Boston - Art & Entertainment

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Once considered ultra-conservative and boring, Boston has become a world-class metropolis with endless ways to educate, enthrall, entice and, of course, entertain. Vibrant nightlife and a surge of innovative restaurants have added options to an existing stable of world-class museums and theatres, making Boston an entertainment magnet in New England.



Museums and Galleries

Boston has a magnificent selection of art complexes - large to small, American to Asian, local to national. Many museums offer specials and discounts for students. The enormous Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are the best-known and most popular. Kids love the Children's Museum, and everyone loves the Museum of Science, with its Mugar Omni Theatre and planetarium.

Newbury Street, South End and Brookline boast a diverse array of galleries, many of which showcase the region's up-and-coming artists.



Theater and Music

Boston has dozens of theaters, including outstanding regional theaters and venues for touring Broadway shows. The Wang Center for the Performing Arts, the American Repertory Theatre and the Charles Playhouse are among the better-known theaters.

There is also a lively and varied music scene, including the world-renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra, which performs at Symphony Hall. The free performance by the Boston Pops on the Charles River Esplanade every Fourth of July is not to be missed. Both ensembles have summer performances at Tanglewood Music Center, a beautiful outdoor concert hall in the Berkshire mountains.

For mainstream music, check out the Fleet Center, the city's largest musical and sporting venue. The Paradise and Avalon are other venues for pop music concerts. In warmer months, the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade is famous for its free classical, jazz and rock concerts. Jazz clubs range from sleek hotel venues such as Scullers and the Regattabar to lively, standing-room-only favorites like Wally's Cafe and Bob the Chef's. Irish music is also very popular in Boston, with live Irish "seisiuns" occurring almost nightly at the Brendan Behan Pub, The Burren and the Grand Canal, to name a few.



Parks

Roller bladers and runners flock to the Charles River Esplanade. The Public Garden and Boston Common fill with walkers and strollers in the spring, which is about the time that the famous Swan Boats reappear. The Commonwealth Mall, which runs parallel to Newbury and Marlborough Streets, overflows with walkers, many accompanied by their dogs. One little-known oasis is the Back Bay Fens with its gorgeous rose garden and community gardens. The Arnold Arboretum is a 256-acre horticultural treasure. From April to October, you can rent a sailboat on lovely Jamaica Pond. Many of these parks are part of Boston's so-called Emerald Necklace, a series of green spaces preserved or designed by the famous landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York's Central Park.

In South Boston, on historic Castle Island, you can walk around old Fort Independence and watch planes take off from nearby Logan International Airport.



Sports

Watch the Celtics play basketball and the Bruins play hockey at the Fleet Center. You will never forget watching the storied Red Sox play baseball at historic Fenway Park, which many fans consider the finest stadium in the country.

The Boston Marathon and the Head of the Charles rowing regatta are two annual events that attract thousands of spectators and top athletes from all over the world.



Nightlife

Boston has many options for the music lovers, young professionals and hipsters who enjoy the city's nightlife. A word to night owls: All establishments close promptly at 2am and the MBTA stops running at 12:45am, so be prepared to take a cab home.

Lansdowne Street, located next to Fenway Park, boasts six clubs, each with a different theme. Avalon, which is the largest, recently underwent a $4 million renovation and boasts an impressive list of visiting DJs and live acts. For a more polished atmosphere, consider the Leather District. Off the beaten path between South Station and Chinatown you will find places like Oskar's featuring plush interiors, an acid jazz soundtrack and a cosmopolitan crowd.



Fun for All

Although Boston is still far from being a city that never sleeps, a young and international student population ensures that city clubs are hopping well into the night. Of course, the city's role in shaping American history means that Boston will always be an exciting place for a family to explore. Wealthy patrons, past and present, and the cultural wealth of the area's numerous universities have led to the creation of dozens of unique and important museums. One of Boston's greatest gifts is its great park system and its proximity to the natural treasures of Cape Cod, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Green and White Mountains. So whether your interests are cultural, natural or social, you are sure to find plenty of entertainment choices here.









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South End


Hip Neighborhood
 Tremont Street and Washington Street
Boston, MA 02118
+1 800 7 3326 7866 (Tourist Information / Toll Free)
South End
Scullers Jazz Club


Live Jazz Venue
 400 Soldiers Field Road
Doubletree Guest Suites Hotel
Boston, MA 02134
+1 617 562 4111 / +1 617 783 0090 (Hotel)
http://www.scullersjazz.com
Scullers Jazz Club
Boston Common


First city park
 Bound by Tremont, Beacon, Charles and Boylston Streets
Boston, MA 02116
+1 800 7 3326 7866 (Tourist Information)
http://www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/bostoncommon.asp
Boston Common
Public Garden


Large and lovely park
 Arlington, Boylston, Charles and Beacon streets
Boston, MA 02116
+1 617 522 1966
http://www.swanboats.com/new/public_garden.shtml
Public Garden
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum


Venetian palace
 280 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
+1 617 566 1401 / +1 617 278 5156 (Box Office)
http://www.gardnermuseum.org/
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Citi Performing Arts Center


Musicals, ballet and movies
 270 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116-5692
+1 617 482 9393 / +1 800 447 7400 (Toll Free)
http://www.citicenter.org
Citi Performing Arts Center
Charles River Esplanade


