Boston Attractions and Things to Do

Boston Common

Tremont, Beacon, Charles, Park & Boylston Sts, Boston, MA 02108 617-426-3115

Description: DOWNTOWN. Established in 1634, Boston Common is the country's oldest park and the starting point for the Freedom Trail. The 50-acre green space is also the anchor for the Emerald Necklace, a system of connected parks in Boston. Although once a place for grazing local livestock, today the park is filled with visitors enjoying a picnic or tossing a Frisbee. If in the city during winter, be sure to go ice-skating on the park's Frog Pond!
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Boston's Freedom Trail

148 Tremont St, Visitor Information Center, Boston, MA 02111 617-357-8300

Description: DOWNTOWN. This self-paced excursion lets visitors lead themselves on one of the best walking tours of Boston. The well-marked red brick trail winds 2.5 miles through the city and features 16 official historical sites, including the Old State House, Paul Revere House and the USS Constitution. The best part is that you can leave and pick up the trail whenever you want -- perfect for exploring hidden sites or spreading your tour over a few days.
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Bunker Hill Monument

Monument Sq, Charlestown, MA 02129 617-242-5601

Description: CHARLESTOWN. This 221-foot granite obelisk remembers the Battle of Bunker Hill. Rangers provide details about the history of the crucial battle, and seasonal musket-firings add a note of authenticity. Make the 294-step climb to the top of the monument for breathtaking views of Boston. Two little-known facts: the Battle of Bunker Hill was actually fought on Breed's Hill, and the Bunker Hill Monument is actually located atop Breed's Hill. The true Bunker Hill is actually a quarter-mile from the monument.
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Copp's Hill Burying Ground

21 Hull St, at Snow Hill St, Boston, MA 02113 617-635-7389

Description: NORTH END. This graveyard dates all the way back to the 17th century. British troops used the high grounds here as a vantage point to fire on Americans encamped on Breed's Hill during the Revolutionary War. Among the many buried here, are the Reverend Cotton Mather and the man who constructed the USS Constitution, Edward Hartt.
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Custom House

176 Derby St, Salem, MA 01970 978-740-1650

Description: NORTH METRO. Located across the street from the harbor at Salem Maritime Historic Site, the Custom House was built in 1819 for storing cargo and housing government offices. Nathaniel Hawthorne, who worked here for three years, made the building famous by mentioning it in The Scarlet Letter. Tours of the home are available through the Salem Maritime Historic Site. Call ahead for times.
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Faneuil Hall Marketplace

1 Faneuil Hall Market Pl, Boston, MA 02109 617-523-1300

Description: FANEUIL HALL/GOVERNMENT CENTER. A Boston social and commercial centerpiece since 1742, Faneuil Hall was originally established as a market for merchants, fishermen and vendors. It later hosted inspirational appearances by prominent figures like Samuel Adams and George Washington, which earned it the nickname "Cradle of Liberty." In the 1970s, a major renovation to the aging structure transformed it into one of America's premiere urban marketplaces. Now, it boasts more than 50 shops, 14 restaurants, and 40 food stalls. Some folks (and publications) refer to the retail component as Quincy Market.
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Gibson House

137 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02116 617-267-6338

Description: BACK BAY. One of the first Back Bay residences, Gibson House has been preserved with all its Victorian fixtures and furniture intact. A Gibson scion lived here until the 1950s and the house remains adorned as it has always been.
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Gore Place

52 Gore St, Waltham, MA 02453 781-894-2798

Description: WEST METRO. Built in 1806, this beautiful mansion was once the home of Christopher and Rebecca Gore. Christopher Gore was a successful lawyer and the son of a wealthy merchant. The home includes forty-five acres of well-manicured lawns and gardens. Guided tours are available. A museum shop is also on the premises for buying postcards and visit souvenirs. A variety of musical concerts and educational opportunities are held at the mansion throughout the year. Call ahead for details.
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Granary Burial Ground

1 Park St, Park Street Church, Boston, MA 02108 617-523-3383

Description: DOWNTOWN. This small cemetery serves as the final resting place for a number of people whose acts or character changed American history. Situated near a pre-Revolutionary grain storehouse, the cemetery houses the graves of Paul Revere, John Hancock, citizens killed in the Boston Massacre, and the woman whose tales provided her the moniker of "Mother Goose." Other notable graves include those of Benjamin Franklin's parents and Sam Adams.
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Harvard University

