picture of America’s rich past. As you journey along the trail, you’ll encounter graveyards that hold peaceful and historical significance.

Appreciate the icons and meanings on gravestones, delving into graveyard symbolism that adds depth to the tour. On top of that, the trail ensures special needs accessibility , offering flexibility for individuals with different requirements. This feature not only caters to diverse audiences but also mitigates crowd exposure for health reasons.

Enjoy the historical anecdotes surrounding these graveyards, enhancing your understanding of Boston’s rich history while enjoying a seamless and inclusive experience.

Booking Information

For those interested in joining the Boston Freedom Trail self-guided tour, the booking process entails meeting at the Boston Common Visitors Center and selecting a start time between 9:00 AM and 5 :00 PM daily.

Here are some key points to consider for booking:

Booking Tips and Cancellation Policy:

• Full refund if canceled 24 hours in advance.
• No refund for cancellations within 24 hours.
• Changes not accepted within 24 hours.

Group Discounts and Tour Logistics :

• Savings for couples or small groups sharing tours.
• Meeting point at Boston Common Visitors Center.
• End point at Bunker Hill Monument for an additional tour.

Other Important Details:

• App instructions for the self-guided tour.
• Cut-off times based on local time.
• Easy-to-follow instructions for a seamless experience.

User Experience Insights

With a focus on enhancing visitor engagement and historical immersion, the user experience insights offer valuable perspectives on the Boston Freedom Trail self-guided tour.

While many users appreciated the engaging storytelling and comprehensive route, some encountered issues with app functionality and narration glitches. Despite these challenges, positive feedback highlighted the historical content’s value for money , the self-guided feature’s ease of use, and the user-friendly interface .

Multiple listens and the ability to delve deeper into information were praised aspects. The tour’s informative and interesting content, coupled with the interactive experience through audio guidance, contributed to an overall positive user experience.

Real-time GPS triggers, automatic narratives , and clear instructions added to the immersive nature of the tour.

Historical Exploration

Enjoy Boston’s rich historical tapestry through the lens of the Freedom Trail’s captivating narratives and iconic landmarks. Discover the city’s past through peaceful graveyards and cultural icons :

Explore tranquil graveyards along the trail, offering a serene glimpse into Boston’s history.

Uncover the significance of cultural icons like the Paul Revere House, with its intriguing stories and historical anecdotes.

Appreciate the intricate meanings behind gravestones, providing a deeper connection to the city’s heritage.

These elements bring a unique depth to your historical exploration, offering a blend of tranquility and cultural enrichment as you traverse the iconic Freedom Trail.

Reviews and Feedback

As visitors journey through Boston’s Freedom Trail, they encounter a tapestry of experiences shared through the lens of reviews and feedback from previous travelers.

The tour garnered a 4.5 overall rating from a total of 56 reviews, showcasing user satisfaction with the historical content, value for money , and self-guided features. While some users noted issues with app functionality and narration glitches, the majority appreciated the informative and interesting content, user-friendly interface , and the ability to delve deeper into stories.

Improvement suggestions included addressing app functionality concerns and enhancing narration quality. The detailed reviews from actual participants aid in validating the tour’s quality, with host responses demonstrating a commitment to enhancing the user experience and implementing suggestions for future tours.

Support and Assistance

Visitors embarking on the Boston Freedom Trail self-guided tour can rely on comprehensive support and assistance throughout their exploration. When in need, they can count on the following:

Customer Service: Dedicated staff available to address any inquiries or concerns promptly.

Troubleshooting Tips: Handy tips provided to navigate any technical issues with the app or audio narration.

On-Site Assistance: Assistance readily available at key points along the trail for immediate help or guidance.

This robust support system ensures a smooth and enjoyable experience, enhancing visitors’ journey along the historic Freedom Trail.

Here's a few more nearby tours and experiences we have reviewed.

• The Revolutionary Story Epic Small Group Walking Tour of Boston
• Boston: North End to Freedom Trail – Food & History Walking Tour
• Bostons North End Pizza & History Walking Food Tour
• Public Small Group Walking Tour of the Full Boston Freedom Trail
• Guided Freedom Trail Walking Tour
• Boston Small-Group Walking Food Tour With Tastings

Common questions

Are There Any Recommended Times of Day to Take the Self-Guided Tour for the Best Experience?

