The 3 mile/5km Freedom Trail, which takes in 16 of the city's principal historic monuments and sites, starts from Boston Common. Some of the sights form part of Boston National Historical Park. The Freedom Trail is marked by a line of red bricks in the sidewalk and by footprints at street crossings.
The Visitor Center in the Boston Common offers brochures with information on all the major attractions along the trail. Some of the historic sites include the State House and Old State House, Site of the Boston Massacre, King's Chapel and Burying Ground, Faneuil Hall, and Paul Revere House, to name just a few.
The Freedom Trail makes exploring the city quite easy.
Tips: For information call the National Visitors Information Center at 617-242-5642.
National Park Service 90-minute tours begin every half hour from the park visitor center at 15 State Street opposite the Old State House.
Lovely old brownstones line the streets of Beacon Hill, long known as one of Boston's well to do areas.
In the heart of the city is the Boston Common, America's oldest park. This is also the start of the Freedom Trail.
Charlestown was for many years a shipbuilding town. Today the area is a national historic landmark and home to Bunker Hill Monument and the USS Constitution.
Copley Square is surrounded by an interesting mix of architectural styles, with buildings such as the Trinity Church, the Boston Public Library, and the nearby Prudential Tower.
Faneuil Hall was built in the early 1740s as a market hall and still maintains a market on the first floor.
Fenway Park, built in 1912, is Boston's stadium and home to the Boston Red Sox.
This museum features a small but unique collection of art, sculpture, tapestries, and furniture, which was once a private collection.
Boston's Museum of Fine Arts contains a varied collection, with art from around the world and a range of time periods.
The New England Aquarium features all kinds of aquatic life and includes a coral reef. The Edge of the Sea touch tank allows for close up encounters.
Boston's North End has been home to various ethnic populations and is today a prominent Italian community.
The Old State House dates to 1713. This historical building was the seat of the Royal Government prior to the Revolution, and the site of the Boston Massacre.
The State House sits on Beacon Hill and is easily recognizable by its gilded dome.
The USS Constitution is a 1797 warship which served well in the war of 1812.
5Wits in Boston features TOMB, an interactive walk-through adventure. Visitors explore a realistic Egyptian tomb while they search for a missing professor.
Address:
5Wits, 186 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 375-9487, Fax: 1 (617) 375-3414
Hours:
May 29 to September 4: 10am-7pm; Wed: 10am-10pm; Thu: 10am-10pm; Fri: 10am-11pm; Sat: 10am-11pm
September 5 to May 28: 10am-10pm; Sun: 10am-7pm; Tue: 10am-7pm; Fri: 10am-11pm; Sat: 10am-11pm; Closed: Mon
Tips: Weekend admission is listed, discounted admission from Monday to Thursday.
The Arnold Arboretum, designed in 1872, is a 265-acre botanical garden run by Harvard University. There are over 5000 kinds of trees, most originating from northern temperate forests. Two of the arboretum's highlights include the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection and the Lilac Collection.
Address:
Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-3519, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 524-1718, Fax: 1 (617) 524-1418
Hours:
9am-4pm; Sun: 12pm-4pm; Sat: 10am-4pm
Tips: Grounds are open from dawn to dusk.
Motor vehicles are not allowed without a special permit available in the Hunnewell Building.
Parking: Pay
Transit: T: Forest Hills / #39 bus to the Monument stop.
The site of the house in which Benjamin Franklin was born and spent his early years is opposite the Old South Meeting House.
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.
Address:
Boston African American National Historic Site, 14 Beacon Street, Suite 506, Boston, MA 02108, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 742-5415, Fax: 1 (617) 720-0848
The Boston Bel Canto Opera gives concert presentations with a focus on the masterworks of 19th century opera composers. Performances are held in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory of Music.
Address:
Boston Bel Canto Opera, Box 990023, Boston, MA 02199-0023, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 424-0900, Fax: 1 (617) 247-3087
This Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area consists of 30 islands that abound in cultural and natural resources. Visitors will enjoy a Civil War era fort, exploring tide pools, climbing to the top of the historic lighthouse, hiking the numerous trails, camping, fishing, picnicking or swimming.

