church tours in boston

• Visit The Mother Church

Weekly services at The First Church of Christ, Scientist

Sunday church services.

Online and in-person: 10:00 a.m. ET In-person only: 5:00 p.m. * ET

* There are no 5:00 p.m. Sunday services during July and August

Wednesday testimony meetings

Online only: 2:00 p.m. ET In-person: 7:30 p.m. ET

Access from the garage to the church is available by use of a stairway. Those with accessibility needs may drive to the ramp at the Church Portico. Please ask security for assistance.

Online services and events

Located in the heart of Boston, The Mother Church is the centerpiece of the Christian Science Plaza—one of Boston’s largest privately-owned spaces accessible to the public. 

All are welcome to attend our Sunday church services and Wednesday testimony meetings, and to bring children and teens to our Sunday School . We provide child care at all of our services. Several times a year, we offer free, topical public lectures on Christian Science. Learn more about Christian Science on this website, or feel free to visit our nearby public Reading Room .

The Plaza is also home to the  How Do You See the World?  experience located in the Christian Science Publishing House, and to The Mary Baker Eddy Library.

Construction is currently taking place on the Christian Science Plaza. Check the latest Plaza and building access information.

Google Maps virtual tour

The Mother Church Sunday School

Visit The Mother Church Sunday School in Boston. Discover how the lessons in the Bible are relevant in your life—how they fit into every day and show up in everything you love to do. We have classes for all students under the age of 20—kids, teens, young adults, even infants!

The Mother Church Reading Room

Monday–Friday: 10:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Saturday: 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sunday: 11:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

The Mother Church Reading Room invites everyone to stop by to ask questions, and read or buy Bibles and Christian Science books and literature, and to attend daily events.

Tour The Mother Church

Friday: 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Saturday: 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Sunday: 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Free tours of The Mother church begin in the Welcome Hall at the How Do You See the World? experience.

Visit the Christian Science Plaza

Including the How Do You See the World? experience, the Mary Baker Eddy Library, and local Boston events.

Meet the Church's officers

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Your First Visit

A warm welcome to Old South Church in Boston! Formed by worship, we are a vibrant, theologically progressive Christian church, diverse in age and culture. We are seriously interested in learning, growing and serving. We gather to pursue Christian ministries of mercy, justice and beauty, and to worship a God who is bigger than we can know or comprehend. Worshiping God helps us live deeply, and with compassion. Worshiping God attunes us to the great mystery that resides both at the heart of the universe and deep within our souls.

Welcome to the church of Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Adams, of Phillis Wheatley and the Boston Tea Party. Welcome to a church that is 350 years old and still making history.

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Getting Here
• Accessibility

Everyone is welcome here — no ifs, ands, or buts. As bearers of God’s good news, we welcome all ages, genders, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, marital statuses, physical and mental abilities, and classes. We believe that all people are made in the image of God.

We offer four distinct services of worship, each with its own flavor.  Click here for more details .

Sunday First Worship – 9:00 a.m. – informal & vibrant Festival Worship – 11:00 a.m. – grand & expressive

Thursday Twilight Worship –  6:00 p.m. – tender & full-hearted

2nd Sunday of each month Vespers Healing Worship – 5:00 p.m. – gentle & tender

The purpose of worship is to place ourselves in the very presence of God. We undertake this holy work by lifting our voices in songs of praise, breaking open the ancient scriptures, addressing God through prayer, attending to sermons, and holding God’s world on our hearts. As you enter, a friendly usher will greet you and give you a program to guide you through the service.

Communion is celebrated weekly at First Worship and Jazz Worship, occasionally at Festival Worship, and is open to all who wish to receive it. We do this to remember the meal shared between Christ and His disciples.

We maintain the ancient Christian practice of receiving a financial offering to support the church’s ministries. We welcome your gifts and encourage everyone to live a life marked by generosity .

Services and events are photographed and recorded to document the vibrant life of our church. If you do not wish to be included, please notify an usher.

Yes! Children and families of all configurations are welcome and cherished at Old South Church. Infants through grade 2 are welcome in our childcare ministries beginning at 8:40 am. For details on childcare and Christian formation programs for children, visit the  Children & Family Ministries page .

