A Walking Tour of Boston - Charlestown (Look Up, America!)

Charlestown trek

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You won't need it, and it'll be a terrible waste of your time and cause you hours of frustration trying to find your way around. This article was started in February All the information was correct at that time, and I have done my best to update it as programs have changed over the years. Usually, people let me know by adding a comment or sending me an email.

This is good, and I appreciate it. However, if you intend to make use of any of the programs, please double-check first to ensure the program is still being offered or restrictions have not been introduced which could prohibit your eligibility for a free program. I believe this to be the most complete list of free things to do in Boston you'll find on the web, and I'd like to keep adding to it as well as keep it accurate, so please keep sending in corrections. I have 2 boys, 15 and 16 years old.

They want to visit Boston for a couple of days. Do you have any advice and hotel suggestions that are walkable? Sign in or sign up and post using a HubPages Network account. Comments are not for promoting your articles or other sites. Loved your enticing website.. Never been to Boston but when I get there in October will just start for the freedom trail and see how I would diverse from it Too many good sites and it is going to be a challenge to see and get to them..

Not a walker but I better practice doing that. This is a fantastic find for me! We are planning a trip to Boston this summer and this Hub will help us plan our itinerary. Thank you so much! I vacationed in Boston, a few years back, it was the best vacation I ever had visiting a city, there is so much history there, I highly recommend visiting there! I went to Boston last year and I want to go back soon. Can't wait to try all the stuff that's on your list I haven't done yet! The Harvard Art Museums are closed for renos and will be opening back up in and the ICA is free the last Saturday of every month for families, except in December: Thank you for comment Emmett.

Yes, it is my favorite city and I love to find out new things about it. Addison, You make Boston seem like the best place in the US. Glad you have a zeal for it. Addison, Don't worry, I always check before I go somewhere. I know things change over time. I think it is smart that you have the disclaimer, though.

And thank you for the welcome! Well, next time you come back there may be Sorry to disappoint you with more information than you expected: But as I said in my disclaimer do check things out first if you can. Hate to disappoint you. Wow, this is a long and informative post! It's cool that you posted it years ago, and it is still getting views. I just moved to Boston recently, so I'll have to review this in the future when I want to see what there is to do around here.

The mapparium is a great destination at the Christian Science Center. It used to be free when I was in College but might be a small fee now. It is well worth it. Thanks for such an informative hub. I grew up just outside of Boston. It's a wonderful city. Also the steps at City Hall. My playground as a child, teen, and adult. Thanks for all of the great tips! We are a family with a tween and love to travel the world. I usually put together a list like this for every city we visit. I live here and this is a good list. I am sending it to some of my less knowledgeable Boston friends to use as a cheat sheet when their relatives and friends come to town.

There is free swing dancing every Wednesday at MIT from 9 to Lessons before it start at 7pm. That is the most fun free event in Boston. Just moved to Boston area and this list has been a great guide to helping me explore the city! It's located right across from the Cambridgeside Mall and is a pretty short walk from the T station. Right on the other of the T you can see Beacon Hill. It makes for an easy and fun day for all parties involved. I'm planning a trip to Boston soon so this saved me a lot of time on researching. What's the best bang for the buck in attempting to get a glimpse of Boston?

We have 5 daylight hours on a Monday before heading to the airport back to Texas. I am a middle school Science teacher who'll be there in mid-October with my husband Architect and son high school Senior. Thanks for your input. We won't dare sleep late in the hotel! Thanks so much for this informative list! I'm very glad to find your list.

Boston in One Day Sightseeing Tour

It's so timely as I'll take my family to visit Boston and Cape Cod next week. Thanks so much for taking the time to compile the list. Great information on the Boston area! Thanks for this, I am forwarding it on to some visitors to the area. Wow, I live in Boston and still had to look-up some cheap things to do today with my nephew. I love to fish and can do this for free either at Castle Island or Black Falcon, but not when it's raining as it is today! I love the fact that the Library gives free Museum and Aquarium passes!

