Things to do in Boston
Welcome to Boston
With a brassy revolutionary spirit, Boston invites visitors to explore America’s past and vibrant culture. Trace the Freedom Trail through the heart of the city, where colorful neighborhoods are dotted with historic sites and parks. Try the chowder at Boston’s oldest restaurant, head to the Italian-accented North End for cannoli and pizza, or snack on hot dogs in the stands at Fenway Park. Browse collections of masterpiece artwork in the city’s many museums, then get beyond the city limits on a day trip to old-fashioned villages, Cape Cod’s sandy beaches, or one of New England’s top shopping destinations.
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Top 15 attractions in Boston
#1
Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Faneuil Hall is a bustling marketplace best known for its ever-changing lineup of street performers and its central location on Boston’s historic Freedom Trail. Tourists and locals alike flock to the complex’s shops and Quincy Market, featuring 30-plus food stalls selling everything from exotic coffee to fresh seafood and artisanal bread.More
#2
Boston North End
Boston’s oldest residential neighborhood, the North End has been inhabited since the 1630s and is now the city’s Little Italy. Visit to see a variety of historical and cultural attractions, such as the Paul Revere House (the starting place of his famous “midnight ride” in 1775) and enjoy Italian-American fare.More
#3
Boston Common
The starting point of the Freedom Trail, Boston Common is the oldest park in the country. At 50 acres (20 hectares), it is the anchor for the Emerald Necklace, a system of connected parks that winds through many of Boston’s neighborhoods. The historic park was once a campground for British troops during the Revolutionary War.More
#4
Fenway Park
Boston’s most cherished landmark isn’t Bunker Hill or the Tea Party Ships, but rather old Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. A must-see for sports enthusiasts as well as history and architecture buffs, Fenway Park is famous for its uniquely shaped playing field and towering left field wall known as the Green Monster.More
#5
Granary Burying Ground
The Granary Burying Ground was founded in 1660 and the cemetery is a key stop on the Freedom Trail. This colonial sight is perhaps best known for its esteemed residents, and the gravestones are a who's-who of 17th- and 18th-century New England notables. Important Bostonians interred here include Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, among others.More
#6
Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
Relive the events of December 16, 1773 at the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum. Located in Boston Harbor, this floating museum provides visitors with an immersive experience, complete with full-scale replica tea ships, live costumed actors, a multi-sensory documentary, interactive exhibits, historic artifacts, and more.More
#7
Massachusetts State House
Crowning Boston’s Beacon Hill, the Massachusetts State House is the seat of Massachusetts’ government and one of many sites on the city’s Freedom Trail—a red-brick route connecting its American Revolution-related landmarks. Opened in 1798, the gold-domed building has an impressive interior filled with art and historical artifacts.More
#8
Boston Public Library
The Boston Public Library was founded in the mid-19th century and serves millions of Bostonians annually. This sizable public library is the second largest in the US—next to the Library of Congress—and its original Copley Square branch includes two landmark buildings, the Bates Hall reading room, and cafés where you can grab a pick-me-up.More
#9
Paul Revere House
Located in the North End and built around 1680, the Paul Revere House is the oldest building in downtown Boston. It is famous for being the house Revere left from on the night of his famous “midnight ride” to warn his compatriots that the British were coming to arrest them in 1775. He lived there with his family from 1770 to 1800.More
#10
Old South Meeting House
Dating from 1729, Boston’s Old South Meeting House was a congregational church and a gathering place for protestors who sparked the American Revolution with the 1773 Boston Tea Party. A key site on Boston’s Freedom Trail, the brick building is now a museum where visitors can chart the beginnings of the country’s 1776 revolution.More
#11
Charlestown Navy Yard
Encounter maritime history at the Charlestown Navy Yard, one of the most prolific naval facilities in US history. This Boston yard served ships for more than 175 years, and now hosts the USS Constitution—and its museum—and the USS Cassin Young. Commercial business stopped in 1974; it's now a National Park Service site and free to visit.More
#12
USS Constitution
Built in 1797 and named by George Washington, the 3-masted USSConstitution frigate in Boston is the US Navy’s oldest commissioned ship and one of the world’s oldest warships. Visitors can go aboard the ship, docked at Boston’s Charlestown Navy Yard and restored to its original glory, to explore an important slice of US history.More
#13
200 Clarendon (John Hancock Tower)
Located in the heart of Boston's Back Bay, 200 Clarendon—once known as John Hancock Tower—is the tallest building in the city and a well-known creation of architect I.M. Pei. Though notorious for now-fixed falling panels, and once a destination for its since-shuttered observation deck, the tower today is mostly eye candy for design fans.More
#14
Boston Old State House
Built in 1713, Boston's Old State House is the city’s oldest public building and considered pivotal to prerevolutionary US history. Dwarfed by Boston’s skyscrapers and a fixture on its revolution-tracing Freedom Trail, the onetime government building is now a museum to the city’s revolutionary era and the events that kindled the American Revolution.More
#15
Freedom Trail
Taking in 16 of Boston’s most famous cultural and historical sites, the 2.5-mile-long (4-kilometer) Freedom Trail winds through downtown Boston, from southerly Boston Common, the nation’s oldest public park, to the Bunker Hill Monument on the north side of the Charles River. The red-brick path and its designated stops, including colonial-era churches, museums, and meeting houses, make for an excellent introduction to Boston and its role in the American Revolution and United States history.More
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When to visit
After a bone-chilling winter, Boston knows how to party once summer arrives. Peak season prices come with perks such as baseball games at Fenway Park and festivals including Boston Pride, Harborfest, and Comic Con. Visit in early autumn for discounted rates and a chance to admire New England’s famous fall foliage before the freeze sets in.
Currency
US Dollar ($)
Time Zone
EDT (UTC -5)
Country Code
+1
Language(s)
English
