101 Things to Do in the Boston Area

The city of Boston fills tourists' days and nights with such a variety of activities that no one in your party will be bored. Even Bostonians live with a constant barrage of things to do and see. It's impossible to do it all at once or even in one trip to this beautiful historic city. Activities range from historical to classic and fun. Below are the top 101 things to do while in Beantown. They are broken down into categories of interest to be easier to find what you are looking for.

Historical Sites: (The first sixteen sites listed are all included in a guided walking tour called the Freedom Trail Tour. Or you can explore them on your own as well.)
1. Paul Revere's House at 19 North Square.

2. The Old South Meeting House located at Washington and Milk Streets.

3. The USS Constitution at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Charleston.

4. The Bunker Hill Monument on Monument Avenue and High Streets, Charleston.

5. Park Street Church located at Park and Tremont Street.

6. King's Chapel and Burying Ground at Tremont and School Street.

7. The first public school site located at Tremont and School Streets.

8. The Old Granary Burying Ground at Tremont and School Streets.

9. The State House at Beacon and Park Streets.

10. The site of the Boston Massacre located at Congress and State Streets.

11. Quincy Market at Congress Street.

12. The Old South Meeting House located at Washington and Milk Street.

13. Boston Commons, bordered by Charles, Park, Tremont, and Beacon St.

14. The Global Corner Bookstore at Washington and School Streets.

15. Copp's Hill Burying Ground on Snowhill Street.

16. The Old North (Christ) Church on Salem Street.

17. Take a tour on the Black Heritage Trail which begins at the North Slope of Beacon Hill.

18. Another tour available is the Boston Woman's Heritage Trail.

19. Yet another tour is Boston's Irish Heritage Trail that includes over thirty different sites.

20. The Boston Waterfront Trail is a must do. (The property along this trail is some of the most expensive in the world.)

21. Visit Old Sturbridge Village where an 1830's New England village is recreated for your pleasure.

22. The Plymouth Plantation is a great living history museum.

23. House of the Seven Gables, located in Salem is the legacy of Nathanial Hawthorne.

24. Also while in Salem visit the Salem Witch Museum.

25. The Salem Heritage Walk is a great way to take in the exciting history of Salem.

26. The Ginny Grist Mill in Plymouth recreates the struggle of the Pilgrims.

27. The Harrison Otis House Museum is an elegant look into the past of the aristocrats of the colonial era.

28. Nichols House Museum gives the visitors a glimpse at early life on Beacon Hill.

29. The Liberty Fleet Tall Ship Adventure is a step back in time where you can fire a cannon, throw tea into the harbor, set the sails, or just sit back and enjoy a great meal and the lights of the city from the deck.

30. Boston Public Library at 666 Boylston Street, Copley Square, was the first public library in America.

31. The Harrison Gray Otis House shows how the "better half" lived during Colonial times. It is an elegant tour.

32. Tour the Charles River Damn. The Charles River separates Cambridge from Boston.

33. The Old Manse in Concord/Lexington (just 14 miles outside Boston), is rich with not only history but also literary culture.

34. Also in Concord/Lexington, The Concord Museum is loaded with heirlooms from the 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th centuries.

35. Minutemen Historical National Park is another tribute to our founding fathers, located in Concord/Lexington.

36. Tour Cambridge University's Campus. Enjoy the many offerings of Harvard Square and watch the rowers on the river.

Likely Page Break37. Also take a tour of Harvard University, the first university in the United States. You will be amazed at how scholarly you feel.

38. Visit the New England Holocaust Memorial where six glass towers stand 54 feet tall, to commemorate those that lost their lives in the historic tragedy. It is located near Government Square.

Museums not mentioned above:
39. The Boston Children's Museum is one of Americas leading children's museums.

40. The Museum of Science is free and offers more than 600 exhibits.

41. The Museum of Fine Arts is also a free museum and touts the works of many masterpieces of European and American heritage artists.

42. Another art museum is the Institute of Contemporary Art.

43. The Harvard Museum of Natural History is an outstanding place to view a variety of Boston's treasures.

44. The Peabody Museum devotes its' space to anthropology and is one the world's oldest museums.

45. The Peabody Essex Museum has varied exhibits from Colonial to those from Asia, Africa, and more.

46. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum stupendous and known for its gardens and architecture.

47. The Gibson House Museum will transport you back into the Victorian era of History.

48. The MIT Museum is dedicated to the high tech world and sports the world's largest holograph exhibit.

49. Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House is located in Concord and open touring.

50. The USS Constitution Museum is another amazing site, to step onto the oldest warship that still floats upon the water.

51. The JFK Library and Museum is a must for anyone with a fascination with the Kennedy clan.

Various other tours:
52. Seaport Express Water Taxi isn't really a tour, but a nice break from the hustle and bustle of walking with larger tour groups.

53. Boston Harbor's 45 Minute Constitution Cruise, nothing else is like it when seeing Boston.

54. Charles River Boat Tours takes one up the Charles River on the shores of Boston and Cambridge.

55. Boston Duck Tours is one of the most popular tours in Boston. This tour must be booked well in advance because of its popularity.

56. The Historic Swan Boat tour is another extremely popular venture in Boston. The ornate boats meander through the Public Garden Lagoon.

