About Ben’s Book

Ben’s book One April in Boston is written for ages 10-13. It teaches American history, the power of imagination, and the value of goal setting. Set in colonial Boston, the story follows Ben’s actual ancestors as they experience the events of Paul Revere’s Ride and the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Shortly after the Declaration of Independence is read in Boston on July 18, 1776, the story transports readers into the future with fascinating and moving connections to the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, and World War I. The second edition of One April in Boston, was released as an eBook in 2015 and in print form in 2017. The 20th Anniversary Edition released in 2020, and revised in 2024, contains 47 original pen and ink illustrations created by Cortney Skinner. The audiobook is read by award-winning narrator Phil Rosenthal. 

Field Trip Information and Pricing

The Boston’s Freedom Trail with Ben field trip for homeschoolers runs from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. The field trip is 5 1/2 hours long plus a half hour lunch break at the midpoint.

You’ll see the following sites along Boston’s Freedom Trail:

Boston Common, Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, King’s Chapel, King’s Chapel Burying Ground, Boston Latin School Site, Benjamin Franklin Statue, Old Corner Bookstore, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Boston Massacre Site, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, and Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, plus several hidden spots along the way. Learn more about these tour sites.

We go inside King’s Chapel, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, and all 3 burying grounds.

Admission Fees: King’s Chapel is $3.00 per person, the Paul Revere House is $6.00 for adults and $1.00 for children, and Old North Church is $5.00 per person. You can purchase a joint admission ticket to both Old South Meeting House and the Old State House for $15 for adults; $14 for seniors and college students; and $8 for children ages 12 and under.

Many homeschoolers elect to tap into their network and combine with other families to reduce the cost per family.

Testimonials From Homeschoolers

“We Loved This Tour!”
Five Stars

“My husband had a work trip to Boston and we accompanied him. (Wife, teen, & kindergartener.) We were able to spend our first day in Boston with Ben taking this tour. BEST DECISION! Ben is a wealth of knowledge and kindness. Our homeschooling family thoroughly enjoyed seeing so many historical sites as well as a few fun ones that we would’ve never found on our own. We especially appreciated the personal attention Ben gave us and his patience throughout the day. Because of Ben’s excellent tour, the girls and I were able to confidently explore on our own for the remainder of the trip while Dad was in meetings. We HIGHLY recommend taking a walking tour with Ben. You won’t regret it!”

Kelli H—Posted on Tripadvisor

“Incredible Tour!!”
Five Stars

“Our family of 8 plus my father-in-law spent a day with Ben Edwards on his Walking Boston tour. It was fantastic. The kids range from 2 to 13, he was engaging and funny and had many hands-on materials to draw them in. He was extremely helpful in the days preceding our arrival, helping us with restaurant recommendations – we have a number of food allergies so eating out is tricky. He was just awesome in every way, the kids loved the tour and will never forget Boston. As a homeschooling family this was the perfect way to conclude our school year and bring our American history to life. I cannot recommend this tour enough, it is the best way to experience Boston.”

Liz O—Posted on Tripadvisor

“Fantastic Homeschool Field Trip”
Five Stars

“Hands down I would recommend Ben’s tour to any homeschoolers who want an engaging, interactive tour of Boston’s Freedom Trail. Ben is a gifted storyteller who knows how to keep students interested. We were a group of 40 people and he guided our group easily on this 5.5 hour walking tour. At almost every stop he had unique ways of keeping the students involved, and shared lots of original source documents (newspapers, old photos, etc.) from his personal collection. My hard-to-please teenagers really enjoyed this trip. Ben was professional, kind, knowledgeable, and interesting. Absolutely an exceptional, hands-on learning experience!!”

Lori K—Posted on Tripadvisor

“A Homeschooler’s “Must Do” While in Boston!”
Five Stars

“As a homeschooling family, we thoroughly enjoyed Ben’s multifaceted tour of the Freedom Trail. He approaches the tour with a personal passion born out of his Edwards family Boston roots with Revere family ties and engaged our children 6, 9 and 17 at every turn with the historical and relevant items he carries with him throughout the afternoon. He maintained our family’s attention with surprise, suspense and competitive interaction on historically related items during the tour. Ben conducted the tour the way we teach our children mixing current state with the past to construct a more complete picture. He encouraged questions and was always patient with our children’s many questions. We especially enjoyed Ben’s behind the scenes knowledge of facts, people, and personal ties along the Freedom Trail.

We highly recommend Ben for his knowledge, perspective and ability to engage our children. We recommend his tour at the beginning of your visit to set the stage for what to experience during the rest of your trip. This may include dining, touring and additional educational experiences. He took the time to personally text and email more activities and historical sites even after the tour.”

Sincere thanks from the Knobel family in CA—Posted on Tripadvisor

“The Best History Tour Ever”
Five Stars

“The best historic tour our homeschooling family has ever taken! We celebrated 25 years of homeschooling and field trips to historic America by traveling from the Midwest to Boston to walk Ben’s private tour of the Freedom Trail. Our 4 kids, 17-30, were riveted for hours by the fascinating, fun, personal, and truly brilliant Ben Edwards. He is very good with kids and adults and continually wove a tapestry of history and Boston sites based on our interests and knowledge. Uniquely bringing his own family’s front-row seat and involvement from the 1700’s to the patriotic story of freedom, Ben is a treasure to anyone who loves the history of our country’s founding. He had rare documentation for each site that brought history alive. He gave us a signed copy of his book. Ben is also a connoisseur of Boston and the city’s charm and fabulous food. We had a taste of heavenly bread in one of the North End bakeries and highly recommend the Boston Cream Pie at Parker’s Restaurant! A full day overflowing with new historical intrigue, delicious food, wonder, and great company. Thank you, Ben.”

Leslie C—Posted on Tripadvisor

*You will receive an initial reply via text followed up by a detailed field trip confirmation email.