Spectator Sports

Boston has long enjoyed a well-deserved reputation as a great sports town. The Red Sox, Celtics, and New England Patriots have been more successful and popular than the Bruins recently, but local fans are nothing if not loyal -- just ask all those Celtics fans who waited 22 years between NBA championships. Fans are also passionate about college sports, particularly hockey, in which the Division I schools are fierce rivals.

The TD Banknorth Garden, 100 Legends Way (Causeway St.; tel. 617/624-1000 for events line or 617/931-2000 for Ticketmaster; www.tdbanknorthgarden.com), is open for tours on the hour from 11am to 3pm daily, depending on the arena schedule. Tours concentrate on the displays in the fifth- and sixth-floor concourses, where the Sports Museum of New England (tel. 617/624-1235; www.sportsmuseum.org) celebrates local teams and athletes of all ages -- especially the Celtics and Bruins, who play in the building. Tickets cost $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and children 6 to 17, free for children under 6. Always call ahead; there's no access during events. Note: Visitors may not bring any bags, including backpacks and briefcases, into the arena.

Beyond the "big four" professional sports and dozens of college options, several lower-profile pro franchises call the Boston area home. The New England Revolution (tel. 877/438-7387; www.revolutionsoccer.net) of Major League Soccer plays at Gillette Stadium on Route 1 in Foxboro from April through October. Tickets cost $19 to $37 and are available through Ticketmaster (tel. 617/931-2000; www.ticketmaster.com). The Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse (tel. 888/847-9700 or 617/746-9933; www.bostoncannons.com) play at Harvard Stadium from mid-May through mid-August; tickets cost $10 to $20. The Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS; tel. 877/439-2732 or 781/251-2100; www.womensprosoccer.com/boston) plan to resume play in April 2009. The team, a WUSA franchise before that league went under, will play at Harvard Stadium beginning in April 2009; check the website for updates.

Baseball

Ho-hum, another World Series championship -- that's something you'll never hear from a true Boston Red Sox fan. The baseball world was still pinching itself over the team's 2004 title, which ended an 86-year dry spell, when the Sox brought home the 2007 crown. "Home" is legendary Fenway Park, and no other experience in all of sports matches watching a game there. Fenway was already selling out well before the 2004 Series, and tickets remain a precious commodity, sky-high prices notwithstanding.

The season runs from early April to early October, later if the team makes the playoffs. The quirkiness of the oldest park in the major leagues (1912), rich with history and atmosphere, only adds to the mystique. A hand-operated scoreboard fronts the 37-foot left-field wall, or "Green Monster." Watch carefully during a pitching change -- the left fielder from either team might suddenly disappear into a door in the wall to get out of the sun. Most seats are narrow and uncomfortable, but also gratifyingly close to the field.

One of the most imaginative management teams in baseball strives to make visiting Fenway worth the big bucks. Yawkey Way turns into a sort of carnival midway for ticketholders before games, with concession stands, live music, and other diversions. New sections of seats keep cropping up in previously unused areas of the ballpark, notably including the section above the Green Monster.

Practical concerns: Compared with its modern brethren, Fenway is tiny. Tickets are the most expensive in the majors -- a few upper bleacher seats go for $12, but most are in the $25-to-$90 range, with the best dugout boxes topping $300, and that's if you pay face value. They go on sale in December; order early. Forced to choose between seats in a low-numbered grandstand section -- say, 10 or below -- and in the bleachers, go for the bleachers. They can get rowdy during night games, but the view is better from there than from deep in right field. "Monster" seats top out at $120 and go on sale by lottery in batches throughout the season; check the website. A limited number of same-day standing-room tickets ($20-$30) are available before each game, and fans sometimes return presold tickets, especially if a rainout causes rescheduling. It can't hurt to check, particularly if the team isn't playing well; visit the website and navigate to "Red Sox Replay," or check at the ticket office.

The Fenway Park ticket office (tel. 877/REDSOX-9; www.redsox.com; T: Green Line B, C, or D to Kenmore, or D to Fenway) is at 4 Yawkey Way, near the corner of Brookline Avenue. Tickets for people with disabilities and in no-alcohol sections are available. Smoking is not allowed in the park.

Play Ball! -- Fenway Park tours (tel. 617/226-6666) take visitors around the legendary ballpark. This is an excellent alternative if your budget or schedule doesn't allow for attending a game. Depending on what's going on at the park, a tour may include a walk on the warning track, a stop in the press box, and a visit to the Red Sox Hall of Fame. Tours start on the hour Monday through Saturday from 9am to 4pm, Sunday from noon to 3pm (or 3 hr. before game time, whichever is earlier), in the summer; winter hours end 1 hour earlier, with no tours on Sunday. There are no tours on holidays or before day games. Admission is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors, and $10 for children under 15, and advance individual sales aren't available.

Basketball

The Boston Celtics raised their 17th National Basketball Association championship banner to the rafters of the TD Banknorth Garden in 2008. The team's unlikely run to the title captivated even the most jaded fans. The Celtics play from early October to April or May; when a top contender is visiting, getting tickets may be tough. Prices are as low as $10 for some games and top out at $275 ($750 for floor seats). For information, call the Garden (tel. 617/624-1000; www.nba.com/celtics); for tickets, contact Ticketmaster (tel. 617/931-2000; www.ticketmaster.com). To reach the Garden, take the MBTA Green or Orange Line or commuter rail to North Station. Note: Spectators may not bring any bags, including backpacks and briefcases, into the arena.

