Laser Quest 139 Endicott Street, Danvers, MA 01923, Located in Endicott Plaza, 978-762-8778, Laser Quest is live action laser tag at its best. Enter the multi-level arena where fog, music and special effects combine to provide an incredible combination of tag and hide & seek. For family and group events, birthday parties or on your own, Laser Quest is interactive intense fun for ages 7-77.  more...

Abiel Smith School (circa 1834) 46 Joy Street, Boston, MA 02114, 617-739-1200, This historic structure housed the first public school for African American children.  

African Meeting House (circa 1806) 8 Smith Court, Boston, MA 02114, 617-742-5415, This building represents the oldest standing African American church in the United States.  

George Middleton House (circa 1797) 5 Pinckney Street, Boston, MA 02114, One of the oldest homes on Beacon Hill, this house was the domicile of George Middleton, an early leader of the African American community in Boston who fought for the Colonial Army during the Revolutionary War in the late Eighteenth Century.  

Harrison Gray Otis House 141 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, 617-227-3956, 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 style and taste that pervaded the Boston upper class at the turn of the Nineteenth Century. 

John C. Smith House 86 Pinckney Street, Boston, MA 02110, This house was the home of the famous and historical African American abolitionist who was also a member of the Massachusetts Legislature.  

King's Chapel (circa 1754) Corner of Tremont and School Streets, Boston, MA 02116, 617-227-2155, 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 structure had grown to be too small for the growing congregants, architect Peter Harrison designed the present building in 1749; construction was completed in 1754. Recognized as one of the five hundred most important buildings in America, and one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in America, the church was built with the aim of being a work of architecture that “would be the equal of any in England.” 

Lewis and Harriet Hayden House 66 Phillips Street, Boston, MA 02108, This house was a station on the historic Underground Railroad that channeled fugitive slaves to freedom. 

Massachusetts State House (circa 1795) Beacon Streets, Boston, MA 02115, 617-727-3676, Weekday Tours of the Massachusetts State House are conducted.

Old Corner Bookstore 1 School Street, Boston, MA 02108, 617-367-4000, 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 works of literature, including Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter,” Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden,” and the Atlantic Monthly Magazine.  

Old North Church (circa 1723) 193 Salem Street, Boston, MA 02113, 617-523-6676, 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 that alerted them to the imminent approach of the British during the Revolutionary War; it is from here that the lighted lanterns proclaimed: “The British are coming!” 

Old South Meeting House 310 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108, 617-482-6439, Lectures and concerts are frequently offered at this historic meeting house that was an early Puritan house of worship.  

Old State House (circa 1713) Corner of State and Washington Streets, Boston, MA 02109, 617-720-3290, The oldest public building in Boston, this structure was the seat of the Colonial government and the site of the debates that culminated in the war for independence from Britain.  

Park Street Church 1 Park Street, Boston, MA 02108, 617-523-3383, This historic church is the site where William Lloyd Garrison gave his first anti-slavery addresses in 1829. 

Paul Revere House (circa 1680) 19 North Square, Boston, MA 02113, 617-523-2338, One of the oldest buildings in Boston, this structure was the home of American patriot and silversmith Paul Revere; the house is now a museum that explores the life of Paul Revere and the significant part that he played in history. more... 

Phillips School Anderson and Pinckney Street, Boston, MA 02114, This historic structure once housed one of Boston’s first interracial schools.  

Smith Court Residences Smith Court, Boston, MA 02114, 617-742-5415, These historic former residences represent five houses that were typical of Boston during the Nineteenth Century.

Boston African-American National Historic Site 46 Joy Street, Boston, MA 02114, 617-742-5415, 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 1800s. The area features several important historical structures, including the African American Meeting House, which is the oldest standing African American church in the United States; one can also see the memorial to the African American Massachusetts 54th Regiment.  

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.

Boston Women's Heritage Trail 22 Holbrook Street, Boston, MA 02130, 617-522-2872, 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, abolitionist, suffragist, intellectual, artist and writer. The tours encompass such areas as Beacon Hill, the North End, Chinatown, and Downtown Boston. more... 

Forest Hills Cemetery 95 Forest Hills Avenue, Boston, MA 02130, 617-524-0128, 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 O’Neill and poet E.E. Cummings.  

Freedom Trail-Boston Nat'l Historical Park 15 State Street, Boston, MA 02109, 617-242-1542, 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 sidewalk that begins at the Boston Common and leads for two and a half miles that map the history of Boston during the last three and a half centuries.  

