The Sanctuary
Old North’s sanctuary held its first worship service on December 29, 1723. The Rev’d Dr. Timothy Cutler preached the inaugural sermon on the Isaiah text, “My house shall be called a House of Prayer for all people.” Early congregants reflected all social strata, including wealthy colonists, ship captains, indentured servants, artisans, and enslaved and free African Americans.
Walking into Old North Church’s sanctuary is like stepping into a time machine that shuttles us between past and present. Here, important issues from the past three hundred years are connected to real people and events.
Immerse Yourself in Our Sanctuary
In a world that can feel increasingly virtual, being able to sit in our unique box pews is to make a powerful connection to the past.
$10 adults; $5 youth (5 & under free)
Self-guided tour
Discovery Pass
The Discovery Pass includes a self-guided tour of Old North Church’s beautiful sanctuary and crypt, an immersive audio guide, and a fun family scavenger hunt.
$10 adults; $5 youth (5 & under free)
Self-guided tour
Discovery Pass
- A self-guided tour of Old North Church’s beautiful sanctuary
- Our award-winning history exhibit
- An immersive audio guide
- A fun family scavenger hunt
- A self-guided tour of the crypt where 1,100 people were laid to rest
$15 adults; $10 youth (5 & under free)
Guided tour
Discovery Pass + Bell Chamber Tour
Includes a guided tour of the bell ringing chamber where Paul Revere rang bells as a teenager, and everything in the Discovery Pass.
$15 adults; $10 youth (5 & under free)
Guided tour
Discovery Pass + Bell Chamber Tour
- Includes everything in the Discovery Pass
- Enjoy a 25-minute behind-the-scenes tour of the bell chamber
- See where Paul Revere rang bells
- Learn about “change ringing” and the steeple
- Group sizes range from 1–20 people
- Tour requires climbing two sets of steep stairs
Explore the Sanctuary’s People, Spaces, and Artwork
Old North’s sanctuary is home to priceless artifacts and three centuries of history.
Discover the stories of Old North’s most interesting congregants and visitors:
Old North’s pipe organ was built in 1759 by Thomas Johnston, a Bostonian who was one of the leading organ builders in colonial New England. It was the first organ made in the colonies with no parts imported from England. The church raised the money for this organ by subscription.
The organ is still fully functional. It gets careful upkeep and tuning so that it can be played every Sunday and on special occasions. The bellows operate with electricity now, but for much of the organ’s history, someone had to manually pump the bellows. In all likelihood, during the colonial period, sexton and lantern holder Robert Newman would have been hard at work, pumping the bellows during church services while his family sat in their pew downstairs
A restoration project was recently completed at Old North to remove layers of white paint and reveal some of the church’s colonial-era artwork. Preservation experts have uncovered 20 angels in the balcony arches that were painted in the late 1720s and 1730s by congregation member John Gibbs. Come and see these beautiful angels that have been hidden since 1912!
Learn more about some of the sanctuary’s most interesting elements.
Is That Original?
This video tackles the number one question we get from our visitors: Is that original?
