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During your Boston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
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.
Gibson House Museum
In the Back Bay, the Gibson House is an 1859 brownstone that embodies the word "Victorian." You'll see decorations of all kinds, including family photos and portraits, petrified-wood hat racks, a sequined pink-velvet pagoda for the cat, a Victrola, and an original icebox. Check ahead for the schedule of lectures and other special events.
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.
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, ...
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