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Top Ten Places To Visit In Boston

The Best Places to See in boston

Boston Smarts' list of the top ten places to visit in Boston contains a wide range of attractions. There are places of historical interest like Boston Common and the USS Constitution and places of arts and culture like the Citi Performing Arts Center and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

There are two famous and popular attractions that we've purposely omitted: the Emerald Necklace and the Freedom Trail. We've kept these attractions off our list because they're quite large and contain several places of interest, many of which we did select. We felt it would have been cheating to include such sizable attractions; it would have been like saying "go visit north Boston" or "check out every other street in town."

The Emerald Necklace is the name of 1,000 acres of interconnected parks located in Boston and the adjacent city of Brookline. This area includes two of the ten entries on our list: Boston Common and the Franklin Zoo. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile path, marked by red brick, that's located in the downtown portion of the city. Conceived in 1951, the path guides pedestrians to 16 historical sites including Boston Common, Faneuil Hall, the Old State House, and the site of the Boston Massacre. So if you think about it, our list really contains 12 entries, the ten attractions listed below as well as the Emerald Necklace and the Freedom Trail.

Boston Common
Over the centuries, Boston Common has witness quite a bit of history. The park has seen public hangings, encampments of British troops, grazing cattle, and speeches by Pope John Paul II and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boston Common (never "Boston Commons") is a 50-acre public park. Its boundaries are Beacon, Boylston, Charles, Park, and Tremont Streets. Established way back in 1634, Boston Common is the oldest park in the United States. It's part of the Emerald Necklace as well as the southern termination of the Freedom Trail.

At the Common, you'll find the Massachusetts State House, the southern part of Beacon Hill, the Boston Public Garden, Frog Pond, Soldiers and Sailors Monument, and Brewer Fountain. For those into the macabre, Boston Common is also home to the Central Burying Ground. This cemetery is the resting place of composer William Billings, poet Charles Sprague, and artist Gilbert Stuart.

Cheers Beacon Hill
Cheers, the famous fictional bar from the hit NBC sitcom with the same title, was known as the place "where everyone knows your name." Few people know however, that the real Boston bar, located on Beacon Street, wasn't called Cheers but "Bull & Finch Pub." Just to be precise, the bar is across the street from Public Garden which is part of the Emerald Necklace. In 2002, the establishment (founded in 1969) changed its name to "Cheers Beacon Hill." Only exterior shots of the Beantown watering hole were ever seen on the television show, which aired from 1982 to 1993. Interiors of the bar were nothing more than sets on a sound stage.

In 2001, owners of the Beacon Hill location opened another bar in Faneuil Hall. This location does look like the inside of the bar seen on the television show. Children are welcomed at both locations (until 10pm at Beacon Street and until 9pm at Faneuil Hall) and both bars have Cheers-themed menus. Our favorite is Frasier's Chicken Panini.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace
During America's struggle for independence, Boston residents used a grasshopper weather vane on top of Faneuil Hall as a shibboleth. When a suspected spy was captured, he or she was asked to describe the object on top of Faneuil Hall. If they correctly identified the four-foot long, eighty-pound, gilded grasshopper weather vane they were free to go. If they failed to identify the unusual object they were condemned as British spies.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace, located in the center of Beantown, can trace its origins back to 1742. Our founding fathers gave it the delightful nickname of "The Cradle of Liberty." The 6.5 acre marketplace is visited by more than 18 million people every year. The facility features nearly 50 shops, 18 restaurants, and more than 75 pushcarts and food stalls. The Marketplace is a great place to shop for unique gifts, enjoy a delicious meal, and people watch. When the weather is nice, visitors can enjoy the talents of jugglers, mimes, musicians, and other fabulous street performers.

Fenway Park
The legend goes that when Roger Clemens arrived at Fenway Park for the first time he scolded the cab driver for taking him to the wrong place. To Clemens, it looked like a warehouse not a ballpark. The cabbie understood his confusion and politely responded by pointing skyward. Clemens looked up and saw the large banks of lights used to illuminate the field at night. That's when the All-Star hurler realized he had indeed reached the legendary home of the Boston Red Sox.
Fenway Park is located near Kenmore Square and is the oldest ballpark in the Majors–it opened in

Through the years Fenway has attained a number of colorful nicknames for its plethora of quirky features: the Green Monster, Pesky's Pole, and "The Triangle." Entering the 2012 MLB season, the Red Sox have a sellout streak of more than 700 games. Needless to say, Red Sox tickets are hard to get. Not only is the team incredibly popular but Fenway Park has the smallest capacity of any stadium in the Major League Baseball. Guided tours of the ballpark are offered all year around and cost about the same as a trip to the movies. For more details visit the Red Sox's Web site.

Newbury Street
One the THE hottest streets in Boston where you can find upscale shopping and fine dining in equal measure. In the good weather, many of the restuarants open their front windows, doors and verandas and offer outside dining that allows for awesome people-watching. This is a must-see Bostonian spot.

