Attractions

Whether you want to immerse yourself in the colonial era or just cruise around the harbor, you can do it -- and plenty more -- in Boston. Throw out your preconceptions of the city as an open-air history museum (although that's certainly one of the guises it can assume), and allow your interests to dictate where you go.

It's possible but not advisable to take in most of the major attractions in 2 or 3 days if you don't linger anywhere too long. For a more enjoyable, less rushed visit, plan fewer activities and spend more time on them.

Mergers and budget cuts have slashed corporate and government contributions to many cultural organizations. Admissions fees and hours were current when this guide was published, but establishments that rely heavily on outside aid may cost a bit more or be keeping shorter hours by the time you visit. And prices for attractions that use fuel -- such as tours and cruises -- are subject to changes or surcharges depending on the fluctuating energy market. If you're on a tight schedule or budget, check ahead.

For security reasons, some attractions require adult patrons to show ID before entering. Double-check that you have your license or passport before you leave the hotel.

In 2009, observations of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth will take place all over the United States; the holiday is in February, and events will stretch throughout the year. Another 1809 baby, Park Street Church, is planning its own birthday celebration; check ahead for information about special events. Also wearing a pointy hat and blowing out candles: the New England Aquarium, which turns 40 in 2009. The National Park Service opened a new Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center in 2008; visit Building 5, between the entrance and the warship "Old Ironsides," to check out the new facility and enjoy the air-conditioning.

In 2008, two of the three Harvard Art Museums closed for renovations. Check ahead for details about the greatest-hits displays in the one that remains open, the Arthur M. Sackler Museum. When this guide was published, the Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum (tel. 617/269-7150; www.bostonteapartyship.com), which closed after a fire in 2001, was scheduled to reopen in mid-2009. Chronically delayed plans in place since shortly after a devastating fire in 2001 called for the construction of two more ships, doubling the size of the museum, and addition of a tearoom. Check at your hotel or call ahead before setting out.

The Top Attractions

The attractions in this section are easily accessible by public transportation; given the difficulty and expense of parking, it's preferable to take the T everywhere. Even the Kennedy Library, which has a large free parking lot, operates a free shuttle bus that connects it to the Red Line. To maximize your enjoyment, try to visit these attractions during relatively slow times. If possible, especially in the summer, sightsee on weekdays; if you're traveling without children, aim for times when school is in session. And if you're in town on a July or August weekend, resign yourself to lines and crowds.

Let's Make a Deal

As you plan your sightseeing, consider these money-saving options. Check their respective websites for info about buying each pass.

If you concentrate on the included attractions, a CityPass (tel. 888/330-5008; www.citypass.com) offers great savings. It's a booklet of tickets (so you can go straight to the entrance) to the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Kennedy Library, the New England Aquarium, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science, and the Prudential Center Skywalk Observatory. If you visit all six, the price gives adults a nearly 50% savings -- which feels like an even better deal on a steamy day when the line at the aquarium is long. When this guide was published, the cost was $44 for adults, $24 for youths 3 to 11, subject to change as admission prices rise. The passes, good for 9 days from first use (except in the winter, when they're good for up to 3 1/2 months), also include discounts good at other local businesses.

The main competition for CityPass is the Go Boston Card (tel. 800/887-9103; www.gobostoncard.com). The original Go Boston card includes admission to more than 60 Boston-area and New England attractions, plus dining and shopping discounts, a guidebook, and a 2-day trolley pass. If you strategize wisely, this card can be a great value. It costs $55 for 1 day, $85 for 2 days, $115 for 3 days, $155 for 5 days, and $195 for 7 days, with discounts for children and winter travelers (some of the included businesses close in the winter). A spin-off, the Explorer Pass, lets you select three of the nine included attractions and is good for 30 days. It costs $59 for adults and $39 for children -- a potentially good deal, but do a little math before committing.

The MBTA's 7-day LinkPass (tel. 877/927-7277 or 617/222-4545; www.mbta.com) can be a good deal -- but only if you plan to use public transit often enough.

Let's All Go for a Harborwalk

The concept is irresistible: The Harborwalk is a pathway that traces 47 miles of Boston's shoreline, allowing public access to multimillion-dollar views of the water. In theory, the Harborwalk extends from East Boston to Dorchester; in practice, the pathway isn't continuous. Distinctive royal blue signs with a white logo and text point the way along the Harborwalk, which is an ideal route to take from downtown to the Institute of Contemporary Art, on the South Boston waterfront. The ambitious project has been in the works since 1984 and is more than three-quarters complete. Learn more by visiting the website, www.bostonharborwalk.com, which features a map and a downloadable audio tour.

On Top of the World

The Prudential Center Skywalk Observatory, 800 Boylston St. (tel. 617/859-0648; www.topofthehub.net), offers a 360-degree view of Boston and far beyond. From the enclosed observation deck on the 50th floor of the Prudential Tower, you can see for miles, even (when it's clear) as far as the mountains of southern New Hampshire to the north and the beaches of Cape Cod to the south. Away from the windows, interactive audiovisual exhibits chronicle the city's history. The admission price includes a narrated audio tour, available in versions targeted to adults and children. Wings Over Boston, a dramatic aerial video tour of the city, screens in the on-site theater. Also here are fascinating exhibits, including video presentations about refugees, on the history of immigration to Boston. Call before visiting, because the space sometimes closes for private events. Hours are 10am to 10pm daily. Admission is $11 for adults, $9 for seniors and college students with ID, and $7.50 for children under 12; adults must show a photo ID to enter the building.

