Boston Massachusetts Temple

The Boston Temple in October 2025, my 71st temple

My husband and I visited Boston in October of 2025 for a work conference. The Boston Massachusetts Temple was my 71st temple! It is located at 100 Hinckley Way in Belmont, Massachusetts, about a 30 minute drive from downtown Boston. Its google maps location is here: Boston Massachusetts Temple

The Boston Massachusetts Temple was the first temple built in New England and was the 100th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was dedicated on October 1, 2000. There is clothing rental available. There is not a cafeteria or temple housing available. It is located in a residential neighborhood, although close to the Concord Turnpike, Massachusetts Route 2.

I have many favorite things about this temple. First of all, the Celestial Room is amazing! It is unlike any Celestial Room that I have ever seen. So tall and majestic, as the entire temple is. I also love the stained glass windows in the chapel and throughout other areas of the temple. There is a beautiful painting in the women's instruction room. I think it may be of Ruth, although when I asked a temple worker she didn't know who the painting depicted. In the initiatory there is a painting of Hannah that is also in other women's initiatories at other temples, including the Boise and Fort Collins temples. The grounds of this temple are amazing, with the temple being perched high on a hill and winding trails leading down to a meeting house of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We arrived at sunset and walked the trails in the dark (most of them are lit). I am sure the view from the temple is stunning during daylight hours! As we walked around the temple, the constant sound of crickets and cicadas filled the evening air. The temple workers were kind and helpful. When I first arrived in the dressing room, no one was there. The Bride's room was wide open and lit, so I took a peek at it, and like the rest of the temple, it is regal and inviting. The temple is one of the most beautiful temples I have ever attended. It reminds me of the Philadelphia temple in design and stature.

We were able to easily Uber to and from the temple, only waiting a few minutes on either end, even though our endowment session was the last of the day and got out at nearly 9 p.m. Uber is definitely the best way to reach the temple. It costs between $30 - $50 depending on the time of day, so just budget an additional $100 into your trip budget to cover the cost of reaching the temple from downtown Boston.

Here are photos of this beautiful temple from October 2025:

This was the view of the temple as our Uber driver approached our exit

Me in front of my 71st temple

The Boston Temple at sunset

The Celestial Room is through these rounded walls. The chapel is below it.

view down the hill from the temple. Notice the path - these paths wind down to the base of the hill

There is a distribution center on site.

There is a very large and extensive parking lot. This photo was taken from the very back of the parking lot.

These stairs, located at the back of the parking lot, lead down to the winding paths that take you down to a meeting house.

The walls along the path glittered in the moonlight

The meetinghouse at the bottom of the hill

Imagine going to church with that view of the temple just outside!

My husband and I after our session

Where to Stay in Boston

When we visited Boston, my husband had a work conference at the Hynes Convention Center so we stayed in the Sheraton Boston Hotel, which is next door to the convention center and connected by an indoor bridge so that we could go back and forth between the two. The location of the hotel is here: Sheraton Boston Hotel

The hotel is pretty pricey, at about $350 per night. I did look for Airbnb's near the temple, but didn't find any. It made sense for us, since James would be in meetings next door, and it was only about a 30 minute walk from the hotel to the Freedom Trail, where I would be spending quite a bit of time while he was in his meetings. It's close to subway stations and lots of places to eat or shop. There are 29 floors in the hotel, and we were on floor 12. The room was comparatively shall, but very clean. The elevators run very fast, only slowing when they are stopping at specific floors. If you get off on the second floor rather than the lobby, you can walk across the bridge to the Prudential building and eat at the various restaurants or shop in the many shops there. If we came back to Boston, I would stay here again. The added cost is worth it. And it's only about a 20 minute trip from the airport.

view from our window on the 12th floor on the rainy day we arrived

Our room at the Boston Sheraton Hotel

The Hynes Convention Center where my husband's conference was held

The hotel entrance

nighttime view out our window on the 12th floor

Getting Around Boston

While we were in Boston we did some walking, took the subway, and used uber. To reach our hotel from the airport, we used the uber app, which took about 40 minutes including waiting for the uber driver to arrive. For some reason, there was a hug influx of people using the uber app from the airport that day, and it made our uber drive quite grumpy. In fact, he kept swearing while we were riding in the car because the drive was taking much longer than he had planned.

We also used uber to reach the temple, which is what I highly recommend. You can use a combination of subway and bus routes to reach the temple, but there is no direct route and I would not recommend trying to figure that out when you can just hire an uber.

