1. The Freedom Trail
© 2000 Kim Knox Beckius
A
walk along the two-and-a-half-mile Freedom Trail is one of the best
ways to get acquainted with Boston and to efficiently visit the city's
bounty of historic landmarks. If you're in a hurry and in pretty good
shape, you can cover the length of the trail in as little as an hour,
but that won't really allow you the time to stop and visit any of the
sites along the way. Your best bet is to allow three hours or more to
walk the trail at a leisurely pace and see all of its Revolutionary
2. Boston Public Garden
© 2000 Kim Knox Beckius
Boston
Public Garden, located along Charles Street adjacent to Boston Common,
is the nation's oldest botanical garden. The famous Swan Boats have
returned to Boston Public Garden each spring since they were first
invented in 1877 by Robert Paget. The business, which operates from
mid-April through mid-September, is still operated by descendants of the
boats' inventor. When winter arrives, the pond is open to ice skaters.
3. Quincy Market
© 2000 Kim Knox Beckius
Most
people know it as Quincy Market, although its official name is the
Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Whatever you call it, this indoor-outdoor
market is a great place for both shopping and dining.
4. Fenway Park
© 2000 Kim Knox Beckius
On
a sunshine-filled summer afternoon, there is perhaps no better place to
be in all of New England than Fenway Park, historic home of Major
League Baseball's Boston Red Sox. Baseball fans have been energized and
agonized by the exploits of some of baseball's greatest players at
Fenway since 1912. If you can't score tickets to a Red Sox game, look
into behind the scenes tours of Fenway Park.
5. Museum of Science
© 2007 Kim Knox Beckius
Boston's
museums are as good as any you'll find in the world, and the most
visited one is the Museum of Science at Science Park. It has more than
400 interactive exhibits including my favorite--the Virtual Fish Tank,
an IMAX theater and a planetarium. Take the kids!
6. Sam Adams Brewery
© 2000 Kim Knox Beckius
These
days, Samuel Adams is known as much for being a brewer as a Patriot.
Tour the Sam Adams Brewery in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston
for a glimpse at the microbrewery's beer-making process and a sample of
the finished product. The brewery is also home to the Boston Beer
Museum.
7. New England Aquarium
© 2001 Kim Knox Beckius
Want
to see sea lions smile and penguins play? Head to the New England
Aquarium, one of Boston's perpetually popular family attractions. Once
inside, you'll find yourself immersed in a watery world, where you can
wave your flippers at cavorting sea lions and press your nose right up
against the glass of the poisonous fish tank--if you dare!
8. Boston Harbor Islands
© 2007 Kim Knox Beckius
Want
to swim, hike, explore the ruins of an old fort and camp out under the
stars at a national park? Believe it or not, you can do all of these
things without leaving the city of Boston. The Boston Harbor Islands
National Recreation Area consists of 34 narrow isles scattered in New
England's most historic harbor, and you can visit these "hidden" outdoor
spaces by boarding seasonal ferries from Quincy and Boston's Long
Wharf.
9. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The
MFA is New England's largest art museum. It is known for its collection
of works by Claude Monet--the largest assemblage of paintings by the
French Impressionist outside of France, as well as for its enthralling Art of the Americas Wing, which opened in 2010. It is also home to spectacular changing exhibitions that never fail to attract attention.
