Besides being an urban plaza, the aptly named City Sq is also an archaeological site. Big Dig construction to reroute I-93 unearthed the foundation of a structure called the Great House, widely believed to be the home of Gov John Winthrop and the seat of government in 1630.

Winthrop soon moved across the Charles to the Shawmut Peninsula, and the Great House became the Three Cranes Tavern, as documented in 1635. Informative dioramas demonstrate the remains of the kitchen, the main hall and the wine cellar.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. John Harvard Mall

0.06 MILES

North of City Sq, this shady, brick plaza leads up Town Hill. Back in the days of the earliest European settlements, a fort crowned Town Hill, which you…

2. Charlestown Navy Yard

0.25 MILES

Besides the historic ships docked here and the museum dedicated to them, the Charlestown Navy Yard is a living monument to its own history of shipbuilding…

3. Bunker Hill Museum

0.26 MILES

Opposite the Bunker Hill Monument, this redbrick museum contains two floors of exhibits, including historical dioramas, a few artifacts and an impressive…

4. USS Constitution

0.28 MILES

‘Her sides are made of iron!’ cried a crewman upon watching a shot bounce off the thick oak hull of the USS Constitution during the War of 1812. This bit…

5. Bunker Hill Monument

0.31 MILES

This 220ft granite obelisk monument commemorates the turning-point battle that was fought on the surrounding hillside on June 17, 1775. Ultimately, the…

6. USS Constitution Museum

0.33 MILES

Head indoors to this museum for a play-by-play of the various battles of the USS Constitution, as well as its current role as the flagship of the US Navy…

7. USS Cassin Young

0.38 MILES

This 376ft WWII destroyer is one of 14 Fletcher-class destroyers built at the Charlestown Navy Yard. These were the Navy’s fastest, most versatile ships…

8. Langone Park

0.38 MILES

Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, this peaceful waterside park belies the history of this site: in 1919, a huge distillery tank burst, sending forth a…