Boston Info
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 Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:20 am Post subject: BOSTON TOURISM GUIDE / TOURISM IN BOSTON |
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BOSTON TOURISM GUIDE
Tours around Boston
Whether you want to immerse yourself in the colonial era or just cruise around the harbour, Boston offers something for everyone, and plenty of it. Throw out your preconceptions of the city as some sort of open-air history museum -- although that's certainly one of the guises it can assume -- and allow your interests to dictate where you go.
It's possible but not advisable to take in most of the major attractions in 2 or 3 days if you don't linger anywhere too long. For a more enjoyable, less rushed visit, plan fewer activities and spend more time on them.
Increased security has led some attractions to require that adult patrons show ID before entering. Double-check that you have your license or passport before you leave the hotel.
For excellent discounts and group passes, get a City Pass. The Boston National Historic Park Visitor Center is another great way to find out about the best tours in Boston.
One tour lets you see Boston by both land and water: the popular Boston Duck Tours. Amphibious craft from World War II take you on a 90-minute ride along the city's byways and waterways. You may have an opportunity to steer the craft on the Charles River and, yes, people really will quack back at you as you take the tour.
Another of the city's famous tours is the self-guided walking path, the Freedom Trail. You can begin at Boston Common, meander through the historic North End and eventually end in Charlestown Navy Yard at the U.S.S. Constitution. Some of the worthwhile (and free) sites along the way include The Bunker Hill Monument, Boston Common, King's Chapel Burying Ground, Old Granary Burial Ground and Copp's Hill Burial Ground. Paul Revere's House is also on the trail and offers an excellent opportunity to duck into the pastry shops on nearby Hanover Street.
If you would like a tour guide with real character, groups can sign up for the Freedom Trail Players, who will personally escort you around the 2.5-mile trail. You can also take a tour with Boston By Foot or, from the same company, Boston By Little Feet, a tour customized for children.
The Black Heritage Trail is another walking tour that passes 12 sites of significance to black history. Stops include the African Meeting House, which was the first church with black leadership in the United States, and houses that were part of the Underground Railroad system to shelter escaped slaves.
Have culinary experts with you? They may enjoy the North End Market Tour, which explores the markets and restaurants of the Italian neighbourhood. To burn off some of that delicious food, try Boston Bike Tours.
Open-air trolleys are a pleasant touring alternative during inclement weather. Discover Boston Multilingual Trolley Tours and Old Town Trolley are two popular companies that take you along many Freedom Trail spots without the walking. Most trolley companies have pick-up spots at various hotels.
Touring by boat can be a relief from the humid weather that overtakes the city in July and August. A shuttle from the North End to the Charlestown Navy Yard is a great Freedom Trail shortcut at a cheap price. Boston Harbor Cruises offers hour-long harbour tours from Long Wharf. The Charles Riverboat Company offers an hour-long tour from the Cambridgeside Galleria, down the Charles towards Harvard Square and back again. The company also offers private charters.
For excursions that take you further from the city, AC Cruise Lines on Northern Avenue offers a two-hour trip to Gloucester. They also offer whale watching and moonlight cruises. Learn about some of the country's first European settlers at Plimouth Plantation, about an hour's drive south of Boston. The Newport Mansions, located in the neighbouring state of Rhode Island, offer a unique glimpse into the lives of wealthy Americans in the 19th century.
To tour Boston from above, try the Prudential Center Skywalk. The Prudential Center Skywalk, 800 Boylston St. (tel. 617/859-0648) offers a 360-degree view of Boston and far beyond. From the enclosed observation deck on the 50th floor of the Prudential Tower, you can see for miles, even (when it's clear) as far as the mountains of southern New Hampshire to the north and the beaches of Cape Cod to the south. Away from the windows, interactive audiovisual exhibits chronicle the city's history. The admission price includes a narrated audio tour. Call before visiting because the space sometimes closes for private events. Hours are 10am to 10pm daily. Admission is $9.50 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $6.50 for children under 12; adults must show a photo ID to enter the Prudential Tower.