Eyes in the Skies

For a smashing view of the airport, the harbor, and the South Boston waterfront, stroll along the harbor or Atlantic Avenue to Northern Avenue. On either side of this intersection are buildings with free observation areas. Be ready to show an ID to gain entrance. The first, on the 14th floor of Independence Wharf, 470 Atlantic Ave., is open daily from 11am to 5pm. The other, Foster's Rotunda, is on the ninth floor of 30 Rowes Wharf, in the Boston Harbor Hotel complex. It's open Monday to Friday from 11am to 4pm.

African-American History

The 1.6-mile Black Heritage Trail covers sites on Beacon Hill that preserve the history of 19th-century Boston. The neighborhood was the center of the free black community, and the trail links stations of the Underground Railroad, homes of famous citizens, and the first integrated public school in the city. You can take a free 2-hour guided tour with a ranger from the National Park Service's Boston African American National Historic Site (tel. 617/742-5415; www.nps.gov/boaf). Tours start at the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, on Beacon Street across from the State House. They're available Monday through Saturday from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and by request at other times; call ahead for a reservation. Or go on your own, using a brochure (available at the Museum of African American History and the Boston Common and State Street visitor centers) that includes a map and descriptions of the buildings. The only buildings on the trail that are open to the public are the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School, which make up the Museum of African American History. Check ahead for special programs in February.

Across the river, the Cambridge African American Heritage Trail focuses on significant sites in the history of the city's large black community. To buy the guide, visit the office on the second floor of 831 Massachusetts Ave., download an order form from the website, or send a check for $3.50 (includes shipping), payable to the Cambridge Historical Society, to the Cambridge Historical Commission, 831 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 (tel. 617/349-4683; www.ci.cambridge.ma.us/~historic).

Focus on Women's History

The Boston Women's Heritage Trail (tel. 617/522-2872; www.bwht.org) creates walking tours with stops at homes, churches, and social and political institutions associated with women who made great contributions to society. Subjects include Julia Ward Howe, social reformer Dorothea Dix, colonial religious leader Anne Hutchinson, and less famous Bostonians such as Phillis Wheatley, a slave who became the first African-American published poet, and abolitionist and feminist Lucy Stone. You can buy a guidebook at the National Park Service Visitor Center at 15 State St., at some local historic sites and bookstores, or online.

Parks & Gardens

Green space is an important part of Boston's appeal, and the public parks are hard to miss. The world-famous Emerald Necklace, Frederick Law Olmsted's vision for a loop of green spaces, runs through the city.

The best-known park, for good reason, is the spectacular Public Garden, bordered by Arlington, Boylston, Charles, and Beacon streets. Something lovely is in bloom at the country's first botanical garden at least half the year. The spring flowers are particularly impressive, especially if your visit happens to coincide with the first really warm days of the year. It's hard not to enjoy yourself when everyone around you seems ecstatic just to be seeing the sun.

For many Bostonians, the official beginning of spring coincides with the return of the Swan Boats (tel. 617/522-1966; www.swanboats.com). The pedal-powered vessels -- the attendants pedal, not the passengers -- plunge into the lagoon on the Saturday before Patriots Day, the third Monday of April. The surrounding greenery and placid water help lend a 19th-century aura to the attraction, which the Paget family has operated since 1877. Although the Swan Boats don't move fast, they'll transport you. They operate daily from 10am to 5pm in the summer, daily from 10am to 4pm in the spring, and weekdays noon to 4pm and weekends 10am to 4pm from Labor Day to mid-September. The cost for the 15-minute ride is $2.75 for adults, $2 for seniors, and $1.25 for children 2 to 15.

Across Charles Street is Boston Common, the country's first public park and the first site on the Freedom Trail. The property was purchased in 1634 and officially set aside as public land in 1640, so if it seems a bit run-down (especially compared to the Public Garden), it's no wonder. A rehab project that began in 2007 may be bearing fruit -- or closing off whole sections of the park, or both -- by the time you visit. The Frog Pond, where there really were frogs at one time, makes a pleasant spot to splash around in the summer and skate in the winter. At the Boylston Street side of the Common is the Central Burying Ground, where you can see the grave of famed portraitist Gilbert Stuart. There's also a bandstand where you might take in a free concert or play, and many beautiful shade trees.

The most spectacular garden in town is the Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain (tel. 617/524-1718; www.arboretum.harvard.edu), which Frederick Law Olmsted designed as the final link in the Emerald Necklace. One of the oldest parks in the United States, founded in 1872, it is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Its 265 acres contain more than 15,000 ornamental trees, shrubs, and vines from all over the world. In the spring, the grounds are ablaze with blossoming dogwood, azaleas, and rhododendrons, and the air fills with the dizzying scent of hundreds of varieties of lilacs, for which the arboretum is especially famous. This is definitely a place to take a camera -- but not food. Lilac Sunday, in May, is the only time the arboretum allows picnicking.

There is no admission fee for this National Historic Landmark, which Harvard University administers in cooperation with the Boston Department of Parks and Recreation. To get there, take the MBTA Orange Line to the Forest Hills stop and follow signs to the entrance. The visitor center is open weekdays from 9am to 4pm, Saturday 10am to 4pm, and Sunday noon to 4pm (closed major holidays). Call or visit the website for information about educational programs and driving directions.