Massachusetts - Attractions in Greater Boston and Cambridge

Faneuil Hall Marketplace
4 South Market Bldg.
Boston, MA  02109
Phone: 617-523-1300
Fax: 617-523-1779

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There’s a magical place in the center of Boston like no other. It’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace. It’s always a festival with free entertainment and incredible shopping, 18 fine restaurants and outdoor cafes as well as over 40 eateries in the historic Quincy Market Building. Faneuil Hall Marketplace is Boston’s hottest new spot for dining and entertainment. For information call 617-523-1300.

Franklin Park Zoo
One Franklin Park Road
Boston, MA  02121
Phone: 617-541-LION (5466)
Fax: 617-989-2025

Get Close.

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Opened in 1912, this 72-acre site nestled in Boston’s historic Franklin Park features an array of wildlife from all over the world. Come face-to-face with an African lion in the Kalahari Kingdom, visit Masai giraffe and Grevy’s zebra of the Giraffe Savannah and discover the Tropical Forest, home to western lowland gorillas, lemurs, mandrills and much more! Be sure not to miss the Tiger Tales exhibit or Butterfly Landing, open seasonally from mid-June through mid-September. Franklin Park Zoo has many activities for children including education classes, Zoo Camp and Snorin’ Roarin’ sleepovers. The zoo is available for rentals and offers unique indoor and outdoor facilities and catering services to turn your child’s birthday party or your next meeting or event into an adventure! Open year round - except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau
Information Centers on Boston Common
and Prudential Towers (Center Court)
Boston, MA
Toll-Free: 888–SEE-BOSTON Ext. 8

Our museums are among the finest in the country. Whatever your interest, Boston has a museum for you: fine art, contemporary art, hands-on-science exhibits, historical relics, the latest computer technology and over 3,000 glass flowers.

You can dive into the New England Aquarium, or soar 50 stories above the street with a visit to the Skywalk Observatory, where you’ll take in magnificent 360-degree views of Boston and beyond.

For the Traveling Family, there’s Boston Children's Museum, one of the best in the country. If you’re of the scientific mind, be sure to visit the Museum of Science, which features over 600 exhibits. For the naturalist, the Harvard Museum of Natural History has over 21 million specimens for you to examine.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Columbia Point
Boston, MA  02125
Phone: 617-514-1600
Toll-Free: 866-JFK-1960
Fax: 617-436-3395

The life, leadership, and legacy of President Kennedy

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Situated on a 10-acre park overlooking Boston Harbor, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the nation's official memorial to John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States. The museum at the Kennedy Library enables visitors to step back into the recreated world of the early 1960s and experience first-hand the life and legacy of John F. Kennedy. In 25 dramatic exhibits, including three theaters and 20 video presentations, visitors are inspired by the stirring eloquence of John F. Kennedy and by the grace of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Open daily, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; closed New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Mary Baker Eddy Library™
200 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA  02115
Toll-Free: 888-222-3711

Home of the world-famous Mapparium®

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The Mary Baker Eddy Library features some of the most thought-provoking and fun exhibits in the city, exploring the life and achievements of Mary Baker Eddy. She was a controversial New England woman who defied conventional 19th-century thinking to become an influential religious leader, author, teacher, and founder of the Christian Science Monitor at age 87. The museum also houses the world-famous Mapparium®, an achievement in art and architecture from 1935 giving visitors a unique look at how ideas have the power to change the world. The Lending & Reference Services and Research Room provide access to further subject reading, books, archival documents, photographs, and artifacts of the Mary Baker Eddy Library Collections.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA  02115
Phone: 617-267-9300

One of the world’s great art museums

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Come to the MFA and see masterpieces from around the world and across the ages. At every turn, you’ll find breathtaking works of art, from masters of American painting to the icons of Impressionism, from exquisite Asian scrolls to ancient Egyptian mummies. We have a rich collection of American art including such icons as Paul Revere’s silver Liberty bowl and masterpieces by John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, and Winslow Homer. Our collection of Asian art is unrivaled in size, scope, and distinction in the Western world, and we own the finest collection of Monets outside of Paris. Gallery tours, audio tapes, and maps of the Museum are available in foreign languages. Open daily, the MFA also offers films, concerts, artist lectures, and family programs. Visit mfa.org for more information.

