BOSTON — At the intersection of American history and modern spookiness, you’ll find Old North Church.
If you look up, you’ll spot the steeple where the sexton signaled the approach of British forces, which sparked the famous Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.
But if you venture below, you’ll find something unexpected: burial sites that date back centuries and a “Curséd Brick” that appeared in 2025.
The crypts are a relatively new tourist destination, having opened to the public around the turn of the century. But especially around Halloween, the site provides a unique setting for visitors to step back in time.
Boston Bucket List: The crypts below Old North Church
The crypts under Old North Church are a small, U-shaped passage where visitors can catch a glimpse of the centuries-old burial site.
Make sure to duck your head as you enter the cramped catacombs, as low wooden doors and beams frame the walkway. You’ll also spot modern plumbing and air conditioning on the ceiling, which are a sharp contrast to the brickwork and tombstones from another era.
As you walk on the cold, hard floors of the crypt, you’ll be serenaded with the eerie sounds of footsteps from above creaking against the old wood while whispers and low muttering echo throughout.
Visitors to the crypts receive a laminated guide sheet as part of a self-guided tour, highlighting individual tombs. You can also get a look at a variety of different coffins that were used at the burial site.
As far as historic landmarks go, it’s a pretty quick visit. The U-shaped open area for the public is small. You could hypothetically get in and out in just a couple of minutes.
But that’s not really the point. The value in the visit is to soak in the atmosphere that’s unlike any other historical destination in the city.
Just make sure to keep your hands off the bricks in order to help preserve them.
But no matter what, do not take loose bricks as souvenirs. Just look at what happened to one couple earlier this year.
The mystery of the “Curséd Brick”
In the spring of 2025, the staff at Old North Church received a strange package. It was a small, unmarked cardboard box. It was postmarked from California, but had no return address.
The retail manager who received the package opened it and found a brick and a note printed out on a small slip of paper.
“My husband took this from the crypt. We have had a string of bad luck and we want to return the brick,” the note read.
“We just thought that it was the funniest thing,” said Nikki Stewart, the executive director at Old North Illuminated.
She figures that someone had pocketed a piece of the crypt after a wave of recent restorations left some loose bricks lying around.
It resulted in a funny story — and now a new attraction at one end of the crypt’s U-shaped pathways. The incident prompted Stewart to state the church’s understandable policy on brick heists.
“Please don’t take bricks. We actually don’t even like people to touch them, really,” she said. “But I will say, to the best of our knowledge — and we looked — they didn’t damage anything.”
What it’s like to visit the crypts
Old North Church is one of Boston’s most famous landmarks. Tucked away amid the brick-lined maze of Boston’s North End, it’s a couple of blocks past the city’s hotbed of Italian bakeries, all claiming to have the best cannoli.
The transition can be jarring: one moment, you’re walking past Bova’s Bakery, wondering if you should get a Florentine. Next, you’re looking up at a centuries-old steeple that you’ve seen depicted in your history textbooks.
For $5, you can get a general admission ticket. For $10, you can get the Bell Chamber Package, which includes a guided tour (at a specific time slot) of the bell-ringing chamber.
Also for $10 (or $9 if you book online), you can get the Crypt Combo Package, which includes admission to the main chapel, an audio guide and an extra ticket that will grant you access to the lower levels of the church.
To access the crypt, you must go through the full chapel walkthrough and exit through the side door (making sure to drop off your audio guide). Outside, you’ll find a cozy courtyard lined with bricks and ivy, complete with tables where you can take a break.
If you turn to your right, you’ll find stairs that lead back inside to the crypts.
But before you get to the historic tunnel, you’ll find yourself in the church’s Columbarium, which is an active burial site. The Columbarium provides niches for the resting of cremated remains.
More info about Old North Church
How much is admission? General admission is $5. You can get a combination ticket for the chapel and crypts for $9 if you book online. You can learn more about the different ticket packages on the Old North Church website.
Where is Old North Church located? The church is located at 193 Salem St in Boston.
What’s the parking situation? There is no designated parking for Old North Church. Finding nearby street parking in the North End is a challenge, although there are some parking garages within walking distance.
How do you get there by public transit? The nearest T stop is Haymarket on the Orange Line.
Are there church services at Old North Church? In addition to being a tourist destination, this is still an active place of worship. Services are held at 11 a.m. on Sundays.
When is Old North Church open for tourists? Here are the tourist visiting hours at the time of writing:
- Monday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Wednesday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Thursday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Friday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Saturday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Sunday: 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Are there bathrooms/a gift shop? You can find the gift shop to the right of the main entrance to the chapel. Bathrooms are located outside the chapel, around a corner behind the gift shop.
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