Boston's Revolutionary War sites

[Granny_Weatherwax]

DS and I are leaving on Monday and heading to Boston. Does anyone have recommendations for 'must see' places or restaurants?

Edited March 3, 2010 by The Dragon Academy

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

Minute Man NHP in Lexington

Walk/ Tour the Freedom Trail

Throwing tea in the harbor is totally touristy & cheesey, but fun, nonetheless.

Don't forget to stop in the public gardens and see the Make Way for Ducklings scupture

If you have a chance to go to Lowell (N of Boston) and see the national history park for the industrial revolution, I would recommend that. We got to see the dorm rooms where the girls lived, and walk through the mills themselves, with the machines running. Really got a feel for the working conditions they had back then (read: loud!).

Have fun!

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Thanks for the ideas.

[Matryoshka]

What Alane said is all good.

 

If you want to focus on the Revolution, here's a bit more info:

 

Get the Freedom Trail tour starting on the Boston Common with a costumed interpreter. Way fun and informative.

If you do this, they won't get all the way to the Paul Revere house and The Old North Church in the North End (which are on the Trail but farther along), so go there yourself.

 

The Constitution (a tall ship) is on the trail much farther along and as such will take a while to get to. It is not from the Revolution, but from the war of 1812, so if you don't have time you could skip it (unless you just love Tall Ships and have the time).

 

Yes, you have to go to the National Historical Park in Lexington (a bit northwest of Boston). You should also make it to the Old North Bridge in Concord (not far from Lexington). There's a Minuteman statue and if you continue on the trail up the hill, there's a museum at the top.

 

I absolutely love the Mill stuff in Lowell, but it is from the 1830's, not the Revolution. Definitely worth a visit if you have the time and may not be back to study the industrial revolution.

 

If you've got a boy who loves the weapons aspect of things and have some time to go farther afield, the Springfield Armory has a huge collection of early muskets and such. It was founded as an Arsenal by George Washington. Springfield is about an hour and a half from Boston.

[MIch elle]

Go to the Visitors Center in downtown Boston near Faneuil Hall Marketplace. They have a free film and tours (I think they start in April). Visit inside Faneuil Hall for a free NPS talk about the hall & Boston - this is a MUST.

http://www.nps.gov/bost/index.htm

 

My favorite restaurant is Bertucci's but it's a chain. It's very close to Faneuil Hall.

 

Where are you staying - in Boston or outside? How long?

[MIch elle]

Boston Common scuplture of Washington:

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Go to the Visitors Center in downtown Boston near Faneuil Hall Marketplace. They have a free film and tours (I think they start in April). Visit inside Faneuil Hall for a free NPS talk about the hall & Boston - this is a MUST.

http://www.nps.gov/bost/index.htm

 

My favorite restaurant is Bertucci's but it's a chain. It's very close to Faneuil Hall.

 

Where are you staying - in Boston or outside? How long?

 

We are staying at the downtown Hyatt. We got a great deal on priceline. We will be there 4 days (next week). We leave home on Monday and will be in Boston un til Friday.

[dsmith]

Just saving this thread for an upcoming trip next month. Also, if you want a break from history, the NE Aquarium was nice. I believe there is a science museum nearby also. Have fun!

[MIch elle]

YES, DO the Freedom Trail even if you have to pay to do it! Too bad the John Hancock building closed after 9/11 because they use to have a nice little musuem up there with great views.

 

The Duck Tours are VERY popular but I've never done one (I know Boston too well).

 

The Boston Library has an Edgar Allen Poe exhibit on now. Take the tour for some FABULOUS murals/frescos and history of the library/Boston.

 

Outside Faneuil Hall/Haymarket has an outdoor Holocaust memorial that's worth seeing and it's free (outdoors). http://nehm.org/

 

Take the train to Harvard Square, Cambridge for shops, restaurants, and the Harvard Musuems (natural history or glass flowers).

[partyof5]

Freedom Trail is a must-do and would lead you to all major locations that you might want to see and will take you to the Old North Church, and the USS Constitution, among other places. Bunker Hill isn't far.

 

I highly recommend the Duck Tours! Pricey ($35 per person or more) but worth it. It's a fun and very informative tour which includes lots of details you won't always see in a history book. :)

 

Dining is plentiful but I love Legal Seafood which is right downtown. I also love Regina's Pizza (casual) in the North End, plus if you like Italian, you can get some fantastic canoli & other treats at Mike's or Modern Pastry shops (it's fun to taste-test and see whose is best--dh & I vehemently disagree!)

