Walking Tour 1

The Back Bay

Start: The Public Garden (T: Green Line to Arlington).

Finish: Copley Square.

Time: 2 hours if you make good time, 3 if you detour to the Esplanade, and longer if you do a lot of shopping.

Best Time: Any time before late afternoon.

Worst Time: Late afternoon, when people and cars pack the streets. And don't attempt the detour on July 4th, when concertgoers jam the neighborhood. This walk is mostly outdoors, so if the weather is bad, you may find yourself in lots of shops. You decide whether that makes an overcast day a "best" or "worst" time.

The Back Bay is the youngest neighborhood in central Boston, the product of a massive landfill project that transformed the city from 1835 to 1882. It's flat, symmetrical, logically designed -- the names of the cross streets go in alphabetical order -- and altogether anomalous in Boston's crazy-quilt geography.

1 - Public Garden

Before the Back Bay was filled in, the Charles River flowed right up to Charles Street, which separates Boston Common from the Public Garden. On the night of April 18, 1775, British troops bound for Lexington and Concord boarded boats to Cambridge ("two if by sea") at the foot of the Common and set off across what's now the Public Garden.

Explore the lagoon, the trees and other flora, and the statuary. Take a ride on the Swan Boats (mid-Apr to mid-Sept), and then make your way toward the corner of Charles and Beacon streets.

A short distance away, inside the Public Garden (follow the sound of delighted children), you'll see a 35-foot strip of cobblestones topped with the bronze figures that immortalize Robert McCloskey's book:

2 - Make Way for Ducklings

Installed in 1987 and wildly popular since the moment they were unveiled, Nancy Schön's renderings of Mrs. Mallard and her eight babies are irresistible. Mrs. Mallard is 38 inches tall, making her back a bit higher than a tricycle seat, but that doesn't keep people of all ages from climbing on. If you don't know the story of the family's perilous trip to meet Mr. Mallard at the lagoon, ask one of the parents or children you'll find here.

The city bought the site of the Public Garden from private interests in 1824. Planting began in 1837, but it wasn't until the late 1850s that Arlington Street was built and the land permanently set aside. George F. Meacham executed the design.

Cross the lagoon using the little suspension bridge and look for the statue of:

3 - George Washington

Unveiled in 1875, this was Boston's first equestrian statue. It stands 38 feet tall and is considered an excellent likeness of the first president of the United States, an outstanding horseman. The artist, Thomas Ball, was a Charlestown native who worked in Italy. Among his students was noted sculptor Daniel Chester French. Pass through the gate onto Arlington Street. Before you begin exploring in earnest, this is a good place to detour.

Take A Break

Turn right and walk up Arlington Street to Beacon Street. On your right, across the busy intersection, is Cheers, 84 Beacon St. (tel. 617/227-9605; www.cheersboston.com), originally the Bull & Finch Pub. The food is quite tasty, but remember two things: The bar looks nothing like its TV offspring (you'll find a replica of the set at Faneuil Hall Marketplace), and the patrons generally consist of people from everywhere else in the universe except Boston.

Alternatively, turn right on Beacon Street and walk 1 long block to Charles Street. You can pick up food to go at Panificio, 144 Charles St. (tel. 617/227-4340), or indulge in a delicious French-style pastry at Cafe Vanille, 70 Charles St. (tel. 617/523-9200). This street is also a promising place for a shopping break.

Once you've picked up something to eat, backtrack along Beacon Street past Arlington Street to Embankment Road and turn right. Take the Arthur Fiedler Footbridge across Storrow Drive to the Esplanade, and unpack your food near the giant head of:

4 - Arthur Fiedler

Installed in 1985, this sculpture by Ralph Helmick consists of sheets of aluminum that eerily capture the countenance of the legendary conductor of the Boston Pops, who died in 1979. The amphitheater to the right is the Hatch Shell, where the Pops perform free during the week leading up to and including July 4th.

When you're ready, retrace your steps to the corner of Arlington Street and Commonwealth Avenue. This is the:

5 - Boston Center for Adult Education

Constructed in 1904 as a private home, this building at 5 Commonwealth Ave., known as the Gamble Mansion, gained a huge ballroom in 1912. If the ornate ballroom is not in use for a class or a function (it's popular for weddings), you're welcome to have a look. The BCAE (tel. 617/267-4430; www.bcae.org), established in 1933, is the oldest continuing-education institution in New England.

You're now on the 8-block Commonwealth Avenue Mall. This graceful promenade is the centerpiece of architect Arthur Gilman's design of the Back Bay. The mall is 100 feet wide (the entire street is 240 ft.) and stretches to Kenmore Square. The elegant Victorian mansions on either side -- almost all divided into apartments or in commercial or educational use -- are recognized as a great asset, but the apparently random collection of sculptures along the mall is less acclaimed. Judge for yourself as you inspect the art, starting with Alexander Hamilton across Arlington Street from George Washington. The most moving sculpture is at Dartmouth Street: The Vendome Memorial honors the memory of the nine firefighters who lost their lives in a blaze at the Hotel Vendome in 1972.

