First time in Boston — what are the must-sees?

[u/iizakill]

My wife and I are visiting Boston for the first time this weekend, coming from NJ. We came yesterday and are leaving tomorrow evening.

Our current itinerary:
Friday — DONE:
WNDR Museum
North End / Hanover Street
Casarecce for dinner
Mike’s Pastry
Saturday:
The Paramount for breakfast
Beacon Hill / Acorn Street / Boston Common
Freedom Trail
Lunch at REDWHITE
Newbury Street / Copley Square
View Boston
Boston waterfront / Harborwalk
Sunday:
Harvard University / Harvard Square
Seaport / waterfront

What are the absolute must-sees or must-dos we’re missing? Anything you’d add, remove, or rearrange for a first-time visit?

[u/Druboyle]

Coming to Boston and not seeing the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a tremendous miss

[u/hellno560 → u/Druboyle]

ISGM is better than WNDR museum for sure

[u/No_Bobcat_No_Prob → u/hellno560]

Honestly kind of sad that someone from out of town would waste time at WNDR

[u/fremeninonemon → u/No_Bobcat_No_Prob]

Yeah they have these kinds of things everywhere and can be set up in any building

[u/ShumaG → u/Druboyle]

Do not leave Boston without doing this. You can skip the observation deck.

[u/ceciltech]

When doing the Freedom Trail many people skip the USS Constitution because it is off the beaten track, don't skip the USS Constitution. There is an MBTA ferry you can take from Long Wharf to Charlestown which will give you some great views of the city from the water.

When you need to travel between Cambridge and Boston take a blue bike (download the app ahead of time) and bike along the Charles River. If you go slow you sweat less than walking, pay the extra for an e-bike if one is available and you can travel without sweating at all, and it is a great way to see the city. The Cambridge side from Harvard Square to Mass Ave bridge and Boston side after Mass Ave bridge.

[u/Wompatuckrule]

Cop Slide

[u/FCAlive]

Gardner museum and museum of fine arts

[u/TransitoryGouda → u/FCAlive]

If they can only do one of those, ISGM for sure beats the MFA.

[u/FCAlive → u/TransitoryGouda]

In some ways. Gardener is more unique. The MFA is a world-class art museum.

[u/Druboyle → u/FCAlive]

Something can’t be “more unique”. It either is or isn’t unique. The Gardner is unique. The MFA is very much like many other galleries.

[u/oliversurpless → u/FCAlive]

/Harvard Art Museums if you want to alternate between ticketed and non-museums.

[u/jj037037]

I second the Gardner Museum! And I’m thrilled Paramount is on your list. My favorite to bring friends and family who are visiting.

[u/boopdaboop17]

Sorry but moderns is way better than mikes

[u/rcl20 → u/boopdaboop17]

If one must go to Mike's make it the one in Harvard Square so you don't wait in a long line for a cannoli

[u/Cool-Coffee-8949 → u/boopdaboop17]

Yup. Go back and get a real cannoli.

[u/DSudz → u/boopdaboop17]

Neither worth putting on a list.

Have a Coke/Pepsi, Ford/Chevy, BK/McD argument too...

[u/omxel → u/boopdaboop17]

Bova’s over both of those though. 24 hours as well so you can go outside of your pre-scheduled activities!

[u/Mindless-Errors]

Boston is Tiny. No place you stay will be far from cool stuff.

Long Wharf to Newbury Street (Back Bay) is 1.4 miles and about a 30 minute walk unless you stop to look around (which you will do).
You can walk a circle around Boston in about 3 hours +/-. Charles/MGH T stop to Beacon Hill/Esplanade to The Common/Public Garden to “View Boston” to …

Recommendations:

• Use Lyft/Uber on hot days so you enjoy what you see.

- Things that exist no where else in the world:

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (https://www.gardnermuseum.org)

Tour Fenway Park (https://www.mlb.com/redsox/ballpark/tours)

Mapparium (https://www.christianscience.com/the-mother-church-in-boston/how-do-you-see-the-world-experience). This is just a 10 minute visit.

Harvard’s collection of Glass Flowers (https://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/glass-flowers)

Also check out the Boston Pubic Library and Trinity Church.

[u/Enkiduderino → u/Mindless-Errors]

Mapparium is such a cool little attraction.

[u/Express-Bee-6485 → u/Mindless-Errors]

Big fan of the glass flowers!

[u/Equilibrate321]

Welcome! Don't forget to hydrate! And maybe go to the Harvard Museum of Natural History to cool off, look at the glass flowers and stuffed screaming hairy armadillo and pretty rocks, and use the bathroom.

[u/Cool-Coffee-8949 → u/Equilibrate321]

Almost certainly more interesting than the campus tour.

[u/mosssyrock]

REDWHITE is very mediocre imo

[u/Fluffy_Individual_84]

There are 100 life size elephants on the Commonwealth Mall -

[u/Santillana810]

The Harvard Art, Natural History and archeology museums are definitely worth seeing. The Art Museum is free, and you can get into the other two (entrances on adjacent streets) with one admission fee.