Some dress in their Sunday best, others casually. Wear what makes you comfortable; either way, it matters more that you show up. Festival Worship can get warm in the summer months, so please plan accordingly.

Festival Worship is about an hour. Twilight, First, and Healing Worship are a little shorter.

We invite you to stick around for a snack or beverage, strike up a conversation, and make some new friends!

Yes, we offer Bible study and more. There’s lots going on,  click here for what’s coming up.

Yes, we offer a range of accommodations. The building is wheelchair accessible with “wheelchair bays” in the Sanctuary and Chapel. Bathrooms are accessible. We provide hearing assist devices (in our large worship and meeting spaces), and large-print Orders of Worship. Our long-term disability access plans include adding access to the pulpits and choir stalls, and offering sign language.

Feel free to chat with one of our ministers after worship. You can also email  [email protected]  and we’ll make sure your question gets to the right place. Or check the search bar!

• Public Transportation

We are located at the Copley T station (Green Line, all trains). We are also a short walk from Back Bay Station (Orange Line) (from the station, walk two blocks north on Dartmouth Street, towards Copley Square). Bus routes 9, 10, 39, and 55 also stop in Copley Square. Use the MBTA’s Trip Planner for specific routes and times.

From the North via I-93: Take I-93 south to Exit #26 for Storrow Drive/North Station. At the bottom of the ramp, keep left for Storrow Drive. From Storrow, take the exit for Copley Square/Back Bay. Turn right onto Beacon Street. After 4 blocks, turn left on Exeter Street. After 4 blocks, turn left on Boylston Street. Old South is at the end of the block, on the left.

From the South via I-93: Take I-93 north to Exit #18 for Mass. Ave./Roxbury. Turn left onto the Mass. Ave. Connector, then turn right (north) onto Mass. Ave. Continue on Mass. Ave. for a little over a mile, then turn right onto Boylston Street. Old South is 5 blocks down, on the left, at Boylston and Dartmouth Streets.

From the West via the Mass. Turnpike (I-90): Take the Mass. Pike east to Exit #22 for Prudential/Copley. Bear right in the exit ramp, following signs for Copley Square. Take the first left onto Dartmouth Street, and continue two blocks to Boylston Street. Old South is on the left.

From the West via Storrow Drive: Take Storrow east to the Fenway exit, following signs for Boylston Street Inbound. Once you cross Mass. Ave., Old South is 5 blocks down, on the left, at Boylston and Dartmouth Streets.

From the East via Storrow Drive: Take Storrow west to the exit for Copley Square/Back Bay. Turn right onto Beacon Street. After 4 blocks, turn left on Exeter Street. After 4 blocks, turn left on Boylston Street. Old South is at the end of the block, on the left.

Boston parking meters do not run on Sundays, and we encourage you to find street parking if you are able, though you may need to leave a few extra minutes to search for a spot closer to 11:00 a.m. Old South also has arrangements for discounted parking with two nearby garages. We are pleased to offer these options for Old South worship or church business (excluding weddings and concerts):

Park at the Garage@100 Clarendon (behind Back Bay Station), have your ticket validated at our Front Desk, and you pay the discounted rate of $10 for up to three hours. Old South bears no cost. Weekends only.

Park at the Prudential Garage for up to five hours on Saturday or Sunday, have your ticket validated at our Front Desk, and the Prudential Garage will bill Old South, costing us $15,000-$20,000 per year.

We offer a range of accommodations. The building is wheelchair accessible, with “wheelchair bays” in the Sanctuary and Chapel. Bathrooms are accessible. We provide hearing assist devices (in our large worship and meeting spaces), and large-print Orders of Worship. Our long-term disability access plans include adding access to the pulpits and choir stalls, and offering sign language.

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Thing to Do

Old North Church: Crypt Tour

Boston National Historical Park

Old North Church

Did you know that over 1,100 bodies lie underneath the sanctuary of Old North Church? Explore Old North’s historic crypt on a guided visit with one of the site's educators. You’ll hear about the burial practices of early congregants and learn about some of those who have rested in this unique space for hundreds of years.

