Review: The Paul Revere House

Zoom out. What’s this place all about?
One of the more fascinating stops along the Freedom Trail—Boston’s self-guided walking tour of sites related to the time of the Revolutionary War—this intimate, two-story wood-frame seventeenth-century home has been restored and refurnished to reflect the way it would have looked during its initial ownership by wealthy merchant Robert Howard and when silversmith Paul Revere (he of "Paul Revere's Ride" fame) and his family lived here in the late eighteenth century.

What will we find in the collection here?
The permanent collection is really the house itself, with period furniture, including a few rare pieces that belonged to Revere’s family. The museum’s small courtyard complex also includes a Visitor Center, opened in 2016 in two restored mid-eighteenth-century row houses. This center has space devoted to a permanent exhibition on the story of Revere’s ride as well as a display of silver he made. Completing the compound is the Pierce/Hichborn House, a circa 1711 Georgian brick home built by glassworker Moses Pierce and later owned by Revere’s boat-builder cousin Nathaniel Hichborn and his descendants. It has been restored and refurnished to its original period and is open on a limited schedule for guided tours.

Any temporary exhibits come through?
The opening of the Education and Visitor Center has provided the museum with space for temporary exhibitions, such as one revealing aspects of Revere’s business career—the real focus, though, remains on the Revere House.

What did you make of the crowd?
Because the Revere House is a stop along the Freedom Trail—easily one of Boston’s most popular tourist activities—the museum can fill up fast, and you’ll find people from all walks of life. There are groups of kids on school visits, young families on American history tours, seniors making a New England circuit, and folks from near and far in town touring colleges.

On the practical tip, how were the facilities?
The site—including the Visitor Center, all program spaces, and both floors of the Revere House—are now fully accessible. Still, because the buildings are historic, there may be some challenges. For example, the first story of the Pierce/Hichborn House iis accessible only by a portable ramp, with staff assistance needed. (Pictures of the second floor can be provided for those who cannot do the stairs.)

What will we find in the gift shop?
The shop offers history books about Revere, Boston, the Colonial and Revolutionary periods and more, plus historically inspired crafts and gifts.

Is there a café that's worth a stop, or should we just plan on going elsewhere?
There’s no café here, but you’re in the North End, ground zero for homey Italian-American comfort food, plenty of pizza, and seafood favorite Neptune Oyster, as well.

Any advice for the time- or attention-challenged?
Visitors can make it through the Revere house, which is really priority one anyway, and the Visitor Center, in about 30 minutes. When open for guided tours—which are the only way to see it—the Pierce/Hichborn House takes another 30 to 45 minutes, so the whole experience works for those in a hurry.