Places of Interest
Boston, MA
http://www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/
One of the most effective ways to see the heart of Boston, this 2.5-mile trail traces points of historical interest related to the American Revolution. The tour starts at Boston Common, but can be picked up at any point along the way. The Freedom Trial includes:
- Boston Common
Boston, MA 02108
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/visitor/boston-common.html
These 50 acres in the center of Boston were once reserved as pasture land by Puritan settlers. Today, the monument-dotted park is popular with recreational athletes, joggers, protesters, and tourists.
- Park Street Church
1 Park St, Boston, MA 02108
http://www.parkstreet.org/
Founded in 1809, this church was inspired by the work of British architect Christopher Wren. In 1829, William Lloyd Garrison gave a famous oration against slavery, and in 1831, the song “America” was first there sung in public.
- Granary Burial Ground
1 Park St, Park Street Church, Boston, MA 02108
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/visitor/granary.html
A classic colonial cemetery next to Park Street Church, Granary Burial Ground is the final resting place for a number of people whose acts or character changed American history: Paul Revere, John Hancock, the parents of Benjamin Franklin, and citizens killed in the Boston Massacre.
- King’s Chapel and King’s Chapel Burying Ground
Corner of Tremont and School Streets
http://www.kings-chapel.org
When the Royal Governor decided to build Boston’s first Anglican chapel in 1688, he had to use the town burial ground because no one would sell him land for the construction of a non-Puritan church. The current structure, from 1754, is considered the finest example of Georgian church architecture on the continent.
- Old South Meeting House
310 Washington St, Boston, MA 02108
http://www.oldsouthmeetinghouse.org
Built in 1729, Old South is Boston's second-oldest church. Here, Samuel Adams called for a protest against the duty on tea.
- Boston Massacre Monument
206 Washington St, Boston, MA 02109-1702
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/visitor/boston-massacre.html
This stone monument, surmounted by a bronze figure, serves as a tribute to victims of the Boston Massacre, the first casualties of a movement that eventually spawned the American Revolution.
- Old State House
206 Washington Street
http://www.bostonhistory.org/
This handsome Georgian structure was the seat of British Government before the Revolution; it then served as the Commonwealth’s first capitol building. In the words of James Otis, it was “then and there,” following a speech by John Adams, that the Revolution was born.
- Faneuil Hall Marketplace
4 S Market, Boston, MA 02109
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/visitor/faneuil-hall.html
A marketplace built in 1742, Faneuil Hall was originally housed merchants and fishermen. During the Revolution, it earned the nickname “Cradle of Liberty.” Today, it hosts shops and restaurants for tourists.
- Paul Revere House
http://www.paulreverehouse.org/
19 North Sq, Boston, MA 02113
The oldest home in Boston, the building was already a hundred years old before Revere’s midnight ride. Revere lived here for 30 years (1770-1800). The house is now located in the middle of Boston’s Little Italy, which boasts dozens of Italian restaurants, bakeries, and gelato shops.
- Old North Church
193 Salem St, Boston, MA 02113
http://www.oldnorth.org/
The oldest church in Boston, it was here that Robert Newman warned Cambridge residents of the approach of British forces by sea with two lanterns, the night of Paul Revere’s midnight ride. Worthwhile tours of the bell tower and crypt available.
- Copp’s Hill Burying Ground
Hull St, at Snow Hill St, Boston, MA 02113
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/visitor/copp-hill.html
British troops used this 17th-century grave yard as a vantage point to fire on Americans encamped on Breed's Hill during the Revolutionary War.
- Bunker Hill Monument
Monument Sq, Charlestown, MA 02129
http://www.nps.gov/bost
This granite obelisk commemorates the Battle of Bunker Hill. Make the 294-step climb to the top of the monument for breathtaking views of Boston.
- USS Constitution
1 Constitution Rd, Charlestown, MA 02129
http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil
Completed in 1797 and famously resistant to enemy firepower, “Old Ironsides” is one of the original frigates of the US Navy. Still operated by the Navy, the USS Constitution remains the oldest commissioned warship in the world.
Other Places of Interest:
- Boston Public Garden
Charles St at Beacon St, Boston Common, Boston, MA 02108
http://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/our_parks/index.htm
The oldest botanical garden in the United States, the Public Garden is adjacent to Boston Common. It is famous for its swan boats and its bronze statues commemorating the children’s book “Make Way for Ducklings.”
- New England Holocaust Memorial
126 High St, In Carmen Park, Boston, MA 02110-2700
http://nehm.org/
Recipient of the prestigious AIA Henry Bacon Medal for its inspirational architecture, this sobering memorial remembers the six million Jews murdered during WWII.
- Arnold Arboretum
125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-3500
http://arboretum.harvard.edu/
A beautiful park maintained by Harvard University, the 265-acre grounds are home to over four thousand types of trees and a valuable collection of bonsai.
- Museum of Science
O'Brian Hwy, Science Park, Boston, MA 02114
http://www.mos.org/
More than 400 interactive exhibits in all, including the Hayden Planetarium Travel and the Mugar Omni Theater, a five-story, domed screen.
- John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Columbia Point, Boston, MA 02125
http://www.jfklibrary.org/
Dedicated “to all those who through the art of politics seek a new and better world.” The looming white structure, designed by I.M. Pei, overlooks Dorchester Bay. The museum/gallery contains exhibits tracing Kennedy's career from the campaign trail to his tragic death, the library is also home to the renowned Earnest Hemingway research room.