Thanks for the reminder. I just moved to Boston and can't wait to check out all of these places. Is thank you enough to say to all of you? But i do thank you all sooooo much it is amazing there.: I lived in Boston for 2 years as a student, so a lot of things were free to me and never knew about the free passes offered by the BPL - thanks for that, as I'll be taking my 3 kids to the Aquarium this afternoon courtesy of my new membership! We'll also be chacking out Quincy Market as it is Wednesday. Boston is one place on my list that I definitely want to visit for an extended period of time!

Thanks for this amazing hub. I have been in the Boston area for 3 years now and have visited most of the things on your list and it is right on. The Arnold Arboretum Harvard University should be added to the list. It can be accessed by the Orange Line.

Experience

Wonderderful walk for spring, summer and fall. Thanks for all your helpful tips. Walking is definitely the way to explore Boston and its free. I was there last month to take my daughter to college and had the chance to explore few of the sites that was mention. I will be back and do the other places mentioned. Thanks to the people that provided recent corrections to some of the material on this site. I have updated the site to reflect these changes and added in a disclaimer on the hub for materials here for future reference. Great list, but one correction: It's also free to Bank of America card holders on the first weekends of every month.

Don't miss the world famous Glass Flowers, dinosaurs, hundreds of animals, minerals, meteorites, new exhibits Headgear, Language of Color, more. I'm planning a trip in September to see Boston and have been reviewing and researching the information you have provided. Hi, Thanks for the information. We are arriving into Boston on Tuesday and would love you to check out our facebook page ' Youdecidewhere'. We are travelling across America via socail networking and its The Americans that decide what we do.

We would love suggestions of great things to do in Boston for 3 days thast a little bit different. Thank you for sharing this post.

Although I have no plans of getting anywhere near Boston in the very near future, this info is surely nice to know tidbits about Boston. Definitely, there's more to Boston than the Boston Celtics! Love your list of Things to Do in Boston! Another resources for Boston activities is FunFix:. I went to the free tour you mentioned at the Boston Public Library. It was definitely worth it.

Our guide was exceedingly informative, and the art and architecture are spectacular. And the price is right! The Gibson House on Commonwealth Avenue is a great museum of a house that has been kept exactly the same as it was back in the day.

I would go in the cooler months though, because since it's the same, they don't have air conditioning. I had no idea that you can get free tickets from the library! I am a student, and cash is really tight, I look forward to it. The only suggestion i have is to include Castle Island in South Boston - so much history, it's fun to watch the planes take off from logan and watch the boats on the water, there are even tours of the castle from time to time - don't forget to walk the sugar bowl, and you can't go without stopping and getting a hot dog with everything and ice cream from Sullivan's.

Select date and participants:

My husband and I are visiting Boston in June, the first time for each of us. I'm glad I found this list!!! Thank you for compiling it and publishing it for the rest of us to enjoy! This is a very informative list. Thank you so much for taking the time to put this together. It was really helpful and useful for my family. It is well written and you didn't miss a thing! Going to Boston for the first time over the 4th of July for a union convention. I'm not an experienced traveler but I've learned to Google "Things to do in Can't wait to share this with my daughter who is going with me so we can plan our days.

As a matter of fact Betty look for a new hub soon from me with a resource to another of my favorite spots in New England. I am so glad to have come upon your site because you have given me many new ideas for my future visits to Boston I'll use this myself although I've been living just outside Boston proper for many years. With three children, I'll take advantage of these free activities. Wait just a few weeks for it to warm up and the flowers to bloom in the Public Gardens - you know how great it looks then. Fantastic hub, full of information. I have never been to Boston, but will use this hub as a guide if I ever do.

Don't worry Jim I'm still finding stuff - free and paid - so missing places like you say is just an excuse to come back and visit again. We obviously missed some things last time we were in Boston! Sounds like another trip is in order! Thanks for your positive comments Sarah Marie and Amy Jane. I'm glad you both found it a useful guide. So glad Boston's now made it onto your wish list John. It was fun writing about a city I've come to know and love and exploring again some of the places I've visited many times with my family. Thank you Addison, this defiantly puts Boston on my wish list for a visit, with that great information I feel I know the place already.

Thanks for feedback Andrea - we tend to get even prouder when a New York sport's team is in town. Now I see why everyone from Boston is so proud of their city! Great job showing the highlights. I feel like I've been given a private tour package from an expensive private guide. Yes, Boston can be pricey for accommodation, especially in the downtown and harbor areas.

