Things to do in New England
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TOP SELLER
Boston Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour
1 day (Departs Boston, Massachusetts)
by Viator
Discover Boston at your leisure with a one-day ticket on the Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour. Create your own itinerary to see the most popular sights of Boston at …Not LP reviewed
- All things to do
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Barking Crab
Big buckets of crabs (Jonah, blue, snow, Alaskan or whatever is in season), steamers dripping in lemon and butter, paper plates piled high with all things fried… The food is plentiful and cheap, and you eat it at communal picnic tables overlooking the water. Beer flows freely. Service is slack but the atmosphere is jovial. Be prepared to wait for a table if the weather is warm.
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Fenway Park
From April to September you can watch the Red Sox play at Fenway Park, the nation’s oldest and most storied ballpark. It is also the most expensive. Tickets in the bleachers are $25 to $30, while more comfortable grandstand seats are $50. Even at these prices tickets are hard to come by, but single seats and obstructed-view tickets are sometimes available on the website during the week leading up to a game. First-come, first-served standing-room-only tickets are sold on game day; head to the ticket windows at Gate C on Landsdowne St. Otherwise, you can always get tickets from scalpers around Kenmore Sq. If the Sox are doing well, expect to pay two times the face value.
reviewed
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Boston Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour
1 day (Departs Boston, Massachusetts)
by Viator
Discover Boston at your leisure with a one-day ticket on the Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour. Create your own itinerary to see the most popular sights of Boston at …Not LP reviewed
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Shelburne Museum
On a 45-acre estate, 7 miles south of Burlington in Shelburne, the Shelburne Museum boasts a stellar collection of American folk art, New England architecture and, well, just about everything. The wildly eclectic collection ranges from an early American sawmill to the Lake Champlain side-wheeler steamship Ticonderoga. How's that for lawn decor?
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Frank Pepe's
New Haven's most famous eatery takes its name from the Italian immigrant who tossed America's first pizza a century ago. You'd best believe they've got the recipe down pat. For the ultimate, order Pepe's signature white pizza topped with garlicky fresh clams.
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Modern Apizza
Lots of locals believe that this place serves up pies as good as, if not better than, Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s – and without the throngs. Despite the name, it’s been tossing dough since 1934.
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Bistro Henry
This casual, chef-owned bistro serves creative modern cuisine highlighting fresh seafood, aged meats and fresh vegetables. Its acclaimed wine selection features eclectic and hard-to-find labels.
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Copp’s Hill Burying Ground
The city’s second-oldest cemetery – dating to 1660 – is named for William Copp, who originally owned this land. The oldest graves here belong to his children. An estimated 10,000 souls occupy this small plot of land, including more than 1000 free blacks, many of whom lived in the North End. Near the Charter St gate you’ll find the graves of the Mather family – Increase, Cotton and Samuel – all of whom were politically powerful religious leaders in the colonial community. Find the grave of Daniel Malcolm, whose headstone commemorates his rebel activism. British soldiers apparently took offense at this claim and used the headstone for target practice. Across the street, 44 …
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Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology
The centerpiece of the Peabody is the impressive Hall of the North American Indian, which traces how native peoples responded to the arrival of Europeans from the 15th to the 18th centuries. As such, it addresses how these cultures have adapted to European influences and how they have maintained their own traditions and customs. Other exhibits examine indigenous cultures throughout the Americas, including a fantastic comparison of cave paintings and murals of the Awatovi (New Mexico), the Maya (Guatemala) and the Moche (Peru). Founded in 1866, the Peabody Museum is one of the world’s oldest museums devoted to anthropology. The price of admission includes entry to the Harv…
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Old City Hall
This monumental French Second Empire building is now office space with one fancy restaurant, but this site has seen its share of history. Out front, a plaque commemorates the site of the first public school, Boston Latin, founded in 1635 and still operational in Fenway. The hopscotch sidewalk mosaic, City Carpet, marks the spot where Benjamin Franklin, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Charles Bulfinch were educated. Statues of Benjamin Franklin, founding father, and Josiah Quincy, second mayor of Boston, stand inside the courtyard. They are accompanied by a lifesize replica of a donkey, symbol of the Democratic Party. (‘Why the donkey?’ you wonder. Read the plaque to find out.) Tw…
reviewed
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Fairbanks Museum of Natural Science
In 1891, when Franklin Fairbanks’ collection of stuffed animals and cultural artifacts from across the globe grew too large for his home, he built the Fairbanks Museum of Natural Science. This massive stone building with a 30ft-high barrel-vaulted ceiling still displays more than half of Franklin’s original collection. Over 3000 preserved animals in glass cases can be seen, including a 1200lb moose shot in Nova Scotia in 1898, an American bison from 1902 and a Bengal tiger. There are planetarium shows at 1:30pm ($3 per person), and also in July and August at 11am.
