Bull & Finch Pub
84 Beacon St.
617-227-9605
The Bull & Finch Pub was Cheers before Cheers was Cheers--a neighborhood pub where "everybody knows your name." The television sitcom shined the spotlight on the pub and the locals left for greener pastures. These days it's a fun, but touristy, hangout where you can get a burger and a T-shirt.

Children's Museum
300 Congress St.
617-426-8855
Everyone's a kid at the Children's Museum where hands-on exhibits make learning fun! Journey back in time at Grandma's House--a walk-through recreation of a 1959 household; burn off a bit of excess energy climbing cage; or test your vocal skills in the karaoke booth.

Computer Museum
300 Congress St.
617-426-2808
Family friendly: Yes
One of the newest exhibits at the Computer Museum, the Virtual Fishtank, allows visitors to venture undersea to create and interact with their own virtual fish. Created by MIT Media Laboratory and Nearlife Inc., the exhibit is the first of its kind on display at a museum. Other popular exhibits include a walk-through computer and jet flight simulator.

Faneuil Hall
Family friendly: Yes
Named after its benefactor, Peter Faneuil, who financed its construction in 1742, Faneuil Hall (pronounced Fan-el) was established to create a central marketplace where vendors could gather to sell their wares on the first floor, and a civic center to host community meetings on the second floor. When the original building was destroyed by fire in 1761, the community financed reconstruction by public lottery. Subsequent renovations in 1805, 1898, and 1992 have resulted in the building as it appears today.

Head of the Charles Regatta
Family friendly: Yes
Thousands of collegiate rowers from all over the world gather in Boston each October to compete in the world's largest single day regatta. Fans and fanatics line the banks of the Charles River to cheer on their favorite team, and picnic under the warm autumn sun during this colorful and exciting event.

New England Aquarium
Central Wharf
617-973-5200
Family friendly: Yes
Explore the world of water, from sea life in Boston Harbor to exotic marine life in the Amazon River, Antarctic, and around the world. Gaze into the 200,000-gallon Giant Ocean Tank, visit with perky penguins, and observe the goings-on at the Aquarium Medical Center.

African Meeting House
46 Joy St.
617-723-8863
Family friendly: Yes
Dubbed "Black Faneuil Hall," the African Meeting House is the country's oldest standing African American church. The structure dates back to 1806.

Boston Massacre Site
At Congress and State streets
617-242-5642, 617-242-5601
This is where British soldiers shot and killed five colonists during a 1770 protest rally. That event became a catalyst in the patriots' bid for independence from Great Britain.

Freedom Trail
Runs from Boston Common to Bunker Hill
617-242-5642
Walk through history when you follow Boston's Freedom Trail. The three-mile path marked by a trail of red bricks (occasionally replaced with a painted red line) connects 16 historic sites including Boston Common, Boston Massacre Site, Bunker Hill Monument, Copp's Hill Burying Ground, Faneuil Hall, First Public School Site, King's Chapel, Old Corner Bookstore, Old Granary Burying Ground, Old North Church, Old South Meetinghouse, Old State House, Park Street Church, Paul Revere House, State House, and USS Constitution.

Granary Burying Ground
Tremont Street
The author of Mother Goose's Rhymes is said to lie in a grave here marked Elizabeth Foster Goose. The Granary Burying Ground is also the site of the graves of Paul Revere and John Hancock.

Old South Meeting House
310 Washington St.
617-482-6439
Family friendly: Yes
Before they dumped hundreds of crates filled with tea into Boston Harbor during an event history has recorded at the Boston Tea Party, angry colonists gathered at this meeting house to discuss their aversion to the British tea tax.

USS Constitution and Museum
Charlestown Navy Yard
617-426-1812
Family friendly: Yes
The USS Constitution celebrated her 200th birthday in 1997 with a sail through Boston Harbor. That much-heralded event marked yet another accomplishment for the nation's oldest commissioned warship. The adjacent museum features an exhibit and memorabilia highlighting Old Ironsides' illustrious history.

Ballet Theatre of Boston
585 Massachusetts Ave., 4th Floor
617-262-0961
Fax: 617-267-1795
The Ballet Theatre performs original productions by a resident choreographer.

Boston Ballet
19 Clarendon St. (Office)
617-695-6950
Fax: 617-695-6954
Boston Ballet performs classical and modern works, including a holiday production of The Nutcracker.

Boston Center for the Arts
539 Tremont St./Theatre District
617-426-7700
Fax: 617-426-5336
The Boston Center for the Arts is a complex of restored and contemporary buildings dedicated to the arts. Facilities include the historic Cyclorama stage, performances in three small theaters, and exhibitions in the Mills gallery. The center's telephone number lists the various theatre and arts productions currently showing.

