Amtrak Vacations

Boston, the "cradle of liberty," sleek skyscrapers and Colonial churches, beautifully manicured parks and pulsating urban bustle, and genteel college campuses and diverse, blue-collar neighborhoods. The always-proud city is riding high these days, thanks to recent landscaping and beautification, the almost-completed highway upgrade known as the Big Dig, and, most importantly, the long-awaited World Series victory of the beloved Red Sox. Civic pride is abundant, and, fortunately for visitors, citizens and officials are taking great pains to ensure that modern growth and change do not squelch the city's colorful past.

Bostonians are proud of the city's claims to fame – nation's oldest public park, first public library, first subway system, and first public school. The Freedom Trail takes familiar characters from schoolbooks.

The city also has a historic commitment to education and is home to dozens of colleges and universities, including Harvard and MIT, which are considered among the best in the world.

For a taste of the upper crust, head to Beacon Hill, a gorgeous, tree-lined section with posh restaurants and shops, and historic sites like Boston Common and the State House. Chinatown – the third largest Chinese neighborhood in the US – is known for its plethora of eateries, the city's theater district, and for Downtown Crossing, one of Boston's top shopping destinations. The Italian-flavored North End also features historical standouts, including Paul Revere's House and the Old North Church that he made famous at the start of the Revolutionary War. And no sightseer will want to miss the waterfront, home to Boston's active seaport and to attractions like the USS Constitution, better known as Old Ironsides.

Boston is ideally suited to visitors, thanks to pedestrian-friendly streets and a compact size that allows ambitious sightseers to explore the city's wealth of offerings in just a few days. Longer stays allow tourists to peel back the city's layers and explore the impressive diversity of the country's original melting pot.

1-800-AMTRAK-2