Things to Do in Boston

Though recently rebranded as 200 Clarendon, this towering Boston structure was for decades known as the John Hancock Tower. The building soars nearly 800 feet above the city, and is not only Boston's tallest building but also the tallest building in all of New England.

The 62-story John Hancock Tower was built in 1976 as the home of John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance, but in 2004 the company moved to a different Boston location. The building is now officially known as Hancock Place.

It's a glass-covered skyscraper in the shape of a parallelogram rather than a square or rectangle, and the blue-tinted glass panels beautifully reflect the city and scenery around the tower. There is an observatory deck at the top of the John Hancock tower, but it has been closed to the general public since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The observation deck is available for private events, however.

Founded in 1660, the Granary Burying Ground is Boston’s third-oldest burial ground, and final resting site of some of the most famous Bostonians to ever walk the earth, including three signers of the Declaration of Independence, Paul Revere, and five victims of the Boston Massacre. With as many as 2,345 graves, few cemeteries anywhere else in the world hold such a high percentage of notable people in such a small space, and for this reason it is routinely featured as a highlight along Boston’s famous Freedom Trail.

Still, there is something timeless about visiting historic cemeteries, and perhaps this is why so many choose to stroll the green lawns of Granary Burying Ground, thinking of the times before ours, and, perhaps, the time to come afterwards.

Notable burials among the Granary Burying Ground include John Hancock (a statesman and signer of the Declaration of Independence), Samuel Adams (also a statesman and signer of the Declaration of Independence), Paul Revere (civil war patriot), John Endecott (first Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony), Samuel Sewall (Salem Witch Trials Judge) and many others.

Boston’s most cherished landmark isn’t Bunker Hill or the Tea Party Ships, but rather old Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. A must-see for sports enthusiasts as well as history and architecture buffs, Fenway Park is famous for its uniquely shaped playing field and towering left field wall known as the Green Monster.

Set on the 50th floor of Boston’s Prudential Tower, the Skywalk Observatory offers 360-degree views of the city and surrounding landscape. Here you can learn about notable landmarks, visit the onsite Dreams of Freedom Museum, or venture two floors up to enjoy a meal at the Top of the Hub Restaurant and Lounge.

Built in 1713, Boston's Old State House is the city’s oldest public building and considered pivotal to prerevolutionary US history. Dwarfed by Boston’s skyscrapers and a fixture on its revolution-tracing Freedom Trail, the onetime government building is now a museum to the city’s revolutionary era and the events that kindled the American Revolution.

Dating from 1729, Boston’s Old South Meeting House was a congregational church and a gathering place for protestors who sparked the American Revolution with the 1773 Boston Tea Party. A key site on Boston’s Freedom Trail, the brick building is now a museum where visitors can chart the beginnings of the country’s 1776 revolution.

Built in 1797 and named by George Washington, the 3-masted USSConstitution frigate in Boston is the US Navy’s oldest commissioned ship and one of the world’s oldest warships. Visitors can go aboard the ship, docked at Boston’s Charlestown Navy Yard and restored to its original glory, to explore an important slice of US history.

Teeming with more than 15,000 sea creatures of all sizes, shapes, and colors, the New England Aquarium is a giant fishbowl of sea life, and it’s one of Boston’s most visited family attractions.

Located in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Copley Square is among the most beautiful public parks in the city. For more than 100 years, it has been a hub of downtown activity and historical significance for the sheer number of institutions built here since the 1800s. Many still stand today, including the stunning Boston Public Library, Trinity Church, Old South Church, the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel and New England's tallest skyscraper, John Hancock Tower.

The square is best known as the site of the finish line for the annual Boston Marathon, and there is a 1996 memorial here celebrating the race's 100th anniversary. It is also well known as a downtown commercial hub with a variety of upscale restaurants and shopping options. The onsite Copley Place mall includes high-end stores such as Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Porsche Design and Tiffany & Co.

Visitors will also appreciate the rotating calendar of events offered in the park throughout the year, ranging from large concerts to farmers' markets.

The Bunker Hill Memorial is a granite monument built in memory of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the first real battle of the American Revolutionary War.

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place in June 1775 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, when American Revolutionary forces met the British Army during one of the earliest battles of the war. The British ultimately won that battle – although, of course, they would go on to lose the war.

The battle itself took place on nearby Breed's Hill, but Bunker Hill was the main objective of both armies – so that's where the Bunker Hill Monument was built. The first monument was built in 1794, made of wood, and stood 18 feet tall. From 1827-1842, the current granite memorial was built. The obelisk resembles the Washington Monument in Washington D.C., towering over the surrounding landscape.

Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park is comprised of 34 islands sprinkled throughout the city harbor. Just 45 minutes by ferry from downtown, the park is a picturesque escape, where visitors can explore a Civil War–era fort, visit the oldest lighthouse in the United States, head out for a hike, and spend a night camping.

The second-oldest cemetery in Boston, Copp's Hill Burying Ground is a landmark area and peak tourist attraction for those interested in the deep historical roots of Boston – one of the first cities built in the New World. Established in 1659, this burial ground is closing in on 400 years old, and with such tenure comes thousands of interred. A self-guided tour will reveal Boston’s long history of artisans, craftsmen, some notable founding fathers of Boston, as well as thousands of African Americans in unmarked graves on the Snowhill Street side of the burial ground.

Now a stop on the Freedom Trail, Copp’s Hill Burying Ground was added to the list of National Register of Historic Places in 1974 thanks to its repeated interest by tourists and photographers. Strolling the grounds will lend a new perspective on Boston, its peoples, and its history, perhaps best summarized by Thomas Williston’s grave, whose epitaph reads: “Stop here my friend and case an Eye. As you are now so once was I. As I am now, so you must be, prepare for death and follow me.”

An athenaeum is defined as "an association of persons interested in scientific and literary pursuits, meeting for the purpose of mutual improvement; a literary or scientific club." The Boston Athenaeum was founded in 1807, placing it among the oldest independent libraries in the country. For more than 200 years, it has proven a vital cultural and educational institution for the city. Today it houses more than 600,000 titles, including a sizable circulating collection, a children's library, multiple reading rooms for newspapers and magazines, and ample quiet spaces.

The public is welcome to view the first floor and exhibition gallery, while a membership is required to visit all remaining floors.

Non-members interested in exploring and learning more of the building's history can take a weekly Art and Architecture Tour which is open to the public. The 40-minute tour focuses on theimportance of the Athenæum’s architectural history as well as its fine arts collection. The building has been moved, expanded, and renovated multiple times over the past two centuries, including most recently in 1999-2002.

The beautiful Boston Symphony Hall is widely considered one of the premier classical music venues in the United States. Adored with Greek and Roman statues and gilded ceilings, the hall is known for its beautiful interior as well as its superb acoustics. It is home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, one of the country’s oldest and most celebrated.

The walls of the stage even slope down to increase the quality of the sound in the giant concert hall. Every detail was created or modified to enhance the acoustics, which makes for a phenomenal listening experience. The hall also contains an impressive 4,800-pipe organ.

With its exterior lined with columns and classical design, the hall obtained status as US National Historic Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Past performances have included the works of classic composers such as Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Brahmns, and more.