Attractions in Boston, Massachusetts

Amusements

Museum of Science 617-723-2500
Science Park, Boston, MA 02114
With over 550 interactive exhibits, Boston's only 180-degree wrap-around movie screen, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, Theater of Electricity and more, science comes... more info

Historic Homes & Buildings

Abiel Smith School 617-739-1200
46 Joy Street, Boston, MA 02114
This historic structure housed the first public school for African American children. more info map
African Meeting House 617-742-5415
8 Smith Court, Boston, MA 02114
Built to house the first African Baptist Church of Boston and the first African American Baptist church created north of the Mason Dixon Line, the African Meeting House... more info map
George Middleton House
5 Pinckney Street, Boston, MA 02114
A Site Along the Black Heritage Trail
An early leader in Boston’s African American community, activist George Middleton began constructing a two-family residence with Louis Glapion in 1786. A typical... more info map
Harrison Gray Otis House 617-227-3956
141 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114
Tours are offered at this late Eighteenth Century home that was designed by Charles Bullfinch. The furnishings of this house museum represent the epitome of the high... more info map
John C. Smith House
86 Pinckney Street, Boston, MA 02110
John J. Smith, a barber, abolitionist and a state legislator, lived here from 1878 to 1893. During the Civil War, Smith was a recruiter for Massachusetts African... more info map
King's Chapel 617-227-2155
Corner of Tremont and School Streets, Boston, MA 02116
King’s Chapel was the first Anglican Church established in Boston; the original structure was built adjacent to Boston’s burying ground in 1688, and when this... more info map
Lewis & Harriet Hayden House, The
66 Phillips Street, Boston, MA 02108
A Site Along the Black Heritage Trail
"One of Boston’s most visible and militant African American abolitionists," Lewis Hayden and his family "routinely cared for self-emancipated African Americans at... more info map
Massachusetts State House 617-727-3676
Beacon Streets, Boston, MA 02115
Weekday Tours of the Massachusetts State House are conducted. more info
Old Corner Bookstore 617-367-4000
1 School Street, Boston, MA 02108
Now a Boston Globe store, this is one of the oldest surviving structures in Boston, having been built in 1712, and was the site of the publication of many important... more info map
Old North Church 617-523-6676
193 Salem Street, Boston, MA 02113
Boston’s oldest church that is still in use, this church is famed for being the church where the lanterns were hung in order to convey the famous message to Bostonians... more info map
Old South Meeting House 617-482-6439
310 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108
Where the Boston Tea Party began in 1773, Old South Meeting House on Boston's Freedom Trail is "a museum, National Historic Landmark, and active center for civic... more info map
Old State House 617-720-1713
206 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02109
The Old State House on Boston's Freedom Trail is "the oldest and most important public building in American history prior to the Revolution, where John Adams insisted,... more info map
Park Street Church 617-523-3383
1 Park Street, Boston, MA 02108
This historic church is the site where William Lloyd Garrison gave his first anti-slavery addresses in 1829. more info map
Paul Revere House, The 617-523-2338
19 North Square, Boston, MA 02113
Located on the Freedom Trail
This National Historic Landmark is downtown Boston's oldest building and one of the few remaining 17th-century dwellings in a large urban area in the United States. ... more info map
Phillips School, The 617-742-5415
Corner of Pinckney and Anderson Streets, Boston, MA 02114
A Site Along the Black Heritage Trail
Prior to becoming a private residence, this building was used by the English High School before becoming a grammar school in 1844. Named after the first mayor of... more info map
Pierce/Hichborn House, The 617-523-2338
29 North Square, Boston, MA 02113
One of the earliest remaining brick structures in Boston, this home's "elegant symmetrical style was a radical change from the wood-framed Tudor dwellings, such as the... more info
Smith Court Residences 617-742-5415
Smith Court, Boston, MA 02114
"The historic homes on Smith Court, along with the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School, are the best preserved physical locales available for understanding... more info