New England Aquarium
Central Wharf
Boston, MA  02110
Phone: 617-973-5200

Protecting the Blue Planet for 40 Years

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Dive deep into the oceans at the New England Aquarium. Experience more than 70 exhibits featuring aquatic animals from around the world, and take a trip to exotic waters without ever leaving Boston. Walk alongside friendly harbor seals as they swim and play right outside the Aquarium, and greet three different species of penguins upon your entrance. Wind your way around the four-story Giant Ocean Tank, home to a huge Caribbean coral reef. You’ll come face-to-face with sharks, barracudas and some of the world’s most endangered sea turtles. A visit to the Aquarium doesn’t end when you leave the exhibits—you can also find an adventure on a whale watch and catch exciting films at the Simons IMAX Theatre, offering unparalleled 3D experiences on the largest screen in New England.

Boston Common Frog Pond Skating Rink
Boston Common
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-635-2120

Open November 19, 2009 through March 17, 2010

Capture the scent of wood smoke in the air. Hear the sound of metal blades skimming over smooth ice. Close your eyes and your senses return you to 1634, as you skate on the Frog Pond in America's oldest public park.

Here at the coolest gathering place in Boston you can join local residents and visitors alike as they glide over the carefully manicured, refrigerated surface. In 1997, people were able to skate on this type of surface for the first time in Downtown Boston. The Frog Pond Skating Rink is now open from November to mid-March with at least 100 days of seasonal skating. Whether you're practicing for a 9.9 at the Winter Olympics or simply trying to stand on two feet, the ice at the Frog Pond will always be accommodating.

Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area
Boston, MA  02110
Phone: 617-223-8666

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Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area offers a quiet place to relax, explore, camp, swim, fish or picnic. Tours to Boston Light ("The ultimate Lighthouse experience," according to the Boston Globe) operate Thursday-Sunday from June to October. Ranger narrated Discovery Cruises and Sunset Cruises are offered on a frequent basis in the summer. Ranger-led activities and special events are offered on many islands for a variety of audiences. Not only are these islands a source of natural beauty and wonder--they're also rich in history and legends, with tales of pirates, shipwrecks, wars, abandoned prisons, and even ghosts! It's all right in Boston Harbor and accessible by boat or public ferry from Long Wharf downtown or the South Shore... so near, and yet so far away!

Boston Symphony Orchestra
301 Massachusetts Avenue/Symphony Hall
Boston, MA  02115
Phone: 888-266-1492
Toll-Free: 888-266-1492  888-266-1200

James Levine Leads 15 Programs, Including The Complete Beethoven Symphonies

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The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s 2009-10 season at Symphony Hall is highlighted by fifteen programs under the leadership of Music Director James Levine, reflecting a major presence with the orchestra in a wide range of repertoire, from treasured classics to world premieres. The season begins September 23 with a gala Opening Night at Symphony featuring the world premiere of John Williams’ On Willows and Birches, written for and performed by BSO principal harpist Ann Hobson Pilot, Debussy’s shimmering La Mer, and Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, with Evgeny Kissin as soloist. Other highlights of Maestro Levine’s work with the orchestra in this his sixth season include the complete cycle of Beethoven’s nine symphonies in back-to-back concerts. This is Maestro Levine’s first-ever complete Beethoven symphony cycle. Tickets range from $29 to $115. Call Symphonycharge at 888-266-1200 for tickets or click our link above.

Boston Tours - From Boston & Suburbs
56 Williams Street
Waltham, MA  02453
Phone: 781-899-1454

Make the most of your trip with a guided tour

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Planning to visit the Boston area? See all the important sites and attractions that make Boston such a great city. Travel with us on a personalized tour with full historical and cultural commentary as we visit Boston, Charlestown, and Cambridge. Relive three centuries of history and learn of the Puritans, revolutionaries, immigrants, presidents, Pequots and, polititians. Avoid the notorious driving habits of Bostonians by riding in the relaxing comfort of a 20-passenger air-conditioned coach. The tour lasts for 6 ½ to 7 hours and pickup locations are available from suburban and downtown Boston hotels.

