I'm going to visit a friend in Boston for a few days in early July. We thought it would be nice for my little Canadian self to be in the US for the Fourth of July. The plans are not final yet but it looks like we'll have 3 and a half days. Any ideas? Other than the MFA, I don't know much about Boston. I think there's the Freedom Trail also?

I'd like to do the Museum of Science since I'm a biochem student but I don't think she'll be up for it (she's a poli-sci student and doesn't really enjoy anything scientific... I guess it's a little weird we get along so well). So, how's the museum?

How's Cambridge and Harvard at that time of the year? Is everybody home for the summer? I would assume so.

Other suggestions for things to visit for 2 college students? My friend has been living there for a while so I guess she'll have a few things in mind but I still haven't had the chance to talk about it with her.

Harvard Sq. never closes up shop, nor does the rest of Cambridge. Summer is, in some ways, high season (although some establishments still think it doesn't get hot enough to warrant air conditioning...it does). Summer school is a big draw, and grad students don't leave in the summer, nor do the profs. And then there all the tourists and prospective students and hopeful parents.....

There are more than just two museums around Boston -- the two you mention are good, although I'll leave it to those who have been to the Mus. of Sci. recently to comment more fully -- and the two of you might enjoy the Gardner (esp. note evidence of the great heist).

Recommend one of the boat tours of the harbor, esp. on a nice day. The Duck Tours are hokey and expensive but fun and a good "overview."

But just puttering around Beacon Hill, the Public Garden, Newbury St., the harbor front and the river front will give you plenty to enjoy.

(Hope your friend has been in Boston for the 4th before so she knows "the drill" re: how early and where to set up camp.)

Take a duck tour. If you do this at the start of your trip (book online) it'll give you a good idea of the layout of the city and an overview of the history (the guides/drivers are great and entertaining).

4th of July fireworks over the Charles are pretty. I saw them from the air was we were landing at Logan at the right time a couple of years ago.... I'm sure someone will advise you on a good viewing point.

Stroll through the parks and ride a Swan boat, visit the library and the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art).

Hi nessa-

July fourth will be lots of fun in Boston. There're concerts and fireworks, and you and your friend better get yourselves down to the esplanade early in the day w/picnic blanket and basket to grab a good spot!

If you're visiting the MFA, go to the Gardner museum as well which is right next door.

Harvard Sq is always hopping. Students are always around, as some do come for summer school. During summer time, lots of tourists as well.

july4th.org is the official site of what is going on - for that entire week - in Boston. Fireworks happen at least a couple of times and there are various special events - some too juvenile or boring, but some are usually decent. I have not looked at the site for this year - just going on past years experience.

Museum of Science is like most science museums - science-lite. I doubt you will find any biochem info there that you did not learn as a child. It has New England wildlife and habitat exhibits, a simulated lightening room where your hair stands on end, an Omni theatre with all sorts of films. MOS.org is website and you can visit for a half day, have lunch and catch a Duck Tour from right out front. Then wander over to North End for Italian dinner.

The Freedom Trail is a marked (by painted red line or red brick) route thru several miles of Boston, with marked and highlighted historic sites - from century-old graveyards to small museums, Old North Church, USS Constitution. You can do all or part of it at your own pace.

The big deal in Boston is the concert and fireworks on the Esplanade (a long narrow park along the Charles River). Many years ago when I was a student it was the thing to do - we would get there early AM (think 6-7 AM), spend the day, leave after fireworks. The idea of sitting on a blanket in the sun all day seems less appealing now. The way it works is that one is granted entry to the main area at some pre-determined early hour, usually between 6-8 AM. Now they check bags and coolers (no more hauling in large amounts of alcohol that seemed to keep us occupied for the day). Bathrooms are porta-potties that can get nasty by the evening. It is either hot and very sunny or, more often recently, rainy and nasty. Some people love it - and by the time the Boston Pops starts playing and you see the fireworks, you can forget that you just spent the previous 12 hours miserable. You decide for yourself. There are no secret ways to get entry with view later in day and no secret fireworks watching places unless you happen to know someone with a roof deck (which I was fortunate enough to know back before these buildings were million dollar condos).

Have a good trip - any other specific questions, post here as there are several of us regulars who live around Boston.

I agree w/gail that the idea of hanging out in the Esplanade for 12 hrs + is certainly not something I would consider at my age, but I suppose it'll be fun for nessa & her friend since they're college age. You know, everything seemed fun when I was young.

The Museum of Science is especially good for kids, though it can be fun for adults as well. Don't expect anything hard-core intellectual there, as the appeal base is broad.

