Making a day trip to Boston? Whether you’re more in the mood to mix and match, or you’re the ambitious traveler who wants to see them all, here are the top attractions in Boston:
Museum of Fine Arts & Fenway Park
Start your day off with two of Boston’s biggest attractions: The Museum of Fine Arts and Fenway Park. They’re only separated by a 15 minute walk, so it’s easy to visit both in the morning before continuing on with your sightseeing in the city.
The Museum of Fine Arts almost needs no introduction. Over one million visitors come into the museum each year; they see over 450,000 works of art, and are able to take advantage of special exhibits, films, and over 4 different dining experiences, just to name a few. When you visit, make sure to walk around the newly renovated Art of the Americas Wing and the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art.
Once you make your way over to Fenway Park, catch a Fenway Park Tour to see such famous Fenway sights as the Green Monster and the Lone Red Seat without having to pay for tickets to a game.
Transportation: For the Museum of Fine Arts, take Boston’s the E Train on Boston’s Green Line to the Museum of Fine Arts stop; for Fenway, take any of Boston’s green line trains (EXCEPT the E train) to Kenmore Station.
Boston Common, the Freedom Trail, & Downtown Boston
Downtown Boston is home to the majority of the city’s major historical sites and popular attractions; you’ll definitely want to head to this part of the city during your day trip, but if you plan on visiting other parts of the city, it’s smart to place your visit to this area in the middle of your day due to its central location and the overwhelming number of train and bus stops in the area.
Start this part of your day by visiting Boston Common and Boston Public Garden. The Boston Common, or simply the Common as us locals call it, is the nation’s oldest public park, and is full of countless historical landmarks. It’s also the starting point for many Boston Freedom Trail Tours, such as the Freedom Trail Walk Into History Tour. This tour in particular is led by famous patriots (such as Abigail Adams) who impart a world of knowledge regarding Boston’s role in the American Revolution. The tour takes only 90 minutes, and is practicably a non-negotiable when making a trip into Boston.
Another perk of taking a Freedom Trail tour is that you’ll be packing in some learning and sightseeing while you’re making your way to your next destination: Faneuil Hall, the North End, and Boston’s waterfront.
Transportation: To get to Boston Common, take either a Red Line train or Green Line train to Park Street station. The Common is also a short walk from Downtown Crossing (on the Orange Line), and is accessible from many MBTA buses.
Faneuil Hall Marketplace & Waterfront
At the end of your Freedom Trail tour, you’ll be taken to another two of Boston’s historical sites: Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which have been around since the mid-1700s. There’s plenty of shopping, dining, additional sightseeing in the area, so it’s a great place to rest your feet after a busy day of walking around Boston.
If you’re still in the mood for museums, the New England Aquarium is less than a five minute walk from Faneuil Hall; if you’d rather eat some fish than see some swimming in a tank, grab a table at the Legal Sea Foods Test Kitchen (LTK) or one of the many other seafood restaurants located on the harbor.
For some Italian dining, there’s always Boston’s North End, comparable to New York City’s Little Italy. If you’re planning a summer trip, you can stop by one of the numerous summer feasts, which celebrate the memory of revered Italian saints like Santa Maria Di Anzano or Saint Anthony of Padua. The feasts include parades, food, music, and plenty more to do and see.
Transportation: Faneuil Hall Marketplace is accessible by Green (Government Center), Orange (State St.), or Blue line (Aquarium) on the subway; the Legal Sea Foods Test Kitchen is accessible by Silver Line Bus (SL1 or SL2); the North End is a short walk from Faneuil Hall, or accessible by the Green or Orange line subway stop at Haymarket Station.
