Churches and temples in Boston
This tour visits places of worship, among them churches, cathedrals, synagogues, temples and chapels. Congregations still use many of them and access depends on the hours they keep.
The stops that carry a construction date run from 1749 to 1877. 10 stops, 2.0 miles end to end. Of the stops, 6 are National Historic Landmarks.
Distances are straight lines between the coordinates in the National Park Service Register data, so the walk on the street will be longer. Nobody has walked or checked this as a route, and a listing does not mean a place is open to visitors. Stops last changed Oct 16, 2026.
Map
Coordinates come from the National Park Service National Register spatial data, or from Wikidata where the spatial data has no point. The solid line joins the stops in walking order and is not a street route. Listings with a restricted address in the Register are never mapped and never become stops. Data refreshed October 17, 2026.
Walking order
- 1Old West ChurchNHL131 Cambridge St.Building · built 1806 · listed 1970start
- 2King's ChapelNHLTremont and School Sts.Building · built 1749 · listed 19740.3 mi from stop 1
- 3St. Paul's ChurchNHL136 Tremont St.Building · built 1819 · listed 19700.2 mi from stop 2
- 4Temple Place Historic District11--55, 26--58 Temple Pl.Historic district · listed 1988261 ft from stop 3
- 5Church Green Buildings Historic District101-113 Summer St.Historic district · listed 19990.3 mi from stop 4
- 6Arlington Street ChurchRoughly bounded by the Charles River, Arlington, Providence, Boylston and Newbury Sts., and Charlesgate EastBuilding · listed 19730.7 mi from stop 5
- 7Central Congregational ChurchNHL67 Newbury St.Building · built 1867 · listed 20120.1 mi from stop 6
- 8First Baptist ChurchCommonwealth Ave. and Clarendon St.Building · built 1872 · listed 19720.1 mi from stop 7
- 9Trinity ChurchNHLCopley Sq.Building · built 1877 · listed 19700.1 mi from stop 8
- 10Old South Church in BostonNHL645 Boylston St.Building · built 1873 · listed 19700.1 mi from stop 9
2.0 straight-line miles over 9 legs.
Taking it along
- Download the route as GPXFor a handheld GPS or a phone app
- Open all 10 stops in Google MapsSet the mode to walking once it opens
- Open the first stop in Apple MapsThe Apple Maps web link carries one destination, so this is stop 1 only
Other walks in Boston
- Federal houses in Boston13 stops · 1.7 milesFederal architecture is a restrained classical manner with flat wall surfaces, fanlights over the door and delicate ornament around openings and mantels. The Boston examples on this route went up between 1795 and 1816.
- Houses and mansions in Boston15 stops · 1.7 milesThe route links houses built between 1713 and 1909. Many are private homes and the stops are meant to be seen from the sidewalk.
Local history books for Boston
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Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Massachusetts
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.