America's Oldest Public Park Is A Beautiful New England Oasis Hidden In A Bustling City

One of the best ways to blow visitors' minds in Boston is take them to Boston Common, at the heart of the modern city, and remind them it was once the beach. Everything to the west, especially the "Back Bay" neighborhood, was covered in tidal marshes and ponds that one of the largest landfill projects in world history buried over the centuries. Next, point to the ground and note the thousands of bodies underfoot, including Gilbert Stuart, who painted the portrait of George Washington that appears on the one-dollar bill. These two stories join hundreds of others to turn Boston Common, America's oldest public park, into a storybook — securing Boston a spot on Rick Steves' list of the best American cities. 

Start any Boston Common tour at Park Street Church, whose 217-foot steeple has anchored the northeast corner since 1809. Nearby is the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. To see more Boston Common highlights, simply head west into the park, passing The Frog Pond, a spray and splash pool in the summer and ice-skating rink in winter. Climb the small hill to its south to see the 126-foot Soldiers and Sailors Monument, dedicated to Civil War veterans. Steps away is Boston Common's newest art sculpture, The Embrace, which honors Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, who met in Boston. The Central Burying Ground, where Stuart rests in peace, runs along Boylston Street to Charles Street, where Boston Common merges with its sister park, the Public Garden. 

As Boston Common is so central to Beantown's identity, history, and geography, it's a key sight on nearly every Boston tour, including the Boston History & Highlights Walking Tour by Viator. Following a section of the Freedom Trail, the tour connects several major sites. It starts at the Rose Kennedy Greenway, which replaced the elevated highway that once sliced through the city center, and then steps into the human maelstrom of Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall, one of Boston's busiest marketplaces. The Hall witnessed the first protests against royal power, and the next stop, Old South Meeting House, turned up the heat. Here, the tea partiers met before famously dumping 92,000 pounds into Boston Harbor.

An essential American site comes shortly after. On the balcony of the Old State House, the Declaration of Independence was first read to the public on July 18, 1776. The "younger" Old City Hall is around the corner. Opened in 1865 and built in the French Second Empire Style, it served 38 mayors for 120 years. Today, the most popular resident is the bronze donkey in the courtyard. From there, Boston Common is close by, just past the Granary Burying Ground, where you'll find the graves of Revolutionary War heroes. Look for the gold dome of Massachusetts State House, before diving into Boston Common and The Public Garden. Afterward, discover another unforgettable Boston experience at the New England Aquarium or hop a ferry to visit this diverse and educational Boston Harbor island.