Group Size: 1 - 20 people

Note: Participants should be comfortable in a basement setting and navigating tight spaces. The crypt has low lighting, uneven surfaces, and is not wheelchair or stroller accessible.

For more information, visit Old North Church's website .

Participants should be comfortable in a basement setting and navigating tight spaces. The crypt has low lighting, uneven surfaces, and is not wheelchair or stroller accessible.

*Masks are required for those touring the crypt.

$5 per person. Children 5 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased onsite.

Reservations are not required, but it is possible to book tours in advance. Please visit Old North Church's Admission & Pricing page for more information.

• boston national historical park
• colonial america
• american revolution

Last updated: September 5, 2023

Fights for Independence

Birth of America

Freedom Trail® Boston

Every step tells a story.

The Freedom Trail is a unique collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the American Revolution and beyond.

Explore Tours

Walk into history®.

The Freedom Trail Foundation's most popular tour highlights the revolutionary history that took place at 11 of the 16 official Freedom Trail historic sites.

Tour Schedule

11 am, 12 noon, 1 pm  Purchase Tickets  

North End Tours highlight official Freedom Trail historic sites such as Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, and Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, and other historic places in Boston’s oldest neighborhood.  

Saturdays through December 30, 1:30 pm

Private & Custom

All Freedom Trail tours led by 18 th -century costumed guides are excellent for families, school field trips, corporate team building, incentives, and convention activities. These tours can be customized to fit your group's schedule and are available year round. 

Photos from the Trail

What People Are Saying

Yelp review.

The Freedom Trail is one of the iconic touristy things to do in Boston, and there's a reason for that. I did the full trail many, many years ago but decided to go with this shorter, more compact trail with our family. The 1.5 hour length is the right duration for kids, and our guide, Jeremiah Poope (his actual last name!), kept it interesting the entire time. He has been a tour guide in Boston for many years, and he had a ton of interesting stories and facts beyond the typical revolutionary war factoids.

Email Review

We had a wonderful time and your guides were wonderful. They were energetic, informed, and brought history to life. Thank you once again!

TripAdvisor Review

We only had 1 day to explore downtown Boston, and this tour was a great way to see several different sites, learn about history, and get a bit of walking in. We were a few minutes late for the start of the 1pm tour but easily able to catch up and join in.. Our tour guide was fantastic! One member of my group uses a wheelchair, and the guide was great about leading the WHOLE tour through accessible entrances to sites and to sidewalks with curb cuts so that all of us could participate without feeling singled out.

Great tour with Isaiah Thomas! Great local guide who was very engaging and a walking encyclopedia of Boston history. It was a nice 1.5 hr walking tour hitting most of the south end Freedom Trail points of interest. For the money, it’s hard to beat!

The Freedom Trail Walking tour presents full of historic knowledge and our guide, Parker, provides us the best experience for this amazing learning adventure. That is to say, in this tour you can also learn about the myth and the truth of the history we learned from our textbooks. I would recommend anyone who visit Boston and is interested in learning history or simply just want to listen to funny stories

Freedom Trail Preservation

Boston's iconic 2.5 mile-Freedom Trail connects 16 nationally significant historic sites, each one an authentic treasure. Thanks to preservation efforts, these cultural assets are still intact, which makes Boston truly unique as one of the few places in America to experience the actual sites and learn the history they tell while walking through modern city streets.

Virtual Visit | Inside the Old North Church in Boston

Enjoy this behind-the-scenes tour of the Old North Church, Boston’s oldest surviving church building, including a bonus look at the church’s bell-ringing chamber and underground tombs.

By Aimee Tucker

Apr 15 2021

The lovely, sun-lit interior of the Old North Church.

It’s tough to pick a favorite thing about Boston’s North End neighborhood, that bustling hub of Italian bakeries, pizzerias, and cafes just steps from Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall, but if you follow the red-brick Freedom Trail through its narrow streets, you’ll soon come to my favorite – the Old North Church.