For the best experience, it’s recommended to start the self-guided tour in the morning to avoid crowds and make the most of the weather conditions . An afternoon stroll offers a charming sunset ambiance.

Can the Audio Narration Be Switched to Different Languages for Non-English Speaking Participants?

For non-English speakers, the audio narration offers language options , enhancing culture . Participants can switch between languages to delve deeper into historical tales. The feature enriches the experience, catering to diverse audiences.

Is There a Recommended Order in Which to Visit the Sites Along the Freedom Trail for Optimal Storytelling Flow?

For optimal storytelling flow and historical accuracy , following a chronological order along the Freedom Trail enhances thematic connections . Begin at Boston Common to set the stage, progressing through sites like Paul Revere’s house, aligning with historical events.

Are There Any Age Restrictions or Recommendations for Participants Taking the Self-Guided Tour?

For participants taking the self-guided tour, there are no specific age restrictions. However, it is recommended to consider the time of day , ensuring suitable conditions for a comfortable and enjoyable experience for all ages.

How Long Does the Entire Self-Guided Tour Typically Take to Complete, Including Stops and Extra Content Exploration?

The self-guided tour along Boston’s Freedom Trail offers visitors flexibility in exploring historical sites at their own pace. The average duration varies based on individual exploration options, allowing for a comprehensive experience that includes stops and extra content exploration.

Here's more of our most recent tour reviews happening neaby

• Boston: Ultimate Food Tour of North End & Public Market
• Boston: Iconic Food Tasting & History Tour – Freedom Trail
• Lexington and Concord Private Driving Tour
• Boston CityPASS: Save 45% at 4 Top Attractions
• Boston Signature Dinner Cruise
• Boston: Local Gems of the South End Neighborhood Food Tour
• Boston: Guided Craft Brewery Tour With a Snack
• From Boston: Day Tour of Plymouth and Cape Cod
• Boston CityPASS
• Boston History & Highlights Afternoon Tour
• Boston: Small Group Night Tour With Boston Creme Pie

Experience the captivating Boston Freedom Trail Self-Guided Tour with Audio Narration & Map for a seamless and informative journey through the city’s rich history. Explore engaging storytelling and deep historical insights at your own pace, all while enjoying a hands-free experience through a user-friendly app.

With its unique blend of flexibility and enriching narratives, this tour offers a valuable and immersive exploration of Boston’s iconic landmarks. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable historical adventure!

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Boston Audio Tours

We are proud to offer our newest, affordable sightseeing option - AUDIO TOURS. Can't make one of our guided Boston walking tours? No problem. 

Each tour offers an offline option to view the map and hear the audio of each walk so you don't need GPS maps running with the app.

Here is how it works:

• Purchase an audio tour from our Booking Page .
• You'll receive a confirmation email with a .pdf, Google Map link, and audio tour.
• Enjoy the tour(s).

Listen to a sample of our Freedom Trail Tour

Listen to a sample of our Harvard and Cambridge Tour

Available Tours:

• The Freedom Trail
• Beacon Hill
• Harvard & Cambridge
• Sendero de la Libertad de Boston (Spanish)

Check out our audio tours in all our cities !

Choose a Destination... I want them all PLUS general travel tips. Amsterdam Berlin Boston Charleston Chicago Dubai Lisbon London Los Angeles Miami Nashville New York City New Orleans Paris Philadelphia Prague Rome San Francisco Washington DC

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Guided Walking Tour of Copley Square to Downtown Boston Freedom Trail

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230 Dartmouth St

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The history of enslavement at Boston’s Freedom Trail sites is beginning to be told

Boston is a cradle of American history, and 4 million people a year visit the historic churches, graveyards and parks that make up the Freedom Trail to learn more about the country’s origins. But rarely do they hear the underbelly of that story: that slavery touched nearly every aspect of the society and the economy of Massachusetts during that period of time. But that is now changing.

• By Paul Singer

Samuel Ike, of Cambridge, Massaschusetts, dressed in the role of Revolutionary War-era African American abolitionist Prince Hall, walks past the grave with red flowers of the victims of the 1770 shooting by British soldiers, known as the Boston Massacre, at the Granary Burying Ground in Boston. The grave of founding father Samuel Adams rests at right. March 3, 2020.