You can tour the Harrison Gray Otis House to get a sense of the interior of the beautiful brownstones on Beacon Hill, which has been home to Boston's elite for generations. The Arnold Arboretum, the Franklin Park Zoo and John F. Kennedy Museum also offer guided and self-guided tours. The Boston Public Library has a surprisingly informative and interesting tour of the nation’s first public library.
Founded by religious dissidents, Boston has long been home to churches of historical interest. The Old North Church is famous for its spire, where two lanterns were hung to warn Paul Revere that the Redcoats were coming "by sea." Trinity Church in the Back Bay is often cited as one of the top architectural gems in the nation. The Park Street Church congregation is still proud of its role in the Abolitionist movement. Lastly, the First Church of Christ, Scientist is the headquarters of the Christian Science religion, which was founded by late resident Mary Baker Eddy.
Whether you travel by foot, trolley, bike or car, you are sure to bump into a museum, historic site or architectural gem at almost every turn in Boston and Cambridge. From Paul Revere’s ride to John F. Kennedy’s presidency, Boston has long been a place where history is made, and its popularity as a tourist destination attests to the ease with which you can explore it.
Parks & Gardens
Green space is an important part of Boston's appeal, and the public parks are hard to miss. The world-famous Emerald Necklace, Frederick Law Olmsted's vision for a loop of green spaces, runs through the city.
The best-known park, for good reason, is the spectacular Public Garden, bordered by Arlington, Boylston, Charles, and Beacon streets. Something lovely is in bloom at the country's first botanical garden at least half the year. The spring flowers are particularly impressive, especially if your visit happens to coincide with the first really warm days of the year. It's hard not to enjoy yourself when everyone around you seems ecstatic just to be seeing the sun.
For many people, the official beginning of spring coincides with the return of the Swan Boats (tel. 617/522-1966; www.swanboats.com). The pedal-powered vessels -- the attendants pedal, not the passengers -- plunge into the lagoon on the Saturday before Patriots Day, the third Monday of April. Although they don't move fast, they'll transport you. They operate daily from 10am to 5pm in the summer, daily from 10am to 4pm in the spring, and weekdays noon to 4pm and weekends 10am to 4pm from Labor Day to mid-September. The cost for the 15-minute ride is $2.50 for adults, $2 for seniors, and $1 for children 2 to 15.
Across Charles Street is Boston Common, the country's first public park and the first site on the Freedom Trail. The property was purchased in 1634 and officially set aside as public land in 1640, so if it seems a bit run-down (especially compared to the Public Garden), it's no wonder. The Frog Pond, where there really were frogs at one time, makes a pleasant spot to splash around in the summer and skate in the winter. At the Boylston Street side of the Common is the Central Burying Ground, where you can see the grave of famed portraitist Gilbert Stuart. There's also a bandstand where you might take in a free concert or play, and many beautiful shade trees.
The most spectacular garden in town is the Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain (tel. 617/524-1718; www.arboretum.harvard.edu). One of the oldest parks in the United States, founded in 1872, it is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Its 265 acres contain more than 15,000 ornamental trees, shrubs, and vines from all over the world. In the spring, the grounds are ablaze with blossoming dogwood, azaleas, and rhododendrons, and the air fills with the dizzying scent of hundreds of varieties of lilacs, for which the arboretum is especially famous. This is definitely a place to take a camera -- but not food. Lilac Sunday, in May, is the only time the arboretum allows picnicking.
There is no admission fee for this National Historical Landmark, which Harvard University administers in cooperation with the Boston Department of Parks and Recreation. To get there, take the MBTA Orange Line to the Forest Hills stop and follow signs to the entrance. The visitor centre is open weekdays from 9am to 4pm, Saturday 10am to 4pm, and Sunday noon to 4pm. Call for information about educational programs. |
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