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| The Graves Light in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. |
| Boston Light on Little Brewster Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. |
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Address:
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, 408 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 228, Boston, MA 02110-3350, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 223-8666, Fax: 1 (617) 223-8671
Hours:
June 25 to September 3: 9am-Sunset
Tips: Admission includes round-trip ferry fare. During the spring and fall the islands are open on an abbreviated schedule, call for hours.
The Boston Lyric Opera was founded in 1976 with the mission to promote local and international singers, conductors, directors and designers. Each season the Boston Lyric Opera presents at least three different productions.
Address:
Boston Lyric Opera, 45 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110-1301, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 542-6772, Fax: 1 (617) 542-4913
The Boston Marathon is the oldest in the county. The first was in 1896 and the 24.5 mile route went from the Irvington Oval in Boston to Metcalf's Mill in Ashland. Today, the distance has increased to 26.2 miles and the route starts in Hopkinton, continues through eight cities and towns and ends up near Copley Square in Boston.
Address:
Boston Athletic Association, 40 Trinity Place, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02116, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 236-1652, Fax: 1 (617) 236-4505
Boston National Historical Park is a collection of sites that give an overview of the history of the city. The sites include Charlestown Navy Yard, Bunker Hill Monument, Faneuil Hall and the downtown visitor center on State Street.
Address:
Boston National Historical Park, Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129-4543, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 242-5642, Fax: 1 (617) 242-6006
Boston's large Irish population and friends come out in mid-March every year to dance, sing and parade down the streets of South Boston.
Tips: Call (617) 536-4100 for details.
The Charles River is a natural boundary between Cambridge and Boston.
Where the river flows into Boston Harbor, it is spanned by several major bridges including the new Interstate 93 one supported by two inverted Y-shaped towers supporting a fan-shaped series of cables. These towers mimic the shape of the Bunker Hill monument.
Further up river toward Cambridge, the Charles's banks are natural boasting biking/jogging trails with views of islands and rowers in racing sculls.
A 17-mile (27 km) park lining both sides of the Charles River from the dam to Newton Upper Falls. The area has numerous bike paths, swimming pools, skating opportunities in the winter, rollerblading in the rest of the year, sailing, kayaking, tennis courts and baseball diamonds. It is operated by the Metropolitan District Commission, which has preserving natural areas in the city since 1893.

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| Footbridge over the Charles River with Foliage and Colors of Fall. |
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Tips: Call (617) 727-5114 for more details.
Chinatown in Boston is located between South Station, the downtown shopping area, and the theater district. There is a large gateway over Beach Street, the districts main thoroughfare. The area is filled with restaurants and specialty stores. It is especially vibrant during Chinese New Year's celebrations in January or early February. Reputedly, it is a dangerous area at night.

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| Lion dance in Chinatown, Boston, MA. |
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Boston's city hall was designed by acclaimed architects Kallman, McKinnell and Knowles and built between 1963 and 1968. The style of the pre-cast concrete building is known as brutalist modern and it created a stir of controversy at the time for it's unorthodox and anti-traditional appearance.

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| Exterior view of the Boston City Hall. |
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Tips: Closed major holidays.
City council meetings take place on Wednesdays at 16:00
Boston Downtown is roughly bordered by the Central Artery to the north, Washington Street to the east, Essex Street to the south and Beacon Street to the west. It is the home of the Public Garden and Boston Common, the State House, Faneuil Hall and more.
East of Faneuil Hall is Faneuil Hall Marketplace, a successful example of urban renewal. Its three long halls (Quincy Market, North Market and South Market), dating from the early 19th century, are now occupied by a lively assortment of shops, restaurants and exhibitions.
Street performers and buskers put on shows continuously throughout the day in the square around the market.
Visitors will find the Marketplace to be an interesting experience. In addition to the numerous food stalls, there are also shops selling jewelry, clothing, gift items, and various one of a kind items. There are more than a dozen places to stop for a bite to eat or a beverage. The Hall also contains a military museum with weaponry, uniforms and paintings of significant battles.

