Beacon Hill, Boston

The Boston African American National Historic Site consists of 15 pre-Civil War buildings that give a clear picture of the 19th C Boston African American community. The buildings consist of the homes, businesses, schools, and churches.

First opened in 1807, the Boston Athenaeum was one of the first private lending libraries in the country. The founders wanted "an establishment similar to that of the Athenæum and Lyceum of Liverpool in Great Britain; combining the advantages of a public library [and] containing the great works of learning and science in all languages." Some of its holdings were donated to the Museum of Fine Arts towards the end of the 19th century. The comprehensive collection contains around 750,000 volumes and works of art. Some of the most notable pieces include numerous works on Boston history, New England State and local history, biography, English and American literature, and the fine and decorative arts. The Athenaeum has a well-established art gallery and it sponsors regular concerts, lectures and special events.

The Museum of Afro-American History operates the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School. Both locations are historically significant and are located in what once was the heart of Boston's 19th-century African American community.The African Meeting House is the oldest church in the U.S. built by and for Black Americans. Constructed in 1806, it served as a church and school as well as political organization. It has been restored to its 1854 appearance.The Abiel Smith School was built in 1834 as the first public grammar school in the country for African American children. Restoration of the school was completed in February 2000.Displays at both locations include artifacts, films, art and sculpture related to the black experience in Boston and New England.

In 1796, noted architect Charles Bullfinch designed and built this English Adamesque style house for Harrison Gray Otis, Boston's third mayor. Today the house has been restored to its early 1800's appearance and contains period furnishings and historical exhibits about the occupants. Since 1916, it has been the headquarters of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities.The building is a National Historic Landmark.

Since its construction in 1940, Hatch Memorial Shell, an outdoor, Art Deco music shell has become a Boston landmark. The shell hosts a regular program of concerts, performances and other special events. It is especially famous for hosting the Boston Pop's yearly presentation of the 1812 Overture on July 4th. Audiences sit on the 2-acre field in front of the shell with commanding views of Cambridge, Back Bay, and Beacon Hill.

The Institute of Contemporary Art was founded in 1936 as the Boston Museum of Modern Art, making it the oldest non-collecting contemporary arts institution in the United States. The Institute hosts regularly changing exhibits of contemporary art from around the U.S. and around the world. Visitors can expect to see various forms of media including visual arts, sculpture, film, photography, painting, and literature.

Louisburg Square is a private square located in the posh Beacon Hill neighborhood. It was named for the battle of Louisburg, in which Massachusetts Militiamen sacked the French Fortress in 1745. The Greek Revival houses around the square reflect the rarefied privilege enjoyed by the 19th century upper class in Beacon Hill. Author Louisa May Alcott lived here from 1880 to 1888.

Nichols House Museum is a Federal Style home built by famous Boston architect, Charles Bulfinch. The degree of luxury enjoyed by the Beacon Hill upper class residents is the focus of the museum. Author and world traveler, Rose Standish Nichols, owned the house and it is filled with her collection of 16th to 19th century furnishings and decorative arts.

The Bull and Finch, established in 1969, inspired the popular television program, Cheers. It is open for business, but one stool at the end of bar is reserved for "Norm".