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During your Boston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Museum of Afro-American History
The final stop on the Black Heritage Trail, this museum offers a comprehensive look at the history and contributions of blacks in Boston and Massachusetts. It occupies the recently restored Abiel Smith School (1834), the first American public grammar school for African-American children, and the African Meeting House, 8 Smith Court. Changing and permanent exhibits use art, artifacts, documents, historic photographs, and other objects -- including many family heirlooms -- to explore an important era that often takes a back seat in Revolutionary War-obsessed New England. Children enjoy the interactive touch-screen displays and multimedia presentations, and the patient, enthusiastic staff helps them put the exhibits in context. The oldest standing black church in the United States, the meeting house opened in 1806. William Lloyd Garrison founded the New England Anti-Slavery Society in this building, where Frederick Douglass made some of his great abolitionist speeches. Once known as the "Black Faneuil Hall," it also schedules lectures, concerts, and church meetings.
New England Aquarium
This complex is home to more than 15,000 fish and aquatic mammals, and at busy times, it seems to contain at least that many people -- in July and August, try to make this your first stop of the morning, especially on weekends. You'll want to spend at least half a day here, and huge afternoon crowds can make getting around painfully slow. Also consider investing in a Boston CityPass; it allows you to skip the ticket line, which can be uncomfortably long, and may represent a savings on the steep admission charge. The Simons IMAX Theatre, which has its own building, hours, and admission fees, is worth planning ahead for too. Its 85-foot-by-65-foot screen shows 3-D films with digital sound that concentrate on the natural world. It's a dizzying experience.The focal point of the main building is the four-story, 200,000-gallon Giant Ocean Tank. A four-story spiral ramp encircles the tank, which contains a replica of a Caribbean coral reef and an assortment of sea creatures that seem to coexist amazingly well. Part of the reason for the peace might be that scuba divers feed the sharks twice a day. Other exhibits show off freshwater and tropical specimens, a wide variety of jellyfish, denizens of the Amazon, and the ecology of Boston Harbor. The floating marine mammal pavilion, Discovery, is home to performing sea lions. At the Edge of the Sea exhibit, visitors can touch the sea stars, sea urchins, and horseshoe crabs in the tide pool. The Aquarium Medical Center is especially involving -- it's a working veterinary hospital.Naturalist-led harbor tours that teach "Science at Sea" run daily in the spring, summer, and fall. Discounts are available when you combine a visit to the aquarium with an IMAX film, harbor tour, or whale watch.
Larz Anderson Auto Museum
The Larz Anderson Auto Museum occupies an 1888 carriage house modeled after a French château. Beginning in 1899, Larz and Isabel Anderson acquired the cars that form the core of the collection, now the country's oldest private assemblage of antique autos. The cars boast what was then the latest equipment, from a two-cylinder engine (in a 1901 Winton race car) to a full lavatory (in a 1906 CGV). Along with the vehicles, auto-related memorabilia from the collection and from other sources are on display.The museum (formerly the Museum of Transportation) has a good gift shop and frequently schedules special events such as concerts, lectures, and family programs. On most warm-weather Sundays, outdoor lawn events include displays of vehicles such as Corvettes, Cadillacs, Triumphs, European motorcycles, or Italian imports. Call to find out what's being featured during your visit.
Onyx Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel
-Downtown Boston, center of the city (not financial district) -One block from north station (commuter railroad lines and bus terminal) -One block from TD Banknorth Garden (home of the Boston Celtics and Bruins) -Four blocks from Faneuil Hall (shops, restaurants and entertainment) -Centrally located to the history as well as the future of Boston: within a mile of the new and old city halls, new and old state buildings, new and old courthouses, Bunker Hill, Tip O'Neill building, ...
The Ritz-Carlton Boston Common
The Ritz-Carlton hotels in the United States and Canada are smoke-free. To accomodate the needs of guests who smoke, we offer special smoking areas outside of the hotel. Please contact the hotel directly to inquire about the location of the designated smoking areas. * A commanding presence on the Boston skyline, The Ritz-Carlton Boston Common displays an exciting sense of innovation and reflects the modern-day core of New England's most forward looking city. Although it overlooks the ...
Doubletree' Club Boston-Bayside
Located adjacent to the Bayside EXPO and Executive Conference Center off I-93, the Doubletree Club Hotel Boston-Bayside is just 1 and 1/2 miles from downtown Boston and five miles from Logan International Airport. Boston Logan Airport 6 MI NE, Hotel Shuttle, Taxi, rental car, limo. JFK/U Mass Red Line T 0 MI W, Subway train. Downtown Boston 2 MI N, Financial district TF Green Airport- Providence 53 MI ...
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