Copley Square, Boston

Founded in 1848, the Boston Public Library is reputedly the first publicly funded lending library in the country. Architect Charles Follen McKim designed the present building located on Copley Square, in 1895. There are more than six million books in the library's collection with another million rare books and manuscripts. Among the library's treasures are first edition folios by Shakespeare and original music scores from Mozart. The library features regular exhibitions of its special holdings and hosts a variety of other art displays, films and other programs throughout the year. Many visitors come here not for the books but to see the library's acclaimed Renaissance Revival architecture. As well, there are murals by several famous artists including John Singer Sargent, Edwin Abbey and Puvis de Chavannes.

Often considered by experts to be architect Henry Hobson Richardson's finest work, Trinity Church is a Romanesque-style church built in 1877. It is modeled after some of the churches Richardson saw in Europe while studying at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, notably the Old Cathedral in Salamanca, Spain. The interior of the church features ceiling frescoes, paintings and murals by artist John LaFarge.

A 32-acre complex composed of high-rise apartments, shops, restaurants, the Boston Sheraton hotel, department stores and the Hynes Convention Center. On the 50th floor of the 52-story Prudential tower visitors can visit the "Skywalk" observation deck for views of the surrounding area.