Where Is The Freedom Trail In Fallout 4? Where Freedom Trail Starts & Ends Explained

Summary The Freedom Trail in Fallout 4 is based on the real-life trail in Boston, Massachusetts, called the Freedom Trail.

The Railroad faction fights for synth equality and freedom, setting them apart from other Fallout 4 factions.

Follow the red brick road to find the Railroad in Fallout 4 on the first playthrough.

Following the Freedom Trail to find the Railroad is one of Fallout 4's most confusing tasks on the first playthrough. While the game has an expansive open world, most of its quests are fairly linear, with straightforward directions to each objective. However, after arriving at Park Street Station, the directions stop, and the player is forced to find the Railroad without any help in the form of guiding markers.

The Railroad is a faction in Fallout 4, similar to the Minutemen or the Brotherhood of Steel, but with vastly different motivations. Their only goal is equality and freedom for all synths, whether helping the ones on the surface or offering means to escape for those in the Institute. To get involved with the Railroad, players must follow the Freedom Trail to its end and complete a puzzle to unveil their whereabouts.

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How To Follow The Freedom Trail In Fallout 4 To Reach The Old North Church

Reaching The Old North Church Is Crucial To Finding The Railroad

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The first and most important step to mastering the Freedom Trail in Fallout 4 is to reach Park Street Station. There is a Freedom Trail marker outside the station accompanied by an examine button, but this marker serves only as a starting point. Exiting the marker, roughly to the east, is a line of red brick; this is the beginning of the Freedom Trail and the path toward the Railroad.

The first portion of the Freedom Trail is relatively straightforward — follow the red brick which briefly deviates from red spray paint on the ground until reaching a large bus with a graveyard on the left. Now, things get a little more tricky, with debris covering large portions of the road and sidewalk, removing the less obvious path of red brick from sight. Continue straight north from the bus until a bright red Nuka Cola sign comes clearly into view at an intersection that also contains a much smaller bus.

There will be enemies all along the Freedom Trail, so come prepared with plenty of weapons, ammo, and stimpacks before setting out to find the Railroad.

It's here the red brick will come back into view — but only for a short time. Continue north into what appears to be a dead-end mountain of debris leading to another larger bus; scale this to reach the Old Corner Bookstore and immediately hang a sharp right up a set of stairs where the red brick comes back into clear view. From here, the player will enter a courtyard, Faneuil Hall, and encounter several Super mutants — either kill them or run past into the alley to the East towards an overhanging cauldron.

At the end of the alley, hang a left and proceed north until reaching what appears to be an old theater; turn right and head east for a few steps before making one more hard left into the home stretch. The red brick comes back into view once more and can be followed clearly until reaching the Old North Church.

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What To Do After Reaching The Old North Church

The Railroad Faction Can Be Found Deep Inside

The Old North Church is a pretty big place, but the path toward the Railroad is fairly linear after getting started. After entering the church, walk straight ahead through the two large holes in the wall and hang a hard right towards the collapsed overhang. Make another right here through the door under the fallen material and down the steps into the church basement.

It's important to note that the church, especially the basement, is littered with enemies, so come prepared with the best weapons and be ready to put down some of Fallout 4's iconic ghouls. After following the linear path to its conclusion, the player will reach a room with another Freedom Trail Marker on the wall, similar to the one encountered on the ground at Park Street Station at the beginning of the mission.

While the first marker doesn't serve any purpose beyond denoting the beginning of the journey, the second one is integral to finding the Railroad. This puzzle can be completed by turning the dial either clockwise or counterclockwise and spelling out the word "railroad" until the door to the left of the dial opens. After this door opens, players can proceed down the corridor until being greeted by Desdemona and her Railroad colleagues.

What Is The Significance Of The Freedom Trail In Fallout 4?

The Freedom Trail Is Based On A Real Place

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Many voice lines, locations, and characters in Fallout 4 are inspired by real-life people or events, such as Parker Quinn saying the iconic Forrest Gump line, "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get." The Freedom Trail is another one of these references, taking direct inspiration from the actual Freedom Trail in Boston, Massachusetts. The real Freedom Trail is 2.5 miles long and, similar to its Fallout 4 counterpart, passed by many iconic locations in the city of Boston.

There are 17 historical sites along the Freedom Trail, each denoted by markers that are extremely similar to the Railroad markers in Fallout 4. The IRL trail was the brainchild of William Schofield, a famous Massachusetts journalist in the 1950s, who had the idea to connect all the city's most significant historical landmarks. Similar to the game, the real trail has also worn down over time and has since been painted over with red paint in some areas.

Stops along the trail in Boston include the Old North Church, Faneuil Hall, the Old Corner Bookstore, the Paul Revere House, the Massachusetts State House, and more. These are all locations in Fallout 4, each of which can be found along the freedom trail, just like its IRL counterpart. Fallout 4 is mostly a fictional game with creatures such as Deathclaws and Super Mutants, but there are seeds of history that give the game an undeniably real and grounded feel.

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Like many factions in Fallout 4, the Railroad has its share of internal problems, but its goals are among the most wholesome when compared to other groups like The Brotherhood of Steel or The Institute. In an era of gaming where many quests hold the players' hands perhaps a little too much, it's refreshing to think back to a time when solving puzzles didn't come with constant tips. Finding and navigating the Freedom Trail in Fallout 4 can be challenging, but reaching the end and completing its accompanying quests is one of the most satisfying accomplishments in the game.