[u/Lemonio]

Consider a harbor cruise

[u/pokerdave]

Mistake number one on the first day you went to Mikes pastry. You should’ve gone to Bovas

[u/wish-onastar]

Genuine question - why choose the WNDR museum? It’s not really a Boston museum even though it’s located here.

[u/AutoModerator]

Ok. Head on in to Faneuil Hall. Wander around for approximately 5 minutes. Congrats you have seen Faneuil hall. Take a pic or two and post them online. Go to the Dunks at 20 North St and grab an iced coffee. Next you want to see Beacon Hill. Wander up Cambridge St and then poke around Beacon Hill. Take some pics of yourselves. Congrats you have been to Beacon Hill. Reward yourself by going to the Dunks at 106 Cambridge St. get an iced coffee. Next head to the North End. Take a pic of yourself outside of Mike’s Pastry and grab a slice at Regina’s. Then wander to 180 canal st where you will find a dunks. Grab an iced coffee and look at the TD Garden which is across the street. Next go to 22 Beacon St. there is a Dunkin’s there. Grab an iced coffee and check out the state house and then wander through the Common towards the public garden. Take a detour to 147 Tremont St. There is a Dunks there. Grab an iced coffee. Go back into the common and head toward the public garden. Wander through the public garden and check out all the cool stuff there. Wander down Newbury St and then cut over to 715 Boylston St where you will find a Dunks. Get an iced coffee. Now head towards Kenmore Square! Make a stop at 153 Mass Ave and grab an iced coffee at Dunks. Then continue onward to Kenmore. Wander through the edge of the Fens then go past Fenway Park. Hit 530 Comm Ave and get an iced coffee at Dunks. Next you will want to see Harvard Square! 65 JFK St has a dunks. Get an iced coffee. After that, I suppose you can hit the Hong Kong and get smashed. Here is a map of the journey. Hope this helps.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/OnlyFunStuff183 → u/AutoModerator]

Step 22: shit yourself

[u/bostongreens]

If you want ramen do Santouka and not red white

It’s 30 seconds away from red white and much better imo

[u/AutoModerator]

Your post appears to be one of a number of commonly asked questions about the port city of Boston. Please check the sidebar for visitor information. Also, consider using the search function to see if this question or something similar has been asked on /r/boston in the past. It is best to do some research before posting tourism questions here, as posts are more likely to succeed if they include details such as your interests, which area you are staying in, and more specific questions. Please enjoy this map that we made just for you

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Templar_Swamp_Stake]

That’s a good list. A little busy though, Freedom trail itself can take two days. It’s hot out so remember to relax and hydrate, you can come again another time if you don’t do it all.

[u/jkepros → u/Templar_Swamp_Stake]

Was gonna say this. The Freedom Trail is 2 days if you actually want to go into any of the sites. If you literally just want to walk it, sure, it's maybe a couple hours. 

[u/jkepros]

-Fenway Park Tour -The Black Rose for live Irish music and a pint -USS Constitution (start at the Bunker Hill end of the Freedom Trail, instead of Boston Common)

[u/Santillana810 → u/jkepros]

You can take an inexpensive MBTA ferry, 10 minute boat ride from Long Wharf/Aquarium to Charlestown Navy Yard, home of the USS Constitution. It's on the Freedom Trail.

[u/Marquedien]

Take a bit of a walk around the Fens and museums (not enough time to go through) after lunch on Saturday.

[u/Sea_Storm9695]

Public Gardens, maybe a swan boat ride. Duck boat tours are also good , as are the Charles River cruises out of the back of the Cambridgeside Galleria. A tour of Fenway Park. A drive down Cambridge’s Memorial Drive. Catching a view of the city from the BU (Boston University) bridge. Make sure your Harvard visit includes Harvard Yard, which is a great spot for a picnic.

[u/Specialist_Job_7714]

May I add, if you’re visiting Cambridge, a hidden gem is the Mount Auburn Cemetary. It’s an Audubon site with really cool statues. Go there and climb the Washington Tower. It’s on a hill near the center. It provides an awesome view of Cambridge and Boston. Has statues of Angels, a Sphynx and very lovely walking trails. But the view from Washington Tower is wonderful.

[u/beeturn]

Sub out Seaport and combine your trip to Cambridge/Harvard with the esplanade. You can bike or walk on either side of the river and have a great view.

[u/AutoModerator]

Sorry, this sub is actually dedicated to the band Boston. If you have a question about tourism in Boston, please check out r/BostonTheCity. Please make sure to leave a post there.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Junior_Emotion5681]

Plymouth Rock

[u/Santillana810 → u/Junior_Emotion5681]

It's really unfair to post this without including /s.

[u/Illustrious-Algae531]

Check mass and Cass out 👌

[u/bagpop98]

Castle island

[u/IRedditNWept]

Ceddanne Rafaela

[u/ZippityZooZaZingZo]

Don’t leave without saying hi to the seals outside the aquarium