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The Black Heritage Trail explores the history of Boston’s all-free African American community during the 19th century as it moves past 14 pre-civil war structures, many of which were stops on the “Underground Railroad.” Begin the trail at the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial on Beacon and Park Streets across from the Massachusetts State House. You may take the self-guided tour or one given by the National Park service.

The Boston Children’s Museum is a highlight not-to-be-missed by kids of all ages. Exhibits of all kinds feature arts, culture and science. Kids interact as they enter exhibits, participate, and explore! There is a rock to climb, a child-size construction zone, an art studio where they can paint, and even a short play they can act out! The museum is located across the Congress Street Bridge.

Address: 308 Congress Street, Boston
Phone: (617) 426-6500

Boston Common, America’s oldest public park and the anchor of the Emerald Necklace, is a system of parks connected through Boston. Nearly 50 acres large, the park has been used as a grazing area for cattle, campground for British troops and a place for public hangings. It is also the starting point for the Freedom Trail.

Address: Between Boylston, Park, Tremont and Beacon Streets.

Explore Boston in 1 hour aboard Boston Harbor Cruises or experience a unique opportunity to observe whales on 3 or 5 hour whale watching cruises.

Address: 63 Long Wharf, Boston
Phone: (617) 227-4321

The Boston Massacre, a turning point leading to the American Revolution, has its site marked by a cobblestone circle in front of the Old State House.

Address: Devonshire and State Street intersection.

Old Town Trolley Tours is the best way to see the city. Because we cover the entire city, you can avoid costly parking and city driving. Our Boston tours are specifically designed to maximize your vacation time with easy hop on/hop off access and frequent pickup service at the best sites in Boston.

Phone: 1 (617) 269-7010

24 acres make up the Boston Public Garden. Highlights include manicured paths and the charming “Make Way for Ducklings” statues. Take a leisurely ride aboard the famous Swan Boats, pedal-powered gondolas operating in the summer months since 1877.

Phone: (617) 522-1966

Designed as a “palace for the people,” it is the oldest large free-lending library in the United States. Visit the breath-taking Bates Hall, the library’s magnificent reading room. It is the only public library to house a Presidential Library, that of John Adams, the second president of the United States of America.

Address: 666 Boylston Street, Copley Square, Boston
Phone: (617) 536-5400

June 17, 1775 marks the date of one of the Revolutionary War’s earliest confrontations – the Battle of Bunker Hill. British troops suffered many losses as Americans held back their fire with inaccurate muskets until the last possible “whites of the eyes” moment. Just a short walk from the USS Constitution, take the 294 steps of the obelisk honoring the this battle that turned the tide of the American Revolution. View exhibits depicting the battle and stroll the park setting.

Address: Monument Square, Charlestown
Phone: (617) 242-5641

The Charles River Esplanade is another land set aside in Boston for the public to enjoy. While walking the long park edging the banks of Charles River Basin, watch the rowers practice or watch a free concert or play at the famous Hatch Shell.

Address: 287 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston
Phone: (617) 824-4273

Originally used, starting in 1807, by the white Third Baptist Congregation and as the site of many abolitionists’ speeches, it later housed the African Methodist Episcopal Church followed by a Unitarian congregation. It is now used for commercial purposes. The Federal style building is topped by a cupola and is symmetrically constructed.

Address: 70 Charles Street, Beacon Hill, Boston

After gaining popularity as the location of the 1980s TV sitcom, Cheers, this historic landmark pub was turned from a long-standing neighborhood gathering spot for locals into one of Boston’s must-see attractions for visitors.

Address: 84 Beacon Street, Boston
Phone: (617) 227-9605

Chinatown, the most densely populated area of Boston, is made up of many markets offering rows of fresh vegetables, mounds of seafood or sweet-tasting treats. You will also find Chinese, Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese or Japanese restaurants and you can also see the Chinatown Gate.

One of the largest churches in the New England area, the Christian Science Plaza has fourteen spacious acres that are paved in brick and granite. There are rows of trees, buildings, stone benches, a large reflecting pool and a circular fountain. A not-to-be-missed.

Address: 210 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston

One of Boston’s oldest burying grounds, Copps Hill was established in 1660 as the final resting place of North End artisans, merchants and free African-Americans during colonial times.

Address: Hull Street, Boston

Faneuil Hall was established in 1742 and was used as a public market and place for town meetings. It now offers 150 shops, restaurants and merchant carts. Central Market is a great choice for lunch with over 35 stands offering a variety of food from all over the world.