 

Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, and New England Aquarium are all downtown sites worthy of a visit. Fanueil Hall marketplace has good eats in a more food court style.

 

Have a wonderful trip! We love Boston! :)

[jenL]

Boston is great! I miss living so close to it.

 

I don't really have anything to add since you've already received the recommendations I would have given... do eat in the North End though. The Italian food there is wonderful and so is the atmosphere!

 

Enjoy your trip!

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Thank you for all of the suggestions. I will try to post our tentative itinerary in the next few days.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Tuesday's weather looks good for a walking tour so I am thinking the Freedom Trail.

 

It has been a long time since I have been in a city as large as Boston so here is a silly question. Since DS and I will be out of the hotel for most of the day should I carry our things in a backpack or a regular shoulder bag? Is carrying a backpack geeky? Are there a lot of security stations in the museums and such?

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Tentative schedule -

Day 1 - arrive, check in, go out to dinner and a movie; possibly the Prudential Skywalk

Day 2 - AM: Freedom Trail, lunch along the Trail; PM:??

Day 3- AM: Harvard Museum of Natural History; PM: ??

Day 4 - New England Aquarium (surprise DS with Play with the Seals Program); ??

Edited March 4, 2010 by The Dragon Academy

[Matryoshka]

I have never used the subway. Will there be a way to tell if we can ride from Downtown to the Natural History Museum at Harvard? Or should I plan on cab fare?

 

You can most definitely get from downtown to the Natural History museum via the T (what we call the subway). Take the red line to the Harvard Square stop. Here's a map of the T.

 

Taxis in Boston are exorbitantly overpriced. You can walk or use the T to get most anywhere you'll need to.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

You can most definitely get from downtown to the Natural History museum via the T (what we call the subway). Take the red line to the Harvard Square stop. Here's a map of the T.

 

Taxis in Boston are exorbitantly overpriced. You can walk or use the T to get most anywhere you'll need to.

 

Thanks for the info.

Are you in Boston? Or just extremely knowledgable?

 

I would like to go the the Prudential Skywalk at night. Is that safe?

[Matryoshka]

Thanks for the info.

Are you in Boston? Or just extremely knowledgable?

 

I would like to go the the Prudential Skywalk at night. Is that safe?

 

I live about 45 min. from Boston, and lived in Boston/Cambridge for 5 years when I was in my 20's. :)

 

I've never been up to the Prudential Skywalk. I would think it's safe, though - downtown is fairly safe. Just don't go wandering around at night much south of that (but there's no tourist stuff there).

 

Oh, the MFA is another great place to go - lots of art from all times and places, but if you want to stick to the Revolution, they do have silver made by Paul Revere, and painting and furniture from the time as well.

[Nan in Mass]

As someone who doesn't live in Boston and finds navigating around in it an adventure, this is my advice:

 

Backpacks are perfectly normal. You are less likely to leave them behind and they are easier when dealing with gates and T tickets and all.

 

Some museums will require that you check them when you go in. Some government sites (like the Constitution, which has security like the airport) won't let in jackknives. They've always kept ours for us and given them back on the way out.

 

In a really general way, north of the common is safer than south of the common. Get somebody to tell you where not to go. In any city, there are always areas that it is better for tourists to avoid. We walk and take the T there without worrying.

 

Haymarket Square (across from Fannual Hall (sp?)) is a fun place to grab lunch. Haymarket is a stop on the Orange/Green line.

 

You said you hadn't used the subway, so I'll give you this info. It is what I wish someone had told me before I used it. If you've ever used a subway anywhere, you won't need it, but I hadn't and it was pretty scary until I figured it out. (I'm pretty timid about things, though, and very definately a country mouse, not a city mouse.) mbta.com is the site for the subway. The public transportation system is colourcoded. There is a distinction between the commuter rail and the subway system. Here is a map: http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/Documents/Schedules_and_Maps/Subway/Rapid%20Map.pdf

The black circles are the places where you can switch between colours without paying extra. You buy a ticket in a machine and then scan the ticket at the gate to get onto the subway. The ticket isn't like a plane ticket, which says you have paid to go to such-and-such a destination, but like a debit card. You put money on it and then use up the money. We have been able to pass the ticket back across the gate so other family members could use the same ticket to pay and get through the gate, but I don't know if this works everywhere. If you have trouble with one machine, try another. There are attendants to help, but they are rather scarce. The science museum is at Science Park. The aquarium is at Aquarium. GRIN. You have to keep track of whether you are going INBOUND (towards the center of Boston) or OUTBOUND. Make sure when you down into the subway to take it that you go down the right stairway. There is usually a stairway on one side of the road for inbound, and one on the other side of the road for outbound. Sometimes they connect underground, but often they don't. The cars are labelled with inbound or outbound and with the name of the end of the line, so if you are at Downtown Crossing and you want to go to Haymarket, you find the outbound orange platform and take the subway that says "Oak Grove" on it (see the map I linked). Don't forget to work out a "if we get separated" policy. We always told the children when they were young that they were to stay put and we would find them. We also got on the train last and off the train first (so in any separation, the children would be on the train), but you might want to approach this differently. Don't forget to bring a few ziplock bags in case one of your children gets seasick and throws up. I encourage mine to face forwards.