Football

The New England Patriots (tel. 800/543-1776; www.patriots.com) were playing to standing-room-only crowds even before they won three Super Bowls in 4 years (2002, 2004, and 2005) and famously fizzled out in 2008. The Pats play from August through December or January at Gillette Stadium on Route 1 in Foxboro, about a 45-minute drive south of Boston. Tickets ($49-$169) sell out well in advance, often as part of season-ticket packages. Call or check the website for information on individual ticket sales and resales and public-transit options.

Boston College, another tough ticket, is the state's only Division I-A team. The Eagles play at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill (tel. 617/552-GOBC; www.bceagles.collegesports.com). The area's Division I-AA teams are Harvard University, Harvard Stadium, North Harvard Street, Allston (tel. 877/GO-HARVARD or 617/495-2211; www.gocrimson.com), and Northeastern University, Parsons Field, Kent Street, Brookline (tel. 617/373-4700; www.gonu.com).

Golf Tournaments

At least two of the major tours get within an hour of downtown Boston. Over Labor Day weekend, the PGA Tour (www.pgatour.com) visits the Tournament Players Club of Boston, which is actually in suburban Norton (tel. 508/285-3200; www.thetpcofboston.com). The senior golfers on the Champions Tour (www.pgatour.com/s) swing by in late June or July, landing at Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord (tel. 978/610-2700; www.nashawtuc.com). The senior women on the Legends Tour (www.thelegendstour.com) stop at suburban Quincy's Granite Links Golf Club (tel. 617/689-1900; www.granitelinksgolfclub.com) in August. Check ahead for exact dates and other information on golf events, and to see whether the LPGA (www.lpga.com) tournament circuit will return to eastern Massachusetts. The Globe and Herald regularly list numerous amateur events for fun and charity.

Hockey

Tickets to see the Boston Bruins, one of the NHL's original six teams, are expensive but worth it for hard-core fans. For information, call the TD Banknorth Garden (tel. 617/624-1000; www.bostonbruins.com); for tickets, contact Ticketmaster (tel. 617/931-2000; www.ticketmaster.com). To reach the Garden, take the MBTA Green or Orange Line or commuter rail to North Station. Note: Spectators may not bring any bags, including backpacks and briefcases, into the arena.

Budget-minded fans who don't have their hearts set on seeing a pro game will be pleasantly surprised by the quality of local college hockey. Even for sold-out games, standing-room tickets are usually available the night of the game. The local teams regularly hit the national rankings; they include Boston College, Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill (tel. 617/552-GOBC; www.bceagles.collegesports.com); Boston University, Agganis Arena, 928 Commonwealth Ave. (tel. 617/353-3838; www.bu.edu/athletics); Harvard University, Bright Hockey Center, North Harvard Street, Allston (tel. 877/GO-HARVARD or 617/495-2211; www.gocrimson.com); and Northeastern University, Matthews Arena, St. Botolph Street (tel. 617/373-4700; www.gonu.com). These four are the Beanpot schools, whose men's teams play a tradition-steeped tournament on the first two Mondays of February at the TD Banknorth Garden. Women's games don't normally sell out; the exception will be the 2009 NCAA Women's Frozen Four (national semifinals and finals), at Agganis arena on March 20 and 22.

Horse Racing

Suffolk Downs, 111 Waldemar Ave., East Boston (tel. 617/567-3900; www.suffolkdowns.com), is one of the best-run smaller tracks in the country. The legendary Seabiscuit raced here; a marker commemorates his storied career. In addition to extensive simulcasting options day and night year-round, the live racing season runs from May to November. The Massachusetts Handicap, or MassCap, is an important Breeders' Cup prep race run in late September. General admission and weekend preferred parking for live racing cost $2 each. General parking is free all week.

The day's entries appear in the Globe and Herald. The track is off Route 1A, about 2 miles north of Logan Airport. The MBTA Blue Line has a Suffolk Downs station; wait for the shuttle bus or walk about 10 minutes to the track entrance.

The Marathon

Every year on Patriots Day -- the third Monday in April -- the Boston Marathon rules the roads from suburban Hopkinton to Copley Square in Boston. Cheering fans line the entire route. An especially nice place to watch is tree-shaded Commonwealth Avenue between Kenmore Square and Mass. Ave., but you'll be in a crowd wherever you stand, particularly near the finish line in front of the Boston Public Library. For information about watching, ask the staff at your hotel or check the daily papers. For information about qualifying, contact the Boston Athletic Association (tel. 617/236-1652; www.bostonmarathon.org).

Rowing

In late October, the Head of the Charles Regatta (tel. 617/868-6200; www.hocr.org) attracts more rowers than any other crew event in the country. Some 4,000 oarsmen and -women race against the clock for 4 miles from the Charles River basin to the Eliot Bridge in west Cambridge. Hundreds of thousands of spectators socialize and occasionally watch the action, which runs nonstop on Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday.

Spring crew racing is more exciting than the "head" format; the course is 2,000m (1 1/4 miles), and races last just 5 to 7 minutes. Men's and women's collegiate events take place on Saturday mornings in April and early May in the Charles River basin. You'll have a perfect view of the finish line from Memorial Drive between the MIT boathouse and the Hyatt Regency Cambridge hotel. To find out who's racing, check the Friday Globe sports section.