Boston's Best Historic Sites

History is around every corner in Boston. One of the oldest municipalities in the United States, Boston was the scene of critical events before and during the Revolutionary War, including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. Soldiers from Britain and the colonies fought battles at Bunker Hill in Boston and the nearby towns of Lexington and Concord. More recently, Boston was the home of 35th U.S. President John F. Kennedy, whose presidential library overlooks Boston Harbor. The pages of history textbooks will come to life as you stroll the storied streets of Boston’s North End or explore forts and lighthouses on the harbor islands.

But Boston isn’t just for history buffs. Today, Boston remains a driving force in New England’s economy, with strong higher education and high-tech industries. Travelers interested in arts, sports, food, or the outdoors will find plenty to see and do in this great American city. Boston also enjoys good rail connectivity with much of the East Coast and can serve as a jumping-off point for trips to Maine, New York City, and Washington, D.C. When planning a trip to New England, make sure Boston is on your itinerary. In this guide, you’ll discover Boston parks, historic sites, museums, and landmarks you won’t want to miss!

Freedom Trail

Boston’s Freedom Trail offers a convenient way for tourists to visit the city’s major Revolution-era historic sites and landmarks. The route covers 16 stops, from Boston Common downtown, through the brick lanes of the North End, past the ships docked at the Navy Yard, and ending at the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. There’s a lot to see, but the sites are all close together: the entire Freedom Trail route is 2.5 miles long and you can complete it in a day if you’re pressed for time. Tour operators offer private and small-group walking tours, some with guides clad in period costumes. Walking the Freedom Trail on your own instead is easy too, because the route is marked with a red brick stripe down the sidewalk. Below, we cover a few essential Freedom Trail highlights.

Boston Common

Boston Common is the United States’ oldest public park. Puritan colonists established it in 1634 as shared pasture land for livestock. Early Bostonians gathered in the large public space to protest colonial injustices and celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence with fireworks. British soldiers occupied the Common and marched from there to the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775. In 1830, cows were no longer allowed to graze on the Common and the space became parkland for strolling and relaxation.

Today, visitors to Boston Common and the adjacent Boston Public Garden can enjoy several notable spots. The Frog Pond near the center of the Common is a skating rink in winter and a splash pool for kids in summer. There’s also a famous statue display of “Make Way for Ducklings” in the Northeast corner of the park.

At the Public Garden, tourists can pay a small fee to ride Boston’s famous Swan Boats, in operation since 1877. Visitors to the area can also see the first two subway stations in the United States, Boylston and Park Street, which still operate as part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s light rail system today.

Boston’s North End and Old North Church

Following the Freedom Trail northeast from Boston Common brings you to Boston’s North End neighborhood, the oldest residential community in the city. Although its population is increasingly diverse, the North End earned the nickname Little Italy in 1890 and still honors the heritage of its Italian immigrants today. This is a great place to fuel up on cannolis, handmade pasta, and other delicious eats midway through your Freedom Trail adventure. Terrific Italian restaurants are all over Boston’s North End, concentrated along Hanover Street, the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare. Several more eateries line Salem Street as well.

Church bells often fill the air in the North End. Follow the sound and you’ll arrive at Old North Church, where the sexton monitored the movements of British soldiers from the tall white steeple in 1775. When he saw the soldiers set off in boats across the Charles River, he raised two lanterns and set Paul Revere off on his famous midnight ride to warn the colonists of Lexington and Concord. Travelers can also visit Revere’s home nearby.

Charlestown Navy Yard

By this point in the Freedom Trail, your feet may be getting tired. But don’t skip the sites across the river, particularly the Charlestown Navy Yard. This is your chance to climb aboard the USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, the oldest ship afloat in the world. Visitors can explore multiple decks of this three-masted frigate, one of the first six ships commissioned by the United States Navy in 1794. She protected U.S. merchant ships from pirates and served in the War of 1812. On board, you’ll see cannons with names like Victory or Death, peek into tiny officers’ berths, and imagine what it would have been like to climb up to the main top during the height of battle. Talk about history coming to life!

Just across from the USS Constitution is the USS Cassin Young, a World War II-era destroyer. She completed her training at Pearl Harbor, fought in the Battle of Okinawa, and served again during the Korean War. Visitors can tour this ship as well, marveling at how all that steel can stay afloat. The Navy Yard is part of Boston National Historic Park, which also includes the Bunker Hill Monument and Museum just a few minutes away.

Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market

Looking for something to do in downtown Boston? Faneuil Hall opened as a marketplace in 1826, and it has a little something for everyone, whether you’re looking to shop for souvenirs, trinkets or clothes with over 40 local vendors and 80 retailers, or just take in the atmosphere as street performers wow passers-by with impromptu performances of all varieties. Quincy Market is the main building at Faneuil Hall, and is sometimes used interchangeably to refer to the shopping center in Downton Boston.

Hungry? You’ll find over 25 local eateries on the premises of this popular tourist destination. You’ll also find a few unique items like a statue of legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach (sit on the bench with him for a selfie!) and a bronzed pair of Larry Bird’s sneakers.

Museum of Fine Arts

Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, also known as MFA Boston, boasts an impressive 500,000 works of art from all over the world. Located in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood, the current museum was built in 1909 in the Beaux Arts style by Boston architect Guy Lowell. The building features a rotunda and colonnade adorned with frescoes by painter John Singer Sargent, some of whose canvases also hang in the MFA.

Highlights of the collection include Nubian pottery, royal statues, and jewels; sarcophagi, statuary, and other treasures from ancient Egypt; a large collection of 17th-century Dutch paintings; and impressionist and post-impressionist work by artists such as Monet, Degas, Renoir, and van Gogh. The MFA also houses over 1,000 historical musical instruments and occasionally hosts lectures, demonstrations, and concerts featuring this unique collection. You could spend an entire day at the MFA and only scratch the surface, so consider stopping at the information desk for recommendations tailored to your interests.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Located in Fenway not far from the Museum of Fine Arts is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Isabella Stewart Gardner was an heiress and collector who built the museum in the style of a 15th-century Venetian palazzo to display her impressive collection. The museum opened in 1903 and Gardner’s will stipulated that her collection remain accessible “for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.”

Unlike traditional museums where the works are displayed in even rows, the Gardner’s rooms are stuffed with sumptuous furnishings and paintings crowding every wall. The low lighting and minimal signage give visitors the feeling of being in a private home rather than a museum. The galleries encircle a central courtyard featuring seasonal plantings, classical statuary, and a glass ceiling that fills the museum with natural light. Gardner’s collection includes works by Renaissance masters including Titian, Botticelli, and Michelangelo.

Unfortunately, some treasures from Gardner’s collection are missing: in 1990, two men broke into the museum, subdued the security guards, and stole thirteen objects. The stolen pieces range from low-value curios to celebrated masterpieces, and the thieves left other valuable works in the museum untouched. Fans of true crime will be intrigued to learn that the theft remains unsolved and none of the works have been recovered, despite a $10 million reward. The missing artwork includes Rembrandt’s only seascape and one of only 34 known paintings by Vermeer; the latter is thought to be the world’s most valuable unrecovered painting.

Boston Public Library

The Boston Public Library is the first large, free public library in the United States. Its first location opened to the public in 1854 in a former schoolhouse, but soon outgrew its quarters. The current Beaux-Arts building in Back Bay’s Copley Square has housed the library’s central branch since 1895. Described by early benefactors as a “palace for the people”, the building features an ornate facade, a vaulted marble interior, and murals by John Singer Sargent. The main reading room still contains the original oak bookcases, reading tables, and chairs from 1895. Visitors interested in learning more about the Central Library’s art and architecture can join free guided tours with library staff on select days each week.

The Central Library hosts numerous free events throughout the year, including author talks, concerts, exhibitions, and activities for kids and families. Some events have limited space, so check their event schedule and reserve a spot when planning your trip to Boston. Visitors to the Central Library can also enjoy an elegant English tea in the Courtyard Tea Room or a craft cocktail in the Map Room Tea Lounge, both tucked within the McKim Building’s historic spaces.

Bonus: The Boston Marathon Finish Line is located just outside the Public Library on Boylston Street.

Metropolitan Waterworks Museum

Boston boasts one of the first public water systems in the United States and preserves its history at the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum, located in Chestnut Hill. Beginning in 1887, the building served as a high-service pumping station delivering eight million gallons of water daily to Boston’s growing population. In 1889, the Water Board of the City of Boston established the first laboratory in the country dedicated to the biological analysis of drinking water at Chestnut Hill.

Today, museum visitors will see the enormous steam engines that pumped water from the adjacent Chestnut Hill Reservoir into the city. The museum is an intriguing stop for anyone interested in engineering, industrial history, or architecture: the Romanesque building bears similarities to cathedrals and castles, earning it the nickname “The Tabernacle of Steam”. Green space surrounds the reservoir and offers a relaxing place to picnic or watch the ducks. The 1.5-mile walking and biking path encircling the water is perfect for stretching your legs.