 

We like Legal Seafoods, too, and a sushi place in Brookline that is probably enough out of your way that you aren't interested.

 

We really like the Science Museum, the Aquarium, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Constitution. All the Concord/Lexington is pretty spread out and we didn't learn all that much from it. If I could do it again, I would take a tour. Visiting places like Old North Church are much better with a tour. It is perfectly possible to take a long, tiring hike following the Freedom Trail ( a line painted on the sidewalk) and look at churches, houses, and monuments, reading a few small labels, and not feel like you got much out of it. I have talked to a number of homeschoolers who did this. The parents often thought it was great, but the children didn't feel they learned much. They felt like Old North Church looked like their own white New England church and that old house looked just like Aunt Susie's. Tours make things come alive and are worth it, if you can afford it, in my opinion. They cost an arm and a leg, though. We learned lots at the Constitution museum. Plimoth (sp?) Plantation is good, also, but it, like Lowell, is an hour or two out of town. The commuter rail is purple and goes to both the city of Lowell and Plymouth (the town). Here is the map: http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/ I have no idea how to connect between the train station in Lowell or Plymouth and the historical sites, though. Probably the historical sites have information. We've found the commuter rail (our normal way of getting into Boston) to be safe and comfortable. To get to Lowell, you would go to North Station and look at the TV screens to find the gate of your train (the gates are numbered - it works like an airport). The train schedule is online here: http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/?route=LOWELL If you are inbound and fairly far from Boston, you can buy your ticket on the train. If you are leaving from North Station, buy your ticket in North Station.

 

Make sure you check the admission prices on things. It can be frightfully expensive to take a family someplace like Plimoth Plantation. (If you go, you might want to just go look at the Mayflower from the dock (free) and only pay to go into the Plantation.) An all-encompassing historical trolley ride or duck tour might turn out to be much more economical than it appears at first glance. Duck tours are fun because they go into the water, but bouncy and smelly and noisy.

 

Between the library and Trinity Church is a bronze tortoise and hare that my children liked to sit on when they were little.

 

If you are in need of foreign books or want to actually get to look at the books to compare Latin programs, try Shoenhoff's in Harvard Square.

 

Have fun!

 

Nan

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Thank you, Nan. I appreciate the tips on using the T. I hadn't even considered the possibility that DS and I could be separated.

 

So I can take public transportation to Plymouth? That is good to know. I will spend time this afternoon looking for that information.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Bummer. Plymouth Plantation doesn't open until March 20.

[Nan in Mass]

That's too bad. We thought Plimoth was interesting. How about Lowell? My oldest went there on a school field trip and came back excited. I haven't taken the younger two partly because I haven't gotten around to it, partly because I worked third shift in a textile mill one summer and don't particularly want to think about people stuck doing that forever. If you come from a mill town, I'm not sure I would bother, though. A mill town one place is probably quite a lot like a mill town someplace else, and if you grow up in one, you probably know something about it. I can tell you that conditions are better now, but the immigrants I worked with had lives an awful lot like the lives of the people described in Lowell.

 

Another thought - if you belong to any museums or historical societies or even AAA, it can save you money on tickets. Bring your cards and ask.

 

You could check out Durgin Park for dinner, too, if you wanted to. That is someplace that my husband has taken out-of-state business guests.

 

-Nan

[Granny_Weatherwax]

You could check out Durgin Park for dinner, too, if you wanted to. That is someplace that my husband has taken out-of-state business guests.

 

-Nan

 

Thank you for this recommendation. This is exactly what I was hoping to find. Durgin Park is within walking distance and has character.

 

We will definitely be looking for Italian restaurants. DS's favorite thing in the world is pasta. Any recs. for Italian eateries?

[Nan in Mass]

Well, I'm allergic to garlic, so no GRIN.

