A yearlong commemoration of Boston's role in the American Revolution and the legacy of activism and innovation that is woven throughout the history of the city and its people
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Boston 250
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From Revolution to Revolutionary
Boston has never been satisfied with the status quo. It's in our DNA to go boldly into the unknown, to run contrary to what's customary, to imagine a better way and then make it so. For more than 250 years, bucking tradition has been a Boston tradition.
This is a city where old sits seamlessly alongside new. Tradition doesn't get in the way of innovation, and cultural movements regularly spring from our soil. We are and will always be, a city of everyday, ordinary revolutionaries.
While Boston will always be known as the birthplace of America's Revolution, a polite and refined historical retrospective won't do justice to Boston's fiercely independent spirit.
Our Mission
To honor Boston's long lineage of uprising and innovation with an initiative that is expansive and inclusive, representing the City's past, present and future. Boston 250 is an open invitation to join us for a celebration as ambitious, exuberant, and inviting as the City itself.
Explore Tour 250
Collaborating with the Office of Historical Preservation and our community partners, the City has launched Tour 250: an interactive map experience featuring 25 new historic markers across Boston’s neighborhoods that spotlight the everyday people, immigrant communities, youth, and other underrepresented groups whose contributions in education, public health, culture, and civic life have shaped the city over the past centuries.
The Tour 250 web platform and mobile app, created in partnership with Bloomberg Connects, provides users a map of the 25 newly minted historic sites in each of Boston’s neighborhoods, in an interactive experience bringing Boston’s past and present to life with expert-curated content and audio recordings from local experts and historians! It also features 100+ additional historic locations, illuminating mini neighborhood-based walking tours to expand visibility into community trailblazers and unique historic sites!
July 4th Parade and Ceremonies
Join the City of Boston and Mayor Michelle Wu to celebrate our nation's 250th Independence Day!
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7:30 a.m. | Parade staging begins at Dartmouth Street and Copley Square
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9:00 a.m. | Parade steps off from Copley Square (view route here)
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10:00 a.m. | Halt of Honors Ceremony at Old Granary Burying Ground
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10:15 a.m. | Reading of the Declaration of Independence from the Old State House Balcony
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11:00 a.m. | Independence Day Oration at Faneuil Hall (free and open to the public, but RSVP required for entry!)
Get Connected
Submit a Boston 250 event or activity!
Boston 250 is a citywide effort to align and uplift Boston's revolutionary past and present. We are attuned to the fact that many organizations and individuals across the city already have many events and activities planned to commemorate the 250th. We want to know what you and your organizations are planning! Submit your organizations Boston 250 event in the form below!
Have an inquiry, idea, or suggestion? Fill out this form to connect with us!
We are excited to hear more from you. To learn more about your questions, proposals, ideas, and requests, we are asking you to submit your inquiry on this form to help us connect you with the people best equipped to respond.
Spotlight
Mayor Wu Kicks Off Historic Summer of Global Events
Residents and visitors from around the world to celebrate Boston 250, the FIFA World Cup™, and Sail Boston.
Boston 250 Launch
Read more about the event that launched Boston 250.
Dedication of Twelfth Baptist Church Square
Mayor Michelle Wu Celebrates Dedication of Twelfth Baptist Church Square and Unveils Historic Marker to Honor Renowned Roxbury Church.
Boston 250 Honors Henry Knox’s Bold Mission
On March 7, Mayor Michelle Wu joined city and state officials and community leaders in Roxbury to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Henry Knox and honor his significant contributions to Boston and the nation.
Revolution! 250 Years of Art & Activism in Boston
The first major Boston Public Library exhibit in a decade.
New Historic Markers Program Launches with $300,000 in Community Grants
On March 7, at the First Church in Roxbury, Mayor Michelle Wu announced the creation of the Boston Historic Markers Program, the City’s program of commemorative markers ensuring Boston residents and communities are part of the city’s ongoing storytelling.
In the Press
NewsRoxbury to Commemorate 250th of Henry Knox's Noble Train of Artillery
AFTER 250 YEARS, PAUL REVERE RIDES AGAIN (BOSTON GLOBE)
250TH AMERICAN REVOLUTION CELEBRATION KICKS OFF MARATHON MONDAY (BOSTON.COM)
OUR WALK WITH PAUL REVERE IN BOSTON (NEW YORK TIMES)
THOUSANDS MARCH THROUGH BOSTON FOR 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF MLK FREEDOM RALLY (WGBH)
Chelsea Creek 250: The Revolutionary Battleground Hidden in Plain Sight (Boston…
About Boston 250
Boston 250 is an initiative of the City of Boston and a variety of partners and sponsors who have joined together to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution in Boston. The commemoration, made up of events, legacy projects, and brand initiatives, showcases Boston’s true, inclusive, revolutionary spirit, with an eye towards the future.
Boston 250 is about more than history - it is be a celebration of Boston’s revolutionary, path-breaking past and present. Yes, the revolution got its start here, but so did Martin Luther King, Jr,. and Malcolm X, life saving treatments and vaccines, the first public school, public park, and public library. That is the story of Boston we want to tell.
"From the shot heard round the world, to the Boston Marathon starting gun, to corner threes from our NBA Champions, the Boston Celtics—our city is still the center of the action: The place where making history is a matter of course.” - Mayor Michelle Wu
Partners
PartnersAmerica250
Boston Commemoration Commission
Boston Harbor Now
Bunker Hill 250
Embrace Boston
everyone250
The Freedom Trail Foundation
MA250
National Parks of Boston
Old North Illuminated
Paul Revere House
Revolution250
Revolutionary Spaces
USS Constitution Museum
WBUR Neighborhood Guide
Boston Public Library
