Six Must-See Boston Attractions

Whether you’re planning your first or fifth trip to the great city of Boston, there are simply some attractions that you cannot miss:

1. Freedom Trail – The Freedom Trail is often at the top of Boston visitors’ to-do lists, and with good reason. This 2.5 mile walk around the city begins at the Boston Common and takes you past 16 significant historical sites including the Paul Revere House and the USS Constitution. It’s a great introduction to Boston and an absolute must for anyone with even a passing interest in United States history.
2. Museum of Fine Arts – Containing more than 450,000 works, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts is one of the largest and most respected art museums in the world. It is home to many famous painting and other works including Monet’s Haystacks (sunset), Gilbert Stuart’s Portrait of George Washington, and a large collection of Egyptian artifacts.
   

   Photo by firewave_fr

3. Boston Harbor – Boston Harbor is a great launching place for seaside exploration. It is quite clean, thanks to the Boston Harbor Cleanup Project, which makes it a perfect place to spend an afternoon picnicking or strolling along the HarborWalk. If you feel like a bit more adventure, you can always take a ferry to one of the harbor’s 12 islands or peninsulas—while there, you can explore 35 miles of undeveloped shoreline or take a whale watching tour, among other things.
4. New England Aquarium – The New England Aquarium offers an up-close view of some of the ocean’s most exotic and beautiful creatures. This Boston attraction has a 20,000-gallon Caribbean coral reef tank that houses sea turtles, sharks, eels, stingrays, and more. You’ll also find the incredibly popular penguin exhibit that includes many different penguin species, including African and little blue penguins. If that’s not enough, you can find tanks dedicated to venomous fish, sea urchins, and harbor seals.
5. Skywalk Observatory – What better way to see Boston than from above? The Skywalk Observatory on the 50^th floor of the Prudential Building offers panoramic, 360-degree views of the Greater Boston Area and beyond. This is a great photo-taking opportunity—you can see all of Boston’s major landmarks including Fenway Park, MIT, and Harvard University.
6. Harvard Square – Speaking of Harvard, you can’t visit Boston without stopping by Harvard Square. Adjacent to the prestigious university, this area is a great place to shop, eat, people-watch, and take in some of the amazing feats of its more than 300 registered street performers.

These are only a few of the amazing things this city has to offer. What are your favorite Boston-area attractions?

Dan

Dan Patterson works for CityPASS. CityPASS includes admission to the must-see attractions in 11 top destinations at up to 50% off combined attraction admission prices.