GBH Advisory: This project contains descriptions of violence and dehumanizing language to reflect the horrors that Black people and Native Americans were routinely subjected to during the era of American history when slavery was common. We recognize such language may distress some readers. Discretion is advised.

A narrow red brick path winds through the sidewalks of downtown Boston, connecting 17 historic sites tied to the city’s colonial history as the incubator of the American Revolution.

But the red line of the Freedom Trail also could symbolize the blood of enslaved people who helped make that revolution possible.

Boston is a cradle of American history, and 4 million people a year visit the historic churches, graveyards and parks that make up the Freedom Trail to learn more about the country’s origins.

But rarely do they hear the underbelly of that story: that slavery touched nearly every aspect of the society and the economy of Massachusetts during that period of time. But that is now changing.

In the 1700s, enslaved people likely accounted for about 10% of Boston’s population, according  to the city’s tally .  An unnamed French writer visiting Boston in 1687 wrote, “You may … own Negroes and Negresses; there is not a house in Boston, however small may be its means, that has not one or two.”

The malicious tentacles of slavery in the Bay State were widespread, although Massachusetts was not home to massive agricultural plantations like in the Southern colonies.

Boston thrived on shipping that involved transporting enslaved people or the products of their labor. The colony had a huge rum industry, made possible by the sugar harvested in the slavery-riddled Caribbean. And enslaved people in Central and South America mined the silver that Paul Revere used to manufacture his iconic kitchenware.

And those connections can be tied directly to sites along the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail: in the wood harvested by enslaved workers to build the USS Constitution; in the unmarked graves at Boston’s old cemeteries and in the history of Boston Latin School, where enslaver Nathaniel Williamsserved as one of the first schoolmasters.

“We kind of give ourselves a lot of credit for being the first state to banish slavery,’’ he said. “But we were also the first state to make it legal.”

Massachusetts was the first colony to legalize slavery, with the adoption of the 1641 “ Body of Liberties ,” which set out the rules under which a person could be enslaved. Slavery was abolished in the 1780s through a series of court cases brought by enslaved people.

L’Merchie Frazier, former director of education and interpretation for Boston’s Museum of African American History, said the interpretation of the historic sites on the trail, installed in the 1950s, has completely ignored the role of Black people.

“Whose freedom are we trailing and are we tracing as we walk on those bricks?” L’Merchie Frazier, former director, Museum of African American History, Boston, Massachusetts

“Whose freedom are we trailing and are we tracing as we walk on those bricks?” she asked.

GBH News reporters worked with a group of Boston University journalism students to document the lesser-known history of slavery at each of the sites along the Freedom Trail. For several months, students dug into archives and worked with researchers to piece together information.

Some of the sites have done a lot of this work themselves and were able to share their findings; others, like the Old Corner Bookstore and the Boston Common, are essentially unmanaged and required students to dig through troves of documents and read historical texts looking for clues. While very little of what was found was previously unknown, there’s no easily accessible place to find all the information collected in one place.

View the interactive map: The Enslavement History of the Freedom Trail

Suzanne Segura Taylor, the executive director of the Freedom Trail Foundation, said her organization has long trained guides to mention slavery on the tour.

For example, the training materials direct guides to discuss the small grave marker beside the tomb of John Hancock, a two-time Massachusetts governor made famous for his signature on the Declaration of Independence. The small grave carries the name of “Frank,” described as a servant of Hancock’s and who was almost certainly enslaved, historians agree.

“Those are the things we say that must be talked about,” she said.

But, she said, more can be done to elevate the story of Boston’s slave history, and she hopes to share GBH’s findings with her tour guides.

The Freedom Trail Foundation is just one of countless organizations leading tours of the historic sites. Last month, a GBH News reporter took a 2 1/2-hour walking tour with a private company that covered all 17 sites and never once mentioned slavery.

“There’s a lot of people out there conducting tours that we don’t know what their outlines are, what they’re required to discuss on their tours,” Taylor said.

Frazier said the story that tourists hear about colonial Boston depends on the guide. 

