If you want choices, Boston’s got ’em. Whatever you prefer — strolling through gardens, exploring museums, watching live sports, sightseeing (in land and water), shopping, or wandering through historic neighborhoods — this city has something for you.
Dotted with tulips, covered in snow, choked with tourists, or framing a wedding party, Boston’s Public Garden is unforgettable in any season. The first botanical garden in the country, established in the mid–19th century, is also home to an admirably diverse collection of statuary.
Two of the best art museums around are in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood — they even share a T stop (cleverly named “Museum”). The Museum of Fine Arts offers an incredibly wide-ranging overview; the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum focuses on European and American works beloved by its founder and eponym.
A visit to Fenway Park incorporates the past, present, and future of baseball. The oldest park in the major leagues is home to the recent World Series champs. Maybe you heard that the 86-year title drought ended in 2004 — or maybe you heard the baseball fans of New England cheering (they were that loud). The team’s visionary owners constantly introduce new features, from seating in unusual places (such as the top of the left-field wall called the Green Monster) to year-round tours.
The Red Sox celebrated its big win with a huge parade on amphibious sightseeing vehicles, or “ducks.” You can take the same ride. A Boston Duck Tour explores the city and then hops into the water for a cruise around the Charles River Basin. It’s a unique perspective and an entertaining experience. (Singing “We Are the Champions” is optional — but please don’t.)
Shopping on Newbury Street, the “Rodeo Drive of New England,” can cost as little or as very, very much as you like. Take the window- shopping and people-watching route or wear out your gold card at a dazzling variety of stores and boutiques.
Sightseeing is great, but sometimes a little loitering can be even better. A picnic lunch near the river or the harbor, or an aimless walk through an unfamiliar neighborhood (try the North End or Beacon Hill), can show you aspects of Boston that a guided tour can’t. Build a little down time into your travel schedule; you won’t regret it.