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

OK, you probably don't need any more sites, but have you considered John Adam's homestead in Quincy? It is SOOO easy to get to from the T -- we've not been yet, which is silly because it is less than 20 min. from my inlaws, and we pass the town every time we visit them.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

OK, you probably don't need any more sites, but have you considered John Adam's homestead in Quincy? It is SOOO easy to get to from the T -- we've not been yet, which is silly because it is less than 20 min. from my inlaws, and we pass the town every time we visit them.

 

I can use all of the rec's I can get.

 

I will check the homestead link and let you know.--

 

Checked it out. It doesn't open until April 19th. Bummer.

 

Going to Boston in March is just not good. I wish my Spring Break were in late April. Oh, well, we'll make due with what we have.

 

Keep the ideas coming, though. I'm sure there are places to visit that are open in early March.

Edited March 5, 2010 by The Dragon Academy

[Matryoshka]

Keep the ideas coming, though. I'm sure there are places to visit that are open in early March.

 

If you're looking for a living history museum that's open year-round, there's Old Sturbridge Village. It represents a New England town in the 1830's. It's a full-day trip - it's much larger than Plimoth. It also has a homeschooler discount now. Sturbridge is wonderful - I didn't mention because you asked about Revolution stuff. :)

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

Checked it out. It doesn't open until April 19th. Bummer.

 

Oh, darn. Well, you'll have a wonderful time nonetheless. It is just amazing to be in Boston with so much of our country's history here. It is a beautiful city. Make sure you walk through the narrow financial district's streets -- talk about getting a sense for the quaintness of old Boston!

 

Safe travels!

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I didn't mention because you asked about Revolution stuff. :)

 

I know I did but so much is closed for the season I am having to expand in order to fill our time.

 

I will check into Sturbridge. Thanks for the idea.

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

OK, I know I am a geek and should be off to bed, but if you are preparing for a trip to Boston, it is worthwhile to see an old map of Boston to get a sense of it's historically small size, compared with it's present small size. *grin* A lot of modern-day Boston is reclaimed land. Here's one on-line map I found quickly from circa 1800. It always confused me why they called the "Back Bay" section of Boston as such until I had a chance to see an early map of the city -- it was, indeed, a bay in th back of the city.

[Matryoshka]

I will check into Sturbridge. Thanks for the idea.

 

Sturbridge is open all winter even - you can take sleigh rides. They're having a homeschool day tomorrow, in fact! Here's a link - even though you won't be here by then, it'll give you a pretty good idea of the kinds of activities they have going on every day.

 

Looks like they have ongoing maple sugaring demonstrations in March, among other things.

[Nan in Mass]

Our library has a great children's book on Paul Revere's Ride that has maps and other historical information. It is a newish one. I was struck by how different the topography was back then, even though I had been to the top of the John Handcock tower and seen the map display there. The book would be a fun way of doing the poem and the history behind it. If you need an easy writing assignment, a quick compare and contrast essay could be done based on the book alone. (I can't remember whether your son struggles with writing or not.)

 

If you are doing the Constitution, Bunker Hill Monument is near-by. We haven't gone there so I'm not sure whether it is worth going to or not. As I said, the Constitution museum has lots of good info on a period of our history which I wasn't aware of, like the Barbary Wars. I grew up singing songs about the Barbary pirates, so I found that museum much more interesting than the Revolution ones. The whole question of whether they were really pirates or not, our first wars as a country, and where passports come from are some of the issues dealt with at the museum. For us, touring the actual Constitution was more like frosting, since we sail amongst schooners every summer. There is a WWII ship at the dock, too, that you can tour. That was more interesting to us because my grandfather was captain of one like it in the Pacific. The point of all that is to remind you that you need to make connections between your son's life and the past, like the Paul Revere poem I memorized doing dishes with my sister, the sea chanties we sang, and my grandfather. You probably already know that, but it took me several wasted trips with my children before I figured out that that was the difference between having interested, engaged children on historical field trips and polite but bored and not learning much ones.

-Nan

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Sturbridge looks excellent. Question: I cannot find, either on the Sturbridge site or MTBA, a way to get there using public transportation.

 

Am I looking in the wrong place? Will I need to rent a car?

 

I will keep looking and hopefully find a way.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Our library has a great children's book on Paul Revere's Ride that has maps and other historical information. It is a newish one. ... If you need an easy writing assignment, a quick compare and contrast essay could be done based on the book alone. (I can't remember whether your son struggles with writing or not.)

-Nan

 

We are doing a lit. analysis of Paul Revere's Ride this week. We are also working on the major battles of the Revolution.

 

I initially wanted to focus on the War for the whole vacation but this is my first vacation in three years and I have decided I would like to do some non-academic, non-school related activities, too. Who knows when I will get away again? I realize every place we are going will still be educational (Nat. History museum, aquarium, Freedom Trail) but I don't want to spend all of our time refering back to our lessons, iykwim.