Other Boston sights that might specifically appeal to a biology oriented person would be the Aquarium (ours is good here) and the Harvard Museum of Natural History (for fossils, stuffed and mounted specimens, anthropology related items, minerals, and best of all the glass flowers exhibit). Check the hours for these places, though. Don't bother with the Franklin Park Zoo, which is a poor example of the genre and in a bad part of town.

And then there are the usual good touristy things to do, like the Freedom Trail, MFA, Gardner Museum, etc. Search the board here for past posts and also look at what Fodor's and Frommer's have to say.

What no one has mentioned since we are mostly old geezers on this list is that Boston is one of the great student cities in the world. There is an enormous number of colleges and universties and many thousand students AND the bars, clubs, and cafes that you would expect in such a place.

Look at www.thephoenix.com to learn what will be happening when you are there, and there are other throwaway papers available on the corner -- Boston After Dark, Stuff @Night, Uncommon Boston with youth (18-35) oriented events.

By the way, unless you have a highly developed sense of irony, I cannot imagine that you or anyone else between 14 and 44 would enjoy the duck tours. Take your grandchildren when the time comes.

On the other hand, the Swan Boats in the Public Garden are charming.

Oh, C'mon Akislander, both yk and I mentioned the student scene in Hahvahd Skweah/Cambritch -- and said it was year 'round. But sure, add MIT (in Cambridge, but.. ) BU, BC, Tufts, Simmons, Emerson, and and and. I may have started to dodder but you needn't be pointedly nasty about us "codgers." ... and take a look on the Duck Tours next time they go by, and you'll probably see 14-44 yr-olds on it, camping it up. Undoubtedly with highly developed senses of irony. (Watch for ScooterDude around Copley Sq, if you want to see a codger with a highly developed sense of irony.)

On the other hand, I thought only kids under 10 and their parents got excited by the Swan Boats.

And is it axiomatic that all students want are bars and clubs, anyway? Oh, yes, and the Freedom Trail but only if it's free?

Hey, we can all be proud of Boston .. for a bunch of good reasons! Go SAWX.

If you and your friend go to either the Museum of Science or the Harvard Natural History museum to satisfy the biochem student, only fair you consider the JFK Library for your poly-sci majoring friend.

http://www.jfklibrary.org/

I have no objection to libraries!

We'll be going to MIT since we have a friend who is a tour guide there in the summer. And my friend's boyfriend is attending BC next year so they might bring me there as well.

As for the whole bar/club thing, I'm still not legal in the US until later this year so we'll see how that goes.

And for the Duck Tour, I'll think I'll give it a miss this time. I went on the Toronto one a few years back and thought it was rather funny, not always in a good way.

Thank you for all the suggestions!

Not sure if you're watching your budget or not, but if you are, you can ask your local friend to check his/her local library for free museum passes. I think every library branch in Boston has these passes which let you in (usually 2 people) for free or at a greatly reduced price. E.g., my local libary has a pass for the MFA and admission fee is reduced from $17 to just $6. Museum of Science is just $5 and JFK library is $3.

I'll definitely check that out. My budge is not necessarily tight but if I can save a couple of dollars here and there, I'm not going to say no.

The Museum of Science is, frankly, geared much more for kids. You might find the museums at Harvard or M.I.T. more interesting.

If you only have a few days, make sure you enjoy just wandering around some of the neighborhoods like the North End and Beacon Hill/Back Bay.

I like the Museum of Science (even as an adult). Another museum worth checking out is the ICA (institute of contemporary arts) on the waterfront. The New England Aquarium is fun. Someone mentioned duck tours - I second that. Or a cruise of the harbor - check www.bostonharborcruises.com. The Freedom Trail is good for city history, and will take you through interesting parts of Boston. The South End is great for restaurants and some shopping, and the North End is good if you want to eat Italian. Also, check out www.nextstopboston.com for a wide variety of stuff.

The aquarium offers a whale-watching tour which we did, and we saw lots of whales. Not sure about July time-frame for whales, though, but I'm sure the aquarium can tell you. It takes about 4 hours, I think.

Also, the North End has great little Italian restaurants and is a lively scene in the evening.

I am with all of the rest of you not interested in hanging out on the Esplanade for 12 hours to hear the concert. A better option is to go on July 3rd when they do a dress rehearsal (although it's very polished) without the wait. If you go to the website that Gail mentioned, it gives the details of it. Take a picnic and some chairs and enjoy!

Also, there are usually fireworks over the harbor on the preceding Saturday night. Try to google "Boston Harborfest" to get more information.