Cambridge Office For Tourism
4 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA  02138
Phone: 617-441-2884
Toll-Free: 800-862-5678
Fax: 617-441-7736

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It's no wonder that Cambridge is so often referred to as "Boston's Left Bank.” Just across the Charles River from Boston, it's a city where Old World meets New Age in a mesmerizing blend of history and technology. Only minutes away from downtown by subway or by foot, visitors can visit historic sites including the world-renowned campuses of Harvard University and MIT. As a captivating, off-beat alternative to Boston, the "Squares" of Cambridge are charming neighborhoods rich in adventurous dining options as well as unique shopping, theatres, museums, and historic sites. Cambridge is a city where counter-culture still lives, classic culture thrives, and multicultural is a way of life.

Cheers, Beacon Hill
84 Beacon Street
Boston, MA  02108
Phone: 617-227-9605
Fax: 617-723-1898

Where everybody knows your name...

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Known for years as the Bull & Finch Pub, Cheers Beacon Hill is the original inspiration for the setting of the favorite American TV series. Offering a mouthwatering menu of traditional pub fare and an abundant beverage selection, featuring award-winning Bloody Marys and a variety of draft beers. Open daily from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. Full menu available until 11:45 p.m. The Gift Shop is open daily at 10:00 a.m. Catch your favorite sports teams on one of 10 DirecTVs. Children's menu, late nite, full bar, reservations only accepted for parties of 15 or more. Handicap accessible.

Cheers, Faneuil Hall
Quincy Market, Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Boston, MA  02109
Phone: 617-227-0150
Fax: 617-227-8416

Where everybody knows your name...

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The newest Cheers in Boston at Faneuil Hall Marketplace is the replica of the bar seen on the TV series, Cheers. Offering a mouthwatering menu of traditional pub fare and an abundant beverage selection, featuring award-winning Bloody Marys and a variety of draft beers. Open daily from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. Full menu available until 11:45 p.m. Casual dress. Live entertainment on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Children's menu, late nite, full bar, reservations only accepted for parties of 15 or more. Handicap accessible.

Concord Museum
Cambridge Turnpike at Lexington Road
Concord, MA  01742
Phone: 978-369-9763
Fax: 978-369-9660

Explore Concord’s remarkable revolutionary and literary past

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From the “shot heard round the world” to the literary revolution of Emerson and Thoreau, the Concord Museum brings Concord’s remarkable story to life through exhibitions that present ideas relevant to today – concepts of liberty, turning beliefs into actions, self-reliance, independent thinking and environmental preservation. An inspiring collection of American historical, literary and decorative arts treasures includes the famous “one, if by land, and two, if by sea” Revere lantern, immortalized by Longfellow’s poem, the humble desk on which Henry D. Thoreau wrote Walden and “Civil Disobedience,” and the newly-restored Study of Ralph Waldo Emerson. When you set out to explore historic Concord, begin at the Concord Museum. Open daily year round.

Spirit of Boston
World Trade Center
200 Seaport Blvd. Ste 75
Boston, MA  02210
Phone: 617-748-1499
Fax: 617-748-1425

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Step aboard our beautifully redesigned ship in the Seaport District and come alive with the most entertaining lunch and dinner experience in Boston. You'll enjoy a fabulous all-you-can-eat buffet, dancing, live entertainment with star-quality performers, and dazzling views on the largest outdoor deck in Boston, all for one price. Elegant but never stuffy, the Spirit is perfect for parties of two all the way up to 600. We offer year-round lunch and dinner cruises as well as seasonal Lobster Lunches and Sunset Cruises. Looking for a private setting? Then try a customized yacht charter aboard Spirit's sister ship, the Seaport Elite.