When I was walking the Freedom Trail, one day I just walked. The next day I did a combination of walking and riding the subway. Overall, walking is better. It is a lot more direct and you get to enjoy Boston while you're walking. However, it is 2 1/2 miles total, so if you start on one end and walk back, that would be 5 miles of walking in addition to any walking you do inside each stop. I would have walked the entire trail if it weren't for my cell phone running out of battery. I even brought along my portable battery, and charged my phone part-way through the day, and my phone died again. My recommendation to you would be to take an uber or subway to the farthest edge of the Freedom Trail from your hotel, and then walk in the other direction back to your hotel. That is what I wish I had done. I would have taken the subway on the orange line to the Community College Station, and started at the Bunker Hill Monument, then walked through the Freedom Trail and back to my hotel, which is about a mile from one end of the Freedom Trail.

To reach the Boston Tea Party, you can either walk from the Freedom Trail (it is not part of the Freedom Trail) or you can take the red line to South Station and it's only a several-minute walk from there. That is what I did, although I had to switch lines in order to make it to South Station.

The subway in Boston is very easy to use, especially since you can just tap your credit card to enter - you don't have to purchase a Charlie card, although you can if you'd prefer to. I didn't stop to buy one, I just tapped my credit card on the reader and the gate opened. It is a little over $4 to ride as far as you'd like to go as long as you don't exit the subway. There are signs posted everywhere explaining the different routes. I mainly rode on the green, orange, and red lines.

What to Eat in Boston

There are plenty of fast food options that you would find anywhere in the country. Some close to our hotel included Raising Cane's, Chick Fil A, Dunkin Donuts, Chipotle, Smashburger, Cheesecake Factory, Shake Shack, Eataly, and others. During my walk on the Freedom Trail, I ended up in an Italian part of town -- lots of Italian restaurants and geletarias, etc. I highly recommend this area of town! I ate at an Italian restaurant called Bencotto on Hanover Street. It was very good! Here is the location of Bencotto: Bencotto It is quite close to Old North Church and the Freedom Trail.

I had a margherita pizza again

street view of Bencotto

We ate dinner at a restaurant near our hotel, Union Park Pizza. It was very good, especially their ranch dressing! It is located at 244 Newbury Street in Boston. Its google maps location is here: Union Park Pizza

We also ate at a place in Chinatown called Dumpling Cafe. It was all right, although a bit spicy for me. But the menu had a large list of options. It is located very close to the Citizens Opera House, where we were going to a Broadway production of Hamilton that night. It is located here: Dumpling Cafe

Things to See in Boston

The Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail is the very most important site-seeing attraction in Boston. Freedom Trail sites include:

* Boston Common

* Robert Gould Shaw Memorial

* Massachusetts State House

* Mary Dryer statue

* Blackstone and Puritans memorial

* Park Street Church

* Granary Burying Ground, including:

* Franklin Memorial

* James Otis grave

* John Hancock grave

* Judge Sewall grave

* Paul Revere grave

* Phillis Wheatley grave

* Robert Treat Paine grave

* Samuel Adams grave

* King's Chapel

* King's Chapel Burying Ground

* Boston Latin School Site/Benjamin Franklin Statue

* Old Corner Bookstore

* Old South Meeting House

* Old State House

* Boston Massacre memorial

* Sam Adams Statue

* Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market

* Union Oyster House

* Blackstone Block and Haymarket

* Paul Revere House

* North Square

* Rose Kennedy's Birthplace/Thomas Hutchinson's House

* Paul Revere Statue

* Old North Church

* Copp's Hill Burying Ground

* Brink's Robbery and Molasses Flood

* Crossing the Bridge to Charlestown

* Training Grounds

* Bunker Hill Monument

* USS Constitution

* Commandant's House

* USS Cassin Young

This shows the route of the Freedom Trail:

I downloaded the official Freedom Trail Foundation app from the App Store, which cost $9.95 and was well worth the money! It has a map in it showing where each of the locations are, and has an audio tour for each of the locations. I listened to the audio tour as I walked to the next location. The app worked great for me and I was so glad that I had bought it! Since I'm so interested in family history, my favorite places along the Freedom Trail were the 3 cemeteries. Their official website is here: The Freedom Trail

The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

The actual place where the Boston Tea Party took place no longer exists because it has been filled in with land. The ships at the museum are replicas of the ships used in the Boston Tea Party. The tour is $41 and is an hour long, and I do recommend this tour. People dressed for the time period reenact the meeting that was held at the Old South Meeting House, led by Samuel Adams. The host gave each visitor a card with their "character" (one of of the participants in the Boston Tea Party) on it. Once on the boat, guests are allowed to throw "tea" into the harbor. We toured the ship and then toured the museum. Videos were shown inside the museum that were actually quite moving. If you're visiting Boston, I do recommend visiting the Boston Tea Party and going on a tour. You can't go inside without purchasing a tour, although you can see the ships from the bridge without paying. The location of the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is here: Boston Tea Party If you want to use the subway rather than walking, get off of the red line at South Station and it's only a several-minute walk to the Boston Tea Party. Their official website is here: Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

