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The following recommendations were compiled by the AALL Local Arrangements Committee.
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Boston Common
115 Boylston St
Boston, MA 02116
In 1634 the Common was created as America's first public park. Visit sights including the sculpture "The Embrace" honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King and the new beer garden and performance space near the Boylston MBTA station.
Price: Free
Getting There: Take the MBTA Green Line to Boylston or the Park Street stop.
46 Joy St
Boston, MA 02114
The Black Heritage Trail® is a 1.6 mile walk through the heart of Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood. The trail showcases residences and community buildings associated with a Black community that thrived on, and near, the north slope of Beacon Hill before, during, and after the American Civil War. Throughout that time, this community struggled and organized for equal rights and access to equal education.
Community members championed the movement to abolish slavery and even housed freedom seekers on their journey along the Underground Railroad. Most sites along the trail remain private residences.
However, the final stops—the Abiel Smith School and the African Meeting House—are part of the Museum of African American History which is open to the public.
The National Park Service offers free 90- minute tours of The Black Heritage Trail on a seasonal basis. Self- guided tours of the trail can be done online or by visiting the Abiel Smith School for maps and site brochures
Price: Free
Getting There: Take the MBTA Green Line to the Park Street stop.
The Boston Calendar is a place for Bostonians (and non-locals) to find interesting, fun, under- publicized, mostly-free events happening around the city and surrounding areas (e.g., Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline). Updated weekly with new events.
Boston Harbor Whale Watching Cruise
1 Long Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
3.5 - 4-hour whale watching tour on the Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary. New England Aquarium naturalists will share knowledge, answer your questions.
Price: > $30
Getting There: MBTA Blue Line to Aquarium stop.
Boston Public Library Public Art & Architecture Tours
700 Boylson St
Boston, MA 02116
The landmark Central Library in Copley Square features notable architecture spanning three centuries, as well as treasured art and decorative installations within. A summary of key points of interest can be found on our Art & Architecture page.
Mondays at 2:00 p.m., Thursdays at 6:00 p.m., and Fridays at 11:00 a.m. or use Virtual Booklet for self-guided tour.
Price: Free
Getting There: Short walk from the Hynes Convention Center.
Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
306 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
Be a part of the Tea Party with live actors, interactive exhibits, and full-scale 19th-century replica boats.
Monday – Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Price: Children: $23; Adults: $31
Getting There: 30 minutes on public transportation (5-minute walk from South Station) or 16 minutes by car
Boston University Law Libraries Tour
765 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
Price: Free. Email Jenna Fegreus at jfegreus@bu.edu to schedule a tour.
Getting There: Boston University Central stop on the Green Line B train.
9 West Street
Boston, MA 02111
One of America's oldest and largest used book shops. The Brattle features two floors of general used books, a third floor of rare and antiquarian books and an outside sale lot. An experienced buyer is available from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Price: > $10
Getting There: Take the Green Line Subway to Park Street Station. Above ground, Tremont Street will be the main street near to you. On the Common, you will see the Visitor Information Center building near Tremont Street. West Street is opposite the building. Brattle Book Shop is on the left side of West Street, a short walk from the subway station.
15 Broad Canal Way
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
Rent a Kayak in Cambridge and Paddle in the heart of the city from our location in Kendall Square! Take in the great views of the Boston skyline and the Esplanade, as well as other nearby landmarks like the Zakim Bridge, M.I.T., the Museum of Science, and Boston University.
Price: > $30
Getting There: Take the MBTA Red Line to Kendall Square stop.
84 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108
The inspiration for the hit television show Cheers.
Price: > $10
Getting There: Take the MBTA Green Line to Arlington stop.
Children's Museum
308 Congress St.
Boston, MA 02210
A unique environment where play and learning converge, the Museum offers abundant opportunities for rich exploration and discovery. An immersive encounter with diverse content, the Museum experience satisfies the deeply rooted instinct to play and create.
Price: $20; Children under 12: Free
220 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125
The Commonwealth Museum brings the story to life with state-of-the-art interactive exhibits. Its dramatic "treasures gallery" holds the great historic documents that protect our liberties. Located in the same building as the Massachusetts Archives and next door to the JFK Museum and Library, the Edward Kennedy Institute for the Senate, and the Harborwalk.
Telephone: (617) 727-9268
Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Price: Free
Getting There: Take the MBTA Red Line to JFK/UMass stop.
Duck Boat Tour
53 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02199
Traverse both land and water to see breathtaking views all in one tour. You will cruise through unique neighborhoods and historical landmarks that make Boston the birthplace of freedom and a city of firsts.
Price: $45.99
Getting There: Short walk from the Hynes Convention Center.
4 Jersey St
Boston, MA 02215
Home of the Boston Red Sox!
Price: $25 per person; Children under 12 is $17.
Experience Boston's iconic 2.5-mile red line leading to 16 nationally significant historic sites.
