t's a big city, but you can cover the center on foot in just a
couple of hours. And with the history of the Freedom Trail, the
modern attractions of the Institute of Contemporary Art and
everything in between, Greater Boston is worth exploring for a
weekend, and for years to come.
Hop on the T for a quick ride to the Kennedy Library and Museum, or
stay close to the water for a visit to the New England Aquarium.
When you're ready for a coffee or ice cream break, a short walk to
the North End will put you in the midst of world-class dolci on
Hanover Street. Take the kids to the Children's Museum, where
they'll have so much fun they won't even realize how much they're
learning.The Museum of Science, where you'll catch fascinating
exhibits — and a Duck Tour, an amphibious vehicle which takes
you through the city and into the Charles River.
Just across the Charles River in Cambridge, enjoy the ethnic
cuisine and plentiful bookstores of Harvard Square. If you're
scientifically minded, the MIT Museum will give you a lot to think
about.
Greater Boston
Colleges and Universities:
Transportation
MBTA/ Commuter Rail
This is Boston and Greater Boston's public transportation system.
It includes the subway system (the "T"), commuter trains, boat
shuttles, and bus service to 78 towns and cities in Eastern
Massachusetts.
$2.00 per ride - can purchase a Charlie card for multiple
trips
Zip Cars
Zipcar is easier than Boston car rental and car ownership. Enter
your address (or neighborhood) to find Zipcars near you. Or enter
your work address or best friend's address to view the cars in
those areas. (You never know where you'll be when you want a
Zipcar!) You can also learn more about the cars, like how many
groceries or friends you can fit (safely) inside.
Greyhound Bus
Peter Pan Bus
Amtrak
ID CARDS
International Students should purchase the I.S.I.C. card before
traveling to Boston. The handbook lists many places and services
offering discounts All undergraduates can obtain a Student
Advantage Card
Events and Festivals
Summer:
Harborfest
Festival includes more than 220 events: walking tours, concerts,
Revolutionary-era historical reenactments, visits from U.S. and
foreign naval ships; harbor cruises; State House tours; guided
walking tours of the North End, Boston''''s underground and the
Harbor Islands; treasure hunt; tour of Coast Guard ships; whale
watch and dinner cruises; chowder fest; USS "Constitution"
Turnaround Cruise; Boston Pops Concert and Fireworks.
Scooper
Bowl
Nation''s largest Ice Cream Festival. Nine ice cream companys, ice
cream eating contest, games, music. Proceeds to benefit the Jimmy
Fund.
North End
Italian Feasts
Enjoy the processions, street fairs, parades, bands and wonderful
Italian food. Weekends June-August.
Caribbean
Carnival
Street parade, costumes, music, food, and arts and crafts.
Fall:
Beantown Jazz Fest
Jazz, food, arts and crafts in Boston's South End.
Boston Arts
Festival
Visual and performing artists showcase their very best work.
Boston Open
Studios
The exhibit will showcase over 40 artists from the neighborhoods of
Boston. The large group exhibition will feature over 200 works of
art. Paintings, photographs and sculpture will grace the galleries
and hallways of Boston City Hall.
Winter:
First Night Boston
First Night features over 1000 artists in 200 exhibitions and
performances in over 40 locations in downtown Boston. Oldest and
largest New Year''s Eve celebration in North America;
family-oriented, art-filled festivities throughout the city; live
music in Copley Square; Boston Pops Symphony Hall concert broadcast
live on video screens on City Hall Plaza; theater, dance, and mime
performances; ice sculptures; children''s activities; parades;
laser light show; First Night''s biggest-ever fireworks display
over the harbor. Admission to all activities is with a $20 First
Night button. Boston hotels offer First Night room and buttom
packages. Buttons are for purchase at the GBCVB Visitor Center on
the Boston Common. Call the GBCVB toll free at 1-888-733-2678 for
details.
Beanpot
Tournament
It has become Boston's "social event of winter season." The first
two Monday nights of February in Boston are reserved for the
Beanpot, an annual hockey tournament that featues Boston College,
Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern. It all started on Dec.
26, 1952 at the old Boston Arena. The next year the Beanpot moved
to the Garden, where it has been played ever since and become the
official battle for Boston's hockey bragging rights.
