Boston, a great city to visit and
explore history, offers so much to see that you'll need several
days to take it all in. Even then, you probably won't get to see
all that Boston has to offer. Traveling by car can be difficult
so be prepared to go by foot, by bus, or even by duck boat (tours).
From seemingly every corner famous
landmarks beckon to tourists. America's patriots once walked along
these streets and contributed in important ways to Boston's heritage.
Visitors can walk along a three-mile red brick road, Freedom
Trail, which meanders through the North End, Beacon Hill, and
the Financial District, and passes many famous landmarks along the
way.
Markers and plaques along the Freedom
Trail identify each of the stops including:
" Boston Common- the country's oldest public park, dating
back to 1640.
" Massachusetts State House- includes numerous outside
statues.
" Park Street Church- dates back to 1809 and it has
been a place where many important events occurred.
" Old Granary Burying Ground- Crispus Attucks, the first
black man to die in the Revolutionary War is buried here along with
others.
" King's Chapel and Burying Ground- first Anglican church
in Boston.
" Benjamin Franklin Statue- the first of its kind in
Boston and the site of the first public school in the nation.
" Old Corner Bookstore Building- site of Anne Hutchinson's
home at one time.
" Old South Meeting House- a large crowd gathered here
waiting for word of three ships of tea and whether they would be
returned to England. The Boston Tea Party took place when they were
not sent back.
" Old State House- John Hancock was inaugurated here
and the Boston Massacre took place in front of it.
" Boston Massacre Site- Five snowball and rock throwing
colonists were killed at this site by Royal Troops on March 5, 1770.
" Faneuil Hall- the site of many Revolutionary gatherings.
The hall includes a military museum (open Monday through Saturday)
as well as many paintings of the military battles.
" New England Holocaust Memorial- erected in 1995 to
commemorate the six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust.
" Paul Revere House- in downtown Boston, home of Paul
Revere at the time of his famous ride. Now a museum showcases his
collection of silver as well as other artifacts.
" Paul Revere Mall (James Rego Square)- a park containing
a statue of Paul Revere.
" Old North Church- Old North Church, also known as
Christ Church, is open to the public daily. Admission is by donation.
This is the oldest church in Boston, dating back to 1723. Sit in
one of the box pews and imagine that you were the one signaling
the revolution with the famous "one if by land and two if by
sea. Two different tours are offered for a small fee.
" Copp's Hill Burying Ground- Boston's second oldest
burial ground where Cotton Mather and Robert Newman are buried.
" USS Constitution (Old Ironsides)- one of the oldest
frigates.
" USS Constitution Museum-a hands-on museum about ships.
" Bunker Hill Monument- 221-foot obelisk that honors
the fallen at Bunker Hill.
Some of the most distinctive neighborhoods
in Boston include the South End, Fenway, Cambridge, Brookline, Back
Bay, and Charleston. Plus, Boston has one of the largest concentrations
of universities and colleges in the world, including Harvard
University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology or MIT.
If you go at the right time of year,
you can catch the Red Sox at Fenway Park, one of the oldest
baseball stadiums in the United States. The Charles River is a busy
spot with lots of water sports for water lovers. Swan boats offer
a leisurely ride for a minimal fee across the lagoon located at
the Public Garden, which is thought to be the country's first botanical
garden. Open daily.
Faneuil Hall is next to Quincy
Market, which is a great place to buy souvenirs or pick up something
you need since it features more than 125 boutiques, restaurants,
pushcarts, and produce stands. The marketplace is open Monday through
Saturdays.
Filene's Basement can be an
exciting treasure hunt of its own. Every day reductions are made
on the remaining stock, creating an ever-spiraling set of bargains.
There's plenty more to see including
numerous museums. The New England Aquarium, open daily,
showcases over twenty thousand specimens including seals, penguins,
fish, sharks, eels, and turtles. For science lovers, there's the
Museum of Science. For art lovers, there's the Museum of
Fine Arts or the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. History lovers
should seek out the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
or the
Once you think your sightseeing is
over and it's time for a bite to eat and a nice long drink, stop
at Cheers Beacon Hill, the inspiration for a long-running
television series. Since it's open at 11:00 am, you can stop by
for lunch as well.- Susan M. Keenan