Founded in 1722, the Old North Church, officially known as Christ Church in the City of Boston, is Boston’s oldest surviving church building and one of its most popular historic sites.

It is most famous for the role it played in the American Revolution on the evening of April 18, 1775. That night, church sexton Robert Newman and vestryman Capt. John Pulling, Jr. climbed the steeple and lit two lanterns to signal that the British were marching to Lexington and Concord by sea (across the Charles River), rather than by land. This served as the spark to Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride (which we all know is more legend than fact, but let’s save that for another post), and the start of the American Revolution.

We think of the Old North as one of the beacons of colonial patriotism, but actually, in 1775, the majority of the congregation was loyal to the British crown, making its eventual role in the start of the war even more extraordinary.

Delivered Daily: The Latest in Travel, Food, and Living in New England

There’s a reasonable admission fee to tour the church, but you can also add on a behind-the-scenes tour.

Inside, especially on a nice day with the sun streaming in through the windows, the church is a history-lover’s dream. Wooden, creaky, and just worn enough – the church is a true American treasure.

Upstairs, I was lucky enough to get a better view.

And there’s nothing like a little colonial graffiti to get your history-loving heart pumping.

After ducking into the gift shop next door to the church and buying a ticket for the afternoon tour, I was met by my guide, Louis. He told me I was the only one that had signed up. In my experience, this usually leads to the best tours, and the Old North Church was no exception.

First, we climbed a small (but steep) flight of stairs to a room set up with some period photos to help tell the story of the church’s history. For example, the original steeple was destroyed by the Storm of October 1804. The replacement, designed by famed architect Charles Bulfinch, was also toppled, this time by Hurricane Carol on August 31, 1954 (see the photo below). The current steeple borrowed design elements from both, and (fingers crossed) will stand proud for decades, if not centuries, to come.

Then, it was up the narrow wooden staircase to the bell ringing chamber.

On the way up, I noticed a familiar pair of lanterns nestled together in a window. This pair are identical to the ones believed to have been hung in the steeple in 1775. If you’d like to learn more about the alleged surviving Revere Lantern, you can do so here .

We went through the door, which was aged to perfection and covered in bell ringing patterns, and into a room criss-crossed with heavy ropes.

There are eight original change ringing bells (meaning the bells are rung in a series of mathematical patterns called “changes”) at the Old North Church, tucked up into the steeple. The oldest bells in North America, they were cast in Gloucester, England in 1744 and hung in Boston in 1745. One bell has the inscription: “We are the first ring of bells cast for the British Empire in North America, A.R. 1744.”

In the bell ringing chamber, a small but passionate group of trained ringers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Guild of Bellringers man the bells, and it’s charming to see evidence of their normal, modern lives (coffee cups, group photographs, a map with pins stuck into it) in the midst of so much history.

Louis told me that Paul Revere had grown up in the neighborhood (you can visit his adult house just a quarter-mile away), and had been a bell ringer himself. His signature can be found on the original 1750 Bell Ringer’s Agreement, in which the guild agreed upon a democratic organization of the tower.

Remember how I said that sometimes when you’re the only one that signs up for a tour, you get an even better one? Here’s where my tour of the Old North Church went from good to great – I got to see the actual bells myself! They’re up yet another steep set of stairs (more like a ladder, actually), exactly where they have been for 270 years, connected to the ropes below. Hello, beautiful bells!

After slowly descending back to ground level, it was time to head outside and to the back of the church for the “underground” part of the tour in the church’s crypt. There are 37 tombs (with an estimated 1,100 bodies) underneath the Old North, constructed between 1732 and 1860. Only in recent years has more been learned about them… and the bodies inside.

Again, this part of the tour is very authentic. Louis told me more than once to watch my step or duck under a pipe. The space hasn’t been extensively modified or remodeled for visitors, which gives it a wonderful “old” look and feel, if you’re into that sort of thing… which I definitely am.

After being filled, each tomb was sealed with a wooden or slate door, with many doors covered over by plaster per city order in the 1850s. Here’s one door that’s only partially covered today.