- Fenway Park
4 Yawkey Way, Boston, MA 02215
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/index.jsp
Home to the Boston Red Sox. Built in 1912, it is one of the smallest and oldest baseball parks in the major leagues. Tickets to games may be purchased at the park or in advance. Guided tours are available.
- New England Aquarium
Central Wharf, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110
http://www.neaq.org/animals_and_exhibits/index.php
Marine-themed exhibits, programs, and demonstrations take place throughout the day. Seals, penguins, sharks, and other creatures reside at the aquarium, and a four-story, 187,000-gallon tank features a living coral reef.
- Harvard Museum of Natural History
26 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138
http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/
The university museum houses a vast array of exhibits on things animal, vegetable, and mineral, including fossils, gemstones, and displays about biological systems. The museum also offers an overview of regional cultures. The extensive collection of hand-blown glass models of hundreds of flowers, intended for university botanists, is very impressive.
- DeCordova Museum
51 Sandy Pond Rd, Lincoln, MA 01773
http://decordova.org/
The DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park is located on the former estate of a wealthy and cultured merchant who lived during the 1850's.
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of Art
280 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115
http://www.gardnermuseum.org/
First opened in 1903 by Isabella Stewart Gardner, this museum is a three-story stone structure built around an interior courtyard filled with beautiful plants and flowers. The collection includes European and Asian paintings, sculpture, antique furniture, silver, ceramics, and tapestries from a wide range of periods.
- Boston Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
http://www.mfa.org/
One of the most comprehensive art museums in the world, the collection encompasses nearly 450,000 works of art, from ancient Egyptian to contemporary. The MFA welcomes more than one million visitors each year. Visit the new American wing. Admission is free every Wednesday night.
- Old Town Trolley
http://www.trolleytours.com/boston/
Board the trolleys while a guide provides running commentary while guests ride in open-air cars and take in the sites and sounds of the town. These tours leave from many convenient locations throughout Boston and are an excellent way to become acquainted with the city; there are sixteen stops and unlimited re-boarding.
- Boston’s North End
http://northendboston.com/
The historic Italian neighborhood of Boston, the North End includes dozens of restaurants along with pastry shops, gelato shops, greengrocers and Italian delis shops.
Places of Interest in Worcester, MA
- Worcester Art Museum
55 Salisbury Street | Worcester, MA 01609
http://www.worcesterart.org/
A world-renowned museum blocks from Assumption College, the Worcester Art Museum possesses a 35,000-piece collection of paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, prints, drawings and new media. The European and North American painting, Asian art, and Greco-Roman collections are especially strong.
- Higgins Armory Museum
100 Barber Avenue, Worcester, MA 01606-2444
http://www.higgins.org/
Displaying arms and armor ranging from ancient Greek Corinthian helmets to ornate suits of Renaissance armor, the Higgins Armory Museum presents a history of pre-modern warfare from around the world. The two-story Medieval Great Hall also displays tapestries and stained glass.
- EcoTarium
222 Harrington Way, Worcester, MA 01604
http://www.ecotarium.org/
A family-friendly “indoor-outdoor museum” in Worcester, the EcoTarium offers a chance to walk through the treetops, explore the galaxy at a digital planetarium, meet wildlife, stroll nature trails, and ride a narrow-gauge railroad, among other exhibits.
- Broad Meadow Brook (Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary)
414 Massasoit Rd, Worcester, MA 01604
http://www.massaudubon.org/index.php
With 400 acres and more than five miles of marked trails, Broad Meadow Brook is the largest urban nature sanctuary in New England. The center offers various programs and nature exhibits.
- Wormtown Brewing Co.
455 Park Avenue, Worcester, MA 01610
http://www.wormtownbrewery.com/
Worcester’s only microbrewery, Wormtown Brewing offers four craft brewed beers and various seasonal offerings. Call for information on brewery tours.
Places of Interest in Central Massachusetts
- Fruitlands Museum
http://www.fruitlands.org/
102 Prospect Hill Rd, Harvard, MA 01451
Founded as a transcendentalist commune by Bronson Alcott in 1843, Fruitlands presents the history of the transcendentalist movement in central Massachusetts, as well as the Shakers and other utopian movements. The history of American Indians and the work of Hudson River artists are also showcased.
- Museum of Russian Icons
203 Union St, Clinton, MA 01510
http://www.museumofrussianicons.org/
Founded in 2006 and located in a renovated mill building, the Museum of Russian Icons 03 displays the largest collection of Russian icons in North America (over 400). The icons span six centuries, dating from the earliest periods of icon “writing” to the present.
- Tower Hill Botanic Garden
11 French Dr, Boylston, MA 01505
http://www.towerhillbg.org/
Featuring a 3,000 square-foot greenhouse filled with subtropical plants, the Tower Hill Botanic Garden showcasing hundreds of varieties of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. The grounds include meadows and woodland trails for hiking. Guided Tour every Sunday at 2pm.
- Charlton Orchards Farm and Obadiah McIntyre Farm Winery
44 Old Worcester Rd, Charlton, MA 01507
http://www.charltonorchard.com/
Founded in 1733, the farm, orchard, and winery are open year-round.