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During your Boston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) was an incorrigible individualist long before strong-willed behavior was acceptable for women in polite Boston society, and her forcefulness paid off for art lovers. "Mrs. Jack" designed her exquisite home in the style of a 15th-century Venetian palace and filled it with European, American, and Asian painting and sculpture, many pieces chosen with the help of her friend and protégé Bernard Berenson. You'll see works by Titian, Botticelli, Raphael, Rembrandt, Matisse, and Mrs. Gardner's friends James McNeill Whistler and John Singer Sargent. Titian's magnificent Europa, which many scholars consider his finest work, is one of the most important Renaissance paintings in the United States. In my casual poll of local travel experts, the Gardner was the most popular museum.The building, which opened to the public after Mrs. Gardner's death, holds a glorious hodgepodge of furniture and architectural details imported from European churches and palaces. The pièce de résistance is the magnificent sky-lit courtyard, filled year-round with fresh flowers from the museum greenhouse. Although the terms of Mrs. Gardner's will forbid changing the arrangement of the museum's content, there has been some evolution: A special exhibition gallery features two or three changing shows a year, often by contemporary artists in residence.They have a concert series (tel. 617/734-1359). The cafe serves lunch and desserts, and there's an excellent gift shop.
Old State House
Built in 1713, this brick structure served as the seat of the colonial government before the Revolution, and as the state capitol until 1797. on July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was first read to Bostonians from the balcony of this building. In 1789, Pres. George Washington reviewed a parade from here. The exterior decorations are particularly interesting -- the clock was installed in place of a sundial, and the gilded lion and unicorn are reproductions of the original symbols of British rule that were ripped from the facade and burned the day the Declaration of Independence was read.Inside is the Bostonian Society's museum of the city's history. The society was founded in 1881 to save this building, which was badly deteriorated and, incredibly, was about to be sold and shipped to Chicago. Exhibits include an introductory video on the history of the building, a meter that illustrates the proximity of the Blue Line subway (which makes the floor vibrate), and displays that focus on the Revolutionary period and more recent history.To continue on the Freedom Trail: Leave the building, turn left, and walk half a block.
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.
Hilton Boston Logan Airport
Walking From the Airport Terminals: Terminals A & E - From Terminal A & E follow signs for ''bridge to central parking'' and ''pedestrian bridge.'' Take this walkway until the parking elevators. Proceed to second floor and into the Hilton Hotel via skybridge. Terminals B, C & D - Follow the directions from A & E or from the Airport by Hilton Shuttle. From the Airport by Hilton Shuttle: Follow signs to baggage claim area of terminal. Go to courtesy phones and press ...
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