Blackstone Block

Boston


Named after Boston’s first settler, this tiny warren of streets dates to the 17th and 18th centuries. Established in 1826, Union Oyster House is Boston’s oldest restaurant. Around the corner in Creek Sq, the c 1767 Ebenezer Hancock House was the home of the brother of founding father John Hancock. At the base of the shop next door, the 1737 Boston Stone served as the terminus for measuring distances to and from the city. (The dome of Beacon Hill's Massachusetts State House now serves this purpose.)


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Boston attractions

1. Boston Stone

0.03 MILES

Located on Blackstone Block – the city's oldest cluster of buildings. Look for the 1737 Boston Stone embedded in the foundation of one of these buildings…

2. New England Holocaust Memorial

0.04 MILES

Constructed in 1995, the six luminescent glass columns of the New England Holocaust Memorial are engraved with six million numbers, representing those…

3. Faneuil Hall

0.09 MILES

‘Those who cannot bear free speech had best go home,’ said Wendell Phillips. ‘Faneuil Hall is no place for slavish hearts.’ Indeed, this public meeting…

4. North End Park

0.1 MILES

Designed as the North End neighborhood's 'front yard,' this wide lawn is perfect for picnics, while kiddies can cool off in the Canal Fountain.

5. City Hall Plaza

0.14 MILES

City Hall Plaza is a cold, windy, 56-acre concrete plaza, surrounded by government office buildings. Occupying the site of the former Scollay Sq, the…

6. Boston Massacre Site

0.18 MILES

Directly in front of the Old State House, encircled by cobblestones, a bronze plaque marks the spot where the first blood was shed for the American…

7. Old State House

0.18 MILES

Dating from 1713, the Old State House is Boston’s oldest surviving public building, where the Massachusetts Assembly used to debate the issues of the day…

8. Rose Kennedy Greenway

0.18 MILES

Where once there was a hulking overhead highway, now winds a 27-acre strip of landscaped gardens, fountain-lined greens and public art installations. The…