Historic Sites & Monuments

Boston African American National Historic Site 617-742-5415
14 Beacon Street, Suite 401 (Mail), Boston, MA 02108
A walking tour of this historic district reveals and explores the history of the African American community that populated this area of Boston in the 1800's. The area... more info map
Boston Massacre Site
Next to Old State House, Boston, MA 02114
This is the infamous site that saw the deadly clash between British troops and an unruly mob of Colonials in 1770. more info
Boston National Historical Park 617-242-5601
The 43-acre Boston National Historical Park is "a unique collaboration of federally, municipally, and privately-owned & operated historic sites associated with the... more info
Boston Women's Heritage Trail 617-522-2872
22 Holbrook Street, Boston, MA 02130
During a trip on this enlightening trail, one will pay honour to and learn about the contributions and achievements made by women in such divergent roles as patriot,... more info map
Forest Hills Cemetery 617-524-0128
95 Forest Hills Avenue, Boston, MA 02130
This one-hundred-fifty-year-old garden cemetery encompasses more than two hundred fifty acres and is the final resting place of such luminaries as playwright Eugene... more info map
Freedom Trail-Boston Nat'l Historical Park 617-242-1542
15 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
On this walking tour, one can take a leisurely, informative and illustrative stroll through three hundred fifty years of American history by following a red line on the... more info map
Granary Burying Ground
Park and Tremont Streets, Boston, MA 02114
This historic cemetery, founded in 1660, is the third oldest burying ground in Boston proper. Granary Burying Ground is the final resting place of such notable... more info
Irish Famine Memorial
Washington and School Streets, Boston, MA 02108
Boston, MA
This memorial commemorates the great migration to America by the Irish who were fleeing the Great Hunger of 1847 that threatened to decimate all of Ireland. more info
New England Holocaust Memorial 617-457-0755
Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
Near Faneuil Hall
These luminous towers stand as beacons of hope that humanity may learn to treat fellow human beings and the world with compassion; the towers also stand as stark... more info
Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial 617-742-5415
Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02114
A Site Along the Black Heritage Trail
Located across Beacon Street from the State House, this Augustus Saint-Gaudens-designed memorial commemorates the first African American regiment that served in the... more info
Site of First Public School and Franklin Statute
School Street, Boston, MA 02114
This site commemorates the first public school in the United States, which opened in 1635 and had pupils such as Samuel Adams and Benjamin Franklin; at a later date it... more info

Libraries & Research Centers

Boston History Library 617-720-1713
15 State Street, Third Floor, Boston, MA 02109
Run under the aegis of the Bostonian Society, the Boston History Library includes a vast array of textual and visual material, with over seven thousand books, thirty... more info map
Boston Public Library 617-536-5400
700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116
Boston
Situated in a gorgeous Italian Renaissance style building, with a courtyard, sculptures, murals and paintings, the Boston Public Library was established in 1848 as the... more info map

Museums & Galleries

Boston Children's Museum 617-426-6500
308 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
This museum for children features fun, entertaining, hands-on exhibits and programs that encourage learning and acquisition of knowledge about the world and science in... more info map
Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum 617-338-1773
Congress Street Bridge, Boston, MA 02210
Boston, MA
This ship and museum is a replica of the ship that was the site of the notorious protest against taxation that took place on December 16, 1773, and became known as the... more info
Captain Forbes House Museum 617-696-1815
215 Adams Street, Milton, MA 02186
Designed by Boston architect Isaiah Rogers in 1833, this Greek Revival mansion was the home of Captain Robert Bennet Forbes, an internationally known China Trade... more info map
Christian Science Church Center 617-450-3790
175 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
This Modern-style building designed by architect I.M. Peiis is the International Headquarters of Christian Science. Public tours are available. more info map
Dreams of Freedom Cultural Exhibit Center 617-695-9990
International Institute of Boston/ 1 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02109
Boston, MA
This museum takes one through a multimedia journey that explores the disparate experiences of a wide array of cultures that went through the often arduous process of... more info
First Church of Christ Scientist 617-450-3793
175 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
The most outstanding feature of this church structure is a thirty-foot stained glass globe room that offers visitors a view of the earth from the inside. more info map
Gibson House Museum 617-267-6338
137 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02116
Dating from the middle of the Nineteenth Century, this house museum preserves in pristine form the elegance of well-to-do Victorian families in Boston; as well as having... more info map
Institute of Contemporary Art 617-266-5152
955 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02115
Since 1936 this museum has brought the best of contemporary art to Boston, including works by such now famous names as Picasso and Warhol; the museum today continues the... more info map
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum 617-566-1401
280 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115
With a flower-filled courtyard, this museum is located in a Fifteenth Century Venetian-style building and features changing exhibits of traveling exhibitions, as well as... more info map
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum 617-514-1600
Columbia Road, Columbia Point, MA 02125
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum was designed to help preserve the memory of the 35th President. Displays, multi-media exhibits, period settings, and... more info map
Longyear Museum 617-278-9000
1125 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Longyear Museum offers exhibits, publications, and programs on the life of one of America's most noted women, Mary Baker Eddy. Mrs. Eddy discovered Christian Science in... more info map
Mary Baker Eddy Historic House 617-278-9000
400 Beacon Street, Newton, MA 02467
Tour Mary Baker Eddy's last home, a large stone building originally built for a Boston family in the 1880s. When she moved here, Mrs. Eddy was the recognized leader of a... more info map
Museum of African American History 617-725-0022
46 Joy Street, Boston, MA 02119
Beacon Hill
New England’s largest museum dedicated to preserving, conserving and interpreting the contributions of African Americans in New England from the colonial period... more info map
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 617-267-9300
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
Avenue of the Arts
One of the most comprehensive art museums in the world, the MFA's collection includes nearly 500,000 works of art, from ancient Egyptian to contemporary. Special... more info map
Nichols House Museum 617-227-6993
55 Mount Vernon Street, Boston, MA 02108
This house museum preserves and elucidates both its Federal Period origins and the lifestyle of the occupants that used the structure at the turn of the Twentieth... more info map
Sports Museum of New England 617-787-7678
Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02114
Fleet Center
With a wide array of displays that trace the history and defining moments of various sports, this museum takes as its main mission the use of sports to “ teach the... more info

