10 Best Things to do in Boston for First Timers!

There are lots of fun things to do in Boston, Massachusetts! The city shares many cultural similarities with its greater New England region. Personally, we find Boston to be a quaint city with many beautiful historic buildings and sites. And it was a surreal experience exploring the campuses of prestigious universities like Harvard and MIT. We spent two days exploring this interesting city, and based on our own experience we have compiled a list of 10 best things to do in Boston for tourists visiting the first time. Also read: 12 Best Places to Eat in Boston, USA

1. Prestigious Universities

Harvard University Campus

John Harvard Statue

It is every nerdy Asian kid’s dream to study at Harvard University. While I didn’t manage to fulfil my lofty aspiration, I was lucky enough to at least check out the school campus during my time in Boston. It was pretty surreal to roam the hallowed grounds of Harvard. As I walked around the large and beautiful campus, I imagined myself to be a student here, rushing for my next computing class with Mr Mark Zuckerberg.

We saw the famous John Harvard statue in Harvard yard, and overheard a campus tour student guide saying that it also known as the “statue of three lies”. Firstly, the statue isn’t even John Harvard. Secondly, John Harvard was not the founder of Harvard University. Lastly, the school was not founded in 1638 but in 1636 instead. You can read more here about The 3 Lies of Harvard. Many tourists like to rub the left foot of the statue for good luck, but I wouldn’t recommend this because there are rumours of students peeing on the foot at night. Why you ask? Well because they are college kids.

After a long walk around the campus, we went to Harvard Square to get some food. This is a plaza with many restaurants, coffee houses, bookstores and shops. We grabbed a slice of pizza at the famous pizza joint OTTO Pizza, and had a sumptuous burger at Mr Bartley’s.

Other than Harvard, we also went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Berklee College of Music. Being an avid lover of music (other than dreaming of going to Harvard, I also had goals to become a guitar-wielding rockstar), it was a special experience for me to visit Berklee. Famous ex-students include John Mayer, Charlie Puth, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Wang Leehom, and more! While it wasn’t a large campus with expansive green lawns, it was still very cool to see the students going to class with musical instruments in their hands instead of books. We sneaked around the building and saw students practicing in music studios with sophisticated recording equipment.

2. Newbury Street

Church of the Covenant

Newbury Street is a mile-long thoroughfare lined with charming 19th-century brownstone buildings. There are hundreds of shops and restaurants here, making it a great place to shop and eat. We also saw the majestic Church of the Covenant, a historic Gothic Revival architecture built in 1867.

Website: www.newbury-st.com

3. Boston Public Library

The Boston Public Library is the second-largest public library in USA, behind only the Library of Congress. However, the main reason why we visited was to check out the beautiful Bates Hall, one of the most recognizable halls with its green lamps, majestic barrel-arched ceiling, brown oak bookcases, and busts of famous figures. We took several photos here but had to be really quiet so that we would’t disturb the people reading/ studying. Besides Bates Hall, the rest of the library interior is quite beautiful too.

Boston Public Library
Opening Hours: | Mon to Thur: 9am – 9pm | Fri to Sat: 9am – 5pm | Sun: 1pm – 5pm |
Website: www.bpl.org

4. Copley Square

Copley Square is a public square with a beautiful green lawn. It is a great place to sit and people watch, and is adjacent to the Trinity Church. We did not go into the church but were very much impressed by the beautiful facade of this Romanesque architecture built in 1877.

If you like shopping, Copley Place is a five-minute walk away. This high-end shopping mall offers luxury brands like Christian Louboutin, Tiffany’s, Jimmy Choo, Ferragamo, Saint Laurent, Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton, etc. It is conveniently connected to the Westin, Marriott, and Sheraton hotels. This is a good place to stay for the deep-pocketed travellers (unfortunately we were not one of them).

Copley Place
Address: 100 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116, USA
Website: www.simon.com/mall/copley-place

5. Faneuil Hall Marketplace

One of our favourite places in Boston is the bustling Faneuil Hall Marketplace! This is a festival marketplace with over 100 restaurants and retail shops. There are many events and street performances here too. Faneuil Hall Marketplace consists of four buildings:

• Fanueil Hall
• North Market
• South Market
• Quincy Market

Faneuil Hall is a historic building that was built by businessman Peter Faneuil in 1743. It served as a marketplace and meeting hall. It is also known as “The Cradle of Liberty” due to many famous political speeches made here. Due to its historical significance, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

We enjoyed some of the food at the food hall in Quincy Market, indulging in the clam chowder from Boston Chowda and scrumptious pizza from Pizzeria Regina.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Address: 4 S Market St, Boston, MA 02109, USA
Website: https://faneuilhallmarketplace.com

6. Boston Common and Public Garden

“Soldiers and Sailors Monument” at Boston Common

Boston Public Garden

“Equestrian Statue of George Washington” at Boston Public Garden

Boston Common and Public Garden are two beautiful public parks in Boston that are adjacent to each other.

