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Boston has plenty to offer to the visitor, be it historical sites and buildings, excellent museums and galleries, exciting markets and shopping arcades.
One of the best ways to see Boston is to take the Freedom Trail, a 2.5 mil walking tour, marked by a red line on the sidewalk. The tour takes you past sixteen important historic sites and begins from the visitor center at the Boston Common, one of the oldest public parks of the US and the heart of the city. On this tour, you are likely to visit the Massachusetts State House with its magnificent gilded dome and the Park Street Church where William Lloyd Garrison initiated his campaign to free slaves and where the hymn America was first sung. Adjacent to the church lies the Granary Burying Ground where heroes like Paul Revere and Samuel Adams are buried.
Two important stops on this tour are at the Old South Meeting House, a church built in 1729 where the patriots met to plan their revolution and the Old State House, the base of the colonial government from 1713 till the Revolution. A ring of stones marks the spot outside the State House where the Boston Massacre took place.
Faneuil Hall, another stop on the tour was once the meeting place for the Revolutionaries. Built in 1742, it has served both as marketplace and meeting hall over the years -- even today, election debates are held here.
Paul Revere House, one of the oldest buildings in Boston pays tribute to the hero who risked his life by riding all night to Lexington to warn of imminent British attack. Not very far is the Old North Church where Paul Revere hung two lanterns on the night of his famous ride (April 18, 1775) to alert Cambridge residents regarding the attack.
Across the Charlestown Bridge are two other sites of the Freedom Trail – the USS Constitution, the U.S Navy's oldest commissioned ship that played a major role in the War of 1812. The Constitution Museum details the history of the ship. The other site is the Bunker Hill Monument, built on the spot of a fierce battle between the British forces and revolutionaries on June 17, 1775.
Another attractive trail is the Black Heritage Trail, which focuses on important sites in black history. Slavery was first declared illegal in Massachusetts and is home to many important landmarks. The trail begins at Boston Commons and includes sites such as the Abiel Smith School with its Museum of Afro-American History, the African Meeting House, the Massachusetts 54th regiment monument and houses which sheltered runaway slaves.
No visit to Boston is complete if you do not visit Cambridge where the country's oldest university Harvard University is located. Cambridge lies just across the Charles River and exudes an exceptionally lively air. Harvard Square is bustling with activity and it is a treat just to sit in one of the terrace cafes and watch the young people go by! Rummage through the bookstores and pick up that book you always wanted. There are several excellent art museums -- the Fogg Art Museum, the Buscsh-Reisinger Museum and the Arthur M Sackler Museum. The other famous educational institute here is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- visit the MIT Museum here.
Other attractions in Boston include the Children's Museum, the Computer Museum, the New England Aquarium and the Boston Center for Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts.
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