57. Take the Bay State Cruises Ferry to Provincetown. The "Provincetown II" is Boston's largest passenger cruise ship and there is no
better way to get to Cape Cod.

58. Ghosts and Gravestones Tour take one on a ghoulish adventure into some of the gruesome past events in Boston's history.
This tour is a must for any thrill seeker.

59. Once in Cape Cod, take the Cape Cod Tour which includes another cruise in the Hyannisport Harbor.

60. Spend the day watching amazing humpback whales while on the Massachusetts Bay Lines Whale Watch tour.

61. The New England Seacoast Tour is another all day event, that takes you north of Boston and onto Kennebunkport.

62. If you are planning a fall trip to Boston, don't miss the Fall Foliage Day Tour. This tour includes a fantastic view of the colorful
splendor of the fall leaves, but also lets you sample the food fare of the season.

63. Take the Theatre On Wheels tour and view the sites and share the trivia of shows and movies like Boston Legal, Goodwill Hunting, Mystic River and more.

64. Take a walk through Boston Commons.

65. Visit the Public Garden, which is the oldest public park and botanical garden in the United States.

66. Take a ferry ride to the Harbor Islands. It is combination of 34 different islands.

67. While on the Harbor Islands go fishing or bird watching.

68. Another thing to do while on the islands is to take a tour or go it alone and take a hike among the greenery.

Likely Page Break69. The Emerald Necklace is a chain of nine parks. They all come together either via walkway or waterway and consist of 1,100 acres.

For sports fans:
70. Every baseball fan will want to take a trip to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

71. The Official Red Sox Team Store located at Fenway Park is open year round for your shopping delight.

72. Gillette Stadium is not only home to the NFL New England Patriots, but also the New England Revolution, the major league soccer team of the New England area.

73. TD Banknorth Gardens is the home of the Boston Celtics, 17 time world champions.

74. The Boston Bruins hockey team, 5 time Stanley Cup Champions also play at Bankworth Gardens.

75. The Boston Lobsters are the newest sports team in Boston. The tennis team plays at Harvard University's Bright Arena.

76. New England Sports Museum is home to some of sports greatest artifacts and memorabilia. It is located on Causeway Street.

Fun Stuff:
77. Six Flags New England sports the #1 roller coaster on the earth.

78. Hurricane Harbor

79. Boston Common Frog Pond

80. New England Aquarium has over 70 different exhibits.

81. Franklin Park Zoo has over 200 species of animals and has been in operation since 1911.

82. 5WITS is a state-of-the-art, walk through adventure of special effects and other creative outlets.

83. Mapparium at the Mary Baker Eddy Library is an adventure that takes you through the center of the earth through time and space.

84. Visit the place where "everybody knows your name", the Bull and Finch Pub - Home of Cheers the Bar, located at 84 Beacon Street. Outside shots of the exterior of the bar were used in the actual filming of the 11 season "Cheers" sitcom.

85. The John Hancock Tower located 200 Clarendon Street, St. James Avenue and Trinity Place is the tallest building in New England.

Entertainment:
86. Visit the Opera House if you get the opportunity. Even if you dislike opera, the history and architecture of this magnificent building will have you oohing and ahhing.

87. The Wang Center for the Performing Arts at 270 Tremont St. is a seven-story theater. It is home to the Boston Ballet and is also on the National Registry of Historic Places.

88. Colonial Theatre host Broadway Shows in the town. It is right next to the Opera House.

89. "Shear Madness" has been playing 29 years straight at the Charles Playhouse. It is billed as one of the best improv, comedy shows ever. It's a real must see.

90. See the Boston Pops, world class orchestra; perform at Symphony Hall located 301 Massachusetts Avenue.

91. Catch a performance by the Boston Ballet at 19 Clarendon Street if you are able to.

Shopping:
92. Faneuil Hall Market, also known as "festival market" is located in the middle of historical downtown Boston caters to everyone when it comes to shopping. It is full of novelty carts, unique shops, street performers, food stands, and restaurants.

93. Newberry Street is said to have some of the best shopping in all of Boston and offers a very diverse range of shops to suit everyone in your party; trendy to unusual.

94. The Prudential Center is probably the largest mall in the area and is also home to the convention center. The malls highlight though, is its tower and observation deck where you can look out over the city.

95. Upstairs Downstairs Antique Shop is just one of many antique stores. They offer a large variety of bygone eras antiquities. They are located at 93 Charles Street.

96. The Boston Baked Bean Store has everything you could imagine for souvenirs. The store is located at 291 Newberry Street.

Dining:
97. You have to have the "chowda". Try The Daily Catch on Boston's north end. It is family friendly and close to the docks.

Likely Page Break98. Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage is located in Harvard Square in Cambridge and a must for any burger lover.

99. Grotto is tucked away in a basement on Beacon Hill. It can be an intimate place for dinner, but also it's a great place to have lunch while sightseeing.

100. Uno Chicago Grill is a great place to hang out and eat some pizza and just relax.

101. And last but not least, get the best clam chowder at No Name Restaurant located at 15 Fish Pier Street, in West Boston.

I highly recommend getting the Boston- Go- Card if you are interested in taking in many of the sites listed above. Not only will you receive huge discounts on many of the tours, but you won't spend time lost and wandering aimlessly about. Costs and number of days/attractions vary so you can choose what is best for you and your budget. Enjoy Boston!

http://www.gobostoncard.com/

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