Moon Boston

DISCOVER BOSTON

Welcome to Boston, a city on the cusp of its 400th birthday in 2030. While boldly looking forward to its future as the “new” Boston, it still warmly embraces its past—after all, this is the birthplace of the United States. Lace up a pair of comfortable shoes, grab a coffee, and meander the Freedom Trail to take in all 16 sites that commemorate the transformation of a rebellious group of colonies into a thriving global superpower.

History and higher education are Boston’s backbone. The New England city’s collegiate charm brings thousands of students to leafy campuses (and urban ones) around the metro area each fall. They are increasingly joined by a surge of new arrivals seeking employment in the region’s booming technology and health-care industries. James Beard Award-winning restaurants seem to pop up on every cobblestoned corner. Bostonians flock downtown throughout the year for beer gardens, piping hot “lobstah” rolls, food trucks, and summer concerts in the same spot that once housed never-ending traffic.

Despite its progressive vision of the future, Boston wants you to remember where it came from. From the snowy, gaslit streets of Beacon Hill to the Italian Renaissance architecture of Copley Square—and even its glassy skyline on the rise—Boston is a walk through history.

10 TOP EXPERIENCES

EXPLORE BOSTON

THE BEST OF BOSTON

DAY 1: BEACON HILL, GOVERNMENT CENTER, AND CHARLESTOWN

Any visit to Boston should start with the Freedom Trail, the city’s most popular tourist attraction. Grab a coffee and breakfast on Charles Street in Beacon Hill and wander a few blocks up Beacon Street along Boston Common, the starting point of the 2.5-mile (4-km) trail. Continue up Beacon to the gold-domed Massachusetts State House.

Following the redbrick course of the Freedom Trail will take most of the day. Stops eight and nine (Old City Hall and the Old South Meeting House) are in Downtown Crossing, an area of countless restaurants, bars, and cafés that’s a great spot to stop for lunch.

With some post-lunch pep in your step, head to the Old State House and the nearby monument to those who lost their lives in the Boston Massacre.

PUBLIC TRANSIT: If you want to skip some stops along the Freedom Trail, the Orange Line runs from State Station (below the Old State House) to Haymarket Station and North Station, the most convenient access points for the North End.

After the dose of colonial history, head up Congress Street to Boston’s City Hall. Marvel at the Brutalist architecture and then continue on the Freedom Trail into Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

After Faneuil Hall, head into the North End and Charlestown to round out the final portion of the Freedom Trail, a can’t-miss section that includes Paul Revere’s House and the USS Constitution. Be sure to save energy to return to the North End for dinner—Neptune Oyster is excellent for seafood, and any of the Hanover Street establishments are great for Italian. Dessert means making the decision between Mike’s Pastry and Modern Pastry for cannoli.

DAY 2: FENWAY, BACK BAY, AND SOUTH END

Hop on the Green Line to Kenmore Station and start your day with breakfast at Eastern Standard, conveniently located just above the station. Fueled up, head up Brookline Avenue to Fenway Park for an early tour of the country’s oldest ballpark. Save time for souvenir shopping along Jersey Street and to enjoy an early beer at Bleacher Bar (built directly into the stadium!) on Lansdowne Street.

You can get back on the T, but if weather permits, walk the 10-15 minutes from Kenmore Square into Back Bay along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, a leafy green space that runs the length of the neighborhood. Depending on your mood, the Charles River Esplanade is a great waterfront retreat where you can take a break from your morning strolling and touring. Veer one block to the south, and you’ll be in the heart of shopping and dining mecca Newbury Street.

PUBLIC TRANSIT: Back Bay is accessible from Kenmore Square via any of the inbound Green Line trains. Take the train from Kenmore Station to Hynes, Copley, or Arlington Station.

Commonwealth Avenue eventually runs directly into the Boston Public Garden, a picturesque spot filled with the fruits of some of the city’s top greenhouses. If weather isn’t ideal, grab a drink at the Four Seasons Boston to view the park from the dry indoors.