The “Stranger’s Tomb” from 1813 was used to bury poorer citizens, including children, that had died from disease.

And beyond a hulking mass of (cheery red) water pipes…

You’ll find the tomb of John Pitcairn, a British Marine officer stationed in Boston at the start of the Revolutionary War. Unlike many British officers, Pitcairn was respected, and maybe even liked by Bostonians. He died shortly after being shot at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 17, 1775, and was buried here at the church, as were many others that fell that day.

The crypt is also the final resting spot of Captain Samuel Nicholson of the USS  Constitution (the famous “Old Ironsides” from the war of 1812). Louis told me that servicemen still visit his tomb today to pay their respects. It’s an amazing peek into another side of 18th and 19th century Boston.

Each year, half a million visitors visit the Old North Church, and I suspect that most of them wander over to Modern or Mike’s Pastry afterward for a cannoli , or Pizzeria Regina or Galleria Umberto for a slice (and if not, they should). History and good food in one of the greatest American cities – what more could you ask for?

Have you ever been to Boston’s North End and visited the Old North Church?

LEARN MORE: Visiting the Old North and have a sweet tooth? Don’t miss Captain Jackson’s Historic Chocolate Shop just next door. See more from our visit: The History of Chocolate in New England .

The Old North Church. 193 Salem Street, Boston. 617-523-6676; oldnorth.com

This post was first published in 2015 and has been updated.

Aimee Tucker

As Digital Editor of New England.com, Aimee writes, manages, and promotes content for NewEngland.com and its social media channels. Before this role, she served as assistant, then associate, editor for Yankee Magazine and YankeeMagazine.com, where she was nominated for a City and Regional Magazine Association award for Best Blog. A lifelong New Englander, Aimee loves history, the New Hampshire seacoast, and a good Massachusetts South Shore bar pizza.

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Connect and Learn

Welcome to Trinity Church Boston. We’re glad you came!

There are no strangers here. Whether you take a tour, attend a concert, or participate in worship, we hope you feel enfolded into our living faith. Everyone of every background is invited to participate in our programs, attend services, or simply sit in our sanctuary and take in the beauty and quiet.

Learn more about our common life  and how to get involved .

We do ask that all who visit help preserve the sanctity of the church; in keeping with this, we request that men please remove hats, and that food and drink are not consumed in the church. Also, please do not leave your personal belongings unattended.

Trinity Church

In the city of boston.

206 Clarendon Street Boston, MA 02116 T: 617-536-0944 F: 617-536-8916

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Stay in touch

8 am  Holy Eucharist

10 am  Holy Eucharist (Morning Prayer on the last Sunday of the month, livestreamed)

5 pm Holy Eucharist

Welcome to Trinity Church Boston. We’re glad you came!

Our worship is both old and new, claiming the resources of a glorious past and blending them with the vitality of current offerings. We welcome you to worship with us!

We invite you to explore how you may become engaged in our vibrant community.

With our baptismal vows, we promise to seek and serve Christ in all persons, and to strive for justice, peace and dignity among all people.

At the heart of our giving and stewardship is deep gratitude to God for all that we have and the desire to share and care for these gifts with others.

Whether you are looking to be nourished, comforted, challenged, inspired, renewed, or transformed, there’s a place for you at Trinity Church Boston.

Churches & Cathedrals in Boston, MA

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• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Old North Church & Historic Site

2. Trinity Church

3. King's Chapel

4. Museum of African American History

5. The First Church of Christ, Scientist - The Mother Church

6. Cathedral of the Holy Cross

7. Church of the Covenant

8. Shrine of Saint Anthony

9. Arlington Street Church

10. St. Leonard of Port Maurice Parish

11. St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Church

12. Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

13. Christian Science Plaza

14. Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Epiphany

15. Church of the Advent

16. The Cathedral Church of Saint Paul

17. First Church Boston

18. Sacred Heart Church

19. St. Clemens Shrine of the Eucharist

20. Saint Mary Roman Catholic Church

21. madonna queen of the universe shrine.