Arnold Arboretum

Continuing Boston’s list of “firsts”, the Arnold Arboretum is the oldest public arboretum in North America, established in 1872 when the estate of whaling merchant James Arnold entrusted Harvard College with a portion of his land. Following Arnold’s instructions, Harvard still uses the land for horticultural research and education, collecting trees and plants from the Eastern United States and East Asia and displaying them at the Arboretum. Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead designed the roads, pathways, and plots and incorporated the Arboretum into the Emerald Necklace, Boston’s chain of interconnected green spaces and parkways.

Today, the arboretum covers 281 acres in Boston’s residential Jamaica Plain neighborhood, contains around 400 species of plants, and is open daily and free to the public. The collections include lilacs, cherry trees, and crabapples whose blossoms fill the air with fragrance in spring, and many varieties of maple that turn fiery colors in the fall. The Arboretum is popular with locals and visitors alike for walking, biking, picnicking, photography, and wildlife viewing. You may catch a glimpse of rabbits and squirrels, migrating songbirds and waterfowl, great blue herons, giant snapping turtles, bullfrogs, and maybe even a coyote or fox.

Harvard Museum of Natural History

If you plan to visit Harvard’s campus during your trip to Boston, be sure to stop at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The museum offers public access to specimens and research from across the university, curated to spark curiosity about the natural world. One exhibit is truly unique: the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, also known as the Glass Flowers. It contains 4,300 scientific models of plants and flowers created over fifty years by a father-son duo of Czech glass artisans. In 1887, Harvard botany Professor George Lincoln Goodale commissioned the models in order to study and teach about plants year-round. The incredible level of detail, from petals to roots, brings these glass models to life.

Other highlights of the museum include its robust collection of rocks and minerals, both rough and polished, including an enormous amethyst geode. The gallery contains educational video displays on planetary science, as well as rock specimens that visitors can touch and feel. The museum also features jaw-dropping paleontological specimens, including a complete 42-foot-long marine reptile skeleton and early mammals from cat-sized deer to mammoths. Other mounted specimens include present-day birds, mammals, marine life, and insects from all over the world.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Dedicated in 1979, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum serves not only as an archive and public exhibit of the 35th president’s memorabilia and papers but also as the sole national memorial to President Kennedy. Architect I.M. Pei’s iconic glass pavilion overlooks Boston Harbor and stands as a testament to Kennedy’s achievements and legacy. The museum’s permanent collection guides visitors through Kennedy’s youth and college years, his 1960 presidential campaign, and his years in office. Visitors will learn about the creation of the Peace Corps, the growth of the U.S. space program, and JFK’s role in defusing the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The presidential library is situated directly on Boston’s Harborwalk, a 40-mile public walking path that follows the contours of Boston Harbor. After your visit to the museum, stretch your legs and take in the view, spotting public art installations along the way. Or, you can visit the nearby Commonwealth Museum on the University of Massachusetts’ Boston campus to learn even more about local history.

Boston Sports: Fenway Park and TD Garden

People know Boston for its history, and rightly so; but Boston is also a fantastic sports city. Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins supporters are some of the most energetic fans around, and you will not be disappointed if you decide to go to a game at Fenway Park or TD Garden. Opened in 1912, Fenway Park is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium still in operation.

Despite architectural quirks like rickety wooden grandstand seats, many with partially-obstructed views, Fenway Park holds the record for consecutive sold-out games. Fenway Park is home to traditions you won’t find anywhere else, such as singing Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline in the middle of the 8th inning. Its smaller size and old-timey features, such as a scoreboard still operated by hand on the famed “Green Monster,” give Fenway Park a charm all its own.

Bonus location: Don’t forget to check out the famous CITGO Sign on Beacon Street in Kenmore Square, which can be seen in the distance during Red Sox games.

TD Garden is another great destination for sports fans and concert goers alike. The NHL’s Boston Bruins and NBA’s Boston Celtics both call TD Garden home, and the venue also hosts collegiate championships, along with big-name musical and comedy acts. TD Garden is situated directly on top of the Boston subway’s North Station, making it easy to get to and from games.

There’s Something for Everyone in Boston

Boston is a well-rounded city, combining the historical and modern, the urban and the natural. It’s walkable and also has good public transit, making it easy to explore Boston’s many museums, parks, and historic sites. No matter your interests, you’ll find something to love about Boston!