After the Public Garden, spend the afternoon visiting the attractions of nearby Copley Square. The Boston Public Library and Trinity Church are the most popular attractions in the neighborhood, while the Prudential Skywalk Observatory is literally the top view in town.

If you continue up Huntington Avenue, you can take a Boston Duck Tour departing from the Prudential Center. After you finish, walk down Dartmouth Street into the South End for eclectic dining and drinks in Boston’s quirky, off-the-beaten-path neighborhood.

PUBLIC TRANSIT: You can also take an E-branch Green Line train from Copley Square to Prudential for an easier commute to the Prudential Center.

DAY 3: CAMBRIDGE AND SEAPORT

Start your day with a coffee—it’s hard to avoid a Dunkin’ Donuts while in town—and make your way to South Station (or any Red Line station). Take the train to Harvard University—it’s time to see the “yahd.”

An hour at Harvard Yard is enough to take in the architecture of the buildings on the university’s main campus. If you’re able to spend more time, the Harvard Art Museums and the Harvard Museum of Natural History can easily fill the rest of your morning.

Once you’re done exploring campus, plan lunch in Harvard Square. Alden & Harlow is wonderful for weekend brunch, and Harvest is a great spot for lunch any day.

After getting some neighborhood bites, be sure to take time to explore Harvard Square’s bookstores and other independent retailers. Afterward, hop back on the Red Line to South Station. Once you’re back above ground, take a stroll along the Rose Kennedy Greenway and veer over to the Harborwalk. Take in the magnificent views of Boston Harbor, and as it gets closer to sundown, pop over to the Seaport neighborhood and enjoy drinks and dinner in Boston’s newest dining destination.

BOSTON WITH KIDS

Boston may be a hub of history and higher education, but it’s a great place to bring younger travelers, too. Stay at the Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge or the Colonnade Hotel on the Back Bay/South End border in Boston for kid-friendly accommodations. The latter has a rooftop pool that is great for all ages in warmer months.

DAY 1

The Boston Public Market is a great foodie start to a day with children, as the numerous vendors at the food hall offer variety for all tastes and ages. After the morning nosh, stroll south down the Rose Kennedy Greenway and stop at the carousel near Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The carousel features animals native to Boston (such as the lobster and cod, as well as the skunk and harbor seal). Upon reaching Milk Street, turn left and enjoy time at Long Wharf, particularly at the New England Aquarium. The aquarium is a choose-your-own adventure attraction: You can pop in for a quick flick at the IMAX or spend a few hours watching the penguins and sea lions and vibrant marine life in the four-story Giant Ocean Tank. Take it into the wild and save time for one of the aquarium’s whale-watches, which sail daily (except in winter) from Long Wharf.

Walk the Harborwalk along Boston Harbor from the aquarium to Congress Street and turn left and cross over the Fort Point Channel. A variety of restaurants along the way are perfect for lunch, including a seasonal snack bar at the giant Hood Milk bottle outside the Boston Children’s Museum. Fueled up, you’re ready for the museum—the interactive exhibits on all levels of the facility (the nation’s second oldest of its kind) will easily take up an entire afternoon, so plan accordingly.

After wrapping up at the museum, stick around Fort Point and the Seaport for dinner, as seafood spots like The Barking Crab are fun options with outdoor seating.

DAY 2

Grab a coffee near North Station and take the Green Line one stop up to the Museum of Science. The 700 exhibits at the museum on the Charles River keep many a scientific mind engaged for hours. After time indoors, head outside and hop aboard Boston Duck Tours for a ride through Boston that ultimately winds up in the Charles! These amphibious vehicles get you and your family up close to all of Boston’s top attractions, including the river. Kids even get the opportunity to drive the boat while in the water.