Spring
Boston Marathon
3rd Monday in April
The oldest marathon in America and the largest single-day event in
New England. Cheer the runners along the 26.2 mile course from
Hopkinton to Boston’s Back Bay.
Opening Day at Fenway
Park
Early April
A Boston tradition! Join the “Fenway Faithful” as they
cheer on the beloved Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Major League
Baseball’s oldest and smallest ballpark.
Street Performers
Festival
Memorial Day Weekend The entire family will enjoy the day in Boston
watching street performers, world-class jugglers, clowns,
storytellers, mimes, acrobats and dancers on the cobblestone
streets of the marketplace.
Faneuil Hall, Boston
Attractions
For Fun:
Café 929
Berkleee School of Music - night club
Museum of Science
New England
Aquarium
North End Food
Tour
Tour the culinary markets of Boston's historic North End. Learn
"hot tips" about America's most vibrant Italian neighborhood. For
the passionate traveler -- join us on an exclusive tour of Sicily.
And discover the true meaning of La Bella Vita with one of the
foremost authorities on Italian food, wine and culture.
Boston Chocolate
Tour
A Boston Chocolate Tour is the perfect blend of history and trivia,
combined with a range of tasting simply amazing chocolates.
Newbury Street
Shopping
Upscale shopping district in Boston's Back Bay
Harvard Square,
Cambridgebr> world-renowned shopping, dining, cultural and
historical destination.
Fenway
Park
Home of the Boston Red Sox
TD Garden
Home of the Boston Bruins and the Boston Celtics
Ice Skating on the Frog Pond
Community
Boating
The mission of Community Boating, Inc., is the advancement of
sailing for all by minimizing economic and physical obstacles to
sailing.
Boston Harbor
Islands
Duck Tours
Land and water tour. You've never toured Boston in anything that
comes close to Boston Duck Tours. The fun begins as soon as you
board your "DUCK", a W.W.II style amphibious landing vehicle.
First, you'll be greeted by one of our legendary tour ConDUCKtors,
who'll be narrating your tour.
Quincy
Market
Quincy Market remains one of Boston’s most visited tourist
attractions and is popular with those who work in the area as a
great place for a quick but tasty lunch. Seventeen restaurants and
pubs can be found at the marketplace, including a few upscale
restaurants and plenty of fast food. Shoppers can enjoy more than
100 stores and carts. Many peddle souvenirs and other trinkets
while others offer items by talented local artisans. You’ll
also find lots of apparel shops boasting recognizable names.
Franklin
Park Zoo
Swan Boats - Boston Public
Garden
For over 130 years, the Swan Boats have been a part of the Boston
experience. As a welcome sign of Spring, they grace the waters of
the Boston Public Garden, the first botanical garden in the United
States. Famed in the stories Make Way for Ducklings and The Trumpet
of the Swan, the Swan Boats are the only boats of their kind in the
world.
For Enrichment:
Museum of Fine Arts
Gardner Museum
The Gardner Museum has remained essentially unchanged since its
founder's death in 1924. Unchanged but certainly not stagnant.
Three floors of galleries surround a garden courtyard blooming with
life in all seasons. The galleries are filled with paintings,
sculpture, tapestries, furniture, and decorative arts from cultures
spanning thirty centuries.
Freedom
Trail
Your visit to Boston must include a walk into history along the
Freedom Trail. You can start in the beginning, the middle or the
end and wend your way through the streets of this very modern city
— Boston — and along the paths of history. This is
Boston’s indoor / outdoor history museum. There are 16
“official” sites of the Freedom Trail!
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Ballet
Museum of Afro American
History
Dedicated to preserving, conserving and accurately interpreting the
contributions of African Americans in New England from the colonial
period through the 19th century.
Black Heritage
Trai
The Black Heritage Trail® is a walking tour that explores the
history of Boston's 19th century African American community.
Boston Children's
Museum
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Map of the Regions in Massachusetts
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Win a Prize Package |
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- Where to Go
- Things to Do
Getting to the shops is easy - you can take the MBTA, rent a Zipcar, or even take the bus from various Boston hotels to Wrentham Village Premium Outlets. Don't miss Boston's world famous Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Essex's charming antique stores, and Yankee Candle's flagship store in South Deerfield.
- Plan Your Trip
- 50 Under $50
- Getting Around
State and regional resources, including air, land, and water transportation; Boston public transit info; detailed info on travel to Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island
