What sights should a history and literature buff see while visiting Boston?

Question

Looking to spend a couple days in Boston. I'm interested in Revolutionary War history, as well as literature. Recommendations for the most interesting sights and the best tours? Thanks!

Answer 1

I use to live in Concord Mass, go to the Old North Bridge and visit the Colonial Inn in Concord Center, its real History.  Go see the Bullet hole house and the Louisa May Alcott house.  In Boston, Mamma Anna's Italian Restaurant use to be great, not sure how it is today, the North End in Boston has great food and a wonderful Bakery accross the street.  Enjoy and good luck!

Answer 2

Salem is a great place to visit. You can take a boat to get there from Boston if you want to. Concord is great. You must go to Walden Pond. It's off of Rte 2. Boston Common is a great area to wander. Harvard Square. The North End in Boston is interesting.

There is a restaurant/inn located in Sudbury on the Marlboro/Sudbury line called Longfellow's Wayside Inn. It's historic and involves literature. There is a church nearby. There is a walking path around a grist mill. It's a nice place to visit. People come from all over to stop there.

There is so much to do. This is a great place if you are into history and literature.

Answer 3

If you like literature make sure to go to Salem and see Nathaniel Hawthorne's house and The House of Seven Gables. Also The Freedom Trail is great and stop in Quincy to see The Adams houses and the church across from the cemetery where John Adams,  John Quincy Adams and Abigail Adams are buried.  

Answer 4

Any of the sites along the Freedom Trail are particularly worth seeing.  The Old State House, Old South Meeting House, and Paul Revere's House as well as the Bunker Hill Monument, as well as several churches and cemeteries, are all along a "trail" that's about 2 and a half miles in total.  To see all of these could easily take a full day, but even seeing just some of them are worthwhile.  I also like the current State House (which, not surprisingly, is one of the oldest in the country).  

Their website is at http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/ - you can find more info. on all the places along the Freedom Trail there and guided tours if you're interested in that.  Some of the tour guides are dressed up in Revolutionary War era costumes which is kinda hokey but it's still worth seeing all of the things along the tour - you can really see a lot in a (relatively) short time.

If you have time to make it outside Boston and are driving, I would say to go out to Concord and go through Arlington and Lexington along the way.  Many Revolutionary War battles were fought there, and of course Paul Revere's ride to Lexington went through some of these towns.  And if you make it to Concord, I would say not only to go to the Old North Bridge but also to Walden Pond - where Ralph Waldo Emerson spent a couple years - It's a very pleasant place as well and certainly lots of history.  Concord is only about a 30 minute drive from Boston (or less if it's not rush hour) so a very easy day trip, even if you take your time getting there.  

And a food recommendation if you're interested:  After the Freedom Trail, I would recommend either eating in the North End for Italian food.  The restaurants there are excellent and it's quite a scene.  Or, the Union Oyster House if you like seafood.  It's not the best seafood restaurant in the world, and certainly not "nouveau" cuisine, but it's certainly decent quality and it IS one of the oldest restaurants in the country.  Either way, make sure to get dessert from Mike's Pastry on Hanover Street in the North End.  Actually, if you do nothing else in Boston, go to Mike's Pastry.  (And no I'm not the Mike from Mike's Pastry!  It's just the best cannoli in the country).  

Answer 5

Freedom Trail, lots of Revolutionary War sites along there

John Adams house (Quincy, MA)

Battle Green in Concord