Boston Attractions

Top 24 things to see and do in Boston

1 Boston Museum of Fine Arts

7.2 /10

A front view of the building of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

For people who love museums, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts is one of the most memorable museums in America, and it's one of the largest, containing over 450,000 pieces of artwork. It's worth spending a good bit of time visiting. The museum was actually built in the 1870s and has been in residence at its current location for over 100 years. Generally, over a million visitors come to explore the incredible paintings and sculptures housed in this magnificent building each year. This current building was designed by Guy Lowell in 1907 and is designed with several spectacular galleries. Some fascinating displays to see in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts include the following galleries and exhibit:• A collection of French impressionist art including Gauguin, Cezanne, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Gogh, and many others in a permanent exhibit ...
Read more about the Boston Museum of Fine Arts
2 Freedom Trail

7 /10

Think back over 200 years to colonial Boston and the fight for Independence, and the Freedom Trail is one of the first places that comes to mind because there are over 16 famous and extremely noteworthy historic sites that were important during the American revolution. This trail is a red brick walk winding through the downtown area; basically a two and a half mile walk between Bunker Hill and the Boston Commons. It was originally envisioned by William Schofield in 1951 when he began to notice the quantity of important landmarks in this area. By 1953, the Freedom Trail was opened.

The Freedom Trail has so many places to see and so much to do, the only way to cover it all is to take a trip there, but some noteworthy sites include:

• Paul Revere's Home – one of the most famous of the American Patriots

• Old North Church – the site where Paul Revere illuminated the arrival of the British, signaling the famous "One if by land, and two if by sea" announcement ...
Read more about the Freedom Trail
3 Quincy Market

7 /10

One of the most historic districts in America is Quincy Market in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, near Faneuil Hall; construction was completed in 1826, as something of the original indoor "malls" because it had numerous shops and vendor's stalls. The designer was Alexander Parris, and was the brainchild of Mayor Quincy, who actually had the entire structure built without additional taxes or debt to the city. This wonderful building covers over 27,000 square feet of space and is two stories high, and made from the beautiful New England granite and red brick.

Quincy Market is one of those places that no one coming to Boston should miss, because of the activities including:

• Walking through the Freedom Trail certainly makes everyone hungry, and with the abundance of restaurants in this marketplace, everyone will find food they love, and it's a great place to eat and watch people ...
Read more about the Quincy Market
4 Boston Public Garden

7 /10

Another stop on the Freedom Trail is the Boston Public Garden, the largest garden in the city, and located in downtown Boston. This is a beautiful garden that has been around since 1837 when Horace Gray appealed to the city leaders to set the land aside for public use as a botanical garden, and it finally became recognized in 1856. This park is 24 acres of beautiful grounds, flowering gardens, statuary, a great place to stroll or have a picnic. There are plenty of wonderful paths that were originally designed by James Slade and John Galvin, and the statues and fountains add to the beauty and serenity of the park.

There are plenty of interesting things to see within the Boston Public Garden, including:

• Stop by one of the beautiful ponds, see the wonderful swans, and rent a Swan Boat and paddle around the lake to enjoy the afternoon ...
Read more about the Boston Public Garden
5 Fenway Park

7 /10

"Take me out to the ball game" is a famous song that everyone will hear around Fenway Park when they go see the famous Boston's Red Sox play baseball. It's the oldest baseball stadium in America, and opened in 1912, and at nearly 100 years old, it's one of the most historic ball parks in the country. There's just nothing like going to a baseball game at this incredible stadium. Get the tickets for the game far in advance, because every game since 2003 has sold out!

However, it's not just baseball that people come to this great landmark for, take a look at some of the other activities that are held at this location, such as:

• Numerous other sporting events are held in this park that have been played by various teams including the Boston Redskins, Boston Braves, the New England Patriots, plus many field hockey, and soccer games ...
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6 Boston Harbor Islands

7 /10

The Boston Harbor Islands are actually a group of approximately 35 islands that are identified as a National Recreation Area near Boston, Massachusetts, and these include some great places to see in addition to some fantastic activities. Some of the most interesting places to see are islands named Raccoon, Hangman, Little Calf, Grape, Bumpkin, and many more with interesting names and unusual histories. Thirteen of these islands actually form the Boston Harbor Island State Park that was developed in the 1970s. Boston Harbor itself is one of the greatest natural ports on the east coast.

