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Once considered ultra-conservative and boring, Boston has become a world-class metropolis with endless ways to educate, enthrall, entice and, of course, entertain. Vibrant nightlife and a surge of innovative restaurants have added options to an existing stable of world-class museums and theaters, making Boston an entertainment magnet in New England.
Museums and Galleries
Boston has a magnificent selection of art complexes—large to small, American to Asian, local to national. Many museums offer specials and discounts for students. Boston's enormous Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are the best-known and most popular. Kids love the Children's Museum, and everyone loves the Museum of Science, with its theater and planetarium.
Newbury Street, South End and Brookline boast a diverse array of galleries, many of which showcase the region's up-and-coming artists.
Theater and Music
Boston has dozens of theaters, including outstanding regional theaters and venues for touring Broadway shows. The Wang Center for the Performing Arts, the American Repertory Theatre and the Charles Playhouse are among the better-known theaters.
There is also a lively and varied music scene, including the world-renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra, which performs at Symphony Hall. The free performance by the Boston Pops on the Charles River Esplanade every Fourth of July is not to be missed. Both ensembles have summer performances at Tanglewood Music Center, a beautiful outdoor concert hall in the Berkshire mountains.
For mainstream music, check out the TD Banknorth Garden, the city's largest musical and sporting venue. The Paradise and Avalon are other venues for pop music concerts. In warmer months, the Hatch Memorial Shell on the Charles River Esplanade is famous for its free classical, jazz and rock concerts. Jazz clubs range from sleek hotel venues such as Scullers and the Regattabar to lively, standing-room-only favorites like Wally's Cafe and Bob's Southern Bistro. Irish music is also very popular in Boston, with live Irish seisiuns occurring almost nightly at the Brendan Behan Pub, The Burren and the Grand Canal, to name a few.
Parks
Rollerbladers and runners flock to the Charles River Esplanade. The Public Garden and Boston Common fill with walkers and strollers in the spring, which is about the time that the famous Swan Boats reappear. The Commonwealth Mall, which runs parallel to Newbury and Marlborough Streets, overflows with walkers, many accompanied by their dogs. One little-known oasis is the Back Bay Fens with its gorgeous rose and community gardens. The Arnold Arboretum is a 256-acre horticultural treasure. From April to October, you can rent a sailboat on lovely Jamaica Pond. Many of these parks are part of Boston’s so-called "Emerald Necklace," a series of green spaces preserved or designed by the famous landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York’s Central Park.
In South Boston, on historic Castle Island, you can walk around old Fort Independence and watch planes take off from nearby Logan International Airport.
Sports
Watch the Celtics play basketball and the Bruins play hockey at the TD Banknorth Garden. You will never forget watching the storied Red Sox play baseball at historic Fenway Park, which many fans consider the finest stadium in the country. The Boston Marathon and the Head of the Charles Rowing Regatta are two annual events that attract thousands of spectators and top athletes from all over the world.
Nightlife
Boston has many options for the music lovers, young professionals and hipsters who enjoy the varied nightlife. A word to night owls: All establishments close promptly at 2a and the MBTA stops running at 12:45a, so be prepared to take a cab home.
Lansdowne Street, located next to Fenway Park, boasts various clubs, each with a different theme. Avalon, which is the largest, boasts an impressive list of visiting DJs and live acts. For a more polished atmosphere, consider the Leather District. Off the beaten path between South Station and Chinatown you will find numerous places catering to a cosmopolitan crowd.
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