Boston Children's Theatre
55 Temple Street
617-424-6634
Boston Children's Theatre prese nts plays and musicals designed to delight and challenge a young audience.

Boston Pops Orchestra
301 Mass. Ave.
617-266-1200
Made famous by Arthur Fieldler, who conducted from 1930 to 1979, Boston Pops presents concerts of light classical favorites and orchestral arrangements of popular music.

Boston Symphony Orchestra
301 Massachusetts Ave.
617-266-1492
Around for more than a century, the estimable Boston Symphony Orchestra hosts famous guests during its October through April season.

Dance Umbrella
515 Washington St., 5th Floor (Office)
617-482-7570
Fax: 617-482-7571
Dance Umbrella presents multi-cultural dance productions.

Institute of Contemporary Art
955 Boylston St.
617-266-5152
Established in 1936 at the site of a former police station, the ICA has hosted some of Boston's most controversial art exhibits. Constantly changing exhibits make the ICA a place you'll want to visit again and again.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
280 The Fenway
617-566-1401
Legends and lore about the woman who created this unique museum are plentiful, but the truth of the matter is Isabella Stewart Gardner was a woman of means who acquired an extensive collection of art she elected to share with the public. Gardner died in 1924, but her collection--including works by Botticelli, Raphael, Matisse, Sargent, and Whistler--remains open to the viewing public in the museum that was once her private home.

John F. Kennedy Library and Museum
Columbia Point
617-929-4523
The only presidential library in New England and one of only 10 in the nation, the JFK Museum and Library is a fitting memorial to the nation's 35th president. Situated on a promontory overlooking Boston Harbor, the museum features an assortment of exhibits including theater and video presentations, period furnishings, historic presidential documents, family memorabilia, and White House gifts.

Lyric Stage Company
140 Clarendon
617-437-7172
Lyric Stage presents lesser-known but important plays in its lovely theater located on the second floor of the YWCA.

Museum of African American History
46 Joy St.
617-742-1854
Boston's first school for Black children and the oldest remaining Black church in America combine to create the setting for the Museum of African American History. Exhibits trace the history of Black Americans in New England.

Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Ave.
617-267-9300
Recognized as one of the top art museums in the world, the MFA contains an extensive collection of internation ally acclaimed art and artifacts.

Museum of Science
Science Park at the Charles River Dam
617-723-2500
The Museum of Science features more than 600 interactive exhibits, frequent live presentations, and an ever-changing schedule of special programs. Recent programs included "Everest," a science journey to the top of the world; "Robotics," a hands-on exploration of robotic technology; "Ocean Planet," a simulated underwater adventure; and "CATS! From Mild to Wild," a study of the cats of the world.

Boston Common
Bounded by Beacon, Charles, Boylston, Tremont, and Park streets
The Boston Common is recognized as the oldest public park in the country. The one-time grazing pasture was used in colonial times as a military training ground and the site of public hangings. Today, the pastoral retreat is a place to enjoy outdoor concerts, toss a Frisbee, or wade in the Frog Pond.

Boston Harbor Islands State Park
781-727-7676
Eight individual islands make up Boston Harbor Islands State Park, creating a harbor playground just minutes from downtown Boston. Popular sites for fishing, boating, and camping, some of the islands also house military fortresses dating to the 18th and 19th centuries. Ferry service originating at Long Wharf provides transportation to, from, and between the islands.

Carsons Beach
William J. Day Blvd.
Despite popular belief, people do swim at Boston beaches. In fact, one group of hearty bathers take to the water off Carsons Beach each year on New Year's Day for a ceremonial plunge into the icy ocean.

Castle Island Park
William J. Day Blvd.
617-268-5744
Castle Island stopped being an island when it was connected to South Boston by a causeway in the early part of this century. That's good news for the hundreds of area residents who flock to the harborfront oasis to walk, play, swim, fish, or just enjoy a hot dog from Sullivan's. The island is also home to Fort Independence, a military fortress dating to the mid-19th century.

Charles River Esplanade
Boston side of the Charles River
The Boston Pops rule this riverside park each year on the Fourth of July when thousands of people gather for their annual concert and fireworks display. It's also a popular jogging spot and the site of Friday Night Flicks (free movies shown on Friday nights in the summer).

Franklin Park and Zoo
617-635-4505
Family friendly: Yes
After years of neglect, Franklin Park is once again a popular recreational area. The park consists of a playground, zoo, and golf course.