Looking for a quiet place to get away from it all? The noise, the traffic, the streets, the 21st century? Step into the Boston Public Library (BPL) and step into another, more serene world (one that dates to 1852). Stay inside under the high barrel ceiling and soaring windows of Bates Hall Reading Room with your nose in a book. Or...

The centerpiece of the Boston Waterfront, the fantastic New England Aquarium brings the underwater above ground. Here, thousands of turtles, sharks swirl around a massive, 200,000-gallon coral reef tank. Other highlights include the vast penguin habitat, a stingray touch tank, an ethereal jellyfish exhibit and excellent marine mammal shows. Next door, the Simons IMAX Theater has a full roster of sensory stimulating...

Sure, it looks lovely now, but the Boston Common was once knee-deep in cow poo. In colonial times, the muck became so fragrant that the city set a maximum capacity of 70 cows — with the understanding you could substitute four goats for one cow. Historically unpleasant, the Common was the site of gruesome public hangings, riots and protests. The British even camped...

At the dedication of the African Meeting House in 1806, white patrons took the best seats while blacks sat in the balcony. Ironic. The focal point of Beacon Hill‘s thriving black community, the Meeting House quickly earned the moniker the “Black Faneuil Hall“. The discussions that took place here were suitably revolutionary. For starters, William Lloyd Garrison founded the New England Anti-Slavery Society here in 1832. Furthermore,...

Dating to 1680, the Paul Revere House is the oldest private residence in Boston. It is also one of the few remaining wooden structures of its era. Most importantly, it was the dwelling place of the famous Patriot (and his wife and 16 children). The modest home exhibits the lifestyle of the era, complete with furniture, cooking utensils and such. Revere...