Discover Boston, Massachusetts

The oldest city in America, Boston is steeped in stories and historic places. It's also a place to celebrate lobster, clams and baseball.

Boston has a history that's worth exploring. Founded in 1630 by Puritan colonists from England, it became the city of firsts. It had the first lighthouse, subway, chocolate factory and public beach in the USA. Other achievements include first public school, first police force, and first UFO sighting.

As you're wandering the cobbled streets of Boston, you can't help but soak up a whole lot of American history. The famous Freedom Trail includes homes, churches, statues, stores, cemeteries and public buildings connected to the revolutionary cause. When you're not absorbing history, you can be watching live sport, sipping cider or exploring the local cuisine, famous for its lobster and clam dishes. 

Immerse yourself in Boston's incredible history

Follow the 4km Freedom Trail Tour for a walk through history and a lesson on the Boston Tea Party, which changed the course of USA history. The route starts at the oldest public park in the USA, Boston Common, then it meanders through Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church, two burial grounds from the 1600s, Paul Revere's house and a number of other historical sites. It ends at the Bunker Hill Monument, erected to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The trail includes the Boston Massacre site, where Bostonians and Redcoats fought in 1770. The original site of the Boston Tea party no longer exists, as the land has been reclaimed, but the Boston Tea Party ships and museum on the Congress Street Bridge are in the approximate area.

Another historical must-do is a walk around Harvard University. The university's information centre meets and greets visitors from all over the world. During your guided or self-guided tour, look for the 'Smoot' measurements on Harvard Bridge In 1958, the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity used freshman Oliver Smoot's height as a measurement of the bridge and it's stayed there since.

Have fun like a Bostonian

Feel the crowd fervour as you cheer on the Red Sox at Fenway Park. It's a very American thing to do and might be the star event on your Boston itinerary. Built-in 1912, the park has a lone red seat in the bleachers on the right signifying Ted Williams' home run on June 9, 1946 - at 153 metres, it was the stadium's longest hit ever.

Boston has a great line-up of weird and wonderful entertainment options. Investigate the curious and odd at the Warren Anatomical Museum, where you'll find the skull of Phineas Gage, a railway worker who survived an iron rod through the brain (albeit with a substantial personality change). Or step inside the Mapparium, a three-story, illuminated, stained-glass globe of the Earth with a glass walkway through the centre.

For an outing with a spooky theme, pack a picnic and take the ferry to George's Island. After your alfresco lunch, explore Fort Warren and keep an eye out for the ghost. A woman in black is believed to be a Confederate prisoner's wife who was hanged for trying to help him escape.

Check out the neighbourhoods of Boston

Beacon Hill is Boston's most famous neighbourhood, and one of the oldest. Wander the cobbled streets and admire the stately red brick row houses adorned with ivy. Find Acorn Street, with the original uneven cobblestones, which is a short walk from J P Licks – an ice-cream parlour with a variety of unusual flavours (and even vegan icecream). Make sure you visit the Museum of African American History for amazing insight into Boston's history.

Charlestown was popularised by Irish immigrants and is home to the Bunker Hill Monument (climb the 294 steps to get to the top) and the USS Constitution, the oldest warship still afloat. Visit one of the oldest pubs in Boston, the Warren Tavern, which has been pouring pints since it was a favourite of George Washington and Paul Revere.

South End is a popular neighbourhood for its food scene. It helps that it's beautiful too, with gaslight street lamps, cobblestones and flower boxes.

Relish Boston's cuisine culture

If you're in Boston, you're eating lobster. It's a must-do, and there are plenty of ways to eat this delicacy. Have a brown butter lobster roll at Eventide Fenway - delicate lobster meat tossed in browned butter and lemon vinaigrette served in a fresh, soft steamed bun that soaks up all the juices…divine.

Hunt down the clam chowder at Legal Sea Foods. Legal's chowder is something of a legend, having been served at every presidential inauguration since 1981 (except Trump's). It's got a salt pork base with onions, potatoes and littleneck clams.

To finish your Boston culinary journey, eat a Boston cream pie at Omni Parker House. It's a butter sponge filled with pastry cream and drizzled with chocolate.

There is literally no end to the amazing food at Boston- brisket burgers at Craigie on Main, a maple bacon donut at Union Square Donuts, hot smoked salmon, cream cheese and pickled red cabbage at Bagelsaurus. The pictures you snap will turn your Instagram feed into a homemade food blog.

Essential information

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Best time visit Boston

Boston's climate is continental, with cold, snowy winters and warm-to-hot summers. Most travellers choose to visit from late March through to the end of October, to ensure decent weather for Freedom Trail and other outdoor activities. October is the best month for autumn colours. If you're keen to see a baseball game, the Red Sox schedule runs from late March until late September.

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How much will it cost?

Not including air travel and hotels, you should allow about US$150 to $200 a day per person for food and entertainment.

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