A Visitor’s Guide to Cambridge and Boston (Cheatsheet for Junior Parents' Weekend), Part 2

A view of Boston from the Bunker Hill Monument By Vimal S. Konduri

In our second installment of Flyby's Visitor's Guide for Junior Parents' Weekend, we're showcasing some places in Boston! Why not use your parents as an excuse to get on the T and spend their money at nice museums and restaurants?

IN BOSTON:

Being a Harvard student, you’re probably familiar with the standard tourist attractions in Boston: walking the Freedom Trail, going to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, and eating Italian food in the North End and Chinese food in Chinatown. You should absolutely show your visitors all of those things if you want (just try not to let them overpay for lunch at the notoriously touristy Quincy Market), but once you finish those, here are some other unique attractions to show them:

Bunker Hill Monument By Vimal S. Konduri

1) Bunker Hill Monument: Built in 1843 to honor the fallen at the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Charlestown landmark obelisk’s nearby museum offers a refresher on the history of the 1775 battle fought here at Breed’s Hill. Be sure to climb the 294 steps to the top for one of the best, if not the best, views of Boston.

2) Public Garden: Be sure to walk here from Copley, taking in the nice buildings of Back Bay along Boylston and Newbury Streets on the way. The setting of Make Way for Ducklings is one of Boston’s prettiest parks, and the oldest botanical garden in the country. Boston Common, the oldest city park in the country, is right next door as well, and features ice skating in the winter.

3) Prudential Center Skywalk Observatory: Located on the 50th floor of the Prudential Center, Boston’s second-tallest building, the Skywalk Observatory offers a great view of Boston and features a number of exhibits on Boston’s history. Two floors above it is a pricey, fancy restaurant called Top of the Hub, which features the same view.

Trinity Church By Vimal S. Konduri

4) Copley Square: Perhaps the most architecturally beautiful public space in Boston, Copley Square is bounded by three magnificent National Historic Landmarks: the Boston Public Library (designed by Charles Follen McKim, built 1895), Trinity Church (Henry Hobson Richardson, 1872), and Old South Church (Charles Amos Cummings and Willard T. Sears, 1873). Be sure to go into the BPL and check out the murals by John Singer Sargent, marvel at the stained glass and statues of Trinity Church, and look around the magnificent Gothic architecture of Old South. Copley is also home to the tallest building in Boston– the glass prism that is the John Hancock Tower.

5) Beacon Hill: From John Singleton Copley to John Kerry, many of Boston’s elite have called this neighborhood of rowhouses north of Back Bay home over the centuries. It is also home to several sites that are part of Boston African American National Historic Site, including the Museum of African American History, as the neighborhood was the center of Boston’s African American community in the 19th century as well as a major center of the Abolitionist movement.

6) The First Church of Christ, Scientist: The mother church of the Christian Science denomination, founded in Boston by Mary Baker Eddy, the Christian Science Church features an impressive dome and fronts a nice public plaza. The Mapparium, in the adjacent Mary Baker Eddy Library, is a cool walk-in globe.

The Museum of Fine Arts By Vimal S. Konduri

7) The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: One of the finest (and largest) art museums in the United States, the MFA’s mind-bogglingly massive collections could easily take an entire day to explore. While the MFA may be best-known for its colonial American paintings (like John Singleton Copley’s Watson and the Shark), John Singer Sargent murals, and Impressionist paintings, don’t overlook the museum’s tranquil Buddhist Temple Room, outstanding Japanese print collection, fine collection of South Asian art, and impressive collection of musical instruments. Plus, Harvard students get free admission! If you haven’t gotten your art fix here, head across the way to the nearby Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (also free for Harvard students), housed in the mansion of the socialite Isabella Stewart Gardner, where the collection is great, but has an eccentric layout that makes little sense.

8) The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston: This museum in the South Boston Waterfront appeals to those who prefer today’s artists over Rembrandt and Monet, or those who just happen to like contemporary art. In any case, the ICA is worth checking out for its unique architecture– the building, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and opened in 2006, seems to hover precariously over Boston Harbor. In the summer, the museum capitalizes on its location on the waterfront by hosting a summer concert series. Current exhibitions at the ICA include Where the Stars Fall: Imagination and the American South and Sonic Arboretum, as well as a small permanent collection.

John F. Kennedy Library and Museum By Vimal S. Konduri

9) John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum: Designed by well-known architect I. M. Pei and opened in 1979, the JFK Library commands a wonderful waterfront location in Dorchester. It features numerous artifacts from former Crimson editor JFK’s life and presidency, including a reconstruction of the Oval Office. Take note, though, that the main exhibit galleries will be closed until mid-March.

10) Museum of Science: If your visitors like science, this large science museum located on a dam over the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge is a great place to go, and features an IMAX, dinosaurs, and many more cool exhibits. Just be forewarned: admission can be a bit steep, at $23 per person.

11) Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: Trees, trees, and more trees. The Arnold Arboretum, located in Jamaica Plain and Roslindale and operated by Harvard, has lots and lots of them, including some that are extinct in their native range. All in all, it’s a cool place, and one that's very beautiful too. It’s a shame that we don't come check it out more often!

The Interior of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross By Vimal S. Konduri

12) The South End: This suddenly trendy neighborhood located southeast of Back Bay has been experiencing a massive influx of young professionals in the last couple of decades. It is home to rows and rows of beautiful, well-kept row houses, and is at the epicenter of Boston’s dining scene. Be sure to check out the original location of Flour Bakery on Washington Street (which has since expanded to include a second location at Kendall Square), an excellent café that has become a staple of the neighborhood. Nearby are Franklin and Blackstone Squares, two beautiful town square parks. The neighborhood is also home to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston’s Roman Catholic cathedral that was built in 1875, and one of the most beautiful churches in the city, with its Gothic architecture and stained glass. The South End’s SoWa (South of Washington) district is also home to many art galleries and boutiques, and hosts the SoWa Open Market and SoWa Farmer’s Market on Sundays during the summer.

13) Paul S. Russell, M.D., Museum of Medical History and Innovation: This small museum on the sprawling West End campus of Massachusetts General Hospital has a number of really cool artifacts related to the history of medicine. Also be sure to check out the Ether Dome nearby if you or your visitors are interested in the history of science or medicine.

14) The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge: An icon of Boston since its construction as part of the Big Dig in 2002, the cable-stayed Zakim Bridge carries I-93 across the Charles River, linking the North End to Charlestown. The best view of this gorgeous bridge is from North Point Park in Cambridge.