Cheers, where everybody knows your name

If you're familiar with the popular television show Cheers, you will want to visit the bar where the show took place. It is only a 10 minute walk from the Boston Common. I went to the outside of the bar and even went down the stairs and peeked inside, but opted not to go inside since the "bouncer" at the door asked if I was going to order drinks or lunch. It was very crowded, both outside and inside. Lots of people were taking photos. And most people were going inside to eat. If I'd had more time, I would have grabbed a bite to eat. The location of Cheers is here: Cheers There is a gift shop upstairs. This is their official website: Cheers Boston Here is an episode of Cheers, in case you forgot what the bar looked like in the show: Cheers Season One

It's right next to the Public Garden and only a 10 minute walk from the Boston Common

Broadway in Boston

While we were in town, Hamilton was playing at the Citizen's Opera House. We were able to get tickets and we enjoyed seeing the Broadway show. When we were there we saw that upcoming shows included Les Miserables (our favorite), The Sound of Music, Moulin Rouge, Some Like it Hot, Beauty & the Beast, and The Great Gatsby. We walked to and from the opera house, only about a half hour each way. The location of Citizens Opera House is here: Citizens Opera House We sat on row M of mezzanine left and could see very well. The rows of seats are a bit close together, which made it uncomfortable for my tall husband. The show appeared to be sold out, and was quite enjoyable. Here is the website for Broadway in Boston: Broadway in Boston Here is the official website of Citizens Opera House: Citizens Opera House You have to purchase tickets through Ticketmaster, but you can select the show and date on the Citizen website and it will redirect you.

Other sites in the Area:

There are other churches, statues, and places to see that aren't on the Freedom Trail, such as the Boston Public Garden and the Central Burying Ground. I saw the Embrace Statue in the Boston Common, which was placed in 2022.

Photos from my October 2025 trip:

The Freedom Trail

The Boston Common

Arriving at the Boston Common

The Embrace Statue is not necessarily part of the Freedom Trail, but is in the Boston Common. It was placed in 2022 and represents Martin Luther King Jr and his wife embracing.

under the statue

The Brewer Fountain on the Boston Common, dedicated in 1868

view from the Boston Common of the Boston State House

Visitor Information about the Freedom Trail. This is where the trail officially begins. If you purchase the official app, which I highly recommend, you start the audio tour here.

This red brick trail continues through to the other end of the Freedom Trail. If you were to ever get lost, you could simply follow the brick trail back to the Boston Common. The trail is 2 1/2 miles long.

The Robert Gould Shaw Memorial

the back of the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial

stairs leading out of the common, up to the memorial

Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, commemorating the Massachusetts 54th regiment, the first all-black regiment in the Civil War.

The Massachusetts State House

The Mary Dryer Statue

The Mary Dyer statue is beside the Massachusetts State House

Mary Dyer was a Quaker who was executed for her beliefs

Blackstone and Puritans Memorial

The memorial commemorates the city's founding

Park Street Church

Park Street Church was important in the battle for civil rights - women's rights, abolition of slavery, etc.

The Granary Burying Ground

Benjamin Franklin's parents' burial place

The Franklin parents' headstone

Hannah Franklin, wife of Samuel Franklin

Tomb of Increase Sumner, fifth governor of Massachusetts

John Foster Williams, first master of US Revenue Cutter

Peter Faneuil, American merchant

Archibald family

Thomas Cushing6

James Bowdoin

M. Nathaniel Shannon

John Hancock, signer of the Declaration of Independence

There was always a crowd of people around the Hancock grave

James Otis

One of John Hancock's slaves is buried with the rest of the family in the family plot

5 Hancock family graves

grave of John Decoster, age 26

It says: "Stop here my friend, and cast an eye. Take heed, as you are now so once was I. As I am now so you must be. Prepare for death and follow me."

Paul Revere's grave

Paul Revere's original headstone

Robert Treat Paine, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence

Samuel Adams

Joseph Shed, member of the Boston Tea Party

Victims of the Boston Massacre

King's Chapel

King's Chapel was the first Church of England in Boston

Memorial to Enslaved Persons

After the British evacuated, King's Chapel took on the meaning of the King of Heaven rather than the King of England, and it became the nation's first Unitarian church.

Boston Latin School Site

The Benjamin Franklin statue

The Boston Latin School was the first public school in America. Benjamin Franklin went there for a short time. Others who attended the school were John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Robert Treat Paine.

On the base of the statue are scene from Benjamin Franklin's life

Me with Ben

Josiah Quincy statue - he was a politician in Boston

The Democratic Donkey - lots of people were sitting on him and posing for photos

King's Chapel Burial Ground

Boston's first burying place

the Charleston Carver

This is a vent for the subway

Elizabeth Pain's headstone. She was the inspiration for Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter." Hawthorne used to wander in the graveyard, and apparently what looks like an A on this headstone was the inspiration for the A for adultery in the book.

