:: CME

Fun things to do while in Boston

Visit a museum, take a sightseeing cruise of Boston Harbor or the Charles River, visit Fanuiel Hall Marketplace (combine a little history tour, shopping and restaurants all in one stop), walk the Freedom Trail, visit the New England Aquarium, visit the U.S.S. Constitution “Old Ironsides” -- the oldest commissioned wooden ship in the U.S. Navy, take a Swan Boat Ride in Boston Public Garden, visit the US Naval Shipbuilding Museum and USS Salem in Quincy, go on a Brewery Tour, shop on Newbury Street, have High Tea at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on Newbury Street or visit http://www.mass-vacation.com to find something special to do just for you.

MUSEUMS (just a few):

Arthur M. Sackler Museum/Harvard University
485 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-495-9400
www.artmuseums.harvard.edu

Boston Children’s Museum
300 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
617-426-8855
www.bostonkids.org
Imaginative, interactive exhibits that combine learning and fun: Japanese House, Climbing the Walls, Science Playground, ZoomZone, AIRPlay, and PlaySpace (babies and toddlers).

Bush-Reisinger Museum/Harvard University
32 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-495-9400
www.artmuseums.harvard.edu
Collections of Art from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and related cultures.

Fogg Art Museum/Harvard University
32 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-495-9400
www.artmuseums.harvard.edu
Collections illustrate history of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present with major focus on Italian early Renaissance, British pre-Raphaelite and nineteenth century French art.

ICA
100 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA 02210
617-266-5152
www.icaboston.org
Contemporary art and performance art with rotating exhibits of cutting-edge international artists in a dramatic new building on Boston Harbor.

Isabella Stewart Garden Museum
280 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
617-566-1401
www.gardnermuseum.org
Modeled after a Venetian palace surrounding an enclosed flowering courtyard garden, the museum houses a world-class art collection and presents exhibitions and concerts.

List Visual Arts Center, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
20 Ames Street
E15-109
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-253-4680
http://web.mit.edu/lvac/
Exhibits explore challenging, intellectual contemporary art in all media: painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation and architecture/design. Self-guided tour of MITs public art works and architecture.

Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
617-267-9300
www.mfa.org
Largest art museum in New England. Encyclopedic collection includes American decorative arts and sculpture, ancient Egyptian, Nubian and Near Eastern Art; art of Asia, classical art, contemporary art. The museum has the largest collection of Claude Monet paintings outside of France; major collection of John Singleton Copley and Gilbert Stuart portraits, American silver holdings include Paul Revere’s Liberty Bowl.

Museum of National Center of Afro-American Artists
300 Walnut Avenue
Boston, MA 02119
617-442-8614
www.ncaaa.org
Extensive collections of African art and Afro-American prints and drawings, photography, painting, sculpture, and graphics exhibitions, permanent and changing galleries.

Peabody Essex Museum
East India Square
Salem, MA 01970
800-745-4054
978-745-9500
www.pem.org
Features exhibits and programs that integrate art and culture. Exceptional collections of Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Korean art; maritime art and history; American art, Native American art, African art and Asian export art. Museum’s historic house collection features Yin Yu Tang: a traditional Chinese merchant’s house from the late Qing Dynasty.

The Society of Arts & Crafts
175 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
617-226-1810
www.societyofcrafts.org
SAC is the oldest nonprofit crafts organization in the U.S.A. Galleries exhibit established artists working in basketry, ceramics, decorative fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper, wearable art and wood.

Museum of Science
1 Science Park
Boston, MA 02114
617-723-2500
www.mos.org
More than 400 participatory exhibits, from astronomy to zoology; Planetarium; Omni Theatre (films projected onto a four-story screen – to attend Omni Theatre -- reservations are suggested the theatre has a separate fee from the MOS).

CRUISE BOSTON HARBOR
Boston Harbor Cruises
One Long Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
877-SEE WHALE
617-227-4321
www.bostonharborcruises.com
Six sightseeing options; historical sightseeing cruises, Charles River and Locks tour, USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) cruises; sunset cruise, lighthouse tours and high-speed catamaran whale watches. Take the Fast Ferry to Cape Code. (If you want more information on Cape Cod, please see visit http://www.mass-vacation.com.
Boston Steamship Company
60 Rowes Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
617-542-8000
www.massbaylines.com
Narrated harbor tours aboard replica steamship paddlewheel boat, “Harbor Belle.”