Look towards Back Bay and Copley Square areas as they tend to be more reasonably priced. I tend to steer people towards Trip Advisor as a site for checking out lodging as it contains reviews written by regular people. You can find it here: Wow, Cliff, this is such an informative page! My sister is getting married this summer and Boston was on their short list for a honeymoon trip.

I'll certainly send her a link to this page! By the way, they were concerned with the high cost of hotel rooms in Boston. Any chance you've done some investigating about good, lower cost places to stay? Glad you enjoyed it Vic. It is a wonderful city to visit - except in the winter. For three months of the year life can be a little miserable. So come and see us any other months and you'll see Boston at it's best.

What can I say that hasn't already been expressed above other than to say that your delivery of the information made it just that much more enjoyable. I will definitely be adding Boston to my list of cities I want to visit during my travels. That's a lot of information. I was going to buy a guidebook before my trip out to bean-town this spring, but with this hubpage, I think I'm good to go! I've never been to Boston, but it's certainly added to my list of places now.

You've really covered all of the angles with your map, the videos and even the free things to do. Haven't been to Boston in years,but remember it fondly and this was not only a trip down memory lane for me but a great resource for my next visit. Thanks so much for putting it all together in such an informative, easy to read way. Thank you for your comments Black Pearl. Maybe I'm biased but I've visited a number of cities around the world and I just find Boston so approachable and not at all overwhelming.

Glad that came across in my selections and writing. Excellent, very informative hub. I have been to Boston as a tourist and from work and I agree with you, the best way to take in everything in Boston is to WALK and as you noted it is free, but in many instances it is faster also. You have done a great job of covering all the areas and love the videos. This is a very informative hubber! Haven't been there yet, but hope to some day.

Will definitely keep all of your suggestions, thanks! Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. HubPages and Hubbers authors may earn revenue on this page based on affiliate relationships and advertisements with partners including Amazon, Google, and others. To provide a better website experience, wanderwisdom. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so. For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: A Little Bit of Bostonian History If you're a newbie to Boston, you may want to read the following quick history and watch the video below, as it shows many of the places listed here.

Just follow the red-bricked trail as it winds its way through 16 historical sites, including: The Black Heritage Trail Beacon Hill Beacon Hill is a distinctive Boston neighborhood with alleys, walled gardens and narrow, cobbled streets lined with original gas lights. The Irish Heritage Trail Downtown Neighborhoods Since colonial times, Boston has had a thriving Irish population which has shaped the art and political traditions of the city.

Boston and Cambridge welcome guests to Freedom Trail, Old Ironsides and more

Bunker Hill Monument Charlestown The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, , and is mostly remembered because of the legendary command, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes! Constitution Charlestown Navy Yard This vessel was built in Boston and launched in to provide protection for American ships sailing the North African coast. Catch a Free, Guided Tour Some buildings and places are so immense or significant that having a knowledgeable guide can really help you to appreciate them fully, and the sites on this list definitely fall into that category.

Boston Public Library Copley Square The Boston Public Library in Copley Square is much more than just a collection of books, although if you measured it purely by its number of rare volumes, it would stand out as one of the greatest collections in the world. Massachusetts State House Beacon Hill Charles Bullfinch's masterpiece sits on top of Beacon Hill and is the oldest surviving building in the area. The Custom House Boston Harbor This landmark building is one of the more distinctive shapes in the harbor area and used to be the tallest skyscraper in Boston. Massachusetts Historical Society Back Bay The Massachusetts Historical Society collects, preserves and makes available to the public manuscripts and artifacts related to the state.

MIT Campus Tour Cambridge The Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus in Cambridge is spread out over a huge area and encompasses unusual architectural styles, art collections and a crazy numbering scheme for its buildings. Family Fun at No Cost I don't know about you, but every activity I do with my kids seems to empty out my wallet, and then they want to eat.

New England Aquarium Central Wharf In the summer school vacation months, this place is better described as a "zoo" rather than an aquarium.

