Back Bay City Guide

The cultural heart of Back Bay, Copley Square was originally known as “Art Square” for the remarkable concentration of institutions that gathered here in the 19th century, including MIT, Harvard Medical School, and the Museum of Fine Arts. Today, it anchors the neighborhood with Trinity Church, the Boston Public Library, and the finish line of the Boston Marathon all within steps of each other.

Access: Free, Always Open

Designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and completed in 1877, Trinity Church was declared the finest building in the United States just eight years after it opened. Its distinctive Romanesque style was an immediate landmark in American architecture, and it remains one of the most photographed buildings in the country. Fun fact: the building had to be kept shorter than originally planned because the soft, spongy landfill ground beneath it made it unstable.

Access: Admission Fee; Active Episcopal Congregation

The first large free municipal library in the United States, the BPL opened in 1854 and remains one of the 20 largest library collections in the world. The exterior alone is worth a slow look: three grand arched doors, the head of Minerva above the entrance, and 537 names of writers and thinkers carved into the facade. Inside, the courtyard is one of the most serene and underrated spaces in Boston.

Access: Free, Open Daily

New England’s tallest building has one of the better origin stories in Boston architecture. When it was built in the 1970s, its massive glass windows began falling onto the street in high winds, earning it the nickname the “Plywood Palace” while all 10,344 panes were replaced. Engineers also had to install a massive counterweight on the 58th floor to stop upper-floor occupants from getting motion sickness. The soft landfill beneath Back Bay made construction a particular engineering challenge throughout the neighborhood.

Access: Exterior Viewing

The oldest annual marathon in the world has ended on Boylston Street since 1897. The finish line is a quiet but powerful landmark, made more so by its proximity to the site of the 2013 bombing, where three lives were lost, and hundreds were injured. “Boston Strong” was born here, and the spot carries a weight that is hard to fully appreciate until you’re standing on it.

Access: Free, Always Visible

One of the most beautiful urban walks in Boston, the 200-foot wide tree-lined mall running the length of Commonwealth Avenue was modeled after the grand boulevards of Paris. Strolling its central path, you’ll pass a series of notable statues, including Alexander Hamilton (the first statue placed here, unveiled in 1865), General John Glover, Irish immigrant mayor Patrick Collins, and the Vendome Fire Memorial, honoring the nine firefighters killed when the Hotel Vendome collapsed during a 1972 blaze.

Access: Free, Always Open

Eight blocks of renovated brownstones housing everything from high-end boutiques to casual cafés, Newbury Street is Boston’s most famous shopping corridor and one of the most expensive retail streets in the world. Whether you’re shopping or just people-watching over a coffee, it rewards a slow, unhurried walk from end to end.

Access: Free to Stroll

Just steps from Back Bay’s eastern edge, the Public Garden is America’s first public botanical garden and a beloved city retreat. Stroll the winding paths, admire the seasonal plantings, and keep an eye out for the famous Swan Boats on the pond in warmer months.

Access: Free, Open Dawn to Dusk

Following the neighborhood’s northern edge along the Charles River, the Esplanade offers miles of walking and cycling paths with views of Cambridge and the river. On warm evenings, it fills with joggers, picnickers, and kayakers, and in summer, it hosts the beloved Boston Pops outdoor concerts at the Hatch Shell.

Access: Free, Always Open