Who will make it first? The slow and steady tortoise, or the speedy but inconsistent hare? The pair has marked the Boston Marathon Finish Line since 1996 (the race’s 100th anniversary). This whimsical sculpture celebrates runners of all speeds and strategies. Otherwise, it is monumental edifices that surround the landmark Copley Square: Boston Public Library, Trinity Church, New Old South Church, the...

While Red Sox love can wax and wane from year-to-year, pure adoration of Fenway Park never wavers. Built in 1912, the baseball park in Kenmore Square park is Old School — capital O, capital S — with oddities that have been taken in stride for decades. Like the many, many in-the-bag homers, reduced to off-the-wall doubles by the Green Monster. Game...

The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a gorgeous green addition to downtown Boston, reconnecting the North End and the Waterfront to the rest of the city. It’s a delightful strolling route, replete with gardens, art and amusements. The northern terminus is (appropriately) the North End Parks, with plenty of space for picnicking and playing. Nearby, in the Armenian Heritage Park, a...

The Mapparium is an oddball piece of historical artwork that defies categorization. It’s a room-size, 600-piece, hand-crafted glass globe at the Mary Baker Eddy Library (next to her Christian Science Church). On first impression, the colorful, illuminated map is certainly lovely. But take a closer look. Do you see Hawaii? Thailand? The North or South Pole? While the luminescent map was accurate in...