Boston

We’ve compiled the best of the best in Boston - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

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  • 1. American Repertory Theater

    Founded by Robert Brustein and since 2009 under the helm of Tony Award–winning director Diane Paulus, the ART is one of America’s most celebrated regional...

    Founded by Robert Brustein and since 2009 under the helm of Tony Award–winning director Diane Paulus, the ART is one of America’s most celebrated regional theaters, winning Tonys for Broadway originals All the Way and Once as well as revivals of The Glass Menagerie, Pippin, and The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. The ART often premieres new works and seeks to expand the boundaries of theater through productions such as Waitress, Finding Neverland, and Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 among others. The Loeb Drama Center, home of the ART, houses two theaters: the Mainstage and The Ex, a smaller black box often staging productions by the irreverent Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club. OBERON, the ART's "club theater" with flexible stage design, engages young audiences in immersive theater (and has attracted national acclaim for its groundbreaking model) with gay, alternative, and cutting-edge programming.

    64 Brattle St., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
    617-547–8300
  • 2. Sanders Theatre

    This gilt-wood jewel box of a stage is the preferred venue for many of Boston's classical orchestras and the home of Harvard University's many ensembles....

    This gilt-wood jewel box of a stage is the preferred venue for many of Boston's classical orchestras and the home of Harvard University's many ensembles. Located in Memorial Hall, 180-degree stage design and superb acoustics afford intimacy and crystal projection. A favorite of folk, jazz, and world-music performers, the 1,000-seat Sanders hosts the holiday favorite Christmas Revels, a traditional participatory Yule celebration. Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Leonard Bernstein, and Oprah Winfrey have appeared at this famed seat of oratory and music.

    45 Quincy St., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
    617-496–2222-box office
  • 3. Symphony Hall

    Back Bay

    One of the world's best acoustical concert halls—some say the best—has been home since 1900 to the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and the Boston Pops....

    One of the world's best acoustical concert halls—some say the best—has been home since 1900 to the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and the Boston Pops. Led by conductor Keith Lockhart, the Pops concerts take place in May and June and around the winter holidays. The hall is also used by visiting orchestras, chamber groups, soloists, and local ensembles. Rehearsals and daytime concerts for students are open to the public, with discounted tickets. If you can't attend a concert, you can still see the magnificent hall on a free guided tour. Visit the venue's website for dates and times.

    301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
    617-266–1492
  • 4. Berklee Performance Center

    Back Bay

    The main stage for the internationally renowned Berklee College of Music, the "BPC" is best known for its jazz and pop programs, but also hosts...

    The main stage for the internationally renowned Berklee College of Music, the "BPC" is best known for its jazz and pop programs, but also hosts folk, world, and rock acts, and pop stars like Talking Heads, Aimee Mann, Snarky Puppy, and Melody Gardot. Bargain alert: the BPC stages a wealth of excellent student and faculty shows and showcases sets and clinics by visiting artists that cost next to nothing. While the performance center is 1,215 seats strong, it's an intimate locale for any show.

    136 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
    617-266–7455-box office
  • 5. BosTix

    This ArtsBoston outlet has two kiosk locations (Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Copley Square) that sell half-price tickets for same-day performances, as well as online ordering...

    This ArtsBoston outlet has two kiosk locations (Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Copley Square) that sell half-price tickets for same-day performances, as well as online ordering for select advance shows. Full-price tickets for local attractions like Boston Duck Tours, Freedom Trail Walking Tours, and New England Aquarium are available. On Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, show up a half hour before the booth opens.

    USA
    No phone

    Arts/Entertainment Details

    Rate Includes: Faneuil Hall Marketplace: Closed on Monday. Tuesday – Sunday: 10am – 4pm. Copley Square: Closed Monday – Wednesday, Thursday – Friday: 11am – 5pm, Saturday – Sunday: 10am – 4pm
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  • 6. Boston Ballet

    South End

    The city's premier dance company performs at the Boston Opera House. Shows have included Romeo and Juliet, classic Balanchine, and La Sylphide. And, of course,...

