Boston Travel Guide
Facts and practical information
Boston, the capital city of Massachusetts in the United States, is a hub of rich history, vibrant culture, and academic excellence. As one of America's oldest cities, Boston is a treasure trove of historical landmarks and colonial architecture.
The Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile-long path through downtown Boston, allows visitors to step back in time and experience the city's revolutionary heritage. Key stops include the Boston Common, the Massachusetts State House, and the historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace, often referred to as "the Cradle of Liberty."
Boston is also home to the prestigious Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), both located in Cambridge, just across the Charles River. These institutions not only contribute to the city's intellectual atmosphere but also offer visitors a chance to explore their historic campuses and cutting-edge research facilities.
The city's cultural scene is vibrant, with institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum offering world-class art collections. The Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Ballet are celebrated for their performances, while the city's theater district regularly hosts Broadway shows.
Sports are a cornerstone of Boston's identity, with the Red Sox at Fenway Park, one of the oldest and most iconic baseball stadiums in the country, drawing fervent crowds. The Celtics and Bruins also add to the city's rich sporting legacy, offering thrilling games for basketball and hockey fans.
Boston's culinary offerings are as diverse as its population, with New England staples like clam chowder and lobster rolls sharing the stage with Italian dishes in the North End and innovative cuisine from the city's many food trucks and upscale restaurants.
For those seeking respite from urban life, the Boston Public Garden and the Charles River Esplanade provide green spaces for relaxation and recreation. Meanwhile, the harbor islands offer a quick escape with opportunities for hiking, picnicking, and exploring historic sites.
MBTA SubwayBoston Attractions - What to See and Explore
Boston offers many attractions and places to visit. Here are the most important ones: Museum of Fine Arts, Quincy Market, Faneuil Hall, Old State House. Below you will find a complete list of places worth visiting.
Things to See and Do in Boston by Category
Sights, interesting and unusual places and attractions valued by most tourists. See the list of places to visit in Boston.
Culture
Opera House
BostonTheater Concerts and shows Opera 
Memorial Hall
Cambridge, BostonGothic Revival architecture Memorial Theater Mid-Cambridge 
Coolidge Corner Theatre
Brookline, BostonNightlife Cinema Theater Coolidge Corner 
Symphony Hall
BostonNational Historic Landmark concert venue
Music and shows Nightlife 
MIT Museum
Cambridge, BostonMuseum Science museum Specialty museum The Port
Shopping
Newbury Street
BostonShopping Shopping district Back Bay 
Quincy Market
BostonShopping Market Flea market Downtown Boston 
Faneuil Hall
BostonHistoric indoor-outdoor shopping center
Shopping Georgian architecture Downtown Boston 
Copley Place
BostonShopping Shopping centre Back Bay 
CambridgeSide
Cambridge, BostonShopping Shopping centre East Cambridge
Active
Fenway Park
BostonLegendary home of the Red Sox
Sport venue Sport 
TD Garden
BostonSport venue Sport North End 
Harvard Stadium
BostonSport venue Sport Arenas and stadiums Allston 
Matthews Arena
BostonSport venue Sport Arenas and stadiums 
Freedom Trail
BostonRoute with historic sites and museums
Hiking Hiking trail Downtown Boston
Park
Boston Common
BostonVenerable park with historic cred
Park Beacon Hill 
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway
BostonPark North End 
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
BostonArt treasures in a Venetian-style palace
Museum History museum 
Charles River Esplanade
BostonPark Bike trail Outdoor activities Back Bay 
Boston Navy Yard
Charlestown, BostonMuseum Military museum Maritime museum
Church
Trinity Church
BostonChurch Romanesque architecture Romanesque revival architecture Back Bay 
Old North Church
BostonLaunch point for Paul Revere's ride
Church Sacred and religious sites North End 
Old South Meeting House
BostonHistoric site of the Boston Tea Party
Church Historical place Downtown Boston 
Park Street Church
BostonStoried 19th-century venue