Once you finish at the Museum of Science, you can wander over to nearby Kendall Square in Cambridge for lunch. Catalyst is a local favorite for sandwiches and other lunch staples. Afterward, hop on the Red Line to Park Street and walk up to Boston Common. On nicer days, the Common is a great spot to relax and kill time. Keep walking along the trails across Charles Street and into the Boston Public Garden. There are many ways to spend your time in the BPG, but with kids, be sure to check out the Make Way for Ducklings statue, in honor of the children’s book of the same name about a family of ducks who lived in the Public Garden. Also go on a ride on the Swan Boats, which have been city staples since 1877.

Hop on the Green Line afterward and head to Government Center. Once there, walk across City Hall Plaza to Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Stroll the cobblestones and take in the numerous street performers and vendors, which will entertain your whole brood. Afterward, do dinner in the North End. The Original Regina Pizzeria is particularly family friendly; afterward, be sure to stop by Mike’s Pastry or Modern Pastry for cannoli.

PUBLIC TRANSIT: All inbound Green Line trains head from Arlington Station at the Boston Public Garden to Government Center. C- and E-branch Green Line trains will go one stop farther to Haymarket, if you want to skip Faneuil Hall and go directly to the North End.

WELCOME TO HIGHER ED AND “THE HUB OF THE UNIVERSE”

Many visitors to Boston are vying to get into one of the city’s top institutions of higher education. While there are colleges spread across the city, most are found near a Green or Red Line T stop. Staying at a downtown hotel like the Omni Parker House, Godfrey Hotel, or Ritz-Carlton Boston puts you near Park Street, where the Green and Red Lines intersect.

DAY 1

Get an early start and take the Green Line to Boston College (BC). By taking the B branch of the Green Line, you also go through Boston University’s more urban campus on a local-style service with multiple stops. For visitors wishing for express, take the D Line to Reservoir Station and take a BC shuttle from the station directly to Boston College’s leafy, neo-Gothic campus.

Boston’s hub-and-spoke design to its train system makes it difficult to quickly travel from BC to Harvard. The 86 bus runs from Reservoir Station to Harvard Station, but Uber is usually the most efficient way to travel between the two schools. Lunch options are more prevalent in Harvard Square and will fuel you up before exploring Harvard Yard, the square, and the school’s picturesque swath of Charles River waterfront.

Take the Red Line from Harvard to Kendall Square Station. Catch a late-afternoon tour of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and be sure to check out the Great Dome and Killian Court. While these areas are impressive on their own, they also offer an incredible view of Boston’s Back Bay and downtown skyline from across the Charles. Having worked up an appetite, you should certainly afford time to explore Kendall Square, where a rapidly growing dining scene looks to catch the dollars of all the life science and tech companies in the area. Café ArtScience is great for the daring gourmand, while Smoke Shop proves Boston can do barbecue.

DAY 2

Hop into a rental car or ride-share and head to Brandeis University in Waltham for a morning tour. Reserve extra time in your day to tour the school’s Rose Art Museum, which features over 6,000 works from such names as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Waltham is on Route 128, and it’s just a 12-minute jaunt north to the Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord. Add this historical detour to your college trip, and plan for lunch in the suburbs.

Head back toward the city and visit Tufts University in Medford. The research university is well regarded for its international relations programs as well as its medical school in the heart of downtown Boston. Tufts is also known for its undergraduate and graduate visual arts program affiliated with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Walk to nearby Davis Square in Somerville for a variety of restaurant and bar options.

Take the Red Line from Davis (if you aren’t using a car) to the JFK/UMass stop in Dorchester. Enjoy a late-afternoon tour of the University of Massachusetts-Boston, which shares a peninsula with the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The former commuter school is rapidly growing to include on-campus housing and is now a notable landmark along Boston Harbor. Save room for dinner at a nearby Dorchester establishment, such as Dbar.

DAY 3

Start your morning in the city’s Fenway neighborhood exploring Northeastern University,