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 historical figures as John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and Crispus Attucks, one of the victims of the Boson Massacre. more...

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.

New England Holocaust Memorial Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, Near Faneuil Hall, 617-457-0755, 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 reminders of the tragedy of the Jewish Holocaust that is one of the black spots on the history of the Twentieth Century. Urging those who view the towers to never “give evil another chance,” Philosopher and Holocaust survivor Eli Wiesel says of these towers: “Look at these towers, passerby, and try to imagine what they really mean--- what they symbolize--- what they evoke. They evoke an era of incommensurate darkness, an era in history when civilization lost its humanity and humanity its soul…” It is a reminder to the people of today and tomorrow to be always on guard against such evil arising again in the world.  more...

Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial Boston Common, Boston, MA 02114, This memorial commemorates the first African American regiment that served in the Civil War.

Site of First Public School and Franklin Statute (circa 1635) 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 became the historic Boston Latin School, which is still in existence elsewhere in Boston. Directly across the street from the plaque that commemorates the site of the school stands a famous statue of Benjamin Franklin.

Boston History Library 15 State Street, Third Floor, Boston, MA 02109, 617-720-1713, 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 thousand photographs, two thousand architectural drawings, four hundred maps, and a large collection of manuscript materials. The collections have been gathered to reflect the culture and history of Boston through chronicling aspects of the city’s ethnic groups, neighbourhoods, social classes, and the political, social and economic forces that have shaped Boston. more... 

Boston Public Library 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116, Boston, 617-536-5400, 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 first publicly supported municipal library in the United States. The idea of letting the public borrow books and materials began here, and was quite a revolutionary concept at the time; today the library has twenty seven branches, a collection of over six million books, and serves over two million people in the Boston area. more... 

Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum Congress Street Bridge, Boston, MA 02210, Boston, MA, 617-338-1773, 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 Boston Tea Party because British tea was thrown overboard into the harbour.  more...

Captain Forbes House Museum 215 Adams Street, Milton, MA 02186, 617-696-1815, 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 merchant, ship owner, designer, writer, and philanthropist. A National Historic Landmark, this home was restored to the period of the early 1870's when it was remodeled by Peabody & Sterns. Established in 1984, the Forbes House Charitable Trust helps to ensure the preservation of the house, collections, and grounds. Tours, lectures, programs, and special exhibitions and events are available throughout the year. The museum contains an extensive collection of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia.  more...

Children's Museum 300 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, Boston, 617-426-8855, 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 ways that are active and enjoyable; voted one of the top three children’s museums in the nation, this museum also provides a fun alternative for birthday parties, offers school programs, hosts an art studio to encourage creativity in children, and runs a recycling program to encourage ecological awareness while, at the same time, doing something practical to help the earth.  more... 

Christian Science Church Center 175 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, 617-450-3790, Built in the Modern style, this building is the International Headquarters of Christian Science, and offers tours to the public. Designed by architect I.M. Pei, the structure combines modern and old styles in juxtaposition, and features a reflecting pool.  

Dreams of Freedom Cultural Exhibit Center International Institute of Boston/ 1 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02109, Boston, MA, 617-695-9990, 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 immigration to the United States in search of freedom and the realization of dreams. more...

First Church of Christ Scientist 175 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, 617-450-3793, 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. 

Gibson House Museum 137 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02116, 617-267-6338, 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 preserved the original furnishings from the period, the kitchen, butler’s pantry, scullery, bathrooms, formal rooms and private quarters have been kept unaltered and serve as a window through which to glimpse the past. more... 

Institute of Contemporary Art 955 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02115, 617-266-5152, 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 mission of serving as the vanguard of contemporary art. While offering continuing and changing exhibitions that bring the best of contemporary art in the areas of painting, sculpture, and a variety of other media, the Institute of Contemporary Art also offers a variety of educational programs to the public.  more... 

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum 280 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115, 617-566-1401, 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 exhibits from the museum’s collection that includes paintings, sculptures, furniture, textiles, drawings, silver work, ceramics, illuminated manuscripts, photographs, and rare books that are of immense importance globally and represent Asia, the Islamic world, Nineteenth Century Europe and America, Ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, and the Italy of the Renaissance. In addition to the many fine exhibitions, the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum is also a preeminent centre of scholarly and historical research and studies. more... 

