New Years in Boston
 

We are spending 3 - 4 days in Boston over New Years.

We (my wife and adult children) are staying at the Hyatt by the airport. We are looking for fun things to do. We've been to Boston before and have done the Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall, Beacon Hill, etc. Any other suggestions? How is the Sam Adams tour? Any New Years eve ideas? Any Christmas related activities still going on?

There are a lot of good movies playing right now, and the stadium style theaters on Boston Common are terrific.

Are you aware of First Night Boston?

http://www.firstnight.org/

The Sam Adams tour is fun, but it's not that easy to get to the brewery.

Definitely check out the First Night website for LOTs of events.

If you like classical music, consider the Boston Baroque NYE (and NYD) concerts at Sanders Theatre @ Harvard: http://www.bostonbaroque.org/concerts.php#concert3

or
The Boston Pops NYE concert http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/perf_det...id=prod3500019

Definitely look into First Night -- get your buttons (tickets to wear on your coats) and go to as many concert / music/ juggler/ film venues as you can manage. Or at least enjoy walking around and looking at the ice sculptures, parade, and fireworks events.

Your First Night buttons are also good for lots of discounts at museums and such during January.

In looking at the First Night web site there are lots of activities. Has anyone attended in the past? Is it really crazy packed with people?

Re: First Night. It is not "crazy packed" with people except in a few specific locations/activities since it is spread thruout the city, much of it very walkable. The parade and final fireworks are the only events really crowded. Dress in layers, watch the weather reports, have fun.

Agree, First Night is not crazy packed. The less favorable the weather, the less packed.

Be SURE to be dressed so as to be comfortable while out and about. Windproof outwear is best, as Boston can be very windy making it seem much, much, colder. Unless milder temps are predicted, highly recommend long underwear!

For other Boston area sightseeing, you could consider going to Cambridge, maybe before the concert mentioned by yk.
Also have you done the Black Heritage Trail and the Gardner museum?
The Gardner is open and free on New Year's Day and has a New Year's eve event.

We have stayed at that Hyatt a lot. Be sure to ask for water view rooms. The views are the absolute best anywhere of the Boston skyline, and if it is too cold to stay out for the fireworks, they will be spectacular from the hotel.

If you want to go to First Night, you can get to Boston quickly if coldly and expensively by the water taxi next door to the hotel. But there is a free Massport water taxi bus that runs around the airport and that can drop you at the T for easy, cheap, and [relatively] warm access to the Waterfront and Government Center on the Blue Line. You can chane their for the Green Line to Back Bay and the museums. You may also get off the Massport Bus at any terminal and take the Silverline bus to South Station to connect to the Red Line to Cambridge, Harvard Square (in one direction) and the Kennedy Library in the other.

Right now, a wintry mix (snow & rain) is predicted for New Year's Eve, so definitely dress appropriately.

Yes, the Gardner Museum is also offering a NYE's event.