“Previously on the Freedom Trail, the only mention of any Black person was Crispus Attucks — and not his history, just that he died on March 5, 1770,” she said.

Attucks, the first person killed in the Boston Massacre on that day, is buried with other victims under a commemorative stone in the Granary Burying Ground, beside revolutionary leader Samuel Adams. GBH followed several tours through the burial ground and the massacre site and heard no mention that Attucks — the child of an enslaved Black father and a Native American mother — had once been enslaved and advertised as a runaway.

Frazier also points out that the story of enslaved people in Boston is not just a story of victimhood. It is also the story of people working together to educate themselves, learn skills and try to build wealth — and fight for their freedom.

It was “a strategized, networked, organized movement to secure their voices, their land, their property,” she said. “If you leave out that narrative, that expanded narrative, of Black and Indigenous people here, you have really done a woeful job of delivering history. Especially in terms of considering the principles of democracy.”

While there is growing acknowledgement of the city’s ties to slavery on the Freedom Trail, the public-facing recognition of it is intermittent. For example, organizers at King’s Chapel, a stone chapel founded in 1686, launched an effort a few years ago to grapple with its history. Many of the founding members, and many of the donors to the construction of the church, were slaveholders, slave traders or otherwise made their money from the work of enslaved people.

Signs around the church now explain those connections, and the chapel recently  approved  a massive transformation to install a monument to the 219 enslaved people linked to the congregation’s history.

Watch how King’s Chapel is reckoning with its ties to slavery:

But just outside the church, the city-owned King’s Chapel Burying Ground provides no details about slavery on its signs, even though some of the most illustrious names on its tombstones commemorate people who owned slaves, including John Winthrop, the first governor of Massachusetts.

A “First Governor” plaque in the burial ground marks the family tomb and tells the story of Winthrop’s career, noting that he was “considered religious, prudent, conscientious and pious.” No mention is made of the fact that the governor sent soldiers to sack a Pequot settlement in 1627, taking hundreds of Native American prisoners, many of whom Winthrop sold, gave away as slaves or kept for himself.

Beth Anne Bower, credited as the historical research consultant on those signs, told GBH News that when the placards were made two decades ago, exploring connections to slavery “was not the conversation.” Instead, she said, she was encouraged to focus on the “diversity” of people buried there, highlighting women business owners and French migrants.

The current recognition that “we should start confronting this history” was not part of the mission for those signs, she said. “It should have been.”

Walking past the site of Boston Latin School — the oldest school in the nation — visitors would not learn that Nathaniel Williams, one of the school’s first schoolmasters, enslaved two people identified as Richard and Hagar. This fact is not mentioned on the school’s own website or on the mural painted on the sidewalk on School Street, which is named for Boston Latin. But these key details are available on other city  websites .

Increasingly, the sites along the Freedom Trail — which are curated by different groups, including the National Park Service, the city of Boston, individual congregations and stand-alone nonprofits — have begun telling the stories of the foundation of enslavement that the city’s history stands upon.

The USS Constitution Museum in Charlestown, which receives hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, leads visitors through a hands-on description of how the ship was conceived and built.

Dr. Carl Herzog, the historian at the museum, told Boston University students that the “live oak” — a particualry impregnable species of wood — that the US Navy sought to build the boat with in the 1790s came from Georgia’s St. Simons Island, where it was harvested by enslaved workers. In a  blog post  published on the museum website late last year, Herzog detailed the use of this wood: “Paying enslavers for the forced labor of enslaved people was an expediency that Navy officials and contractors saw as fundamental to the job. Thus, enslaved people were essential to the construction of naval warships built to secure the very American freedoms they were denied.”

The museum exhibit includes a modern life-sized photo of a Black man dressed as an “enslaved” worker carrying an axe. The attached sign says, “I hate this work. My master earns top dollar for my toil, but me, what do I get? … [White workers] left. I don’t have that choice. Got nowhere to run.”

Old North Church, where the lanterns were hung in the steeple “one if by land, two if by sea” to launch Paul Revere’s famous ride, has rewritten its own materials to expose the slave ties of the donors who funded that steeple.

The Old State House has an exhibit about the petitions enslaved people submitted to the Legislature in the 1700s asking for their liberation and reparations.