22. The Paulist Center

23. Old West Church

24. Tremont Temple Baptist Church

25. Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral of New England

26. our lady of the airways chapel, 27. unitarian universalist urban ministry, 28. community church of boston, 29. sacred heart catholic church, 30. episcopal diocese of massachusetts, what travelers are saying.

• Old North Church & Historic Site
• Trinity Church
• King's Chapel
• The First Church of Christ, Scientist - The Mother Church
• Arlington Street Church
• Cathedral of the Holy Cross
• Shrine of Saint Anthony
• Museum of African American History

Group Tours & Visits

Covid update.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, Old North Church & Historic Site tour options are more limited in 2021. Tours can be booked by contacting our Director of Operations, Pam Bennett, at [email protected] or 617-548-9907 . When you get in touch, please include the name of your group organization, the name of your tour group leader or planner, the size of your party, and your preferred dates and times. We will do our best to accommodate your request as promptly as possible.

Please note that masks are required inside the church, crypt, and gift shop. 

Operating Hours

Old North Church & Historic Site is closed as of December 21 due to potential COVID exposure and limited staffing. We will be entering our scheduled winter hiatus on January 1, opening February 21-26 for school vacation week and resuming regular operations on March 12, 2022.

General Admission Group Tour

For groups of 12 people or more who are visiting as part of an organized tour or travel experience. Admission is $5.00 per person. Children 5 and under are free. This option includes a visit to the historic Old North Church, a brief interpretive talk on the church’s history, and access to the gift shop. Average on-campus dwell time: 15 – 30 minutes.

Please contact our Director of Operations, Pam Bennett, at [email protected] or 617-548-9907  to schedule your group visit.

Did you know that over 1,100 bodies lie underneath the sanctuary of Old North Church? Explore Old North’s historic crypt on a guided visit with one of our educators. You’ll hear about the burial practices of early congregants and learn about some of those who have rested in this unique space for hundreds of years.

When: Crypt tours will resume when Old North Church & Historic Site reopens on March 12, 2022.

Length: 15 minutes

Tickets: $5 per person. Children 5 and under are free. Please contact our Director of Operations, Pam Bennett, at [email protected] or 617-548-9907 to schedule your group crypt tour.

Group Size:  1 – 15 people

Content: Historical topics discussed include death, burials, and human remains.

Note: Participants should be comfortable in a basement setting and navigating tight spaces. The crypt has low lighting, uneven surfaces, and is not wheelchair or stroller accessible.

*Masks are required for those touring the crypt.

Purchase Tickets To Visit Old North Church & Historic Site

Boston tours: Here’s how to tour underground crypt at Old North Church

• Published: Aug. 29, 2023, 7:35 a.m.

• Heather Morrison | [email protected]

As you travel down small stairs going underneath Boston’s Old North Church, the path will be well lit. But tour guides will remind attendees, this wasn’t always the case.

Nikki Stewart, Old North Illuminated executive director, said she encourages people to imagine walking down into the crypt in the 1820s with only a candle.

“In a time when you’re surrounded by decomposing bodies before embalming was a thing, that would be an awful experience for any of us,” she said. “And yet, that was the way that you could visit and commune. Very different than going to a cemetery today.”

After a nine-month restoration project, which helped with the structural integrity of the tombs and the historic church, tours of the crypts have reopened at the Old North Church in Boston.

The Old North Church in Boston, known for the lantern signal that was a message arranged by Paul Revere, was built in 1723 and didn’t have space for a graveyard. Nine years after it opened, the organization said, “a single tomb was excavated under the sanctuary and additional tombs were added over time.” Burials took place in the crypt from 1732 to 1860.

The Rev. Timothy Cutler, Old North’s first and longest-serving minister; Capt. Samuel Nicholson, the first commander of the USS Constitution; and Maj. John Pitcairn, a British major who died at the Battle of Bunker Hill, were all buried in the crypt. Overall, there are more than 1,100 bodies in the crypt.

Boston eventually banned indoor burials and burials in the crypt stopped.

However, history continues to live on under the historic church — something the restoration team worked to preserve.