Two blocks from the Public Garden, at 110 Commonwealth Ave., at the corner of Clarendon Street, is the:

6 - First Baptist Church

Built from 1870 to 1872 of Roxbury puddingstone, it originally housed the congregation of the Brattle Street Church (Unitarian), which had been downtown, near Faneuil Hall.

The Shape of Things to Come -- The First Baptist Church is a fine building, but the design is notable mainly because its creators went on to much more famous projects. The architect, H. H. Richardson, is best known for nearby Trinity Church. The artist who created the frieze, which represents the sacraments, was Fredéric Auguste Bartholdi, who designed the Statue of Liberty.

At Clarendon Street or Dartmouth Street, turn left and walk 1 block to:

7 - Newbury Street

Commonwealth Avenue is the architectural heart of the Back Bay, and Newbury Street is the commercial center. Take some time to roam around here, browsing in the galleries, window-shopping at the boutiques, and watching the chic shoppers.

Walk down Newbury Street to Exeter Street. At 26 Exeter St. is the building that was once the:

8 - Exeter Street Theater

Designed in 1884 as the First Spiritualist Temple, it was a movie house from 1914 to 1984. Once known for the crowds flocking to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, it's now the home of a TGI Friday's restaurant.

When you're ready to continue your stroll (or when your credit cards cry for mercy), turn back toward the Public Garden and seek out three of Newbury Street's oldest buildings, starting with the:

9 - Church of the Covenant

This Gothic revival edifice at 67 Newbury St. was designed by Richard Upjohn and completed in 1867. The stained-glass windows are the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Across the street, set back from the sidewalk at 234 Berkeley St., an opulent store occupies an opulent setting. Now the clothing emporium Louis Boston, this is the original home of the:

10 - Boston Museum of Natural History

A forerunner of the Museum of Science, it was built according to William Preston's French Academic design. The 1864 structure was originally two stories high and has its original roof, preserved when the building gained a third floor.

Cross Newbury Street again and continue walking toward the Public Garden. On your left, at 15 Newbury St., is:

11 - Emmanuel Church

The first building completed on Newbury Street, in 1862, this Episcopal church ministers through the arts, so there might be a concert (classical to jazz, solo to orchestral) going on during your visit. Check ahead (tel. 617/536-3355; www.emmanuel-boston.org) for schedules.

Now you're almost back at the Public Garden. On your left is the swanky Taj Boston hotel, which until 2007 was known as the original Ritz-Carlton (1927).

Turn right onto Arlington Street and walk 1 block. On your right, at 351 Boylston St., is the:

12 - Arlington Street Church

This is the oldest church in the Back Bay, completed in 1861. An interesting blend of Georgian and Italianate details, it's the work of architect Arthur Gilman, who laid out this whole neighborhood. Here you'll find more Tiffany stained glass. Step inside to see the pulpit that was in use in 1788 when the congregation worshipped downtown on Federal Street.

Follow Boylston Street away from the Public Garden. Two blocks up is:

13 - Copley Square

Enjoy the fountain and visit the farmers' market, which operates Tuesday and Friday afternoons from July through November.

Overlooking the square is one of the most famous church buildings in the United States. This is:

14 - Trinity Church

H. H. Richardson's Romanesque masterpiece, completed in 1877, is to your left. The church, 206 Clarendon St. (tel. 617/536-0944; www.trinitychurchboston.org), was built on 4,502 pilings driven into the mud that was once the Back Bay. Brochures and guides are available to help you find your way around a building considered one of the finest examples of church architecture in the country. Admission is free; tours cost $5. It's open daily from 8am to 6pm. Friday organ recitals begin at 12:15pm.

Across Dartmouth Street is the:

15 - Boston Public Library

The work of architect Charles Follen McKim and many others, the Renaissance revival building was completed in 1895 after 10 years of construction. Its design reflects the significant influence of the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. Wander up the steps to check out the building's impressive interior. Daniel Chester French designed the doors.

Head across the street to Copley Square. In a sense, you've come full circle; as at the Public Garden, you'll see a playful and compelling sculpture by Nancy Schön:

16 - The Tortoise & Hare at Copley Square

Designed to signify the end of the Boston Marathon (the finish line is on Boylston St. between Exeter and Dartmouth sts.), this work was unveiled for the 100th anniversary of the event in 1996.

From here you're in a good position to set out for any other part of town or walk a little way in any direction and continue exploring. Copley Place and the Shops at Prudential Center are nearby, Newbury Street is 1 block over, and there's a Green Line T station at Boylston and Dartmouth streets.