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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Boston

115 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Boston, Massachusetts

Updated September 22, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Boston

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Boston

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

12 Places in Massachusetts Where Literature Comes to Life

Massachusetts is a lit-lover's paradise. From landscapes that have moved writers to wax poetic about beans to story-inspired sculpture parks and shops stacked with volumes new and old, the Bay State would also be aptly named the Book State. Here are 12 places to celebrate writers or the places that inspired them.

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Explore Boston, Massachusetts

History 13
Statues 12
Architectural Oddities 11
Sacred Spaces 9
Monuments 9
Catacombs And Crypts 7
Military 7
Cemeteries 7

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Stories About Boston

Red wine, fish, and hardtack were the main ingredients of old-fashioned chowder.

Chowder Once Had No Milk, No Potatoes—and No Clams

The earliest-known version of the dish was a winey, briny, bready casserole.
by Anne Ewbank
British pop singer/songwriter Maisie Peters's favorite book, Donna Tartt's The Secret History, inspired an obsession with New England winters.

How 'The Secret History' Conjures Haunting New England Winters

For me as a singer-songwriter, there’s just something alluring about that frigid, seasonal darkness.
by Maisie Peters

Podcast: The Theater of Electricity

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team

Podcast: Bell Ringing of Old North Church

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
Low-lying Long Island is one of several harbor islands carved off the mainland through the process of erosion.

Will Plans for Boston's Long Island Erase Its Indigenous Past?

Native American communities worry construction could destroy graves and other links to a millennia-old history, including a 17th-century genocide.
by Saima Sidik
Tattoo designs of Lena Liberty by Ed Liberty, Boston, ca. 1935.

How Historians of Modern Tattooing Explore a Long-Hidden Past

The growing field probes everything from family collections to problematic museum exhibits.
by Eve Kahn
The origins of the skinny house at 44 Hull Street are uncertain.

For Sale: Boston’s Skinny Spite House

This slim 19th-century home, just 10 feet wide, is seeking new owners who aren’t afraid to get close.
by Jessica Leigh Hester

Podcast: Harvard Bridge Smoots

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team

Lists Featuring Boston

View to Marshall Street from Creek Square.

The 11 Most Interesting Places to Visit Near Faneuil Hall

11

Including AHAC Headquarters, Faneuil Hall Weathervane, and Creek Square

Madaba Mosaic Map
The gallery of maps, showing the ceiling
Great Polish Map of Scotland

13 Marvelous Maps That Go Way Beyond Paper

Charting the world's most intriguing out-of-the-box cartography.

13

Including Madaba Mosaic Map, Gallery of Maps - Galleria delle Carte Geografiche, and Mapparium Globe

The Paddington Bear statue at Paddington station.
The Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park.
Mrs Mallard and her entire brood.
Dr Seuss, Cat in the Hat, and a book with lines from Oh The Places You'll Go.

9 Favorite Children's Book Characters, Immortalized in Bronze

Visit Paddington Bear, Ramona Quimby, and other childhood heroes in person.

9

Including Paddington Bear Statue , Alice in Wonderland Statue, and Make Way for Ducklings Statue

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