Historic Site Events
Lantern & Luminaries with Ken Burns
On April 16, 2025, we were honored to present the celebrated filmmaker Ken Burns with the Third Lantern Award at Lanterns & Luminaries, our annual celebration of “two if by sea.” The award recognizes those who embody the values of leadership, courage, hope, tenacity, and active citizenship.
This video includes the full program, including remarks by Mr. Burns, Senator Ed Markey, and Governor Maura Healey. Guests at Lanterns & Luminaries enjoyed a sneak peek of Mr. Burns’s new documentary, The American Revolution, which is scheduled to premiere on PBS on November 16, 2025. An abbreviated clip from the documentary is shown in this recording of Lanterns & Luminaries.
Throughout the year, Old North Illuminated hosts authors, professors, and other experts for Speaker Series events. In honor of the 250th anniversary of Old North Church’s famous lantern signal in 2025, this year’s Speaker Series includes talks that focus on revolutions — their origins, their societal transformations, and their complex legacies. We hope you’ll join us.
Our 2025 Speaker Series events are brought to you in part by Hub Town Tours.
