My teenagers, husband and I are going to Boston the first week of April. We will be staying in the Long Wharf area. On previous Boston vacations, we have gone on the Olde Town Trolley, DUCK, Freedom Trail and Ghost Tours. We have also been on whale watches and dinner cruises and have visited The New England Aquarium and Science Museum. Are there other organized Boston tours you know of that are available in early April? Most start in May.|||On the 3rd Monday of April there is a Boston Marathon As many as 1 million spectators may look on as the course roughly follows the T Green Line into town on Patriots' Day, a Boston public holiday. It is a free citywide celebration that dates back to 1897. Phone 617-236-1652.
Essayist Oliver Wendall Holmes once described Boston as the “hub of the solar system”, and the Hub it is! This beautiful city on the bay is richly endowed with landmarks of historical significance and unlimited cultural and entertainment possibilities. Boston is a city of fascinating narrow streets and byways that invite exploration on foot.
The Freedom Trail (also known as the Red Line you see running along Boston's sidewalks) winds through a path of 16 of the historically significant sites associated with the beginnings of our Republic. The tour begins at the meadowlands of Boston Common and ends at the harbor in Charlestown Navy Yard, winding along the way for 2.5 miles through downtown Boston and the attractive North End. Sites along the trail include Faneuil Hall, the Old North Church, and Copp's Hill Burying Ground.
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts house some of the world's most famous works by such greats as Singer Sargent, Rembrandt, Vermeer and Botticelli as well as a stunning three story garden atrium. Meanwhile, Fenway Park, one of the most vaunted in baseball, is home to the no longer cursed Red Sox, while football's Superbowl Champion Patriots reign supreme in Foxboro.
Harvard Square boasts bookstores, cafe chess players, street musicians and some of the most eclectic shopping in Boston. Harvard Square is where you might sit down for an afternoon with a cappucino and a thick novel, or where you might just walk around and let the crowds entertain you. There's no shortage of sights in this small, entertaining enclosed space.
Don’t miss visiting Boston Public Garden and the swan boats; Newbury Street with its boutiques and art galleries; the Italian North End with its old-world ambience; Beacon Hill, with its gas lamps and Yankee Federal architecture, Louisburg Square mansions and the gold-domed State House; and the South End, with its Victorian row houses.
If it's culinary excellence you desire, make a beeline for the fabulous French fare of Radius. Or meander through the campus of the country's preeminent university, Harvard, in Cambridge en route to celebrity chef Jody Adams's Rialto. For a hometown specialty, dine on fresh chowder at Turner Fisheries, then head to the Cask 'n' Flagon bar near Fenway for a cold pint and a chat with Boston's finest feature: its people.
Faneuil Hall and Harvard Square are well lit and filled with patrons of the many bars and restaurants. There is dancing, a game of pool here and there, and lots of music everywhere for every taste. Irish music, sounds of the Middle East, alternative rock, jazz, salsa, and meringue to name a few.
“Take a hike” in Boston can mean anything from a romantic stroll on The Charles River Esplanade to a try at winning the Boston Marathon. Wherever your hike takes you, there are incredible sights to see: Beacon Hill, with its old brick sidewalks and Federal bow-front architecture; Cambridge's Brattle Street, which runs from Harvard Square past stately Tory-era mansions; the Commonwealth Avenue Mall from the Public Garden to Kenmore Square; and the walking paths through the Arnold Arboretum.
Boston is a favorite with families. There is the New England Aquarium with its huge, two-story-high fish tank; the lowland gorillas at the Franklin Park Zoo; the interactive exhibits of the Children's Museum; the displays, the giant-screen Omni Theater, and the planetarium at the Museum of Science. Year round activities include skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating. Spring and summer bring white water rafting, mountain climbing, hang gliding, kayaking, surfing, hiking, and windsurfing. Only a few miles outside Boston are some outstanding seaside spots that are clean, beautiful, and accessible.