1350 Massachusetts Ave, Holyoke Center Arcade Information Center, Cambridge, MA 02138 617-495-1573

Description: CAMBRIDGE. The country's oldest institution for higher learning, founded in 1636, was named for its first patron, Reverend John Harvard. Initially conceived as a seminary, the university now features ten graduate and professional schools. Notable alumni include eight United States presidents and more than 45 Nobel Laureates. Audio and mobile campus tours are available for download at www.harvard.edu.
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House of the Seven Gables

115 Derby St, Salem, MA 01970 978-744-0991

Description: NORTH METRO. Built in 1678, this curious home inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, House of the Seven Gables. On guided tours, visitors learn about many of the legends associated with the home and even get to explore its secret staircase.
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John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site

83 Beals St, Brookline, MA 02446 617-566-7937

Description: BROOKLINE. Situated near Coolidge Corner, this modest residence was former President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's birthplace and home during his early years. Three of the president's siblings were also born here (Joe, Jr., Rosemary, and Kathleen). Now a museum, the site was established as a national historic landmark in 1965 and has seen more than a million visitors since it first opened to the public. A narrated tour produced by Rose Kennedy guides visitors around the space. The park service also offers occasional tours around the neighborhood where the family played, attended church and went to school.
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Old North Church

193 Salem St, Boston, MA 02113 617-523-6676

Description: NORTH END. This is the spot where Robert Newman signaled Cambridge residents of the British approach by sea with two of Paul Revere's lanterns on the night of April 18, 1775. The oldest church building in Boston and still an active Episcopal church, it was designed by William Price from a study of Christopher Wren's London churches. Private benches boxed in with family names helps paint a picture of the past. An excellent museum is hidden in the back of the gift shop next door.
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Old South Meeting House

310 Washington St, Boston, MA 02108 617-482-6439

Description: DOWNTOWN. Built in 1729, this venerable meeting house is Boston's second-oldest church. A number of heated town meetings that led to the Revolution were held here, including one called by Samuel Adams to protest dutiable tea and get it returned to England. Old South was also site of the pre-party assembly that set the mood for the Boston Tea Party. Today, visitors can take guided tours of the building and learn from exhibits and interactive displays what took place during those historic meetings.
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Omni Parker House

60 School St, Boston, MA 02108 617-227-8600

Description: DOWNTOWN. This circa-1856 landmark hotel boasts a long, storied history. In operation longer than any other hotel in the country, the Omni Parker has welcomed such prominent guests as Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Dickens, and president John F. Kennedy. The property also had the city's first elevator and hot-and-cold water. In addition, Parker House rolls were created here, as was Boston cream pie. Recent renovations to the tune of $70 million invigorated the 551 rooms, 14 meeting rooms, and famous Parkers Restaurant.
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Park Street Church

1 Park St, Boston, MA 02108 617-523-3383

Description: BEACON HILL. Founded in 1809, this church was inspired by the work of British architect Christopher Wren. The church's historical importance dates to 1829, when William Lloyd Garrison presented a speech against slavery. Further fame was provided in 1831, when the song "America" by Samuel Smith was first sung in public.
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Paul Revere House

19 N Sq, Boston, MA 02113 617-523-2338

Description: NORTH END. Situated along the Freedom Trail, this two-and-a-half-story wooden house in Boston's North End served as the home of Paul Revere when he set out on April 18, 1775 for that famous ride toward Lexington. Built in about 1680 and now recognized as a National Historic Landmark, the Revere House is the city's oldest building. A self-guided tour takes visitors through the home, which features colonial-era furniture as well as original silver made by Revere himself.
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Salem Maritime National Historic Site

193 Derby St, Salem, MA 01970 978-740-1660

Description: NORTH METRO. The Salem Maritime Historic Site overlooks Salem Harbor and includes the Custom House, Derby House and garden, the Friendship of Salem ship and West India Goods Store. It's a great one-stop experience for visitors who have only a few hours to learn about the town. Friendship is open to the public, and guided tours of the ship and several of the buildings are available by appointment.
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USS Constitution

1 Constitution Rd, Charlestown, MA 02129 617-242-7511

Description: CHARLESTOWN. Constructed in the North End using bolts, spikes and other fittings from Paul Revere's foundry, "Old Ironsides" is steeped with Boston history. One of the US Navy's six original frigates, the USS Constitution did not lose any of the 40 battles in which it participated. Currently the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat, this impressive craft is open for free guided tours, which are narrated by the USS Constitution's active-duty sailors themselves.
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