    The city's premier dance company performs at the Boston Opera House. Shows have included Romeo and Juliet, classic Balanchine, and La Sylphide. And, of course, if you're visiting during the holidays, be sure to score seats to The Nutcracker.

    19 Clarendon St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02116, USA
    617-695–6955
  • 7. Boston Dance Alliance

    South End

    This group serves as a clearinghouse for an amazing array of local dance companies' classes, performances, and workshops. Visit the alliance's website for upcoming performances...

    This group serves as a clearinghouse for an amazing array of local dance companies' classes, performances, and workshops. Visit the alliance's website for upcoming performances and venues.

    19 Clarendon St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02116, USA
    617-456–6295
  • 8. Boston Gay Men's Chorus

    South End

    With an aim to "inspire change, build community, and celebrate difference," the Boston Gay Men's Chorus has a repertoire that ranges from holiday favorites to...

    With an aim to "inspire change, build community, and celebrate difference," the Boston Gay Men's Chorus has a repertoire that ranges from holiday favorites to show tunes to chamber selections to pop hits. With more than 300 members, the group performs at the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall.

    539 Tremont St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02116, USA
    617-542–7464
  • 9. Boston On The Half Shell

    Back Bay | Concerts

    Bop along with the Boston Pops and other free orchestral concerts and films at the Hatch Memorial Shell June through August. ...

    Bop along with the Boston Pops and other free orchestral concerts and films at the Hatch Memorial Shell June through August.

    Esplanade, 47 David G Mugar Way, Boston, Massachusetts, 02108, USA
    617-266–1200
  • 10. Boston Opera House

    Downtown | Theater

    The meticulously renovated 2,700-seat, Beaux Arts building has been lavished with $35 million worth of gold leaf, lush carpeting, and rococo...

    The meticulously renovated 2,700-seat, Beaux Arts building has been lavished with $35 million worth of gold leaf, lush carpeting, and rococo ornamentation. It features lavish musical productions such as Newsies, Kinky Boots, and Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker.

    539 Washington St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, USA
    617-259–3400
  • 11. Boston Philharmonic Orchestra

    The charismatic Benjamin Zander—whose signature preconcert chats help audiences better understand the blockbuster symphonies they're about to hear—heads up the Boston Philharmonic. Performances at Harvard's...

    The charismatic Benjamin Zander—whose signature preconcert chats help audiences better understand the blockbuster symphonies they're about to hear—heads up the Boston Philharmonic. Performances at Harvard's Sanders Theatre, the New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall, Symphony Hall, and a variety of other locales often encompass symphonies by Beethoven, Mahler, Shostakovich, and Brahms, plus lots of concertos.

    USA
    617-236–0999
  • 12. Boston Pops

    Under the agile baton of Keith Lockhart, Boston Pops (largely Boston Symphony musicians) perform a bracing blend of American standards, movie themes, and contemporary vocal...

    Under the agile baton of Keith Lockhart, Boston Pops (largely Boston Symphony musicians) perform a bracing blend of American standards, movie themes, and contemporary vocal numbers (with top-tier guests) during May and June at Symphony Hall, plus 40 festive holiday-season concerts. Outdoor concerts on July 3 and 4 at the Hatch Memorial Shell are followed by concerts at the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home, Tanglewood, in Lenox, Massachusetts, in July and August. The free outdoor concerts are packed; be sure to arrive early with blankets, folding chairs, and a picnic.

    USA
    888-266–1200-box office
  • 13. Boston Symphony Orchestra

    Back Bay

    Founded in 1881, the Boston Symphony is one of America's oldest and most venerable orchestras, with dynamic Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons at the helm. Its...

    Founded in 1881, the Boston Symphony is one of America's oldest and most venerable orchestras, with dynamic Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons at the helm. Its home season at Symphony Hall runs from September through April. In July and August the music migrates to Tanglewood, the orchestra's bucolic summer home in the Berkshire Mountains in Lenox, Massachusetts. Including tours to Carnegie Hall and China, and the Boston Pops concerts, the BSO performs more than 250 concerts annually.