Parks, Gardens & Zoos

Boston Common 617-723-3825
790 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199
This tour company conducts both land and water cruises aboard amphibious vehicles. Thought at first to be a crazy idea in the Boston area, these tours have continued to... more info
Boston Knolls Park
107 Weathervane Lane, Boston, MA 02125
A forested walkway provides a chance to relax with nature within the city limits of Boston; the park also features a playground with swings, a softball diamond, a tennis... more info
Franklin Park Zoo 617-442-2002
1 Franklin Park Road, Boston, MA 02121
The Franklin Park Zoo covers seventy two acres within Boston’s historic Franklin Park, and features exhibits of animals that reflect and explore such diverse environs... more info map
North Park 330-273-8040
3595 Grafton Road, Boston, MA 02125
Holiday Hills
This park is comprised of approximately fifty-seven acres, inlcuding a five-acre lake that provides the chance for aquatic studies of reptiles, amphibians, birds, and... more info
Public Garden
Between Arlington and Charles Streets, Boston, MA 02114
The Boston Public Garden features formal gardens, rare trees, and the new addition of a sculpture of a mother duck followed by her train of ducklings. more info

Science & Technology

Boston Harbor Islands 617-223-8666
408 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 228, Boston, MA 02110
Operated under the aegis of the National Park System, the Boston Harbour Islands Park includes ten islands, a learning centre, a park store, and chances for exploration,... more info map
New England Aquarium 617-973-5200
Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110
Situated on the Central Wharf in Boston, this aquarium features over two thousand species of exotic fish, sharks, sea turtles, a penguin colony, sea lion shows, and a... more info
Skywalk Observatory 617-236-3318
800 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199
Prudential Tower, 50th floor
Located on the fiftieth floor of the Prudential Tower, the Skywalk Observatory offers the only three-hundred-sixty-degree panoramic view of Boston. more info map