Stepping off the Freedom Trail, visitors can find even more of this history.

The National Park Service leads tours on a 10-stop  Black Heritage Trail  that features an alternate slate of sites curated by the Museum of African American History, including the African Meeting House — the nation’s oldest Black church building — and the John J. Smith House, home to a leading abolitionist who helped liberate Shardrach Minkins, an enslaved man from Virginia arrested in Boston in 1851 under the Fugitive Slave Act.

And the city of Boston has unveiled an exhibit inside Faneuil Hall to document some of the enslaved people who lived here and to highlight “Boston’s complicity” in the slave trade. The location was chosen specifically to elevate the fact that Peter Faneuil, who built the building donated to Boston in 1742, was one of the most active slave traders in the colony.

Some social justice leaders, like Imari Paris Jefferies, chief executive of Embrace Boston, who led the 2022 installation of the new civil rights memorial on the Boston Common, say this recognition is long overdue.

“To have more of these historic and legacy institutions on the Freedom Trail tell a holistic story about Boston’s — and by default America’s — involvement and engagement in this dark part of our history is an important part of reconciliation,” he said.

This story originally appeared on GBH’s Morning Edition.

Related:   Benin is building a theme park to remember slavery — is history up for sale?

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Guest Essay

The Most Famous Golfer at the Masters Is Black. Why Aren’t There More Players Like Him?

By Peter May

Mr. May is a former sportswriter for The Times and The Boston Globe and the author of “Changing the Course: How Charlie Sifford and Stanley Mosk Integrated the PGA.”

When the Masters Tournament commenced on Thursday, featuring 89 competitors, there was exactly one Black golfer in the field: the one we all know, Tiger Woods. Beyond that, the field for the 88th Masters didn’t look all that different from the previous 87.

This is not what Charles Sifford envisioned when he and Stanley Mosk, the attorney general of California, fought to integrate the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. Sifford, who is often referred to as the Jackie Robinson of golf, became the first Black P.G.A. member in 1964 after a decades-long fight to join the organization that had, for much of its history, stated in its charter that it would admit only golfers “of the Caucasian race.”

Sifford blazed a trail for talented Black golfers such as Lee Elder, Calvin Peete, Jim Dent, Jim Thorpe and, of course, Woods. But 60 years later, their stories of success are still exceptions. The P.G.A. remains woefully inaccessible to Black golfers and has made only marginal and inadequate efforts to diversify its ranks. According to Golf Digest, less than 1 percent of the P.G.A.’s 29,000 members are Black. The P.G.A.’s tournaments and its professional golf shops need to take concrete steps to look more like the America they purport to represent.

In 2014 the P.G.A. identified diversity and inclusion as “foundational principles” but, in practical terms, that has meant little more than the occasional golf camp or clinic at a public course in a Black neighborhood. The P.G.A. recently partnered with the Advocates Professional Golf Association, which was founded in 2010 to diversify the game, and together they will host 18 tournaments this year. But the P.G.A. must do more to lead the way in action and by example, promoting inclusion at every level. Until private country clubs, elite prep schools and Division I golf programs actively recruit and train Black golfers, Sifford’s legacy will remain unfulfilled and the game will continue to be dominated by white players.

For the decades that Sifford and other Black golfers fought to become P.G.A. members, they dealt with bigotry, death threats and countless humiliations while simply trying to play golf with and against the best players of the era. Because the P.G.A. had explicitly codified racial discrimination in its bylaws, Black golfers not only couldn’t compete as PGA Tour members, they also couldn’t find jobs in P.G.A.-affiliated pro shops — which, until the 1950s, had been the traditional route golfers took to join the P.G.A. The P.G.A. continually thwarted the efforts of Black golfers, abetted by star players who failed to speak up for inclusion.

The battle to integrate professional golf stalled until Attorney General Mosk, enraged by Sifford’s exclusion from the P.G.A., threatened to sue the association to prevent it from holding its segregated tournaments in California. Several other state attorneys joined Mosk in the fight, and their resolve forced the P.G.A. to eliminate the Caucasians-only clause. The removal of what Mosk called “this obnoxious restriction” paved the way for Sifford to become a full-time member.