Price: Free
Harvard Campus
Take a walk-through Harvard Yard and Harvard Square.
Price: Free
Getting There: MBTA Redline to Harvard Square.
25 Harbor Shore Dr
Boston, MA 02210
Boston waterfront museum features leading visual artists and performances.
Closed Mondays
Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday – Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Price: $20. Free on Thursdays. Student (with valid ID): $15.00
Getting There: Take the MBTA Red Line to South Station and transfer to the Silver Line Waterfront. The ICA is a short walk from Courthouse station.
Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum
25 Evans Way
Boston, MA 02115
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts, which houses significant examples of European, Asian, and American art. Its collection includes paintings, sculpture, tapestries, and decorative arts.
Price: Adults: $20; Seniors 65 and up: $18
Getting There: Take the MBTA Green D Line to the MFA stop.
Columbia Point
Boston, MA 02125
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States.
Price: $11-$30
Getting There: Take the MBTA Red Line to Kendall Square stop.
MIT Campus
77 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139
Price: Free
Getting There: MBTA Redline to Kendall Station.
Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115
It is the 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 paintings and more than 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas.
Price: Adults: $27; Youths 7-17: $10; Children under 6: Free
Getting There: Short ride on MBTA to MFA Station on the Green E Line.
1 Museum of Science Driveway
Boston, MA 02114
Science museum and indoor zoo, offers visitors over 700 interactive exhibits, live presentations, and shows at the Charles Hayden Planetarium
Price: $11-$30
Getting There: Take the MBTA Green Line to the Museum of Science stop.
1 Central Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
There are thousands of aquatic animals to visit at the Aquarium—from the active rockhopper penguins to the lumbering green sea turtle and spry northern fur seals. Open every day from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Price: > $30
Getting There: MBTA Blue Line to Aquarium stop.
55 Mount Vernon Street
Boston, MA 02108
Visit a historic home located in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood. Visitors are welcome for tours Thursday through Sunday. They highlight topics such as women's history, decorative arts, and everyday life through stories of the Nichols family and their contemporaries in the late 19th century and early 20th century Boston.
Price: $11-$30
Getting There: MBTA Redline or Greenline to Park St Station
North End
The North End, Boston's Little Italy, is a maze of narrow streets with some of the city's oldest buildings. On the self- guided Freedom Trail, tourists pass historic sites like the 1680 Paul Revere House and the Old North Church, which played a key role at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Italian restaurants, coffeehouses, pastry shops and old-school delis pack the area, especially on lively Hanover Street.
Price: Free
Public Gardens
Price: Free
Getting There: Take the MBTA Green Line to the Park Street stop.
Revolution Game at Gillette Stadium
1 Patriot Pl
Foxborough, MA 02035
Revolution v. D.C. United at 7:30 p.m.
Price: $31 and up
Getting There: Gillette Stadium is a 40-minute drive from Boston.
500 Harrison Ave
Boston, MA 02118
Carefully curated local makers selling an array of hand-made goods. Products include jewelry, clothing, home goods, photography, ceramics, and more. Sundays 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Price: Free
24 Beacon St
Boston, MA 02133
Please call 617-727-3676 to schedule a guided tour. Tours of the interior are free and last approximately 40 minutes. All visitors will be screened by security. If you cannot come in person, you can still take our 360 Virtual Tour or the Virtual Guided Tour on our website.
Price: Free
Getting There: Entrance is via the General Hooker Entrance which is on Beacon Street at the top of Park Street. Walk past the statue of General Hooker, up the stairs and through security. The accessible entrance is located on Bowdoin Street.
The Social Law Library and Supreme Judicial Court Historical Society
John Adams Courthouse
One Pemberton Square
Boston, MA 02108
Walking Tour: The Witch Trial Trail – The People and Places of Boston Connected with the Salem Witch Trials.
Monday, July 17, 2023: 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Hosted by: Ken Bresler, Administrative Magistrate, Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA)
During the Salem Witch Trials more than 300 years ago, Salem was a small town without enough government officials or resources to conduct mass trials. Boston, the capital of the province, and Bostonians inevitably got drawn into the frenzy. Defendants from Salem were sent to, escaped from, and died in Boston's jail. Bostonians were accused of witchcraft. Boston even held its own witch trials. Of the ten witch trial judges, four were from Boston.
Boston citizens, ministers, and government officials helped to inflame the witchcraft crisis, and then to end it. These Bostonians left many reminders of themselves, which can still be seen today. The walking tour will last about an hour. It will start at the John Adams Courthouse and end near there. Kenneth Bresler is the author of The Witch Trial Trail of Boston and The Harvard Witch Walk: The People and Places of Boston and Harvard Connected with the Salem Witch Trials, the second edition of which is available now.
Price: Free but registration is required. To register please email Michael Saporito, CLE Coordinator/Outreach Librarian at witchwalk@socialaw.com.
Getting There: Minimal trip by subway to Government Center Station.