The Best Places to See in Boston, MA
Some of the Best Places to See in Boston, MA, from the North End to Fenway Park
Founded in 1630, Boston is the capital of Massachusetts and the largest city in New England, at a population of 645,000. It's a city with a rich sports history thanks to the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics, deep historical roots (remember the Boston Tea Party?), unique buildings like the Hancock Tower and the Pru, world renowned museums, unbeatable restaurants, and above all, character. Read more about the best places to visit in Boston, cool places to go, and interesting destinations near and within the city that you shouldn't miss.
This page will list the best sightseeing attractions and viewpoints of the city. For a list of popular activities in the city, please read this guide on
Boston is One of America's Oldest Cities!
Renovations to the city make it modernized and new (The Big Dig)
Since Boston buildings have been close together for hundreds of years, before the advent of cars, the road system is quite tough to navigate. The much criticized "Big Dig" work that was done from the first ground breaking in 1991 and being completed in 2007. The new tunnel system had huge obstacles to overcome, such as tunneling under an existing subway tunnel and circumventing pipes and wires already in place. By the end of the construction, a number of parks and open areas made the top of the city much more attractive, while alleviating traffic below (though the tunnel has has its problems).
The Best Boston Guide - Just the right size for travel - detailed photos, maps, and recommendations
DK Eyewitness Travel makes some of the best and easiest to use books for easy reading at a glance. Recommendations for restaurants, real-world tips, pictures and history are all given.
Fenway Park
Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge
Landfill!
The original size of Boston was much smaller than the present size. Boston used to be a peninsula, which was later filled in. Much of the present day city is predominantly fill, and no longer resembles a peninsula.
Old North Church
Have You Been Here? - Vote and tell us how many times you've been...
How many times have you been to Boston?
The Prudential Building
Back Bay View of the City
Have an area you think is even better than any of these that are mentioned? Tell us about it in the guestbook!
What's your favorite part of Boston?
A Cruise Through Boston
A cruise through the Big Dig Tunnels caught on tape!
Quincy Market and Customs House Tower
It's the "T." The mostly underground transportation system is known as the "T." Don't call it anything else, it's a dead giveaway you're a tourist!
Boston weather can range during the seasons from icy, blistering cold in the winter to very hot and humid in the summer. Expect summer and spring days to change without notice to rainy, cool days in the '50s and '60s, while peaking in the high 80's and sometimes 90's. Winter temps are typically between 25-45 during the day. Autumn temperatures range usually in the 50s and 60s and mostly dry.
Here's a chart with annual averages for precipitation in Boston as well as temperatures from Weather.com.
Peak fall foliage colors for Boston usually hits mid to late October. Colors here are vibrant, but even more so north of the city in the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont. Expect traffic and sometimes difficulty finding places to stay during those weeks, so book ahead. The western part of Mass, the Berkshires, is also known for its impressive foliage in autumn.
It's safe to say that it's "shorts and t-shirt" weather from late May to early September, plus or minus a few weeks. In the fall, you'll need a windbreaker, light jacket, or sweatshirt with pants, and in the winter, dress as warm as possible from December to mid March (again, plus or minus a few weeks).
Winter driving in Boston can be tough. If you haven't driven in the snow before, it might be a good idea to have some more experienced drive (Bostonians aren't very tolerant of newbie snow drivers!), or to at least rent an SUV with four wheel drive.
Buildings on the Waterfront at Dusk, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Around Boston
There are several cool places to visit not far from Boston, like Plum Island, Plymouth, Cape Cod, the Islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Even other states are comparitively close, Rhode Island being only about 45 miles away and New Hampshire about 30 miles away.
Boston Lighthouse Links - Learn more about these historic lighthouses, or take a tour:
- Massachusetts Lighthouses
Massachusetts has many, many historical lighthouses which you may recognize. From Highland Light in Truro, Gay Head Light on Martha's Vineyard, Sankaty Head Light on Nantucket, or Boston Harbor Light, you can find directions and history on these old - Boston Lighthouse Cruise
A cool cruise around Boston harbor would round out your trip nicely. Check dates, times and availability here. - Boston Light History
Find a brief history of Boston Light here.
Downtown Boston
A Few Recommended Boston Books - Guides to the city that are perfect for your trip!
Here are some excellent rated books and guides to navigate the city of Boston.
Red Sox Apparel
You'll find yourself making plenty of friends in Boston if you have the right sports attire on. Here are some hand picked, highly rated Red Sox clothing, shirts, hats and sweatshirts.
Celtics Apparel
What trip would be complete to Boston without some unique sports apparel from the local teams? We've hand picked the best rated and best looking Celtics shirts, hats and more here.
Recommended Links:
Be sure to also visit...
Introduction photograph by Emmanuel Huybrechts on flickr. Licensed under Creative Commons 2.0.
Boston Home Remodeling from GreenStar Builders
Reliable building and remodeling on the South Shore, from Cape Cod to Boston.
Posters of fall foliage scenes throughout New England. The perfect gift for anyone that makes an annual leaf peeping trip up north!
T-shirts for every major town on the south shore of Massachusetts!
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