• Read more: Historic Old North Church in Boston restores underground crypt

Guided tours will go over burial practices of early congregants, notable people who were buried in the crypt and learn about discoveries from the recent archeological work.

The restoration project included repairing bricks, removing the wooden tomb doors and making the space accessible. The wood doors were sent off to be restored, being replaced by temporary doors. Once the original doors are restored, they were placed back on the tomb and closed.

The process for removing the doors wasn’t simple — as nobody knew for sure what is on the other side.

Before removing the door, the archaeologists placed a catch cloth under the door, designed to catch anything that might fall out of the tomb when the door is removed. When MassLive visited the project in February, nothing of significance had fallen out — only some wood fragments, hardware and one wood square.

“We just carefully lifted it up and leaned it against [the other caskets], so it doesn’t disturb anything,” digital archaeologist Nadia Kline said.

Not disturbing the tombs was a major part of the project.

“We’re respecting the dead. That’s really what it is. We don’t want to disturb anyone. This is how their descendants wanted them to remain when they were placed in here,” Jane Rousseau , a specialist in human osteology and archaeology, said. “The natural corruption is one thing, but we don’t want to intervene. We want to leave it the way that it is.”

@heatheradamsmorrison44 Love National Treasure? Explore the inside of Boston’s Old North Church crypt. For more about the restoration project, go to MassLive.com. #massachusetts #fyp #foryoupage #nationaltreasure #oldnorthchurch #boston #church #crypt #religion #history #historybuff #restorationprojects ♬ Epic Music(863502) - Draganov89

Inside the tombs, many of the caskets are broken — worn down over time — and the bodies have various levels of decay.

“I think a lot of people think that when remains are put into a tomb, that they’re just going to stay that way forever. This is from a time period before embalming. And this is natural decay,” Rousseau said. “This is the ashes to ashes, so to speak.”

• Read more: First female Sexton in 300 years at Old North Church will help restore crypt underneath Boston’s oldest surviving church

One of the biggest factors of the decay is being near the ocean.

“We’re so close to the ocean, the salt just seeps in,” Joe Bagley , the city’s archaeologist, said, adding that this rusts the iron nails holding the coffins together.

“The wood is in really good shape, but the iron rusts, and falls apart,” he said. “Essentially, everything holding the coffin together disappears, and it just falls apart.”

What it looks like varies from tomb to tomb and even within each tomb.

“We have everything from partial mummification to nothing,” he said.

To not disturb the tombs, Bagley would scan his phone’s camera across it. After a few seconds, a 3D rendering of the inside of the tomb appears on his phone.

The rendering allows archaeologists and a restoration team to see details they might otherwise have missed without having to go inside the tomb and disturb it. They were able to see was a gold ring on a child’s finger, other jewelry and clothing. On one person buried in the crypt, the team saw stockings.

“I think that was the one that we all reacted to the most,” said Rousseau. “That really takes home that these are people and they were laid to rest here.”

Although the team didn’t change what had already decayed, they hope the restoration will change the pace at which it is decaying.

• Read more: 2 of the best hotel bars in America are in Boston, USA Today readers say

“It’s going to help stabilize what we’re seeing now as long as possible. And if this wasn’t happening, these would degrade much further, much faster,” Bagley said. “In many ways, this work is really ultimately stabilizing and pausing what’s happened to the tombs already.”

Old North Church in Boston began work Thursday to restore the crypt under the historic church.

But not all of the tombs were opened. The wooden doors needed to be restored, which is why they were removed. However, other tombs have different types of coverings, including brick, that don’t need to be removed to be preserved.

The restored bricks aren’t just for looks. They’ll help the structural integrity of the tombs, but it’s also “for the integrity of the church building that sits on top of all of this as well,” said Stewart.

• Read more: Does the couple suing Eataly in Boston have a chance? Here’s what an injury lawyer says

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Trinity Church

Boston’s Trinity Church was founded in 1733 and was originally located in downtown Boston. After the Great Boston Fire of 1872, the church complex moved to its current location and construction was completed in 1877. The impressive church was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and is the first instance of the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Trinity Church is a Boston landmark and a cultural center for the city.

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