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There is a wealth of historically significant attractions in Boston. Consider purchasing a 'Boston City Pass' and thereby pay half price for most of the finest attractions.
Freedom Trail: The Freedom Trail is one of the most popular walking tours in America. It covers approximately three miles and is very easy to follow. Park rangers give 90-minute guided walking tours of the Freedom Trail, which includes more than a dozen historic sites such as Paul Revere's house, the site of the Boston Massacre and the USS Constitution. The path is marked by painted red lines or bricks set into the pavement. Each site is identified by a marker or sign. The trail follows the original path set by the colonists in the early days of Boston. Most of the Trail is accessible only on foot for this reason. The Trail is best started either at Boston Common or at the USS Constitution (where there is free parking). The easiest way is to leave the car behind and take the subway (T) red or green line to Park Street.
Stops Along the Freedom Trail
1. Boston Common
2. Site of the Liberty Tree (Washington %26amp; Essex Streets)
3. State House (Beacon %26amp; Park Streets)
4. John Hancock’s House
5. The Beacon (The Monument behind the State House)
6. Park Street Church (Tremont %26amp; Park Streets)
7. Old Granary (Tremont St., near Park Street Church)
8. King’s Chapel
9. King’s Chapel Burying Ground
10. Benjamin Franklin’s Statue
11. The Old Corner Bookstore (3 School Street, Corner of Washington St.)
12. Site of Franklin’s Print Shop
13. Old South Meeting House
14. Site of Benjamin Franklin’s Birthplace
15. Old State House
16. Site of the Boston Massacre
17. Faneuil Hall
18. Quincy Market
19. The Tea Party Ship
20. Paul Revere’s House
21. Saint Stephen’s Church (Hanover Street)
22. Paul Revere Mall
23. Old North Church (193 Salem Street)
24. Copp’s Hill (Hull and Snowhill Streets)
25. USS Constitution (Charlestown Navy Yard)
26. Bunker Hill (Charlestown)
Boston Common
This 40-acre area is the nation's oldest public park. The land was set aside for public use in 1634 (originally as a cow pasture and training ground. The Commons also has a longstanding tradition as a place where demonstrators can exercise their right to freedom of speech without having to obtain a permit. Admission Free.
****Park Street Church
Free, seasonal tours. Call (617) 523-3383 to learn more.
This church is best known for its location at "Brimstone Corner" (named for its use as a gunpowder storage area during the War of 1812) and as the setting of William Lloyd Garrison's first anti-slavery speech.
Granary Burying Ground
The first of the three burying grounds on the trail, Granary is notable as the final resting place of John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere.
King's Chapel and Burying Ground
Famous for its architectural beauty, King's Chapel became the first Unitarian Church in the U.S. after the American Revolution. Donations accepted. For more information, call (617) 227-2155.
Site of First Public School/Ben Franklin Statue
This Freedom Trail stop features a statue of Ben Franklin and the site of Franklin's alma mater: the Boston Latin School (built in 1635).
Old Corner Bookstore
This brick building, where legends like Longfellow, Emerson, Hawthorne and Thoreau gathered, was once the literary center of Boston.
Old South Meeting House
Much of the discussion and debate that led to the Boston Tea Party and other events connected to the American Revolution took place in the old South Meeting House. Call (617) 482-6439 to learn about the lectures and programs on American history and culture offered by the Old South staff.
Boston Massacre Site
A simple circle of cobblestones marks the site where five colonists were killed by British soldiers in 1770. The brutality of this incident helped spark the anti-British rage that ultimately led to the American Revolution. Free.
Old North Church
"Old North," Boston's oldest church building, is located in the city's Italian North End. The church played an important part in the American Revolution by acting as a signal (via two lanterns hung in its steeple) of British troop movement. Donations accepted. (617) 523-6676.
Copp's Hill Burying Ground
The last Freedom trail site on the south side of the Charles River, Copp's Burying Ground is the resting place of thousands of merchants, artisans and free blacks. Free. Not wheelchair accessible.