Tours & Cruises

A C Cruise Line 617-261-6633
290 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02116
This cruise line offers maritime cruises and tours in the vicinity of Boston. more info map
Authentic Gondola Tours of Boston 617-876-2800
Located on the Charles River at The Esplanade
Boston's only authentic gondolas, straight from Venice, Italy. All tours are private - meaning you will have the gondola exclusively to your party. Live accordion... more info map
Beantown Trolley 781-986-6100
This company offers narrated trolley tours of Boston. more info
Ben Franklin's Boston 781-648-0628
1 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02108
One can explore the Boston of Benjamin Franklin by taking this tour along the Freedom Trail. more info map
Boston Adventures 617-430-1900
Back Bay, Box 541, Boston, MA 02116
This guided walking tour begins at the Boston Common. more info
Boston by Foot 617-367-2345
These walking tours explore such areas as the Freedom Trail, the Back Bay, the North End, and Beacon Hill. more info
Boston by Sea 617-542-8000
60 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA 02110
A fun, fascinating, one-of-a-kind cruise that tells in story and song how Boston Harbor helped shape the history of the city and a nation. more info map
Boston Duck Tours 617-723-3825
790 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199
This tour company conducts both land and water cruises aboard amphibious vehicles. Thought at first to be a crazy idea in the Boston area, these tours have continued to... more info map
Boston Harbor Cruises 617-227-4321
One Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02110
White Ticket Center
Boston Harbour Cruises offers whale watching cruises, harbour site seeing tours, ferries to functions, private charters, and entertainment. more info map
Boston Private Tours 978-771-4471
48 Cerdan Avenue, Boston, MA 02131
Tailored tours by retired teachers of Greater Boston. Small to large personalized group tours of Boston, Lexington, Concord, Plymouth, Salem and more. Themes include... more info map
Boston Spirits 781-235-7149
This unique supernatural walking tour takes one on a ninety minute journey to the most infamous of Boston’s haunted locations. more info
Boston Tours By Season 617-876-2800
Tour Boston and Massachusetts all year. Boston, Massachusetts, is the heart of New England and offers four great seasons of attractions and events. While most tours... more info
Boston Walks 617-489-5020
The walking tours offered by this organization explore ethnic histories and neighbourhoods, with tours that emphasize such ethnicities as Irish, Italian and Jewish. more info
Brush Hill Tours of Boston 781-986-6100
16 South Charles Street, Boston, MA 02116
Tours of Boston, Salem, Plymouth, Cape Cod, Newport, Maine and New Hampshire are offered by this operation. more info map
Free Tours by Foot - Boston Tours 617-299-0764
119 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116
Informative and dynamic walking tours that take you through many of Boston's legendary neighborhoods. These tours are offered free of charge. Guides work only for tips. more info map
Ghosts of Boston Walking Tours 617-605-3635
Boston Common
Take a thrilling 90 minute fully-narrated tour through Boston's historic district. You will hear tales of hauntings, heroes, witches, pirates, sea captains, political... more info map
Innovation Odyssey 617-350-0358
50 Beacon Street, Suite 403, Boston, MA 02215
On these tours one may ride into the stories of the inventors and visionaries whose creations established Boston as a Mecca of innovation; one may travel the route of... more info map
Liberty Fleet: Boston's Tall Ship Adventures 617-742-0333
67 Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02210
Come aboard the Liberty Clipper, a 125' schooner reminiscent of the classic wind-driven coastal schooners of the mid-1800's. It is available for sailing tours and such... more info
Literary Trail of Greater Boston 617-350-0358
650 Beacon Street, Suite 403, Boston, MA 02215
This twenty-mile trail winds through some of the most fertile literary terrain in the country; the lives of some of the greatest poets and authors of Nineteenth Century... more info map
Maritime History Trail and Walking Tour 617-350-0358
650 Beacon Street Suite 403, Boston, MA 02111
Custom House Concierge Desk
These maritime tours, led by costumed guides, explore two hundred years of Boston’s rich waterfront history. In addition, a walking tour of the Long Wharf, and a... more info map
MassBay Lines 617-542-8000
60 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA 02210
Among the most popular of the many cruises offered by this company is the narrated harbour tour aboard a paddlewheel steamboat replica; with eight vessels from which to... more info map
Odyssey 617-654-9700
Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA 02210
Lunch and dinner yacht cruises, with live music and dancing, are offered by Odyssey cruises; any size party can be accommodated, from a party of two, to an event for... more info
Old Town Trolley 617-269-7010
Old Town Trolley offers narrated trolley tours of historic sections of Boston. more info
On Location Tours 212-209-3370
139 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02111
Boston Common
On Location Tours runs TV and movie sightseeing tours in Boston and New York City. Take the Boston TV & Movie Sites bus tour or Boston Movie Mile walking tour to see... more info map
PhotoWalks 617-851-2273
PhotoWalks offers five guided walking tours of Boston presented with historic commentary and creative photography tips. All ages and skill levels welcome. Advance... more info
Spirit of Boston 617-748-1499
164 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02210
The Spirit of Boston features narrated lunch cruises and dinner cruises with Broadway-style shows. more info map
Tall Ship Excursions 617-262-1119
Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02110
Located at Waterboat Marina
Each sail of the traditional square-rigged tall ship Formidable includes a presentation relating to museum displays in the salon. more info map

Vineyards, Wineries & Breweries

Boston Beer Company
One Design Center, Suite 850, Boston, MA 02130-2312
Samuel Adams Beer
The Boston Beer Company is America's leading brewer of handcrafted, full-flavored beers. Founder and Brewer, Jim Koch, brews Samuel Adams® beers using the time-honored,... more info map
Samuel Adams® Brewery 617-368-5080
30 Germania Street, Boston, MA 02130
Located in the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood
Tours at the brewery are held on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2:00 p.m., Fridays at 2:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., and on Saturdays between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 2:00... more info map

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