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During your Boston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Old Granary Burying Ground
This cemetery, established in 1660, was once part of Boston Common. You'll see the graves of patriots Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock, and James Otis; merchant Peter Faneuil (spelled "Funal"); and Benjamin Franklin's parents. Also buried here are the victims of the Boston Massacre (discussed below) and the wife of Isaac Vergoose, who is believed to be "Mother Goose" of nursery rhyme fame. Note that gravestone rubbing, however tempting, is illegal in Boston's historic cemeteries.To continue on the Freedom Trail: Turn left as you leave the cemetery and continue 1 1/2 blocks on Tremont Street.
Harvard Museum of Natural History and Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology
These fascinating museums house the university's collections of items and artifacts related to the natural world. The world-famous academic resource offers interdisciplinary programs and exhibitions that tie in elements of all the associated fields. On weekends, staffed "Investigation Stations" help visitors learn through hands-on activities. You'll certainly find something interesting here, be it a dinosaur skeleton, a hunk of meteorite, a Native American artifact, or the Glass Flowers.The Glass Flowers are 3,000 models of more than 840 plant species devised between 1887 and 1936 by the German father-and-son team of Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka. You might have heard about them, and you might be skeptical, but it's true: They look real. The flowers are the centerpiece of the Botanical Museum. Children love the Museum of Comparative Zoology, where the dinosaurs share space with preserved and stuffed insects and animals that range in size from butterflies to giraffes. The Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnologyboasts the Hall of the North American Indian, where 500 artifacts representing 10 cultures are on display. This hall is home to the only surviving artifacts positively attributed to the Lewis and Clark expedition. The Mineralogical Museum is the most specialized but can be just as interesting as the others, especially if gemstones hold your interest.
Harrison Gray Otis House
Legendary architect Charles Bulfinch designed this gorgeous 1796 mansion for an up-and-coming young lawyer who later became mayor of Boston. The restoration was one of the first in the country to use a computer analysis of the wall paint, and the result was revolutionary: It revealed that the colors on the walls were drab because the paint was faded, not because they started out dingy. Furnished in the style to which a wealthy family in the late-18th-century and early-19th-century United States would have been accustomed, the Federal-style building is a colorful, elegant treasure. Guided tours (the only way to see the house) discuss the architecture of the house; post-Revolutionary social, business, and family life; and the history of the neighborhood.
Jurys Boston Hotel
Here at last, in the heart of Boston, you'll find the rare brand of hospitality practiced only by Jurys Doyle, Irelands premier hotel group.Located in the former Boston Police Headquarters in the heart of the Back Bay, Jurys Boston is one of the city's newest hotels. Modern but with a nod to the company's strong Irish traditions, this four-star hotel offers something entirely different for frequent business and leisure travelers who seek a distinctive Boston location.You'll be captivated the ...
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