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Beacon Hill, just north of Boston Common, takes visitors back to 19th-century Boston. You’ll know you’re there when you come across streets paved with cobblestones and streetlights illuminated by gaslight. While Beacon Hill has some of the most expensive real estate in Boston, it also has affordable (and free) pleasures. Here are a few:

Massachusetts State House
1 Ashburton Place
The Massachusetts State House sits at the top of Beacon Hill, on land that was once John Hancock’s cow pasture. Designed by Charles Bulfinch and completed in 1798, the main dome of the state house was gilded in copper by Paul Revere and later redone in 23-karat gold. Take a free tour, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Boston Common
The Boston Common is the oldest public park in the country. It began as 50 acres of grazing land for cattle. Now it’s a lovely green space, perfect for a walk or a picnic. Cool off by dipping your feet in the Frog Pond.

Freedom Trail
The 2.5-mile Freedom Trail leads visitors to 16 historic sites, including the King’s Chapel, Faneuil Hall, and the Bunker Hill Monument. The trail, marked with a thick red line, winds its way through several neighborhoods, including the North End, the waterfront, and Charlestown. Visit the Web site to learn about events — and watch out for cars!

Boston Athenaeum
10½ Beacon St.
Founded in 1807, the Boston Athenaeum has approximately 600,000 volumes; its holdings include vast collections in areas such as Boston history, New England state and local history, and English and American literature. The Athenaeum is furnished with oriental rugs, oil paintings, sculptures, and always, fresh flowers, making you feel as if you’ve stepped into someone’s stately home. Its large windows overlook the Old Granary Burying Ground. The current exhibition, Always Delightfully Cool: Summer Vacations in Northern New England, includes advertisements, photographs, and maps depicting vacations on the beaches and in the mountains of New England. The Athenaeum is a members-only library, meaning visitors are allowed only on the first floor, but you can reserve a spot in a guided tour on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 p.m.

21st Amendment
150 Bowdoin St.
This tavern in the shadow of the State House was first built in 1899 as an upscale hotel, but it has always been known as a neighborhood pub. It is said that JFK used to write speeches by the fireplace. The restaurant serves burgers, sandwiches, and soups, but there’s more here than traditional pub food. Try the portobella mushroom, goat cheese, and basil grilled thin crust pizza for $11, or the New York strip steak salad with blue cheese, peppers, olives, and caramelized onions with sherry vinaigrette for $14. And for those of you who aren’t up-to-date on the Constitution, the 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition, so when you have a beer at the tavern, be grateful for that.

The Paramount
44 Charles St.
The Paramount is an affordable eatery known mainly for its breakfasts. Grab a tray and head through the line for omelets (starting at $5.25) or the most popular item, blueberry pancakes ($5.50). For dinner, the restaurant is transformed, with white tablecloths and table service. Try the teriyaki glazed salmon for $19 or the fish tacos for $16.

Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill
46 Charles St.
This sunny gift shop is a great place to buy a birthday present for that difficult-to-shop-for someone, with staples such as Vera Bradley and Vineyard Vines and an array of housewarming gifts. Blackstone’s keeps things interesting for its customers, too: on May 31, the store welcomes the authors of Fandango, a mystery containing clues that lead to Mount Desert Island in Maine and the potential to win a $10,000 prize. Inspired by the book, the shop created its own mystery contest. Every Christmas, hand-painted ornaments with an encoded symbol, design, or word are sold, and the first person to guess the mystery phrase gets $2,000 in silver and gold coins.

Gary Drug
59 Charles St.
Walk inside Gary Drug to see what drugstores looked like before Walgreens and CVS. Gary Drug opened in 1936, and looks it. The store didn’t have a computer until 2003 — before that, all receipts were handwritten. Goods are piled high, so unless you’re a pro basketball player, you’ll have to ask one of the friendly pharmacists to get an item for you.

Twentieth Century Limited
73 Charles St.
Twentieth Century Limited has everything you need to look fabulous, or to prepare for tea with a queen. Their sparkling tiaras, necklaces, rings, and broaches can make a great addition to any costume jewelry collection. The shop also sells vintage bags, gloves and hats, and antique black and white photos from weddings and parties.

Panificio
144 Charles St.
Known for its weekend brunch, Panificio’s offerings range from French toast made with homemade apple cinnamon raisin bread to frittata, which is an open-faced omelet with sautéed vegetables and mozzarella. Eat here for an affordable lunch — the Cubano sandwich with roasted pork, smoked ham, pickles, Swiss cheese, and horseradish Dijon for $8.95 — or dinner — a crispy duck dish for $13. At any time of the day, the square pizza is a great snack, and the friendly staff always serves pastries and espressos and lattés.

Nichols House Museum
55 Mt. Vernon St.
To see what a Beacon Hill home would have looked like more than a century ago, visit the Nichols House Museum. The home was built in 1804, making it one of the earliest structures on Beacon Hill. It was designed by Charles Bulfinch, the architect who designed the State House and many Beacon Hill mansions. The museum’s hours are noon to 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays; check the Web site for winter hours. The first tour is at noon and every half hour thereafter. Admission is $7.

Lala Rokh
97 Mt. Vernon St.
The Persian restaurant Lala Rokh gets its name from the novel by the 19th-century poet Thomas Moore. Appetizers (mokhalafat) cost from $5 to $8 and main courses (asl) from $14 to $19. The restaurant is furnished with the family’s collection of antique Persian miniatures, tapestries, and 16th-century European maps lining the walls. Try the morgh pollo, which is saffron-seared chicken in a tomato broth served with basmati rice with cumin, cinnamon, rose petals, and barberries (a sour yellow berry).

Beacon Hill Chocolates
92B Pinckney St.
Although the treats here are expensive (starting around $2), they’re worth it. Try the salted butter caramel, which is caramel surrounded by milk chocolate with a light sprinkle of sea salt, or an Oreo cookie crushed into white chocolate. Beacon Hill Chocolates features a wide variety of hand-painted display boxes for its candies.

Louisburg Square
This historic square, with its gas streetlamps and cobblestone streets, is surrounded by the most sought-after residences in Boston. Look for 19 Louisburg, where senator John Kerry (Hon.’05) lives, and 10 Louisburg, where Louisa May Alcott resided until her death.

Gardens of Beacon Hill
In the 1920s, the Beacon Hill Civic Association encouraged the greening of the neighborhood and residents began to transform their service yards into gardens. Once a year, in the spring, visitors can tour several of these gardens. Visit the Beacon Hill Garden Club for more details.

Getting to Beacon Hill:
By subway: take the Green Line inbound to Park Street and walk through the Boston Common towards the State House.

Amy Laskowski can be reached at amlaskow@bu.edu.

Click here to learn about another neighborhood in the area, Somerville's Davis Square. Click here to learn about Cambridge's Central Square.