[Matryoshka]

Sturbridge looks excellent. Question: I cannot find, either on the Sturbridge site or MTBA, a way to get there using public transportation.

 

Am I looking in the wrong place? Will I need to rent a car?

 

 

Um, yeah... I don't think there's any way to get there with public transportation. I think they've extended the commuter rail west till Worcester (didn't use to be even that far), but that's still about 1/2 hour car ride east of Sturbridge. You'd have to rent a car for the day (it's just over an hour west of Boston).

[Nan in Mass]

I suppose the aquarium could be considered educational, but my family definately considers it a vacation spot. When we all need a break, we take a day and go. We watch the seals until we get too cold, then we go sit on a window sill and watch the fish swim by. Then we go and find the otters. It is very nice.

-Nan

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I suppose the aquarium could be considered educational, but my family definately considers it a vacation spot. When we all need a break, we take a day and go. We watch the seals until we get too cold, then we go sit on a window sill and watch the fish swim by. Then we go and find the otters. It is very nice.

-Nan

 

DS will be studying Marine Biology next year and has already done quite a bit of preliminary reading so I will be receiving many mini-lectures. Most of which will begin with "Mom, did you know..." If I am not :bigear: then it lasts much longer. There is no putting him off with "Yes, dear. Isn't that interesting?" He also has no problem starting conversations with caretakers, guides, etc. I can't tell you how many times I try to force his hand down so he won't ask questions. Sometimes you want a simple tour to be a simple tour.

 

When I lived in Colorado our 'vacation spot' was the zoo. We would spend hours there. Now, the nearest zoo (which is really small, almost a zoo-let) is an hour away. The really neat zoos, aquariums, and museums are in Chicago, 3 hours away.

 

I am looking forward to visiting the New England Aquarium.:)

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Um, yeah... I don't think there's any way to get there with public transportation. I think they've extended the commuter rail west till Worcester (didn't use to be even that far), but that's still about 1/2 hour car ride east of Sturbridge. You'd have to rent a car for the day (it's just over an hour west of Boston).

 

Another bummer.

 

I knew I should have rented a car with my Priceline package.

 

But then I would have been tempted to drive to South Hadley and I don't think DS has a desire to see Mount Holyoke.:auto:

[treestarfae]

I'm from Boston. The North(Italian) End via Hanover St. is THE street to go for Italian. I would just go by price range on that street. It's across from Faneuil Hall(shopping and food court mecca,sometimes street performers) also next to Aquarium. They have a great pastry shop Mike's Pastry on hanover St., it's famous. I would get the city pass, trolley tour, duck tour. Harvard Sq. has a pretty cool indie movie theater called the Brattle Theater it has a balcony. They also have a nice tea/coffee shop Cafe Algiers with a nice view upstairs. If you like fresh brewed beer there is John Harvard's restaurant, good for lunch. I would go to George's Island(historical) in the harbor. I would go to Castle island in the South(Irish) end, you can drive there.

[treestarfae]

Georges Island

This 30-acre island is dominated by Fort Warren, a National Historic Landmark. Constructed of granite between 1833 and 1869, Fort Warren was used during the Civil War for training Union soldiers and later as a prison for captured Confederates. George's Island now serves as the entrance to the Boston Harbor Islands State Park and provides free inter-island water taxi service, rest room facilities, running water and concession stand. George's is open to the public from May to mid-October. Park Rangers offer guided fort tours and historical and nautical programs: special events such as the Civil War Encampment are scheduled on an annual basis and school curriculum packets are available. Contact the park office for a schedule of events. The island has large picnic areas, a snack bar and an information booth. A free water taxi to the other islands departs from the pier at George's on a frequent schedule.

 

http://www.bostonislands.com/

 

The islands are for future reference, it's probably too cold now. There is skiing at Blue Hills at this time of year until 9pm http://www.ski-bluehills.com/ not far from Boston.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Georges Island

 

 

Thanks for the idea.

 

I found a wonderful book at Borders entitled Boston A Day to Day Guide.

It has many wonderful ideas including which T stops to use and what time of day to arrive and depart from places in order to avoid the commuter rush.

 

I highly recommend it to anyone considering a trip to Boston.

 

Thanks to all who contributed. I am looking forward to the trip.

[alabasterflask]

Minuteman National Park is great but I think the visitor's center is closed until later in March. We were there last week and the trails are nice but it was super muddy.

 

Sturbridge village is worth the trip if you can afford the car.