Museum of Fine Arts
Anadda Coomaraswarmy was a talented man. He was a philosopher, historian, and metaphysician, but he made his mark as curator of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. His post allowed him to continue his life's work of educating the West on Indian art. By the time of his death in 1947, Coomaraswarmy had helped the Museum of Fine Arts build the first significant collection of Indian art in the United States. Many art historians credit Coomaraswarmy with introducing Indian art, culture and symbolism to the West.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is located on 465 Huntington Avenue. The museum has limited parking so it's recommended that you take the subway or ride the bus to the facility. Besides a large collection of Indian art, the museum also contains exhibitions concerning contemporary art, photography, textiles, fashion, and musical instruments. You can buy tickets online and you can take pictures of permanents collections provided the photos are for personal use and you don't use a flash, a tripod, or a video camera. The MFA is open seven days a week.

Symphony Hall
In 1886, at just 18 years of age, Wallace Clement Sabine graduated from Ohio State. For his graduate studies, the teenager attended Harvard University—he later became a faculty member. Sabine was a groundbreaking physicist who founded the field of architectural acoustics. In 1900, he was commissioned by a New York architecture firm to help build a new performance venue in Boston. Thanks to Sabine's genius, more than a century after he helped with its design, Symphony Hall is still regarded as one of the best sounding concert venues in the world.

Symphony Hall is located at 301 Massachusetts Avenue. It's home to the Boston Pops Orchestra and the Handel and Haydn Society. Classical music concerts are frequently held at Symphony Hall along with jazz recitals, folk concerts, and educational lectures. If you're unable attend a performance at the Symphony Hall you can always tour the facilities. Volunteers offer sightseeing trips of the venue during certain times of the year. For more details visit the Symphony Hall Web site.

Citi Performing Arts Center
Over the years, Bostonians have gone to the Citi Performing Arts Center to see a variety of great performances, for example the Stuttgart Opera; the Bolshoi Ballet; popular movies; Broadway musicals like Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Cats, and Jersey Boys; performances by legends W.C. Fields, Mae West, and Cary Grant; and concerts by world renowned artists like Whitney Houston and Harry Connick, Jr. Yet, one of the most famous performances that took place inside the Citi Performing Arts Center didn't occur on one of its stages, but in one of its lobbies. The film The Witches of Eastwick used the lobby of the center's Wang Theatre as part of the home of the character portrayed by Jack Nicholson.

The Citi Performing Arts Center can be found in Boston's Theatre District on Tremont Street. The facility consists of two venues, the Wang Theatre and the Shubert Theatre. The former opened in 1925 while the later opened in 1910. Both theatres have undergone major renovations after long periods of decline. Today, visitors can attend a wide variety of events at the center from Broadway musicals to pop concerts to operas.

Downtown Crossing
For most of the 20th century, Downtown Crossing was a Mecca for department stores. At one time or another this area between Boston Common and the Financial District was home to the large department stores of Jordan Marsh, Filene's, Kennedy's and Gilchrist. Today none of those retailers exists although Macy's is now where Jordan Marsh used to be. There is talk of Filene's Basement (the chain's flagship store) returning (the building still remains) but at the end of 2011 that hasn't happened.

Downtown Crossing is home to a unique and fascinating mix of stores, restaurants, and historic sites. It's also a great place to watch people, experience the pulse of the city, and enjoy the talents of various street performers. Large sections of this shopping district are closed to traffic making it safe for pedestrians and bicyclists.

USS Constitution
The USS Constitution is connected with three very famous Americans. The vessel was named by President George Washington. Paul Revere forged parts for her construction and President John Adams attended the ship's launching ceremony. Being associated with three historical figures didn't help the USS Constitution avoid a rather embarrassing start to her U.S. Navy career. When launched on Sept. 20, 1797, the ship moved 27 feet before getting stuck. Two days later, engineers managed to move "Old Ironsides" another 31 feet. It took a month of rebuilding before the USS Constitution was able to float out to sea.

Despite the auspicious start, the USS Constitution is now the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel. The ship can currently be found at the Charlestown Navy Yard. Although closed for most major holidays, the U.S. Navy offers free tours of the USS Constitution all year around. Visit its Web site for specific hours of operation. Keep in mind that the ship was built more than 200 years ago and is not equipped to accommodate those with certain disabilities. Located nearby is the USS Constitution Museum. This non-profit facility keeps alive the history of the USS Constitution through the use of hands-on and educational exhibits.

Honorable Mentions:

The Prudential Center
Both the shopping plaz and the Top of the Hub

Franklin Park Zoo
Kevin James fans visiting Beantown will definitely want to put the Franklin Park Zoo, situated in the northeast section of the town's largest park, on top of their "must-see" list. That's because the Franklin Park Zoo was an integral part of the 2011 film, Zookeeper. Not only were scenes shot at Boston's historic zoo but it was also used as the film's setting.

Encompassing 72 acres, the Franklin Park Zoo welcomes more than 300,000 visitors a year. The zoo is home to 220 species of animals including gorillas, mandrills, giraffes, African lions, and kangaroos. Some of the zoo's most popular attractions are the Franklin Farm, the Outback Trail, the Serengeti Crossing, Tiger Tales, and the Tropical Forrest. The Franklin Park Zoo has several places for visitors to buy food and there's a gift shop that sells souvenirs, apparel, and plush toys. The zoo is open every day of the year minus Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, and announced events. For hours of operations and admission costs visit the Franklin Park Zoo Web site.

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