Boston Common (also known as “the Common”) was built in 1634 and is one of the oldest parks in USA. We enjoyed walking around Boston Common and revelling in the the tranquil greenery. We came across the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, built to commemorate the Massachusetts soldiers and sailors who died in the American Civil War. The monument was completed in 1877 and is built in the neoclassical style, with a victory column carved of white granite. We also saw the popular Frog Pond, an ice skating rink. As it was winter, we saw many people having fun skating in the rink.

After spending some time at Boston Common, we went on to Boston Public Garden. Also known as the “Public Garden”, it was completed in 1837, and is a more manicured park. Over here, we saw the imposing Equestrian Statue of George Washington. This charming statue was completed in 1869 and stands at almost 12 metres tall.

7. Beacon Hill

Acorn Street

Massachusetts State House

Beacon Hill is a historic neighbourhood known for its Federal-style houses, gaslit streets and brick sidewalks. Today, it is one of the most expensive residential districts in Boston. One of the most famous spots here is Acorn Street, which is a small lane paved with cobblestones. This was indeed a quaint and pretty street, though we felt that it was slightly over-rated. Elfreth’s Alley in Philadelphia was significantly more charming.

The Massachusetts State House is a Government building located in Beacon Hill. It houses the Massachusetts General Court and the offices of the Governor of Massachusetts. Completed in 1798, it is considered a masterpiece of Federal architecture. It was designated a National Historic Landmark for its architectural significance. This was a majestic building and we were very much impressed by its beautiful design.

8. New England Holocaust Memorial

The New England Holocaust Memorial is a memorial built in memory of Jews who were killed during the Holocaust. It was erected in 1995. It consists of six glass towers, each symbolising a different major extermination camp, but can also be taken to mean the six million Jews killed, or the six years that the genocide took place (1939 to 1945).

We passed by the memorial every day on our way back to our hotel, and it was a disquieting experience to be reminded of the horrors of the Holocaust. It was especially sobering to read the “First they came …” poem engraved on the memorial. At first, we thought that the glass panes of the towers were frosted, but on closer look we realised that they were etched with numbers (six million in all), once again representing the number of Jews exterminated in the camps. Beneath the towers, warm steam rises through metal grates from coals underneath the ground, forming a sight that is both beautiful and melancholic.

One can only pray that humanity does not go through such a dark phase again. You can read more about the memorial here.

9. North End

Statue of Paul Revere

The Daily Catch

The North End is the oldest neighbourhood in Boston. There are plenty of restaurants, shops, and tourist attractions here. The area is famous for its Italian American population and Italian restaurants.

Over here, we saw the Old North Church, (officially the “Christ Church in the City of Boston”). The church was built in 1723 and is the oldest church in Boston. It is a National Historic Landmark. Near the church is the Statue of Paul Revere, built in 1940. This beautiful equestrian statue commemorates patriot Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride to alert the American colonial soldiers of approaching British forces in 1775.

A popular attraction in North End is the Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, a family-friendly park with green lawns, trees, great waterfront views and a beautiful wisteria walkway. There is also a playground for kids to run about and burn off their energy.

Another interesting spot is the Copp’s Hill Burying Ground. This historic cemetery was established over 350 years ago! There are many interesting plaques here that provide a history of events in Boston.

The North End is also known for its many great restaurants! Our favourite restaurant in Boston, The Daily Catch, is located over here at Hanover Street. Other wonderful eateries include Mike’s Pastry and Neptune Oyster.

Website: www.northendboston.com

10. The Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail is a 4km long path that passes by 16 locations important to the history of the United States. Many of the attractions mentioned in this article are part of the trail: Boston Common, Massachusetts State House, Faneuil Hall, Old North Church and Copp’s Hill Burying Ground. We did not follow the path exactly because we were not interested in some of the locations on the path. If you are interested, you can check out this article that gives a detailed description of each location on the Freedom Trail.

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate Boston Travel Guide for First Timers. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?