Riverside recreation
 Storrow Drive
Boston, MA 02116
+1 617 727 1188 x445
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/charlesR.htm
Charles River Esplanade
Museum of Fine Arts


Where They Keep The Cezannes
 465 Huntington Avenue
Avenue of the Arts
Boston, MA 02115-5597
+1 617 267 9300
http://www.mfa.org
Museum of Fine Arts
Head Of The Charles Regatta


World's Largest Rowing Regatta
 Memorial Drive
(Head Of The Charles Rowing & Fitness Expo)
Boston, MA 02238
+1 617 868 6200
http://www.hocr.org
Head Of The Charles Regatta
Boston Marathon


Top sporting event
 1 Ash Street
Boston, MA 01748
+1 508 435 6905 (Athletic Assoc.)
http://www.bostonmarathon.org
Boston Marathon
Regattabar


Live jazz venue
 1 Bennett Street
At the Charles Hotel
Boston, MA 02138
+1 617 661 5000 / +1 617 395 7757
http://www.regattabarjazz.com/
Regattabar
Burren


Irish pub in Davis Square
 247 Elm Street
Davis Square
Boston, MA 02144
+1 617 776 6896
http://www.burren.com
Burren
Wally's Cafe


Historic jazz club
 427 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
+1 617 424 1408
http://www.wallyscafe.com
Wally's Cafe
Boston Symphony Orchestra


World-renowned symphony
 301 Massachusetts Avenue
(Symphony Hall)
Boston, MA 02115
+1 617 266 1492
http://www.bso.org
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Avalon


Welcome to nightlife
 15 Lansdowne Street
Boston, MA 02215
+1 617 262 2424
http://www.avalonboston.com
Avalon
Bob's Southern Bistro


Southern cooking and jazz
 604 Columbus Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
+1 617 536 6204
http://www.bobssouthernbistro.com/
Bob's Southern Bistro
Charles Playhouse


Two levels of drama
 74 Warrenton Street
Boston, MA 02138
+1 617 426 6912
Charles Playhouse
Children's Museum


Fun for all ages
 300 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
+1 617 426 8855
http://www.bostonkids.org/
Children's Museum
TD Banknorth Garden


Large indoor arena
 150 Causeway Street
Boston, MA 02114
+1 617 624 1000
http://www.tdbanknorthgarden.com
TD Banknorth Garden
Swan Boats


Make way for ducklings...
 9 Arlington Street
Boston Public Garden
Boston, MA 02116
+1 617 522 1966
http://www.swanboats.com/
Swan Boats
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority


Ride the "T"
 10 Park Plaza
State Transportation Building
Boston, MA 02116
+1 617 222 3200
http://www.mbta.com
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
American Repertory Theatre


Prize-winning professional theater
 64 Brattle St
Loeb Drama Center
Boston, MA 02138
+1 617 547 8300 (Box Office) / +1 617 495 2668 (Administrative Office)
http://www.amrep.org
American Repertory Theatre
Paradise Rock Club


Rock 'n' roll shows
 967-969 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
+1 617 562 8800
http://www.thedise.com/
Paradise Rock Club
Arnold Arboretum


Acres of botanical marvels
 125 Arborway
Boston, MA 02130-3500
+1 617 524 1718
http://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/
Arnold Arboretum
Newbury Street


Upscale shopping and people watching
 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
+1 800 7 3326 7866 (Tourist Information / Toll Free)
http://www.newbury-st.com
Newbury Street
Brendan Behan Pub


Authentic Irish bar
 378 Centre Street
Boston, MA 02130-1876
+1 617 522 5386
Brendan Behan Pub
Jamaica Pond


Glacial pond and outdoor park
 Between The Jamaicaway and Perkins Street
Boston, MA 02130
+1 617 635 4505 / +1 617 635 7275
http://www.jamaicapond.com/
Jamaica Pond
Castle Island


Historic fort
 William J. Day Boulevard
Boston, MA 02127
+1 617 268 5744
Castle Island
Back Bay Fens


Urban oasis
 Fenway Park Drive
Boston, MA 02115
+1 617 635 4505
Back Bay Fens
4th of July on the Esplanade


Nationally known holiday tradition
 222 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02116-3763
+1 888 484 7677 (Tourist Information)
http://www.july4th.org/
4th of July on the Esplanade
Symphony Hall


Renowned concert hall
 301 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
+1 617 266 1492
http://www.bso.org/symphonyHallHome.jhtml?sh=1&_requestid=116576
Symphony Hall
Museum of Science


Educational & enjoyable
 Science Park
Boston, MA 02114
+1 617 723 2500
http://www.mos.org/
Museum of Science
Grand Canal


Irish pub
 57 Canal Street
Boston, MA 02114
+1 617 523 1112
http://www.thegrandcanalboston.com/
Grand Canal
Chinatown


Boston's Asian epicenter
 Centered on Beach Street
Downtown Boston
Boston, MA 02113
+1 800 7 3326 7866 (Tourist Information-Toll free)
Chinatown
Boston
Boston - Historical Background
Boston - Where to Stay
Boston - Neighborhood Guide
Boston - Dining & Drinking
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