Governor John Winthrop

William Dawes rode with Paul Revere on his famous midnight ride

Mary Chilton came over on the Mayflower and was the first woman to step off the ship.

Old South Meeting House

The Boston Tea Party was planned in this meeting house

The Old South Meetinghouse

The Irish Famine Memorial is across the street from the Old South Meeting House

The Old Corner Bookstore

This used to be the center of town. It is the oldest commercial building in Boston, constructed in 1718

The Old State House

The Colonial Governors held office here

The Boston Massacre site

From this balcony the Declaration of Independence was read for the first time to Bostonians on July 18, 1776

Faneuil Hall and Samuel Adams Statue and Quincy Market

Samuel Adams statue

The shore line is carved into the rock surrounding the Samuel Adams statue

There's shopping inside Faneuil Hall

The basement of Faneuil Hall

This was posted in the ladies restroom

Still following the Freedom Trail

Quincy Market

Union Oyster House

America's oldest restaurant

Blackstone Block and Haymarket

a market street from Colonial times

This dead rat lay in the middle of the sidewalk, he was still there an hour or so later when I walked by again

Paul Revere's House

Built in 1680, Paul Revere bought this house in 1770

North Square

The oldest neighborhood in Boston - it is a triangular park rather than a square

Rose Kennedy's Birthplace and Thomas Hutchinson's House

Governor Thomas Hutchinson's home

The Paul Revere Statue

Paul Revere Mall

Old North Church

One of the most famous churches in the country, Old North Church opened in 1723. On the evening of April 18, 1975 two lanterns were placed in the steeple of the church by Robert Newman to warn that the British would be coming by sea. Since that time, many famous people have come to worship in this church.

Old North Church is where Paul Revere put the 2 lanterns to warn that the British were coming by sea

Inside Old North Church

This bust of George Washington is apparently very close to how he really looked

Copp's Hill Burying Gronnd

Robert Newman is the man who hung the lanterns in the Old North Church. He was the church's sexton. He was also a Mason.

Brink's Robbery and Molasses Flood

view of Old North Church from down the road. In the days of the Revolutionary War there weren't tall buildings blocking the view of the church steeple from Charlestown.

Bunker Hill Monument

On the day I visited the Bunker Hill Monument in October of 2025, the federal government was in a shut-down, so the monument was closed. Otherwise I could have climbed the steps to the top to look out at the view. To visit the monument itself, you can come any time. It's visible from far away. In fact, I saw it right after I came out of the Community College subway stop. The monument commemorates the Battle of Bunker Hill, the first real battle of the Revolutionary War. The monument is actually on Breed's Hill, which is higher than Bunker Hill. So plans changed and they used this hill instead to build their fort and where the battle took place.

view of the monument as I'm walking towards it

The far end of the Freedom Trail

Training Grounds

Charlestown Park called "The Training Grounds." Local militias would train at the training ground.

USS Constitution

The most celebrated ship in American history. During the War of 1812 this ship was hit with British cannonballs but it was indestructible. Because of this it is known as Old Ironsides. Because of the government shutdown, the ship was closed for tours on the day I visited in October of 2025.

The dry dock where ship repairs were done

Commandant's House

This was a home for the officers of the navy and their families.

USS Cassin Young

The USS Cassin Young is a US Navy Destroyer commissioned in 1943. During World War II this ship was in service in the South Pacific at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. It is the 20th Century counterpart to the USS Constitution.

view of Boston from the USS Constitution and USS Cassin Young

Crossing the Bridge to Charlestown

Charlestown and Boston are either sides of the Charles River. It was here that Paul Revere rowed across the Charles River to warn of the British invasion.

Boston Tea Party

Touring the Boston Tea Party boats is well worth the $41. It was a highlight of my trip. I loved the actors dressed in period costume acting out the pre-Tea-Party meeting, pretending to throw tea into the harbor, and the moving movie that was shown in the museum afterwards.

Our tour guide welcoming us onto the tour from the balcony

This is the character they gave me - each person on the tour was assigned a character

This meeting room represented the Old South Meeting House and the man at the podium represented Samuel Adams

Below deck

These represent some of the tea that was thrown into the harbor

We all got to throw some "tea" in the harbor

There's a gift shop inside the museum

Broadway in Boston at Citizen Opera House

Citizens Opera House is ahead

This is their fancy bathrooms

Cheers, where everybody knows your name

Cheers is only a few minutes away from the public garden

There was a large crowd around it, and a large crowd inside as well

This is as far as I got because the host wondered if I wanted to order drinks or lunch. I figure they get plenty of people just wanting to take photos every day. So I didn't go inside.