Stargaze at Coit Observatory Boston University Looking for a heavenly experience after an early dinner on a cloudless Wednesday evening? Free on Wednesday from 4: The public library free-ticket program works here. Harvard University Art Museums: Free on Saturday from Harvard Museum of Natural History: Free to Massachusetts residents on Sunday from 9: Also free to Bank of America cardholders on the first weekends of every month. Institute of Contemporary Art: Free on Thursday from 5: Peabody Essex Museum Salem: Free on the first Friday of the month from 5: Commonwealth Museum Columbia Point: Harvard Square Entertainment Cambridge Just a short "T" ride across the Charles River to Cambridge and Harvard Square, and you're planted in a different world of cafes, shops and meeting places with students and plenty of atmosphere.

Catch a Boston Event Citywide The diversity of Boston and its heritage means there's always a parade, street festival or concert performance going on in the city most months. Here's a quick rundown of just a few of the free events to do in Boston from spring through fall: Reenactment of Boston Massacre: March 5th at the Old State House St. Visitors fire a cannon, swing in a hammock, or command the USS Constitution in battle using a computer.

November 1-March 31, daily, Thursday-Sunday, 10 a. Guided tours are available at the site, covering the house and neighborhood, where President John F.

A City With Rich Historical Significance

Kennedy was born in The First One Hundred Years. Grounds are accessible year-round, the house is open May through October. Because of the size of the house, tours are limited to nine visitors; larger groups will be divided into tours of nine. Please allow for a one-hour visit. This historic site transports you back to one of those moments in time that changed America and set its course for independence in Your one hour tour is educational and highly entertaining and will make history come alive as you step right into the scene from that fateful night.

Built in , this marketplace and meeting area became a focal point of discussion and protest against the British government during the colonial era. Historical talks are held daily in what has become known as the "Cradle of Liberty. The Marketplace is a treasure trove for shopping and dining in the Greek Revival-style Quincy Market filled with 45 international eateries and the flanking North and South Market buildings with 80 specialty shops. Still in use today, the oldest church in Boston was built in The building played a truly reknowned role during the Revolution as the spot where lanterns were hung -- "one if by land, two if by sea" -- to warn about the approach of British troops.

Closed to Visitors on Thanksgiving and Christmas. A historic double whammy, this site was headquarters for George Washington in and It was author Longfellow's home in June 1-October 28; Visitor Center hours are 9: Free minute guided house tours are offered at 10 and 11 a. House tours are offered on a first-come first-served basis.

The gardens and grounds are free and open to the public year-round from dawn to dusk every day. Monument marks the site of the Bunker Hill skirmish, one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War, which took place on June 17, Open daily from 9 a. Last climb at 4: Summer July - August open 9 a. Last climb at 5: Recognized as one of the most significant buildings in America, Trinity Church took shape on marshland in Boston's Back Bay in the s.

Built in , the church was designed by H. Richardson, and is a prime example of the Romanesque architectural style. Founded as the first Anglican Church in America in , this became the site of the country's first Unitarian church soon after the Revolution. Group tours offered daily. See schedule at http: Guided tours of this floating museum focus on the history and active duty life of this World War II destroyer.

This ship may be in dry dock for repairs. Call ahead for information on making a visit. The oldest building in downtown Boston, built in , was also home to Paul Revere; whose patriotic ride is one of the most famous events of the Revolutionary War. The average visit is minutes depending on the time of year. There are no public restrooms or telephones on the site. November 1-April 14, 9: It is today a showcase of black community organization in the formative years of the new republic. The Meeting House was the host to giants in the Abolitionist Movement who were responsible for monumental historical events.

It is part of boston's Black Heritage Trail. Year-round, Monday through Saturday, 10 a. Open daily, 9 a. Tours offered; consult website for details Information: The family's experience represented and shaped important events in Unilted States history. The park preserves the properties of four generations of the Adams family to educate and inspire current and future generations.

Season is April 19 through November 10; daily, 9 a. Homes open by guided tour only; tour is 2 hours. Last daily tour leaves at 3: America's oldest university and one of the world's most revered learning institutions, Harvard has given degrees to some of the nation's most important historical figures. Free campus tours are available regularly. Many of the sites are open to the public and are listed separately here. The the walk includes the following:

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