Content Produced in Partnership with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
When it comes to American history, Boston has you covered. The city proudly shows off its roots at countless landmarks, museums, and homes from the colonial and Revolutionary War era. It’s easy to visit those haunts on foot too as the city is essentially one giant history book. No matter how long your stay in Beantown is, you don’t want to miss these iconic spots.
Freedom Trail
You could visit Paul Revere’s home, the Old State House Museum, and Old North Church separately or you could see them all in one romp down the Freedom Trail. The nearly 2.5-mile stretch begins in Boston Common and ends at Bunker Hill, highlighting 16 major moments in history along the way. Guided tours are available, but you can just as easily follow the well-marked red line to pick and choose where you want to stop on your own.
Beacon Hill
The charmingly narrow streets and red brick homes in the Beacon Hill neighborhood are synonymous with wealth and privilege. It’s also one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in Boston. In fact, Acorn Street is said to be the most photographed street in the entire United States. Few can afford to live in this area, so you just may have to settle for admiring from afar.
Museum of Science
The Museum of Science opens its doors to more than 1.4 million people each year, making it one of New England’s most popular attractions for adults and children of all ages. Located beside the Charles River in the Back Bay area, the museum features more than 700 interactive exhibits, including the Butterfly Garden and the Van de Graaff generator. Can’t get enough museums? The marine life at the New England Aquarium and the hands-on exhibits at Boston Children’s Museum are a big hit, too.
Boston Common
It’s hard to imagine now but way back in the 1600s America’s oldest park was nothing more than a cow pasture. Now, it borders America’s oldest botanical garden and serves as one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Popular all four seasons, it’s a great spot to find a happy hour bar and take in the greenery.
Boston Harbor
This colonial shipping port has come a long way since it hosted the most infamous tea parties the world ever saw. Today the harbor area is a mixture of commercial and residential spaces full of parks, cafes, and food trucks. From Boston Harbor you can easily reach Charleston Navy Yard, the proud home of the USS Constitution. The oldest ship in the US Navy is lovingly called “Old Ironsides,” and while she doesn’t run much anymore, she is open for tours.
Fenway Park
Could you even fathom a trip to Boston without stopping by the famous ball park? The nation’s most beloved baseball stadium and the oldest in the MLB has been greeting sports enthusiasts since 1912. Daily tours take place even when the Red Sox aren’t in town to give guests a firsthand look at the stadium — you can even sit on top of the Green Monster in left field.
How to do it: Fenway Park isn’t the only landmark in Beantown. The Fairmont Copley Plaza has been providing luxury accommodations in the Back Bay since the early 1900s, too. Guests who opt to stay at the Fairmont Copley Plaza are within easy walking distance of most of the sites listed here, including Beacon Hill and the Freedom Trail. Much like Boston itself, the hotel is teeming with history and personality. It’ll make you fall in love with Boston all the more.