Copley Square

Copley Sq is graced on all sides with amazing architecture. With eyes constantly drifting upward, it's easy to miss the square's plebeian-sized, down-to-earth elements. Boston's most famous annual event, the Boston Marathon, finishes right here. Runners congregate in a staging area on the square, where they are commemorated by the Boston Marathon Monument, embedded in the sidewalk (on Boylston St near Dartmouth St).

Paying tribute to the runners who subscribe to the 'slow and steady' strategy is Nancy Schon's sculpture Tortoise & Hare (Schon also cast Make Way for Ducklings in the Public Garden).