Boston

owntown Boston is really the heart of the city. Many companies and agencies have their headquarters in the area, and City Hall and the State House are also located here. It is probably the most European-like downtown in the US, with pedestrian-friendly streets, a very popular large public area near Faneuil Hall, lots of street performers, lots of historic sites, and an efficient public transit system.

Fanueil Hall (also known as “The Cradle of Liberty”), located near the waterfront and today’s Government Center, was built in 1742 as an old market building at the town dock. Town meetings, held here between 1764 and 1774, heard Samuel Adams and others lead cries of protest against the imposition of taxes on the colonies, encouraging independence from Great Britain. The building was enlarged in 1806. Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and Lucy Stone brought their struggles for freedom here in the 19th century. Market stalls on the first floor service shoppers much as they did in Paul Revere’s day.

The Freedom Trail is a red (mostly brick) path through downtown that leads to 17 significant historic sites, a real opportunity for an enjoyable and highly informative insight into Boston’s rich history, dating back to the days of the Revolutionary War. The trail features a remarkable collection of churches, museums, meetinghouses, burial grounds, historic ships as well as several other historical sites, reflecting the story of the American Revolution as it unfolded during the 1700s.

Boston Common is one of the oldest public parks in the United States, founded in 1634. It consists of 50 acres of land making this the best spot to stroll around all year round. Over the years, many large gatherings have been held in this park, from British encampments in the revolutionary period to anti-war protests in the 1960s.

Built in 1781 on top of land once owned by John Hancock, the Massachusetts State House is the state capitol and house of government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, located in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. It features its signature dome, recently refurbished, with glittering gold leaf, that makes for a spectacular view at sunset from the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge.

ne of the landmarks on Boston’s Freedom Trail, The Old State House is the former seat of government in Boston, and the oldest surviving building. In 1770, the Boston Massacre took place just in front of the State House, and in 1776 the Declaration of Independence was first read to Bostonians from its balcony.

Founded in 1912, Fenway Park is America’s oldest active ballpark. It is one of just two parks that pre-dates the 1960’s, the other being Wrigley Field in Chicago (1914). Named after the Fenway neighborhood in Boston, the ballpark resides just outside of Kenmore Square. It has been home to the Boston Red Sox since its opening, during which time have won 6 World Series titles. The stadium also hosted the Boston Redskins of the National Football League prior to their move to Washington in 1937.

USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat. Launched in 1797, her first duties with the newly formed United States Navy were to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.

Cambridge is a city part of the Greater Boston metropolis. It is the fifth largest city in the state. It is well-known as the location of both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This liberal city sometimes referred to as the “People’s Republic of Cambridge” now advertises itself as “a city where counter-culture still lives, classic culture thrives, and multicultural is a way of life.”

The Museum of Fine Arts is one of the largest museums in the United States. It contains more than 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas. With more than one million visitors a year, it is the 31st most-visited art museum in the world and the fifth most-visited in the United States.