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Located on Columbia Point, Columbia Point, MA 02125, 617-514-1600, 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 theaters help recreate JFK's life and careers.  more...

Museum of Afro-American Artists 300 Walnut Avenue, Boston, MA 02119, 617-442-8614, This museum offers art exhibits, tours, lectures, films and concerts that trace the history of African Americans in the United States; the major focus of the museum, as stated in its mission, is a dedication to “preserving, conserving and accurately interpreting the contributions of African Americans during the Colonial period in New England.” more... 

Museum of Fine Arts 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, 617-267-9300, The largest art museum in New England, the museum of Fine Arts features a world-renowned collection of art; with the goal of representing diverse cultures and disparate eras throughout history, the museum preserves and presents works that have earned a cultural preeminence, with the goal of engaging an ever widening array of people in direct encounters with great art. The collections represent art from Ancient Egypt, the Ancient Near East, the Classical World, Asia, Oceania, Africa, Europe through 1900, Native American Art, American Art to 1900, and the Modern World.  more... 

Museum of Science Science Park, Boston, MA 02114, 617-723-2500, With over five hundred fifty interactive exhibits, Boston's only180-degree wrap-around movie screen, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, the Theater of Electricity and more, science comes alive at the Museum of Science. more...

Nichols House Museum 55 Mount Vernon Street, Boston, MA 02108, 617-227-6993, 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 Century; the four-storey house was constructed in 1804, and is considered a significant example of “early domestic architecture on Beacon Hill.” The house is also noted for having been the residence of Rose Standish Nichols from 1872 to 1960; Nichols is famed as a writer, landscape architect, a founder of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and as the author of three volumes on the gardens of Europe that have become classic reference sources on the subject. more... 

Sports Museum of New England Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02114, Fleet Center, 617-787-7678, 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 values of leadership, respect and cooperation to youth, while honouring leading citizens and athletes of New England.” more...

Boston Common 790 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199, 617-723-3825, 800-226-7442, 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 grow in popularity since their inception. more...

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 court, and a trail that connects to North Park.

Franklin Park Zoo 1 Franklin Park Road, Boston, MA 02121, 617-442-2002, 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 as the “Giraffe Savannah, Kalahari Kingdom, Butterfly Landing, Tropical Forest, Australian Outback, and Serengeti Crossing.” Founded in 1911, the zoo is now home to more than two hundred twenty species of animals. more... 

North Park 3595 Grafton Road, Boston, MA 02125, Holiday Hills, 330-273-8040, 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; in addition to many forested and natural areas, such as wetlands, a creek, wildlife viewing and fishing, the park also offers a playground, picnic facilities and grills, a sledding hill, and restrooms.

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.

Boston Harbor Islands 408 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 228, Boston, MA 02110, 617-223-8666, 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, fishing, camping, picnicking, guided tours, swimming, and exploring historic sites; access to the islands is provided by ferry and shuttle services.  more... 

John Hancock Observatory 200 Clarendon Street, 60th Floor, Boston, MA 02116, 617-572-6429, Located in New England’s tallest building, the Hancock Observatory offers spectacular views that span 80 miles and four states. more... 

New England Aquarium Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, 617-973-5200, 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 hands-on tide pool exhibit; in addition to the many interesting and informative travelling exhibits and permanent collections, the aquarium plays an important role in the area of science and research, with programs in conservation, animal rescue and preservation, a lecture series, and educational programs for both adults and children. more...

Skywalk Observatory 800 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199, Prudential Tower, 50th floor, 617-236-3318, Located on the fiftieth floor of the Prudential Tower, the Skywalk Observatory offers the only three-hundred-sixty-degree panoramic view of Boston. 

Authentic Gondola Tours of Boston Located on the Charles River at The Esplanade, 617-876-2800, 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 music, cheese, crackers and chocolates. Bring your own beverage (champagne, wine, etc.) they provide the glasses, ice and ice pails. Reservations required. Runs Wednesdays through Sundays from Noon until 12 p.m., May through November.  more... 

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 reservations are required.  more...

A C Cruise Line 290 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02116, 617-261-6633, 800-422-8419, This cruise line offers maritime cruises and tours in the vicinity of Boston. more... 

Beantown Trolley 781-986-6100, 800-343-1328, This company offers narrated trolley tours of Boston. more...

Ben Franklin's Boston 1 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02108, 781-648-0628, One can explore the Boston of Benjamin Franklin by taking this tour along the Freedom Trail. 