South Market Street, Boston
(617) 523-1300

Boston’s iconic Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red walking trail that leads to 16 nationally significant historic sites – each one an authentic American treasure. Preserved and dedicated to the citizens of Boston in 1958, the Freedom Trail today is a unique collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the American Revolution. Official tours of the Freedom Trail run by the Freedom Trail Foundation are conducted year-round. For an up to date list of tour times, please visit TheFreedomTrail.org or call.

Phone: (617) 357-8300

The original Boston Ghost Tour is an evening of fun and frightful stories. Walk amongst the dead in burying grounds nearly four hundred years old, hear stories of those whose mortal remains lie beneath your feet, and listen to tales of many of the sordid practices that went along with them.

Phone: 1 (617) 269-3626
In Season: April – November

Located in Boston’s Back Bay, The Gibson house gives visitors a glimpse into life during the 19th century. The house remains the residence of a well-to-do Victorian Boston family. A kitchen, scullery, butler’s pantry, baths, as well as formal rooms and personal quarters are filled with the Gibsons’ original furniture and possessions.

Address: 137 Beacon Street, between Arlington and Berkeley Streets, Boston
Phone: (617) 267-6338

Three signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried at the Granary Burying Ground, the third oldest burying ground in Boston.

Address: Tremont Street, Boston
Phone: (617) 635-4505

This is the last surviving residence in what was once Boston’s most exclusive neighborhood. The Federal Style is evident in the home’s classic architecture and elegant furnishings. Charles Bulfinch built this house for Harrison Gray Otis and his wife Sally in 1796. Otis was a developer of Beacon Hill and made a fortune. He later served as a Representative in Congress and Mayor of Boston.

Address: 141 Cambridge Street, Boston
Phone: (617) 227-3956

Harvard is the oldest university in the United States. It was established in 1636. Graduates include seven U.S. Presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Rutherford B. Hayes, John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama. The campus is made up of a diverse collection of historic buildings and the acclaimed Harvard University Museums.

Address: Harvard Square, Cambridge
Phone: (617) 495-1573

An center for multi-disciplinary arts, the ICA has been at the forefront of art in Boston for more than seventy years. Like its iconic structure on Boston’s waterfront, the ICA offers new ways of engaging with the world. Its exhibitions and programs feature contemporary art, artists, and the creative process, letting audiences of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the excitement of new art and ideas.

Address: 100 Northern Avenue, Boston
Phone: (617) 478-3100

Art by some of the best known artists in the world are housed in this replica of a 15th century Venetian style palazzo, accentuated by a flower-filled, glass courtyard.

Address: 280 The Fenway, Boston
Phone: (617) 566-1401

The John F. Kennedy Library was dedicated by President Carter and the Kennedys in 1979. Located on a 10-acre park, the library is dedicated to the life and legacy left by the 35th president of the United States. The library also plays host to the Profiles in Courage award; it is given annually to honor elected public officials. The museum and Library were designed by I.M. Pei.

Address: Columbia Point, Boston
Phone: (866) JFK-1960

The original Kings Chapel was Anglican and was built in 1688 on a portion of a Puritan cemetery seized by British troops. The current King’s Chapel, built in 1754, is the first Unitarian Church in the United States. Look for the names of famous Puritans in the adjacent burying ground.

Address: 287 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston
Phone: (617) 824-4273

This square and manicured oval park on Beacon Hill is the most prestigious address in Boston and is owned not by the city but by homeowners.

Located at the Mary Baker Eddy Library, the Mapparium is a unique experience created as light, music, art and architecture gather. Walk the 30-foot bridge through the magnificent glass-paneled sphere and learn how the world has changed since the glass globe was created in 1935. Also available to the public are The Monitor & Quest Galleries, the Hall of Ideas and interactive exhibits. The Library Reference Room offers a great place for reading.

Address: 200 Massachusetts Ave., Boston
Phone: (617) 450-7000

This famous campus of world-renowned science and technology is more than a mile long and runs along the Charles River Basin. The original group of connecting buildings was established in 1916; subsequent landmarks have been designed by well-known architects. Famous works of art can be found throughout the campus.

Address: 25 Carleton Street, Cambridge
Phone: (617) 253-4481

Learn Massachusetts history with a free tour (weekdays only) of the center of state government since 1798. With a gold-domed building atop Beacon Hill, the past meets the present.

Address: 24 Beacon Street, Boston
Phone: (617) 399-1681

The MIT Museum gives a glimpse into the world of the latest and most exciting research being developed at MIT. Visitors can see more than 150 years of education and research in the forefront of science, engineering, and technology. The Museum hosts exciting exhibits, from artificial intelligence and oceanography, to architecture, three-dimensional holograms and the largest collection of the popular Arthur Ganson kinetic sculptures .

