How the government shutdown has affected some Boston historical sites

Freedom Trail tour guide Emily Kovatch said tourists she has talked to are more disappointed with the behavior of the government than the fact some federal sites in Boston are closed. [Interactive map of shutdown Freedom Trail sites]

By Jackie Tempera

With some historical sites shuttered during the United States government shutdown, the Freedom Trails signature tour guides are wearing down the heels on their pilgrim shoes to meet demand.

Ticket sales are up on the popular Boston walking tour, said Mimi LaCamera, the president of the organization, as other sites, from the U.S.S. Constitution to parts of Faneuil Hall have been forced to close.

Weve been booking more tours because other sites are closed, she said of the 90-minute walking tours, organized by the non-profit Freedom Trail Foundation. But were open and weve had a steady attendance.

Tour guides lead the tours in full colonial garb. And though two of the tours 16 stops, Bunker Hill and the U.S.S. Constitution, are closed, walking groups do not typically enter those sights during the tours anyway, LaCamera said.

Tourists can pick up the Freedom Trail from Faneuil Hall or Boston Common. Ticket sales on Boston Common, the more popular place to start the tour, have not changed, but the Faneuil Hall location has seen an increase, said LaCamera. She said this is likely because the National Historical Park tour, which ordinarily leaves from the same locale, is closed.

Weve been getting some of those people too, she said.

Emily Kovatch, a tour guide on the Freedom Trail, said her biggest problem has been informing the public that the tours are still going, and the stops along it remain the same. She spent the first 10 minutes of her Tuesday 10:30 a.m. tour explaining this to her four-person group.

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How the government shutdown has affected some Boston historical sites