Boston’s oldest neighborhood just opened its newest museum
Step inside the North End Historical Museum at 3 Prince Street and walk through four centuries of the people, streets, and stories that shaped the North End.
- Hours
- Tuesday–Friday and Sunday: 10:30 AM–5 PM.
Saturday: 10:30 AM–7 PM. Closed Monday. - Location
- 3 Prince Street, Boston, MA
- Operated by
- The North End Historical Society
Every era of American history walked through these North End streets.
From colonial wharves to revolutionary meeting houses, from immigrant tenements to today’s Little Italy, the North End has been continuously lived in longer than almost anywhere in America. The museum brings that whole arc under one roof.
- 1630
Colonial beginnings
Boston’s first neighborhood takes shape along the waterfront, home to merchants, mariners, and meeting houses.
- 1770s
The Revolution
Lanterns hang in Old North Church and Paul Revere rides from his house on North Square into history.
- 1800s
The immigrant era
Irish, Jewish, Portuguese, and Italian families arrive in waves, each remaking the neighborhood in their own image.
- 2026
Little Italy
A living neighborhood of feasts, family businesses, and four hundred years of stories still being told.
Explore the North End
Historical Museum
400 years, told by the people who lived here
Explore seven installations, from the colonial waterfront and the Revolution to the families who made the North End home.
Interactive screens, rare artifacts, and immersive displays bring the neighborhood’s history into a museum on the Freedom Trail.
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The Historical Society
The nonprofit preserving the neighborhood’s history since 2010, through research, events, and now a museum.
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The neighborhood
Explore the history behind the cafés, churches, and corners of the North End.
Visit us at 3 Prince Street
We are a short walk from Old North Church and Paul Revere’s house, right on the Freedom Trail. Stop in on your way through the neighborhood, then stay for a cannoli.
North End Historical Museum3 Prince Street
Boston, MA 02113 Get directions (opens in a new tab)
Hours
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday–Friday
- 10:30 AM–5 PM
- Saturday
- 10:30 AM–7 PM
- Sunday
- 10:30 AM–5 PM
Admission
- Adults
- $10
- Seniors, military, students
(with ID) - $8
- Youth 13–18
- $5
- Children 12 & under
- Free
- NEHS members
- Free
“Establishing a Historical Museum has been a passionate vision and one of our North End Historical Society’s long-term goals since our inception in 2010. It is essential in fulfilling our mission to help preserve and enhance the history and heritage of the North End in perpetuity.”
The society behind the museum
The North End Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010. We are residents and North End enthusiasts committed to uncovering and preserving the neighborhood’s history.
About the Historical SocietyEducation
Public lectures and site tours help people of all ages learn about the history and culture of the North End.
Research
Archives and oral histories support researchers, academics, and the public.
Preservation
We preserve the stories and artifacts of the North End and share them with future generations.
Community
Our programs encourage people to take part in preserving and sharing the neighborhood’s history.
Support the museum
Help us keep the museum open for generations to come
Your tax-deductible donation funds the exhibits, preservation work and public programs at 3 Prince Street.
Members visit the museum free.
501(c)(3) tax-deductible via Zeffy
Help staff the museum and welcome visitors.