Whether you’re working on a personal bucket list or want to ensure that out-of-town guests have the time of their lives, there are some Boston experiences that no one should miss. We’ve kept them broad to accommodate individual preferences, but you’ll want to try these 12 activities at some point in your life:
- Consume your body weight in clams.
Flickr/Florida Sea Grant Well, maybe not your body weight, but at least a chihuahua worth of clams. Try clams fried, in chowder, or on pizza!
- Eat your way through the North End and its immediate surroundings.
Flickr/CTG/SF Few neighborhoods offer tastier treats.
- Dig out your car from a mound of snow.
Flickr/ignote This one’s more for locals, but it’s a rite of passage. How can you truly appreciate good weather without dealing with the aftermath of a Nor’easter? Plus, you’ll get to meet your neighbors and burn off some calories, which means it’s totally reasonable to then eat more cannoli. If you live car-free, then navigating your way through a maze of snow banks on your commute counts, too.
- Go to a Sox/Pats/Celtics/Bruins game.
Flickr/Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism From the atmosphere to the traditions, to the food, the experience of attending a Boston sporting event is one you’ll never forget. Even if you’re not that into sports, how many chances do you have to yell at the top of your lungs with like company and without judgment? And let’s be real… you have a better than average chance of seeing the home team win.
- Visit the heart of the city and a beach in the same day.
Flickr/Michel G. What better way to appreciate how lucky we are to live here?
- Take an official tour.
Facebook/Ghosts & Gravestones Boston It may sound hokey but, in amongst the tourist-directed patter, you’ll probably learn a few nuggets of info about Boston that you’d otherwise never discover. There’s a city tour for every personality. Take a historic pub crawl, a ghost adventure, a trolley ride, or even ride a duck boat.
- Walk some trails.
Flickr/Ed Lyons Whether it’s the Freedom Trail, Black Heritage Trail, Irish Heritage Trail, or one of the many hiking trails weaving through the city, exploring Boston on foot is something that everyone should do.
- Celebrate Boston-style.
Flickr/Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Even holidays that are celebrated around the country are done a little differently here, and some might even say better. Our St. Paddy’s Day parade is legendary, and we celebrate Independence Day and First Night (otherwise known as New Year’s Eve) with plenty of public - usually free -festivities. There are extra holidays no one else has even heard of like Bunker Hill Day, which serve as a reminder of our country’s past.
- Watch the Boston Marathon.
Flickr/Nicki Dugan Pogue You can run in it, too, if you’re so inclined… and have the stamina!
- Drift on the water.
Flickr/Leslee_atFlickr It doesn’t matter whether you opt for a ferry, dinner cruise, whale watching excursion, or simply a kayak. You won’t regret time spent on the Charles River or out on the ocean.
- Absorb some culture.
Flickr/mgstanton Boston is home to top-tier art institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, not to mention tons of galleries, murals, and sculptures. When it comes to music, you can go formal with the opera or symphony, or keep it casual by dropping into an Irish pub for live music. The Theater District is well worth exploring, too.
- Savor the skyline view.
Flickr/Thomas Hawk The Skywalk Observatory is the easiest way for a guaranteed photo op of the city, but there are many other places to drink in the sight of Boston’s skyline.
What would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments.
Flickr/Florida Sea Grant
Well, maybe not your body weight, but at least a chihuahua worth of clams. Try clams fried, in chowder, or on pizza!
Flickr/CTG/SF
Few neighborhoods offer tastier treats.
Flickr/ignote
This one’s more for locals, but it’s a rite of passage. How can you truly appreciate good weather without dealing with the aftermath of a Nor’easter? Plus, you’ll get to meet your neighbors and burn off some calories, which means it’s totally reasonable to then eat more cannoli. If you live car-free, then navigating your way through a maze of snow banks on your commute counts, too.
Flickr/Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism
From the atmosphere to the traditions, to the food, the experience of attending a Boston sporting event is one you’ll never forget. Even if you’re not that into sports, how many chances do you have to yell at the top of your lungs with like company and without judgment? And let’s be real… you have a better than average chance of seeing the home team win.
Flickr/Michel G.
What better way to appreciate how lucky we are to live here?
Facebook/Ghosts & Gravestones Boston
It may sound hokey but, in amongst the tourist-directed patter, you’ll probably learn a few nuggets of info about Boston that you’d otherwise never discover. There’s a city tour for every personality. Take a historic pub crawl, a ghost adventure, a trolley ride, or even ride a duck boat.
Flickr/Ed Lyons
Whether it’s the Freedom Trail, Black Heritage Trail, Irish Heritage Trail, or one of the many hiking trails weaving through the city, exploring Boston on foot is something that everyone should do.
Even holidays that are celebrated around the country are done a little differently here, and some might even say better. Our St. Paddy’s Day parade is legendary, and we celebrate Independence Day and First Night (otherwise known as New Year’s Eve) with plenty of public - usually free -festivities. There are extra holidays no one else has even heard of like Bunker Hill Day, which serve as a reminder of our country’s past.
Flickr/Nicki Dugan Pogue
You can run in it, too, if you’re so inclined… and have the stamina!
Flickr/Leslee_atFlickr
It doesn’t matter whether you opt for a ferry, dinner cruise, whale watching excursion, or simply a kayak. You won’t regret time spent on the Charles River or out on the ocean.
Flickr/mgstanton
Boston is home to top-tier art institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, not to mention tons of galleries, murals, and sculptures. When it comes to music, you can go formal with the opera or symphony, or keep it casual by dropping into an Irish pub for live music. The Theater District is well worth exploring, too.
Flickr/Thomas Hawk
The Skywalk Observatory is the easiest way for a guaranteed photo op of the city, but there are many other places to drink in the sight of Boston’s skyline.
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