FAMOUS RESTAURANTS OR PUBS TO GO TO WHILE IN BOSTON

Durgin-Park
340 Faneuil Hall
Boston, MA 02109-1634
617-227-2038
Open Hours: M-Sa 11:30a-10p, Su 11:30a-9p
www.durgin-park.com
This landmark, located in Faneuil Hall Marketplace, is the place to go for traditional New England fare. Pot roast, prime rib and Indian pudding (a delicious concoction made from molasses and cornmeal and topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream) are favorites. The staff can be a bit surly, but that is part of the charm. Dining is family-style, so grab a spot at one of the long picnic tables and prepare for a feast. For a Boston treat, add a side of baked beans, and leave room for apple pie. The restuarant features two full service bars.

The Black Rose (Irish Pub)
160 State St
Boston, MA 02109-2502
617-742-2286
Open Hours: 11:30am-2am Mon-Sat; noon-2am Sun
http://www.irishconnection.com/index.php?id=41
This landmark, located in Faneuil Hall Marketplace, is the place to go for traditional New England fare. Pot roast, prime rib and Indian pudding (a delicious concoction made from molasses and cornmeal and topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream) are favorites. The staff can be a bit surly, but that is part of the charm. Dining is family-style, so grab a spot at one of the long picnic tables and prepare for a feast. For a Boston treat, add a side of baked beans, and leave room for apple pie. The restuarant features two full service bars.

FANUIEL HALL MARKETPLACE
Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Merchant’s Row
Boston, MA 02113
617-523-1300
http://www.fanueilhallmarketplace.com
Outdoor festival marketplace built in 1826; street performers; pushcarts and over 140 specialty shops and restaurants featured in Quincy, South and North Market Buildings. Adjacent to Faneuil Hall. It is a magical place in the city.

FREEDOM TRAIL – BOSTON NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
Freedom Trail – Boston National Historical Park
15 State Street
Boston, MA 02109
617-242-5642
www.nps.gov/bost
Three hundred and fifty years of American history along an outdoor 2.5-mile red brick trail; begin at Boston Common (or anywhere along the trail for a self-guided tour); maps, guided tours, and audio tours are available. Handicapped accessible.

NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM
New England Aquarium
1 Central Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
617-973-5200
www.neaq.org
Four-story giant ocean tank with sea turtle, sharks and tropical fish. Thousands of animals from around the world. Penguins and seals, moray eels, sea otters, sea stars, horseshoe crabs and sea urchins. Hands-on tide pool. Amazing Jellies exhibit and IMAX Theatre presentations.

THE SWAN BOATS OF BOSTON
The Swan Boats of Boston
Boston Public Garden
Boylston & Arlington Streets
Boston, MA 02130
617-522-1966
www.swanboats.com
A Boston tradition operated by the Paget family since 1877. Peaceful 15-minute paddleboat cruise of the Boston Public Lagoon. The only boats of their kind in the world. Inspired by the opera Lohengrin, a medieval German story of a knight who crosses the river in a boat to save his princess.

USS CONSTITUTION (“OLD IRONSIDES”)
USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”)
One Constitution Road, Pier 1, Bldg. 5
Charlestown, MA 02129
617-242-5671
http://www.oldironsides.com
http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil/Directions.htm
Oldest commissioned warship a float in the world; defeated four British frigates during the War of 1812 and earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” when cannon balls failed to penetrate her thick wooden hull; guided tours. Check web site for visitor hours and information.

US Naval Shipbuilding Museum and USS Salem
US Naval Shipbuilding Museum and USS Salem
739 Washington Street
Quincy, MA 02169
617-479-7900
www.uss-salem.org
The USS Salem is a 716 foot long US Navy Heavy Cruiser. Aboard the ship you’ll find museums honoring famous navy ships, the US Navy Seals and our ship building heritage.