Address: Building N51 – 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Phone: (617) 253-5927

This is the largest museum in New England. With a fine collection from the masters of American painting and an extensive selection of works of art from all important periods, it also plays host to unique exhibits on loan from around the world.

Address: 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston
Phone: (617) 267-9300

Located along the Charles River Basin, the Museum embraces all the sciences in a multitude of exhibits.

Address: Science Park, Boston
Phone: (617) 723-2500

The enormous and cylindrical 200,000 gallon ocean tank with more than 2,000 fish species is the highlight of this aquatic facility. Surrounding pools have penguins, sea lions and otters. Several galleries have themed exhibits; and the IMAX theater offers changing large format films of magnificent animals and their habitats, 3-D movies and first-run features.

Address: Central Wharf, between Central and Milk Streets, Boston
Phone: (617) 973-5200

Learn about the life of genteel Beacon Hill in the late 1800s and early 1900s with a tour of this four-story row house decorated in original furnishings.

Address: 55 Mount Vernon Street, Boston
Phone: (617 )227-6993

Built in 1723, this is the oldest church in Boston and is best known for the signals sent from the steeple the night of Paul Revere’s legendary ride. It is now an Episcopalian congregation that holds regular services and is also open daily to the public. The steeple is 191 feet tall – the tallest in Boston.

Address: 193 Salem Street, Boston
Phone: (617) 523-6676

The largest structure in colonial Boston still stands as a symbol of the right to free speech and assembly. Its most well known meeting, called by the Sons of Liberty on December 16, 1773, to protest the British tax on tea, led directly to the Boston Tea Party, the most famous act of American rebellion.

Address: 310 Washington Avenue, Boston
Phone: 1 (617) 482-6439

Visit Boston’s Old State House. The site of colonial oratory, it was from its balcony that Bostonians heard the first reading of the Declaration of Independence. It is now a superb museum dedicated to Boston history. For more information visit the website for the Old State House.

Recognized by its tall, beautiful steeple, the evangelical congregational church was built in 1809 on the former site of the old town granary. Its large and active congregation has a long and strong tradition of social service going back to a well known 1829 speech against slavery delivered by William Lloyd Garrison.

Address: Park and Tremont Streets, Boston
Phone: (617) 720-3290

Paul Revere’s wooden house, going back to 1680, is the oldest residence that remains in downtown Boston. Revere lived in this home in the early 1770s where he was a silversmith and patriot. The home later served the Italian immigrant community for commercial purposes. Saved from being demolished in 1902, it has been restored to its original appearance.

Address: 19 North Square, Boston
Phone: (617) 523-2338

The Prudential Center is Boston’s first unified business, residential and civic complex with 28 acres of hotels, restaurants, shops, and plazas, in addition to parking and covered walkways. On a clear day, the view is endless from the 50th floor observatory atop the Prudential Tower. The Skywalk offers a state-of-the-art antennae audio tour and special exhibits on Boston history and architecture.

Address: Huntington Avenue & Boylston Street
Phone: (617) 859-0648

On the Old Town Trolley Educational Tour for middle-school students, kids will enjoy Boston’s best 2.5 hour historical field trip.

Phone: 1 (617) 269-7150

Open since 1900 and famous for its acoustical perfection, it has been host to a wide range of important performances and is the home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops. Free tours are offered during Symphony season on a limited basis.

Address: 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston
Phone: (617) 638-9390

Better known as Old Ironsides, the USS Constitution launched in 1797 and is the world’s oldest floating commissioned ship. Climb aboard the decks in proud service until 1934 as a warship, blockade runner, training ship and goodwill ambassador.

Address: Charlestown Naval Yard, 5 Constitution Road, Charlestown
Phone: (617) 242-5601

American H. H. Richardson is the proud architect of this massive masterpiece. The impressive church has an exterior of dark multi-hewed stone, majestic stained glass windows and a breathtaking interior.

Address: 206 Clarendon St., Boston
Phone: (617) 536-0944

The USS Cassin Young is a WWII destroyer and is a designated National Historic Landmark.

Address: Charlestown Naval Yard, 5 Constitution Road, Charlestown
Phone: (617) 242-5601

Better known as Old Ironsides, the USS Constitution launched in 1797 and is the world’s oldest floating commissioned ship. Climb aboard the decks in proud service until 1934 as a warship, blockade runner, training ship and goodwill ambassador.

Address: Charlestown Naval Yard, 5 Constitution Road, Charlestown
Phone: (617) 242-5601