Boston Adventures Back Bay, Box 541, Boston, MA 02116, 617-430-1900, This guided walking tour begins at the Boston Common.

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.

Boston by Sea 60 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, 617-542-8000, 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... 

Boston Duck Tours 790 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199, 617-723-3825, 800-226-7442, 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 grow in popularity since their inception. more... 

Boston Harbor Cruises One Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, White Ticket Center, 617-227-4321, Boston Harbour Cruises offers whale watching cruises, harbour site seeing tours, ferries to functions, private charters, and entertainment.  more... 

Boston Private Tours 48 Cerdan Avenue, Boston, MA 02131, 978-771-4471, Tailored tours by retired teachers of Greater Boston. Small to large personalized group tours of Boston, Lexington, Concord, Plymouth, Salem and more. Themes include history, archictecture, literary, scenic, etc.  more...

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.

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 and tour operators take a break and shut down for the fall and winter seasons, they come alive with new fun, exciting and adventurous private tours. Did you know that you could be on a snowmobile trail or a ski slope in less than an hour from Boston? How about night skiing by lantern or a holiday lighting tour through the suburbs of Boston. Call for an exciting snowmobile tour. more...

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.

Brush Hill Tours of Boston 16 South Charles Street, Boston, MA 02116, 781-986-6100, 800-343-1328, Tours of Boston, Salem, Plymouth, Cape Cod, Newport, Maine and New Hampshire are offered by this operation. more... 

Ghosts of Boston Walking Tours 45 School Street, Boston, MA 02108, Old City Hall, 888-419-4467, 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 giants, and ghosts. The tour will also guide you through the famous Granary Burying Ground and King's Chapel Burying Ground where you will hear spine-chilling stories of literary greats and other historic legends. more... 

Innovation Odyssey 50 Beacon Street, Suite 403, Boston, MA 02215, 617-350-0358, 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 the revolutionary thinkers who made each site a landmark of discovery. 

Liberty Fleet: Boston's Tall Ship Adventures 67 Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02210, 617-742-0333, Come aboard the Liberty Clipper, a 125' schooner reminiscent of the classic wind-driven coastal schooners of the mid-1800s. It is available for sailing tours and private events such as weddings and corporate meetings. Help recreate the Boston Tea Party, participate in a race, navigate, or just relax. The possibilities on the Liberty Clipper are endless. more...

Literary Trail of Greater Boston 650 Beacon Street, Suite 403, Boston, MA 02215, 617-350-0358, 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 America are explored as the trail winds through Boston, Cambridge, and Concord. One will visit homes, gathering places and landscapes that are associated with the various writers.  more... 

Maritime History Trail and Walking Tour 650 Beacon Street Suite 403, Boston, MA 02111, Custom House Concierge Desk, 617-350-0358, 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 self-guided tour along the harbor are offered.  

Massachusetts Bay Brewing Company 306 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02210, 617-574-9551, Tours and tastings are conducted on Fridays and Saturdays at the Massachusetts Bay Brewing Company. 

MassBay Lines 60 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA 02210, 617-542-8000, 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 choose, some modern and some more nostalgic, one can opt for harbour tours, whale watching tours, moonlight and sunset cruises, and music cruises. The cruises and tours also offer dining, beverages, and entertainment.  more... 

Minuteman Tours 380 Dorchester Avenue, Boston, MA 02127, 617-269-3626, Minuteman Tours offers narrated trolley tours of Boston and Cambridge. 

Odyssey Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA 02210, 617-654-9700, 800-946-7245, 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 hundreds. more...

Old Town Trolley 617-269-7010, Old Town Trolley offers narrated trolley tours of historic sections of Boston. more...

Spirit of Boston 164 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02210, 617-748-1499, The Spirit of Boston features narrated lunch cruises and dinner cruises with Broadway-style shows. more... 

Tall Ship Excursions Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, Located at Waterboat Marina, 617-262-1119, Each sail of the traditional square-rigged tall ship Formidable includes a presentation relating to museum displays in the salon. more... 

Samuel Adams® Brewery 30 Germania Street, Boston, MA 02130, Located in the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood, 617-368-5080, Tours at the brewery are held on Wednesdays at 2 p.m., Thursdays at 2 p.m., Fridays at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., and on Saturdays between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. every half hour. Enjoy viewing the brewing process, tasting special malts, and smelling the Hallertau and Tettnang hops on the tour of one of America's favorite beers. more...