Church Historical place Beacon Hill 
Old South Church
BostonGothic church with music services
Church Gothic Revival architecture Back Bay
Museum
Museum of Fine Arts
BostonImpressionist art and Egyptian treasures
Museum Art museum 
Old State House
BostonOriginal colonial seat and state capitol
Museum History museum Downtown Boston 
Museum of Science
BostonInteractive exhibits and an IMAX theater
Museum Natural history museum West End 
Metropolitan Waterworks Museum
Brighton, BostonMuseum Specialty museum Commonwealth 
Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate
Dorchester, BostonMuseum History museum Specialty museum Columbia Point
Historical place
Old State House
BostonOriginal colonial seat and state capitol
Museum History museum Downtown Boston 
Bunker Hill Monument
Charlestown, BostonGranite obelisk on the Freedom Trail
Museum Military museum 
Granary Burying Ground
BostonHistoric cemetery on the Freedom Trail
Cemetery Historical place Beacon Hill 
Paul Revere House
BostonRevolutionary War hero's famed residence
Museum History museum North End 
Massachusetts State House
BostonFederal-era home of state legislature
Georgian architecture Historical place Beacon Hill
Square
Copley Square
BostonSquare Farmer's market Back Bay 
Government Center
BostonSquare Downtown Boston 
City Hall Plaza
BostonSquare Downtown Boston 
Lechmere Square
Cambridge, BostonSquare East Cambridge 
Haymarket Square
BostonSquare Historical place North End
History museum
Old State House
BostonOriginal colonial seat and state capitol
Museum History museum Downtown Boston Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate
Dorchester, BostonMuseum History museum Specialty museum Columbia Point Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
BostonArt treasures in a Venetian-style palace
Museum History museum 
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Dorchester, BostonPolitical-history exhibits and artifacts
Museum History museum Columbia Point Paul Revere House
BostonRevolutionary War hero's famed residence
Museum History museum North End
Monuments and statues
Bunker Hill Monument
Charlestown, BostonGranite obelisk on the Freedom Trail
Museum Military museum 
Boy and Bird Fountain
BostonMonuments and statues Beacon Hill 
Lotta Fountain
BostonMonuments and statues Back Bay 
Oneida Football Club Monument
BostonMonuments and statues Beacon Hill 
New England Holocaust Memorial
BostonMonuments and statues History museum Museum Downtown Boston
Bridge
Boston Public Garden Foot Bridge
BostonBridge Beacon Hill 
Harvard Bridge
Cambridge, BostonBridge MIT 
Longfellow Bridge
BostonBridge Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Beacon Hill 
Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge
BostonLandmark bridge with cable towers
Bridge North End 
Arthur Fiedler Footbridge
BostonBridge Back Bay
Neighbourhood
Downtown Crossing
BostonShopping Shopping centre Neighbourhood Downtown Boston 
Fort Independence
South BostonForts and castles Historical place Park 
Brookline Village
Brookline, BostonNeighbourhood Brookline Village 
Roslindale
Roslindale, BostonNeighbourhood 
Dudley Station Historic District
Roxbury, BostonNeighbourhood Lower Roxbury
Specialty museum
Metropolitan Waterworks Museum
Brighton, BostonMuseum Specialty museum Commonwealth Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate
Dorchester, BostonMuseum History museum Specialty museum Columbia Point John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Dorchester, BostonPolitical-history exhibits and artifacts
Museum History museum Columbia Point 
Ether Dome
BostonMuseum Georgian architecture Specialty museum West End 
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Cambridge, BostonAnthropological collections at Harvard
Museum Art museum
Music venue
Museum of Fine Arts
BostonImpressionist art and Egyptian treasures
Museum Art museum Symphony Hall
BostonNational Historic Landmark concert venue
Music and shows Nightlife 
Leader Bank Pavilion
South BostonMusic and shows Nightlife Music venue 
Paradise Rock Club
BostonMusic and shows Nightlife Music venue Allston 
Parkman Bandstand
BostonMusic and shows Nightlife Music venue Beacon Hill
Art museum
Museum of Fine Arts
BostonImpressionist art and Egyptian treasures
Museum Art museum Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
BostonArt treasures in a Venetian-style palace
Museum History museum 
Institute of Contemporary Art
South BostonMuseum Art museum 
