Things to do in Boston

Boston was founded in 1630. It is easy to walk. Most of what people come for sits within a couple of kilometres of the State House.

The old core

• Boston Common. A public park since 1634, with the gold-domed State House above it on Beacon Hill.
• Freedom Trail. About 4 km of red line set into the pavement, linking sixteen sites. It is free to walk.
• Old State House. Built in 1713. A ring of cobbles outside marks the 1770 shootings.
• Granary Burying Ground. Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and John Hancock lie here.
• North End. Narrow streets, Italian bakeries and Paul Revere's house from about 1680.
• Back Bay. Built on filled land in the 1800s, with Copley Square and the Public Library, founded in 1848.
• Fenway Park. Opened in 1912, the ballpark lies a short ride west of Back Bay.

Across the river

Harvard Yard is in Cambridge, one Red Line ride from downtown. Quincy, birthplace of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, lies the other way on the same line. Both are easy half-day trips.

The walking games

Nearly all the routes here are phone-led walking games. You get clues and directions, and you start whenever you like. Themes run from the Freedom Trail to the North End's mafia past and Harvard's secret societies.

A group quest runs about three hours, in teams of up to six.

Practical

• Weather. July reaches about 28C. January sits near 2C, and nor'easters bring snow.
• Getting around. The centre is walkable. The Blue Line stops at Logan Airport, and the Silver Line bus from the terminals is free.
• Tickets. The Trail costs nothing. The Old State House and the Revere house charge entry.
• Tipping. Eighteen to twenty per cent in restaurants is expected.