    301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
    617-266–1200
  • 14. Broadway Across America-Broadway in Boston

    This organization brings Broadway shows to Boston in pre- and post-Broadway runs, including local mainstays Blue Man Group and Shear Madness, listed in the Guinness...

    This organization brings Broadway shows to Boston in pre- and post-Broadway runs, including local mainstays Blue Man Group and Shear Madness, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running play in U.S. history. Call between 10 am and 5 pm on weekdays.

    USA
    866-523–7469
  • 15. Cambridge Society for Early Music

    Music

    This group has presented early-music performances since 1980 and deserves much credit for early music's prominence in Boston's musical scene. ...

    This group has presented early-music performances since 1980 and deserves much credit for early music's prominence in Boston's musical scene.

    , USA
    617-489–2062
  • 16. Global Arts Live

    Central Square

    As the metro area's premier presenter of worldwide music and dance, Global Arts Live has a truly global roster featuring exciting contemporary artists in their...

    As the metro area's premier presenter of worldwide music and dance, Global Arts Live has a truly global roster featuring exciting contemporary artists in their Boston debuts (like The Bad Plus and Freshlyground), as well as world music icons, such as South Africa's Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Ireland's Mary Black. Performances unfold at many venues, such as Brighton Music Hall, the Berklee Performance Center, The Sinclair, Somerville Theatre, and the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre.

    720 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
    617-876–4275
  • 17. Handel & Haydn Society

    South End

    Acclaimed for performances of baroque and classical music, the Handel & Haydn Society is one of the country's oldest performing arts organizations in America. The...

    Acclaimed for performances of baroque and classical music, the Handel & Haydn Society is one of the country's oldest performing arts organizations in America. The annual performances of Handel's Messiah have been a holiday favorite since 1854, and all concerts feature antique or replica instruments so the music is performed as it was the day it was written. Performances are held at Symphony Hall and other Boston venues.

    9 Harcourt St., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
    617-266–3605-box office
  • 18. Harvard Film Archive

    Screening independent, foreign, classic, and experimental films rarely seen in commercial cinemas, the Harvard Film Archive is open to the public Friday through Monday. The...

    Screening independent, foreign, classic, and experimental films rarely seen in commercial cinemas, the Harvard Film Archive is open to the public Friday through Monday. The 188-seat theater, with pristine film and digital projection, is located in the basement of the stunning brick-and-glass Carpenter Center for Visual Arts, Le Corbusier's only American building. A division of Harvard Library, this is one of the country's largest and most significant university-based motion picture collections—more than 36,000 global audiovisual items from almost every period in film history. Tickets are $10; seniors and students, $8.

    24 Quincy St., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
    617-496–6750
  • 19. Hasty Pudding Theatricals

    The oldest (1844) collegiate theatrical company in the United States still has all-male casts, though women participate in the troupe's staging and production. Its single...

    The oldest (1844) collegiate theatrical company in the United States still has all-male casts, though women participate in the troupe's staging and production. Its single annual madcap show plays at its theater in February and March, then tours to New York and Vegas. The troupe infamously honors actors as Man and Woman of the Year in an annual awards ceremony, complete with a celebrity roast and drag-queen and boa-laden party parade through the streets of Cambridge for the chosen woman. The 2021 honorees were Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner.

    12 Holyoke St., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
    617-495–5205
  • 20. Huntington Theatre Company

    Back Bay

    Boston's largest resident theater company consistently performs a high-quality mix of 21st-century plays and classics under the artistic direction of Loretta Greco, and commissions playwrights...

    Boston's largest resident theater company consistently performs a high-quality mix of 21st-century plays and classics under the artistic direction of Loretta Greco, and commissions playwrights to produce original dramas. The Huntington performs at two locations: its own newly renovated theater at Boston University and the South End's Calderwood Theatre Pavilion.

    264 Huntington Ave., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
    617-266–7900-box office

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