Boston - Overview
"Boston is what I would like the whole United States to be." - Charles Dickens
Boston was founded in 1630, only ten years after the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock. The city offers visitors first-hand views of many significant sites in American history.
Along the three-mile Freedom Trail, visitors will find Bunker Hill Monument, the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides, the oldest commissioned warship in the world); the Boston Tea Party Ship; and the Old North Church where Paul Revere saw the light.
Other landmarks include the site of the "Shot Heard 'Round the World," that began the battles of Lexington and Concord, Plymouth Rock and Plymouth Plantation where the Pilgrims landed, and Walden Pond, where Henry David Thoreau lived and wrote. The John F. Kennedy Library & Museum is a short ride from downtown Boston.
Boston is a city of many facets. History and high technology, a thriving downtown and flourishing neighbourhoods, great academic institutions and enthusiastic sports fans, irresistible ethnic restaurants and fine dining, a wide range of night clubs and world renowned symphonies and museums.
Boston is almost completely surrounded by water. The Atlantic Ocean is on two sides and the Charles River defines its northern boundary with Cambridge. As a result, sailing harbour cruises, whale watches, rowing, sunbathing, running, in-line skating and enjoying the parks are all popular activities with visitors and residents alike.
Bostonian culture can be found on every corner of the Boston city streets. The people of this great city have managed to maintain a small town pride when it comes to their history and legacy.
While the common language is English Bostonians have transformed the language into their own with a famous accent and words that lack the letter "r". "Tourists to our fair city say Bostonians sure talk funny. "They drop the "r" where it should be, and add one where there ain't any." - John Collins Bossidy.
For many people travelling to Boston for the first time, a number of locations will probably seem familiar, the city for many years has featured in a large number of internationally popular films and television series.
Compiled with the kind assistance of
The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau