Any last minute comments on my itinerary? I'm traveling with 2 teens who like museums!

Day 1 -- arrive evening; staying at John Jeffries House
Day 2 -- Museum of Science, Duck Tour, dinner with friends
Day 3 -- Freedom Trail, Aquarium, Red Sox game (I've got tickets)
Day 4 -- Harvard tour (one teen is ready to look at schools!), Harvard Museum of Natural History, walk around Cambridge, Charles Riverboat tour, maybe Improv Boston
Day 5 -- Salem: Witch Museum, maybe Peabody Essex Museum, what else? Is Pioneer Village anything to see?
Day 6 -- Boston Commons (Swan boats), Beantown Trolley to MIT (college thing again), MIT tour, MIT Museum
Day 7 -- to Maine to visit relatives and rest!

A couple specific questions:

1. Is it safe to walk around Boston Commons after dark? If not, how late is okay?
2. Coming back to Logan Airport from Portland, Maine -- is the train or bus better?
3. Any other evening activities? Are any of the places we want to see open late any evenings? (If so, I wasn't able to find out)

Thanks!

PS - and due to previous info I've read here, we're not renting a car!

AMTRAK takes 2:30 from Portland to Boston North Station. From there, you take the Orange Line "T", switch to the Blue Line "T", and then a shuttle bus to the airport terminal.

Greyhound takes 2:00 to 2:15 to Boston South Station. From there, you take the Silver Line bus directly to terminal.

I'd take the bus.

Day 2 - Duck Tour leaves from 2 different places - I am assuming you will take the one from Museum of Science, but if you buy tickets ahead of time, make sure that is starting point.

Day 3 - Too much. Unless you are really into Aquariums or have no access to decent one near home, you can skip the fish - it is only an OK Aquarium. Concentrate on Freedom Trail, teens might like to do some shopping/lunch at Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall area.

Day 4 looks good. You could walk around Harvard Square in evening, especially if it is a weekend - a totally different crowd.

Day 5 - also fine - I have never heard of Pioneer Village

Day 6 - not much on Boston Common or adjacent Public Garden, but a nice stroll. You could add Aquarium on tht day if so inclined.

A group of 3-4 should be reasonably safe on Boston Common until 9 PM or so especially in summer - but you may get hassled by homeless pan-handlers

Evenings - might want to go to Blue Man Group.

I agree with Gail regarding Day 3.

In Salem, I'd take in Nathanial Hawthorne's House of Seven Gables, rather than Pioneer Village. It's a nice walk from the Witch Museum, has lovely views, and very interesting history. The Peabody Essex Museum is also good. There is a great deal of info about seafaring and whaling trade, and also special exhibits that might be of interest to you.

Evenings, you could see a performance, including Blue Man Group, Shear Madness, or possibly the Boston Pops. The Isabella Stewart Art Museum also has some evening/Sunday music programs. The Am Rep Theatre in Cambridge usually has some interesting productions. At night in warmer weather, it is also fun to walk through the North End, stopping at one place for a drink, choosing another for dinner, and dessert and coffee elsewhere.

Looks good. Yes, it's safe to walk the Common after dark (btw, it's Common, not Commons). You may also want to take a stroll through Beacon Hill while you're in the neighborhood. I'd also recommend getting to Fenway at least an hour before game time to soak in the atmosphere of Yawkey Way. Have fun!

I always find the train far superior in comfort to the bus.

Include a late night walk in the North End on Hanover and Salem Street-enjoy some gelato or coffee. The North End is part of the Freedom Trail.

The area around the Common is safe at night, for someone who doesn't know the area I would avoid the common after 9, but the Public Garden is fine anytime.

On Beacon Street the main business street is Charles Street, make sure you take a walk. In the Back Bay, they would probably enjoy Newbury Street at night as well, many outdoor cafes.

I like imrpov Boston but I prefer improv asylum in the north end.

If they enjoy art museums the Fogg Museum at Harvard is excellent, it is close to the Natural History Museum.

Agree with all of the other advice you've been given although I do think you can "do" the Aquarium in a 1 1/2 hours so could squeeze it in with Freedom Trail (assuming you're not walking all of the Freedom Trail.

Save time for Faneuil Hall/Quincy market--maybe for lunch one day (freedom trail day). Teens will like the street performers and the shopping.

Definitely do the North End for dinner one night. A must in my book.

Don't bother with the Charles River tour if you're going on the Duck tour. Think they cover the same ground....but others might have more updated info than I.

Another museum to consider depending on interests: JFK Museum. Get to it on Red Line train. Just a thought.

Enjoy our fun city. The sun FINALLY came out today and is supposed to stick around for awhile. It's been down right awful for the past six weeks so we are due a break!!

Great advice -- thank you, all! I know it's a packed agenda, but we're flying from the West Coast, so we don't come often (it's been decades). Now I just have to hope the son goes to college out here so I can visit more often and fit in the rest of the stuff!

Have fun.

I realized that I wrote that on Becaon Street the main business street is Chalres Street. It is on Beacon Hill.
Central Boston is very small, you can walk down Charles Street, through the Public Garden and down Newbury Street in 20 minutes.

You could also add the tour of Fenway Park prior to the game; if you're really interested in the Red Sox. It's great and you get to go to all seating locations and learn the history of the team etc.; it's fun.

The Freedom Trail takes hours if you do the whole thing and really take in the sites. Definately climb up Bunker Hill Monument. And spend some time in the North End. The food is great.

How did you get Red Sox tickets? Going the weekend of July 28 and would love to go to a game. No luck trying to buy them online. Was told by a waiter last year to just go down to the stadium the day of the game and buy them from people selling tickets outside of the stadium. He said people do it all of the time. Anyone have any experience getting ticket this way?

Re Red Sox tickets. At this point, several ways to try to get tickets.

Most expensive but most reliable - buy from ticket broker (we have used Ace Tickets - they have website of same name and list tickets available, cost). This will cost you about twice face value.

Buy from ticket scalper outside Fenway on day of game. This is officially illegal and you will get mixed responses as to actual danger of doing so. Some risk of buying counterfeit tickets.

Try to buy on-line same day tickets - sometimes they deposit a few tickets onto website 24-48 hours before game from a variety of sources.

Stand in line at ticket window on day of game. You must usually get there really early - there are always some available for day of game sales, but number and availability vary.

I would not recommend buying from ebay or similar site since there have been more and more local reports of people buying counterfeit tickets, especially those with print-at-home option - nothing to stop people from printing multiple copies of same ticket and selling. Lots of people get good seats thru ebay - you just need to be aware there could be problems.

I recently bought tickets via ebay from beantowntickets. They have a website as well. I thought prices were decent and was happy with the transaction.

They release standing room tickets before games, you could try to get to the ticket office about 2 hours before game time. No guarantee you would get seats though. You can try to buy them on the street before game time but I go to Fenway often and there's really not too many people selling. This is where you take the greatest risk of getting a bogus ticket IMO.

You should determine ahead of time how much you are willing to pay for tickets and how much you are willing to pay over the normal ticket price.

I live hear, so I often buy tickets on the street right at game time and if I can't, I don't go. There is an area on the streetat the park where tickets are sold for face value. I haven't used it yet. A weekend game is very tough though.