But Sifford’s breakthrough did not open the gates to Black players. Fifteen years after Robinson broke baseball’s color line, Black players represented over 10 percent of Major League Baseball rosters. Yet decades after Sifford’s breakthrough there was still only a handful of Black golfers on the pro tour. The Masters waited an unforgivable 41 years from its inception before inviting a Black player to participate, when Elder broke the color barrier in 1975. Even after Sifford won two PGA Tour events, the Masters refused to invite him to its tournament. Sifford never set foot on the grounds of Augusta National Golf Club.

Little has changed. The 2022 Masters featured just three Black players , which was a record high for the tournament. There were no Black golfers last year in the United States Open, and this year’s Masters features only Woods — who has publicly credited Sifford with making his career possible, calling him “the grandpa I never had,” and named his son Charlie in Sifford’s honor. But Woods, who is 48 and oft-injured, can no longer play a full schedule, which means there are only two Black golfers today who play professionally with any regularity. One is Cameron Champ, a three-time PGA Tour winner. The other, Harold Varner III, is no longer a member of the P.G.A., having joined the Saudi-backed LIV tour.

There are currently efforts to promote diversity in golf, such as the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption at the Genesis Invitational, which sets aside a spot in the tournament for a golfer of color every year. Why not introduce such an exemption at every P.G.A. tournament? The P.G.A. should also be funding more programs to develop young Black golfers, as well as interest in golf among Black athletes. This year, the basketball star Stephen Curry — who funded the revival of the golf program at the historically Black Howard University — will be honored at the World Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony with the Charlie Sifford Award for advancing diversity in golf. The P.G.A. should follow Curry’s lead.

Sifford lived long enough to see significant change in the world. He saw Woods become the dominant player in golf. He saw other sports integrated in ways that once seemed unthinkable, including baseball in 1947 and, later, tennis with the rise of Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson and the emergence of Venus and Serena Williams. In 2004, Sifford became the first Black person inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and, in 2014, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama.

But when Sifford died in 2015 at age 92, he had yet to see a truly integrated P.G.A. Were he alive today, he’d still be waiting.

Peter May is a former sportswriter for The Times and The Boston Globe and the author of “Changing the Course: How Charlie Sifford and Stanley Mosk Integrated the PGA.”

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Self Guided "Historic Boston Downtown Freedom Trail" Audio/GPS Walking Tour

• Location Aware (GPS guided) walking tour on the WalknTours app
• Upon completion your virtual tour will unlock, listen anytime and experience in 360° photos
• See the Famous sites on the Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall, Old state house, Granary, Kings Chapel more
• See the spot JFK lived!
• See Benjamin Franklin's Birthplace
• Learn the story of the donkey infront of the old city hall
• Enter both the Granary burial ground and King Chapel burial ground and explore
• Learn about the 54th Memorial and how they changed history forever
• This is on your smart phone, NO in person human guide, no entrance into buildings, it's all outside
• Boston Common Visitors Center, 139 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111, USA The tour starts near the front door of the Boston Common Visitors Center, standing on the red brick trail.
• Haymarket, 100 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02108, USA The tour ends at the Haymarket, in historic Blackstone corner, just past the Greed Dragon Tavern (also known as the Headquarters of the revolution)
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Stroller accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Most travelers can participate
• This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• Freedom Trail
• New England Holocaust Memorial
• Old State House
• Faneuil Hall Marketplace
• Granary Burying Ground

Similar experiences

• You'll start at Boston Common Visitors Center 139 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111, USA The tour starts near the front door of the Boston Common Visitors Center, standing on the red brick trail. See address & details
• 1 Freedom Trail Stop: 45 minutes See details
• 2 Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial Stop: 3 minutes See details Pass by Massachusetts State House Park Street Church
• 3 Boston Common Stop: 3 minutes See details Pass by King's Chapel Omni Parker House Old City Hall Old South Meeting House
• 4 Granary Burying Ground Stop: 13 minutes See details
• 5 Boston Massacre Site Stop: 3 minutes See details Pass by Faneuil Hall Marketplace Union Oyster House
• 6 The Green Dragon Tavern Stop: 2 minutes See details Pass by Old State House
• 7 Haymarket Stop: 1 minute See details
• 8 New England Holocaust Memorial Stop: 5 minutes See details
• 9 122 Bowdoin St Stop: 3 minutes See details
• 10 Spring Street Stop: 3 minutes See details