There are many things to do in these Boston Harbor Islands, and some of the activities include:

• Take a trip to Hangman Island which is one of the most rugged and difficult to access not much there but it's a great place for those who like a challenging hike with plenty of rocky ledges overlooking the Atlantic Ocean ...
Read more about the Boston Harbor Islands
7 New England Aquarium

7 /10

One of the most popular aquariums in America is the New England Aquarium that resides in Boston, Massachusetts. This museum is along the harbor's waterfront, and was actually built just over 40 years ago. It is most know for setting the standard in providing more natural settings for the fish and marine species that call this wonderful aquarium home. It's famous for the research and educational programs that are available. This aquarium is home to more than 600 species and over 20,000 actual creatures. This is a great place to spend a day while in the Boston area.

There are some great things to see and do in this spectacular New England Aquarium that includes:

• The Giant Ocean tank with over 200,000 gallons of water and contains an incredible coral reef resembling those found in the Caribbean with turtles, sharks, barracudas, and many more ...
Read more about the New England Aquarium
8 Museum of Science

7 /10

One of the most notable landmarks in Boston is the incredibly fascinating Museum of Science that is located near downtown along the Charles River. This amazing museum has more than 500 exhibits that are interactive and very interesting to visitors of all ages. This museum was originally built in 1830 and was called the "Boston Society of Natural History" museum that was started simply by a group of people who wanted to share their fascination with science, and it was a place that exotic hunters could display the skins and taxidermy animals they captured in Africa or elsewhere around the world.

Within this Museum of Science, there are a wide variety of exhibits to interest all visitors crossing the threshold, such as:

• There are numerous scientific displays such as the Fresel lens that were used in many lighthouses ...
Read more about the Museum of Science
9 Sam Adams Brewery

7 /10

The Sam Adams Brewery, in Boston, is one of the most famous breweries in American and produces the Samuel Adams beer. Samuel Adams was one of the most famous American Patriots, but he was not the one who started this brewery, it was simply named after him for his role in the American Revolution and certainly his role in the Boston Tea Party. He did brew his own beer, as did many people during this time. The recipe for this beer was originally developed in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1860, and was originally called the "Samuel Adams Boston Lager" beer. Tours of this brewery are available, as well as samples and various Sam Adams paraphernalia ...
Read more about the Sam Adams Brewery
10 Cheers Boston Pub

7 /10

Cheers was a sitcom that was extremely popular television show that was based on the Cheers Boston Pub was the downtown Boston bar on which the show was based that ran from the early 80s to the early 90s. The cast of characters included Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, Rebecca Howe, Coach, and Carla Tortelli, and the comedy revolved around the situations and fiascos that revolved around and their lives. The original pub was located on Beacon Street and another one has been added at Faneuil Hall at the Quincy Market. Both have an assortment of great food and drinks and some wonderful memorabilia from the show.

Some of the things that are available at both the Cheers Boston Pub sites include the following:

• This one of the great places for a burger in Boston, and it's famous for its Norm Burger, and a great selection of other foods and drinks ...
Read more about the Cheers Boston Pub
11 Faneuil Hall

7 /10
12 Old North Church

7 /10
13 USS Constitution Museum

7 /10
14 Bunker Hill Monument

7 /10
15 Hatch Memorial Shell

7 /10
16 Franklin Park Zoo

7 /10
17 Wilbur Theatre

7 /10
18 Mapparium

7 /10
19 Symphony Hall

7 /10
20 Mugar Omni Theater

7 /10
21 Jordan Hall

7 /10
22 John Hancock Tower

7 /10
23 Prudential Center Skywalk Observatory

7 /10
24 John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

7 /10

* Regular pre-pandemic touristic activity level.

You can also rate and vote for your favorite Boston sightseeing places, famous historical landmarks, and best things to do in Boston by visiting the individual Boston attraction pages.

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