Birthplace of a nation, Boston is a city of firsts brimming with historic charm and a vibrant culture. Its compact size, stately architecture and plentiful green spaces make for enlightening and easy exploration. Historic buildings appear on every corner here, from the Old South Meeting House where Samuel Adams rallied citizens to the Boston Tea Party to the grand Boston Public Library, the country’s first. At the Old North Church, Paul Revere hung his telltale lantern to alert fellow patriots about the approach of the Redcoats. At Fanueil Hall, Adams delivered rousing speeches in support of independence from Great Britain. Yet it’s not only Boston buildings that exude a rich sense of history. The Boston Common, dating to 1634, is the country’s oldest city park; and the adjacent Public Garden, established in 1837, was the first public botanical garden. Exploring their footpaths brings Boston’s beauty and its love of its outdoor spaces to light. The city is also the ideal base from which to explore further, visiting the hallowed yards of Harvard across the Charles River in Cambridge or venturing to Lexington and Concord to witness the sacred spot where the “shot heard ’round the world” was fired in 1775.
