Boston is like a second home to us Irish, where many of our ancestors settled in flight of the famine. Every year thousands of Irish students travel to Boston to soak up the culture, summer weather food and sights and we're always greeted with the warmest of welcomes! Traveling to Boston soon? Here are the top 16 things you must do in The Walking City.
16. Attend Outside The Box Festival.
Outside the Box is a free, yes free, music and performing arts festival! It features everything from dance acts, musicals, theater, comedians chefs and bands! It's a great day out that will cost you nothing.
15. See the Mapparium.
A mind-blowing attraction of The Mary Baker Eddy Library, the Mapparium is a 3-story tall glass globe of stained glass. Really cool attraction!
14. Boston Comic-Con.
Okay when we think Comic-Con, we usually associate it with geeky indulgences but the reality is something quite different. Stars and celebrities appear in their hundreds and you can lose yourself in this unique domain of entertainment and adventure! And lovely women!
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13. Island Creek Oyster Farm Tours.
Every Friday of the summer, Island Creek Oyster Farm holds tours where you can jump aboard one of their oyster skiffs, see first hand how the trade is done, taste the freshest oysters from Boston and drink some beer in the process! What's not to love?!
12. Take a trip to the New England Aquarium.
The New England Aquarium holds over 22,000 members with its principal feature - a 200,000-US-gallon cylindrical tank - being particularly impressive. The tank showcases everything from sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, eels and even baracuda. For anyone interested in wildlife or marine habitats, the New England Aquarium is your place to go.
11. Colonnade Rooftop Pool.
A newly renovated public pool, the Colonnade is the place to be on your hot summer days. Food and drinks are at your service and there's a concert series lined up too!
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10. Visit the Museum of Science.
The Museum of Science has a number of unique attractions such as a to-scale community solar system model. Fun optical illusions, an investigative exhibit on natural mysteries and the Charles Hayden Planetarium are all cool features of the museum.
9. Take a trip to Franklin Park Zoo.
Franklin Park Zoo contains over 220 species of animals with exhibits including The Tropical Forrest, Kalahari Kingdom, Outback Trail and Tiger Tales. They have everything from kangaroos to tigers, gorillas to crocodiles and prairie dogs to cockatoos!
8. Visit the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Named after one of the most influential American presidents, the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum tells a great story of American history, highlighting the late president's struggles, influence and achievements such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. An exhibit on the Kennedy family features a number of artifacts including a replica of the Great Mace of Galway, Ireland.
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7. Check out TD Garden.
Home to the 2011 Stanley Cup champions, Boston Bruins and the NBA's Boston Celtics, TD Garden also hosts a variety of concerts and events year-round. It hosted the UFC in August when Conor McGregor got the blackout treatment and walked out to a raucous reception in America's number-one Irish city!
6. Experience Hell Night at East Coast Grill.
Traditionally a delicious seafood restaurant in Boston, East Coast Grill serves up some of the spiciest dishes known to man in a three day fiery fiesta in October, known as Hell Night. Competitive eaters and spice maniacs get down there for the hottest of the hot!
5. See a game at the historic Fenway Park.
The oldest baseball park in MLB, Fenway Park is dubbed "The Cathedral of Boston." It is home to the hugely successful Boston Red Sox and has hosted the World Series 11 times, with the Red Sox winning on 7 of these occasions! By MLB's standards Fenway is one of the smaller baseball parks but it is unique in its intimate venue, and rich in history and success. Definitely worthwhile to go see the reigning World Series champions and enjoy a cold one with some delicious game food!
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4. Go to the Boston Beer Marathon.
Yes, that's right - beer marathon! Anybody Irish will love this! What an invention. On 26th July, 26 bars get involved in this marathon and your plan is to try and hit as many as you can - there's plenty of specials, deals, koozies, prizes and Viking hats to go around!
3. Enjoy some of the finest Seafood at The Barking Crab.
Boston is home to some of the USA's freshest catch and delicious seafood and with a view like The Barking Crab's at the waterfront, you'll be hard-pushed to find another dining experience like this one! Chauder, stuffed lobster and king crab are their specialty and a must eat for you!
2. Visit the Museum of Fine Arts.
The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) showcases almost 450,000 works of art from ancient Egypt right up to the contemporary era. It is one of the largest museums in the US and attracts over 1 million visitors each year. It holds a number of special exhibitions which will drive you art nuts crazy!
1. Summer at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston.
The ICA puts on a series of concerts and gigs in the summer called Wavelengths with a tonne of cool bands performing live. Free concerts every week of the summer with other events like chef demos also taking place, you'll always find something to do at the ICA. The building has a slick modern look, facing out over the waterfront - you can't miss it! And don't forget about the museum either!