Harvard Art Museums
Cambridge, BostonDiverse European and American works
Museum Georgian architecture Mid-Cambridge 
Boston Athenæum
BostonGrand 19th-century library and art museum
Museum Art museum Beacon Hill
Nightlife
Wally's Cafe
Roxbury, BostonDancing Nightlife Lower Roxbury 
Cask 'n Flagon
BostonNightlife 
Club Café
BostonNightlife Dancing Back Bay 
Club Passim
Cambridge, BostonDancing Nightlife Harvard Square 
Lizard Lounge
Cambridge, BostonDancing Nightlife
Tower
Skywalk Observatory
BostonLandmark 52-floor skyscraper and mall
Tower Observation decks and towers Back Bay 
Custom House Tower
BostonGreek Revival architecture Tower Architecture Downtown Boston 
John F. Kennedy Federal Building
BostonTower Downtown Boston 
Dunster House
Cambridge, BostonTower Riverside 
Warren Towers
BostonTower
Other categories
TheaterConcerts and showsLibraryStreetCemeteryUniversities and schoolsMemorialSacred and religious sitesAreaArt galleryForts and castlesScience museumIslandConcert hallLighthouseSportBoston – popular in the area (distance from the center)
In the vicinity of Boston, it's worth seeing attractions such as: Peabody Essex Museum (Salem), Minute Man Monument (Concord), Blue Hills Ski Area (Canton).
Best Time To Visit Boston
Learn when is the best time to travel to Boston weather-wise and what to expect in each season.
Best Ways to Experience Boston
Food & drink
CuisineA guide to some of the best local dishes and drinks that you will meet in the region.
Lox
Lox is a type of brined salmon typically enjoyed on a bagel with cream cheese. It is often accompanied by toppings such as tomato, sliced onion, cucumbers, and capers. The word "lox" originates from the Yiddish "laks" which itself comes from the Germanic word for...
Cornbread
Cornbread is a cherished quick bread made from cornmeal, typically leavened with baking powder. It has deep roots in Native American cuisine, where corn has been a staple for millennia. When European settlers arrived in the New World, they learned to prepare corn-based...
Poutine
Poutine, a cherished Canadian dish, is a delightful amalgamation of crispy french fries, squeaky cheese curds, and rich brown gravy. It emerged in Quebec in the late 1950s and, despite initial ridicule, has grown into a celebrated emblem of Quebecois cultural pride.
Dish
Cupcake
A cupcake is a delightful, single-serving cake typically baked in a small, thin paper or aluminum cup. These tasty treats have a rich history dating back to the late 18th century, with the term "cupcake" first appearing in the early 19th century.
Slider
A slider is a small, steam-grilled American sandwich, typically about 2 inches in diameter and served on a bun. The term "slider" originated from White Castle restaurants, where these miniature burgers were steamed with onions.
Art works & crafts
ArtFamous works of special cultural and artistic value related to this location.
Sacred Cod
The "Sacred Cod" is a wooden replica of an Atlantic codfish that prominently hangs in the House of Representatives chamber at Boston's Massachusetts State House. This emblematic fish has evolved through several versions over the past three centuries, with the current...
Carving created in 1784
The Roulin Family
The Roulin Family is a captivating series of portrait paintings by Vincent van Gogh, created during his time in Arles from 1888 to 1889. This collection features Joseph Roulin, his wife Augustine, and their three children: Armand, Camille, and Marcelle.
Art series
The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit
"The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit" is a renowned painting by John Singer Sargent, completed in 1882. It depicts the four daughters of Edward Darley Boit in their Paris apartment and currently resides at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Painting by John Singer Sargent
El Jaleo
"El Jaleo" is a stunning painting by John Singer Sargent, completed in 1882. It captures the electrifying moment of a Spanish Gypsy dancer performing alongside a group of musicians. Today, you can admire this masterpiece at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
Painting by John Singer Sargent
The Procuress
"The Procuress" is a captivating series of paintings by Dirck van Baburen, a distinguished artist from the Dutch Golden Age. Baburen was affiliated with the Utrecht school and was known for painting in the dramatic Caravaggesque style.
Painting by Dirck van Baburen
Massachusetts