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THE FREEDOM TRAIL
This three-mile ribbon of red paint links 16 historical sights. Most visitors start the trail at the Boston Common. The National Park Service offers 90-minute guided tours starting at the Boston National Historical Park Visitor Center in Boston Common. Maps are also available here. Stops include the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, and the Old North Church. You can also discover Paul Revere’s house and the Copp’s Hill Burial Ground. At the end of the trail in Charlestown, the Bunker Hill Monument and the U.S.S. Constitution await you.
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/
THE BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL
The Black Heritage Trail takes you on a tour of Beacon Hill, home to the African-American community of the 18th and 19th centuries in Boston. Various sites on Beacon Hill include homes of famous citizens, the city’s first racially integrated public school with exhibits portraying the struggle for equal school rights, and a house that was part of the famous ‘Underground Railroad’, sheltering runaway slaves from their pursuers. Also on the tour is the African Meeting House, the first black church in the United States where famous abolitionist speeches were made and blacks were called to take up arms in the Civil War.
Although this is a complete self-guided trail with brochures and maps provided by the Museum of Afro-American History, park rangers also give free daily two-hour tours, which start at the National Park Service Visitor Center.
http://www.afroammuseum.org/trail.htm
BOSTON DUCK TOURS
These brightly colored, vintage World War II amphibious vehicles provide 80-minute, narrated, half-land, half-water tours of Boston. Do not be alarmed when your Duck abandons its wheels and lowers itself into the Charles River! Tours depart on the half-hour and cover many of Boston’s downtown tourist attractions. Keep in mind: tour guides encourage quacking! Tickets, which may be purchased two day sin advance, often sell out quickly, especially on summer weekends.
Boston Duck Tours has two convenient departure points: The Museum of Science and the Prudential Center in Back Bay.
http://www.bostonducktours.com/
Admission: adults $23; seniors, military personnel and students $20; children (4-12) $13.
FENWAY PARK
Phone: 617-267-1700
Neighborhood: Kenmore
Nearest train: Green Line to Kenmore
Stepping into this stadium is like walking back in time. With the famous “Green Monster” as the left field wall and a hand-operated score board, this is a unique piece of civic history. The building opened in 1912 and is now America’s oldest baseball park. Fenway Park is home to the Boston Red Sox, 2004 World Series winners (reversing the curse after 86 years). Those of you who cannot attend a Red Sox game can take one of the guided tours of the park, available May through September.
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com
FANUIEL HALL MARKET PLACE
Neighborhood: Faneuil Hall
Nearest train: Green or Blue Line to Gov’t Center; Orange or Blue Line to State.
A five-building complex that includes Quincy Market, there are more than 100 places to eat, shop, and drink at this historic site. French Merchant Peter Faneuil (pronounced Fan-you-wull) gave the hall that precedes the marketplace to his adopted home of Boston in 1742. It has been called the “Cradle of Liberty” because of the number of Revolutionaries and Abolitionists who delivered important speeches here. The hall is now a tourist center, but public meeting facilities are still available. The U.S. Park Service Rangers offer free tours on the half-hour from 9am-5pm daily.
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
Phone: 617-267-9300
Neighborhood: Fenway
Nearest Train: green Line “E” Train to Museum
First opened in 1876, this art museum is one of the best in the United States and has sponsored impressive shows on Monet and John Singer Sargent. The “MFA” has outstanding collections of impressionist art, early American art and artifacts, and Asian and Egyptian art. The museum also hosts lectures, musical performances, and films.
Admission: adults $15; seniors and college students $13; children get in free (outside of school hours).
Admission is FREE for all on Wednesdays from 4pm-9:45 pm. There may be additional charges for special exhibits.
http://www.mfa.org/
RESERVE MUSEUM PASSES AT THE LIBRARY AND SAVE!!!
BOSTON COMMON
Neighborhood: Beacon Hill
Nearest Train: Red Line or Green Line to Park Street; Green Line to Boylston
America’s oldest park is the heart of Boston, offering recreational opportunities and a glimpse into history through numerous monuments to the past. Designated as public space in 1640, British soldiers later camped here during the Revolutionary War. Part of the Freedom Trail, the Park adjoins the Massachusetts State House and Beacon Hill. A favorite spot is the Frog Pond, which doubles as an ice skating rink. The Park is the beginning of the “Emerald Necklace,” a seven-mile string of local parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.
BOSTON PUBLIC GARDEN
Established in 1837, the Public Garden is the first public botanical garden in the United States. The entrance to the Garden is in the middle of Charles Street across from the Boston Common. In addition to the beautiful landscaping, highlights of the Garden include the Swan Boats, Make Way for Ducklings statues, and a statue of George Washington on his horse.
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