Pirates & Patriots Hit Boston’s Waterfront

News from the Freedom Trail Foundation:

Many who sailed under the Black Flag during the Golden Age of Piracy hailed from Boston or passed through its harbor.  The Freedom Trail® Foundation offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience these swashbuckling stories along Boston’s bustling waterfront on its newest Pirates & Patriots Tour.  Led by one of Boston’s Freedom Trail Players® in full period garb, this 90 minute tour takes you deep inside the murky depths of piracy and privateering through the 18^th century and more.

The Pirates & Patriots Tour, the newest Freedom Trail Foundation tour, steps off on May 1 at 11:30 a.m. daily from the ArtsBoston Booth at Faneuil Hall and concludes at the Boston Tea Party Ships^SM & Museum Visitor Information Center.  Better still, beginning June 1, more chances to explore the world of piracy will be offered daily at 2:00 p.m. from the Boston Tea Party Ships^SM & Museum Visitor Information Center bringing one back to Faneuil Hall to explore the Freedom Trail.

Landlubbers and jack tars, pirates and privateers, Tories and revolutionaries, impressed sailors and smugglers all occupied America’s largest port city plying their trade – legal and illegal – as Boston marched toward independence.  Fabulous stories of Boston’s 18^th century men and women who lived and worked here and the actions they took to separate from the most powerful country in the world, and the importance of their acts and contributions to Boston’s preeminent position pre- and post-Revolution are told during this exciting tour.

“Boston’s waterfront is ever increasingly lively with new and exciting activities.  The Pirates & Patriots tour offers visitors a great opportunity to take in this water-based history of the American Revolution,” says Suzanne Taylor, executive director of the Freedom Trail Foundation. “People of all ages are fascinated with pirates and privateers, and this tour tells the stories of those who played a significant role in building Boston’s economy, creating the city’s harbor, and securing America’s freedom.”

All Freedom Trail Foundation walking tours with 18^th century costumed guides, including the Pirates & Patriots Tour, are affordably priced at $13 for adults, $11 for seniors/students, and $7 for children.   Tickets for the new tour are available at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center, ArtsBoston Booth at Faneuil Hall, and Boston Tea Party Ships^SM & Museum Visitor Information Center (Congress & Pearl Streets), or discounted online at TheFreedomTrail.org.   Private and group tour outings are also available, and the tour is great for birthday parties.

The Boston Tea Party, “the single most important event leading up to the American Revolution” occurred the night of December 16, 1773.  With the grand opening in June 2012, the Boston Tea Party Ships^SM & Museum, owned and operated by Historic Tours of America, is dedicated to accurately reliving that famous event. With a new state-of-the-art museum and authentic replica ships; the brig Beaver, Eleanor and Dartmouth; the attraction will allow visitors to travel back in time to learn and experience the courageous acts of those who forever shaped the course of history.  A special Museum admission and Freedom Trail tour joint ticket rate will be offered at $34 for adults $20 for children 12 and under; the special ticket is available at the Boston Tea Party Ships^SM & Museum Visitor Information Center (Congress & Pearl Streets) or online at TheFreedomTrail.org or bostonteapartyship.com.

All Freedom Trail Foundation tour tickets include a $1.00 donation to the Freedom Trail Foundation Preservation Fund.  Regular maintenance of 18^th century historic buildings is critical, for these sites are not immune to the New England climate, wear and tear of daily use and the ravages of time.  The 16 Freedom Trail sites have current preservation needs estimated at over $58 million.  This year, the Freedom Trail Foundation made its first Preservation Fund grant of $100,000 to assist the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department with capital expenses at the Granary Burying Ground.

For more Freedom Trail information and to buy tickets, interesting books, a downloadable audio tour, or other items, and learn about special Freedom Trail hotel packages, please call 617. 357.8300 or visit TheFreedomTrail.org.

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