Bunker Hill Monument
(617) 242-5641
A tall granite obelisk commemorating the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill (which actually took place on Breed's Hill). You can climb this monument's 294 steps for a panoramic view of Boston. (No elevator). During the summer, visitors also can observe free musket firing demonstrations and "battle talks." Free.
New England Aquarium
Phone: (617) 973-5200
Located on the city's waterfront at Central Wharf off Atlantic Ave. (T: Aquarium).
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9-6, Fri.-Sun. and holidays 9-7, July 1-Labor Day; Mon.-Fri. 9-5, Sat.-Sun. and holidays 9-6, rest of year. Closed Jan. 1 until noon, all day Thanksgiving and Dec. 25
Admission charged.
The aquarium displays more than 15,000 specimens representing more than 600 species of fish and aquatic animals. An outdoor seal exhibit features a raised tank for visitors to view the animals above and below the water's surface. In the west wing, a 6,000-square-foot gallery highlights changing exhibits. Rising from the center of the building is a four-story, circular glass tank containing a coral reef, more than 200,000 gallons of water and hundreds of tropical fish and marine life, including sharks, turtles and moray eels. A colo|||Sounds like you've already hit most of the well-known Boston attractions.
You should check out TOMB near Fenway. (take the D train on the green line if you don't have a rental car) It's a really fun interactive live-action adventure tour, kind of like being in an Indiana Jones movie. Your teenagers will love it!
You go in with a guide and a small group of people carrying flashlights and have to solve puzzles, challenges, avoid traps to get through the Pharoah's burial chamber. If you don't complete the tasks correctly or on time, you can "die" Each adventure is about an hour long and they're closed on Monday and Tuesdays. They have a website http://www.5-wits.com
You could also check out the Salem Witch Museum (about 20 miles north of Boston) and learn all about the Salem witch trials in 1692. (There's also a dungeon museum and pirate museum in Salem)
If you're around on Saturday and looking for a good laugh, the Cambridge ImprovBoston has a family show at 6pm. (Think "who's line is it anyway") Depending on how old your teenagers are, you could take them to one of the regular 8pm shows on other nights (the 10pm show is r-rated!!) http://www.improvboston.com/
For history or naval buffs, go to Battleship Cove in Fall River (about an hour from Boston) http://www.battleshipcove.com|||I was going to say the Ghost tour, I went on it and LOVED it. It is only during the Summer though. I live right outside Boston about 7min and I can take the T in. Try prudential they have a sky place you can see. John Hancock no longer allows people to visit the 60th floor ever since 911 they took it down.
Try a tour of Fenway Park. It is only $10 for a child and $12 for an adult. They tell you all about the History of the ballpark.
Also The Childrens Museum has been down over completely and it is all new inside.|||go on the tour of fenway. it is awesome and pretty cheap. i highly recommend it! if you plan on catching a game you should definitely get your tickets ahead of time cause they are always sold out.
also try going on the duck tours. they bring you all around boston. the vehicles are boats and trucks so you get to ride around boston and drive right into the water. they're great!|||beantown trolley, boston duck tours and the old town trolley|||it looks like you've hit most of them!
there is one that's a walking tour with like characters that dress up, but that might be the freedom trail tour you are referring to....
honestly, the tours you've gone on pretty much cover everything that a tour can. if you're staying in long wharf its a pretty short walk down to the north end so definitely check out the old north church and have dinner at one of the restaurants there- i'd recommend giacomo's and then get a cannoli at mike's.
also try and make it to the top of the prudential, it has an amazing view of all of boston and surrounding areas, its soo pretty on a clear day. long wharf is also pretty close to quincy market and fanuil hall, and you can spend pretty much a whole day there wandering the shops and there's plenty of food options. if you're into shopping it's worth walking down newbury and boylston streets. copley place is also a nice indoor shopping complex- if you end up at the prudential its actually attached so that can be a day trip. [at the prudential center food court there's this place called paradise bakery and their cookies are seriously the best cookies i've ever had]!!!
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