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| Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston. |
| Lamp post in Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston. |
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Address:
Faneuil Hall, Faneuil Hall Square, Boston, MA 02109, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 523-1300, Fax: 1 (617) 523-1779
King's Chapel is on the site of Boston's first Anglican church of 1686. The present building was built in Georgian style in 1749. This modest place of worship, Episcopalian until 1787, now belongs to the Unitarians. In the churchyard, the oldest in Boston, is the grave of Governor John Winthrop (1588-1649).
Address:
King's Chapel and Burying Ground, Corner of School and Tremont Streets, Boston, MA 02108, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 523-1749, Fax: 1 (617) 227-4101
Tips: Call for hours (617) 227-2155.
The Mary Baker Eddy Library in Boston explores the life and achievements of Mary Baker Eddy, an influential religious leader, publisher, teacher, and businesswoman. As the founder of the Christian Science movement, Mary Baker Eddy advanced at a time when women could not vote and were generally barred from pulpits, seminaries, and the medical profession.
One of the most notable exhibits at the library is the one-of-a-kind Mapparium, a three-story stained-glass globe that carries visitors on a journey through time and space.
Hours:
10am-4pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: Martin Luther King's Birthday - USA (3rd Monday, January ), New Year's Day (January 1), President's Day - USA (3rd Monday, February ), Memorial Day - USA (last Monday, May ), American Independance Day (July 4), Labor Day - USA (1st Monday, September), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Parking: Pay
Facilities: Gift shop, Restaurant or food service
The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority serves 78 communities within its district of Eastern Massachusetts and another 64 outside of the district through commuter rail trains. There is a total of 183 routes and 252 stations (not including bus stops). There are four principal subway lines designated by the colors red, blue, orange and green. The latter was the first subway line in the US, opening between Park Street to Bolyston Street in 1897.
Tips: There is a variety of passes available.
ATTRACTION IS NOW LOCATED IN NORTH ANDOVER.
The museum seeks to preserve graphic arts, printing equipment and printing craftsmanship and offers related displays.
Old City Hall is now occupied by offices and a restaurant. In front of it are statues of Benjamin Franklin and Josiah Quincy (1772-1864), second mayor of Boston and founder of Quincy Market. Also in School Street is Boston's first public school, at which Benjamin Franklin and John Hancock were pupils.

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| The Old City Hall in Boston. |
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Address:
Boston's Old City Hall, 45 School Street, Boston, MA 02108-3204, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 523-8678, Fax: 1 (617) 523-3782
The Old Corner Book Store is one of Boston's oldest buildings. Originally built in 1712 as a dwelling house and business house, in the mid 18th century it was occupied by a publishing house. In the 19th century it was a meeting-place of writers and poets.
The Old Granary Burying Ground contains the graves of several governors of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin's parents, the victims of the Boston Massacre of 1770 and a number of notable Bostonians, including Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Robert Treat Paine, three signatories of the Declaration of Independence.
The Old South Meeting House was built by Puritans as a church in 1729. On December 16, 1773 more than 5,000 colonists spawned the idea for the Boston Tea Party. During that operation, patriots, loosely disguised as Native Americans snuck aboard English ships and dumped tea into Boston Harbor to protest British taxes.
Today, the plain brick and wooden structure is a museum with rare historical artifacts and interactive presentations such as audio reproductions of some of the famous speeches delivered here.
Address:
Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108-4609, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 482-6439, Fax: 1 (617) 482-9621
Hours:
April 1 to October 31: 9:30am-5pm
November 1 to March 31: 10am-4pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Guides: Interpretive sessions sometimes available.
Transit: T: State or Washington
Typical Visit: 30 minutes
English architect Peter Banner designed Park Street Church in 1809. In 1829, William Lloyd Garrison made his first anti-slavery address from the pulpit of this Christopher Wren-style church. The 217-foot (66m) wooden steeple is a popular landmark of this active Evangelical Church in downtown Boston.
Address:
Park Street Church, 1 Park Street, Boston, MA 02108, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 523-3383, Fax: 1 (617) 523-0263
Hours:
Always closed on: American Independance Day (July 4)
Tips: Open for workship on Sundays year round.
Typical Visit: 30 minutes
The Photographic Resource Center at Boston University features permanent and changing historic and contemporary photographs. Each year the gallery hosts 6-8 exhibitions.
Address:
Photographic Resource Center at Boston University, 832 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215-2400, United States
Phone: 1 (617) 975-0600, Fax: 1 (617) 975-0606
Hours:
10am-5pm; Sun: 12pm-5pm; Sat: 12pm-5pm; Closed: Mon
Tips: Occasionally the gallery and library are closed weekdays in between exhibitions, please call ahead.
Adjoining Boston Common, on the west side of Charles Street, is the24-acre Public Garden (opened 1859), with a large artificial lake (boating; skating in winter). It contains Victorian-style monuments and statues, including an equestrian statue of George Washington (1869) near Arlington Street.
A ride in the famous swan boats, first launched in the 1870's, is a popular pastime in the Gardens.
MUSEUM HAS MOVED TO LOWELL, MA.
A new type of museum that encourages more direct communication between artists and the public. Visitors can expect to see visual art exhibitions, fashion shows, film and video presentations, poetry readings and multi-media installations. It also tries to make use of abandoned spaces by filling them with public art.
Many of the city's theaters are found between Tremont and Tyler streets, south of Chinatown and north of Oak Street.
Boston Surroundings