• KatrinaMS 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Great option! Great way to find the stops. Wish there had been more substance to the facts given. Easy to follow directions. Would recommend. Nice to be in control of where we were going. Easy to stop and explore more along the way. Read more Written March 30, 2024
• Road786769 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Enjoyable experience on the Freedom Trail In Boston for a business trip. Wanted to do the self guided audio tour to fit my schedule. I initially downloaded the Chinese version by mistake. Called the number in the app and Greg quickly sent me another code to fix my error. Enjoyed the content of the tour and discovered some great restaurants that I went back to later in my trip. Will definitely use this service again when I visit a new city! Read more Written February 28, 2024
• kennyleitch 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great way to learn about Boston Great value audio tour. We could go at our own pace, skip or rewind, and had confidence that there was interesting information about all the places we passed along the route. Really simple to download and we now know so much more about Boston than we would have done. Read more Written February 28, 2024
• Crista W 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Perfect way to visit The perfect way to experience the freedom trail. You can stop and start as you visit various sites. The history shared at each location was just right! We loved it so much we did the underground railroad tour and the ghost tour. Read more Written February 28, 2024
• elizabethwV3741DY 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Walking Tour, Thumbs Up! Worth every penny! This is the second city I’ve used this walking tour app. I hope your company gets to all the cities! The Freedom Trail audio was perfect for my 13 year old daughter. We will look for these tours first in every city we visit. Read more Written February 12, 2024
• barbaravM5785ZD 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Very worthwhile! Excellent tour and Greg offered outstanding customer support to help get us started. Visitor’s Center, the starting point, is next to the new Embrace statue. Read more Written December 30, 2023
• Limerick47 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles smartphone walking tour easy to follow smartphone audio tour you can do at your own pace. tour of haunted sites in Salem covered events in last three hundred years. Read more Written November 11, 2023
• O7665HWstephenc 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Own your own pace, great detail and tons of history. Great sites pretty quick trip even though it was an hour or so. Great tour! Better than a group tour bc you go at your own pace and can stop to look at more around you. Tons of fascinating history! Read more Written October 30, 2023
• BiolaCPH 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Boston sightseeing at your own pace. Fantastic way to explore Boston if you're on your own, or in a small group! I did not wish to be dependent on a guided tour, and this was the perfect way for me to see the most important bits, at my own pace. Read more Written October 29, 2023
• Sarah H 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent tour! This tour was great because it allowed us to move at our own pace, in our own group. Narration and directions were fantastic. All the sites were within a very reasonable walking distance, so it was manageable with young teens. It also was the perfect length of time. Long enough to be interesting, not so long that everyone was getting bored. Would highly recommend to anyone! Read more Written October 29, 2023
• Larry K 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Freedom Trail Easy to use. For the most part straightforward instructions. Well worth the purchase. We used it over the course of 2 days Read more Written October 26, 2023
• X3792WXronw 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent tour for the money. For the price, it was a very good and informative walking tour of Salem. We learned a lot and the self-guided app was fairly easy to use. Every now and then we had to pause the narrative and make sure we were at the right location before we restarted it but we figured out how to use the app fairly quickly. Read more Written October 24, 2023
• Barbara P 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Easy Self-Paced Tour We were passing through Salem and we were on a tight schedule. The self guided tour was great! We were able to go at our own pace ( even stopped for a lunch break). The tour included just the right amount of information and was very easy to use! Read more Written October 22, 2023
• garyaZ2502NQ 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Oct 19, 2023 We had a great time the audio was great, the places we went to was very interesting. The whole family had a great time. Read more Written October 20, 2023
• Siobhan G 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Interesting self-guided visit The guide app is well-designed for what it offers. It even gives enough time for a person to get between stops. It would be good to either have another self-guided tour that covers other things in the Salem area. I say this because other guided tours are twice as long as this one was. Read more Written October 19, 2023

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Self Guided "Historic Boston Downtown Freedom Trail" Audio/GPS Walking Tour provided by WalknTours