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MassArt
More formally known as the Massachusetts College of Art, this is the country’s first and only four-year independent public art college. In 1873 state leaders decided the new textile mills in Lowell and Lawrence needed a steady stream of designers, so they established MassArt to educate some. The South Building houses over 9000 sq ft of exhibit space in the Arnheim, Bakalar and Paine galleries, while the Tower also houses the President’s Gallery. There’s always some thought-provoking or sense-stimulating exhibits to see.
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Walden Pond
Thoreau took the naturalist beliefs of Transcendentalism out of the realm of theory and into practice when he left the comforts of town and built a rustic cabin at Walden Pond. The glacial pond is now a state park, surrounded by acres of forest preserved by the nonprofit Walden Woods project. The site of Thoreau’s cabin is on the northeast side, marked by a cairn and signs. To escape the crowded summertime beach, follow the path along to the other side of the pond. Parking costs $5.
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Lala Rokh
Lala Rokh is a beautiful Persian princess, the protagonist of an epic romance by poet Thomas Moore. The tale epitomizes the exotic East, as does the aromatic, flavorful food served at this Beacon Hill gem. While the ingredients will be familiar to fans of Middle Eastern cuisine, the subtle innovations – an aromatic spice here or savory herb there – set this cooking apart. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from the knowledgeable waitstaff. Reservations recommended.
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Parish Café & Bar
Sample the creations of Boston’s most famous chefs without exhausting your expense account. The menu at Parish features a rotating roster of salads and sandwiches, each designed by a local celebrity chef, including Lydia Shire, Ken Oringer and Barbara Lynch. Despite the creative fare, this place feels more ‘bar’ than ‘café.’ The long bar – backed by big TVs and mirrors – attracts a lively after-work crowd.
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Finale Desserterie
- Boston, USA
- Restaurants › Café
Choose from a long list of tempting treats, from crème brûlée to chocolate soufflé, and enjoy them with coffee, wine or port. Mirrors over the pastry chefs’ workstation allow patrons to watch their magic. There are also light soups, salads and sandwiches at lunchtime and appetizer-size dinner dishes so you don’t have to eat sweets on an empty stomach. There are additional outlets in Harvard Square and Coolidge Corner.
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Paramount
Not what you’d expect on tony Charles St, this old-fashioned cafeteria is a favorite neighborhood hangout. Basic diner fare includes pancakes, steak and eggs, burgers and sandwiches, and big, hearty salads. For dinner, add table service and candlelight, and the place goes upscale without losing its down-home charm. The menu is enhanced by homemade pastas, a selection of meat and fish dishes and an impressive roster of daily specials.
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Libby Museum
At the age of 40, Dr Henry Forrest Libby, a local dentist, began collecting things. In 1912 he built a home for his collections, which later became the eccentric little Libby Museum. Starting with butterflies and moths, the amateur naturalist built up a private natural history collection. Other collections followed, including Abenaki relics and early-American farm and home implements. It lies 3 miles north of Wolfeboro.
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Helmand
Fusing flavors and techniques from India and the Middle East, the Helmand shows off the rich, diverse and little-known cuisine of Afghanistan. The active, open kitchen - complete with an oven that turns out melt-in-your-mouth flatbread - is entertainment enough in this simple dining room. And the dishes it produces are exotic and enticing. Not to mention that the place is owned by the brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
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North Bennet Street School
The North Bennet Street School has been training craftspeople for over 100 years. Established in 1885, the school offers programs in traditional skills like bookbinding, woodworking and locksmithing. The school’s on-site gallery sells incredible hand-crafted pieces made by students and alumni. Look for unique jewelry, handmade journals and exquisite wood furniture and musical instruments.
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Casa Romero
The entrance to this hidden treasure is in the public alley off Gloucester St. Step inside and find yourself in a cozy casa - filled with folk art and Talavera tiles - which is wonderful and warm during winter months. In pleasant weather, dine under the stars on the delightful patio. This is not your average taqueria - be prepared to pay for the experience.
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Carol’s Main Street Café
If you are self-catering, a great place for picnic fixings is Carol’s Main Street Café – those in the know come for turkey specials on Monday and Friday, tacos on Wednesday and hamburgers on Thursday. Or you can explore delectables from an amazing variety of gourmet hot and salad dishes sold by the pound.
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Ginza
Named after Tokyo's upscale center of culture and finance, this traditional Japanese restaurant (complete with servers in kimonos) rates among Boston's best sushi places. The freshest pieces of nigiri, sashimi and maki are artfully presented, offering a feast for the eyes as well as the palette. There is a second outlet near Kenmore Sq.
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Popham Beach State Park
The 6-mile long, sandy Popham Beach State Park is one of the prettiest in the state, with views onto offshore islands and the Kennebec and Morse Rivers framing either end. Lifeguards are on hand, but the surf is strong, with undertows and riptides. It’s located off ME 209, about 14 miles south of Bath.
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Jasper Beach
Don't miss Jasper Beach, a bizarre mile-long beach consisting entirely of polished red jasper stones. As the waves wash in, the rocks slide against one another, creating a rather haunting song. It's one of two such beaches in the world (the other is in Japan). To reach it, head down Machias Rd toward the village of Starboard.
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