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Housed in a beautiful 19th-century courthouse, the CMAC presents performance and visual art exhibitions which promote cross-cultural exchange. A unique feature is the encouragement of dialogue between audience and artist after performances and openings.

With its cooler-than-thou coffee shops, lively bar scene, affordable restaurants, and the renowned Somerville Theater (see Somerville Theatre), Davis Square, Somerville stands as the metro area’s most desirable neighborhood for many young Bostonians. And with prestigious Tufts University just a 10-minute walk away, the square’s youthful spirit is in a constant state of replenishment.

Harvard’s three art museums, the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Sackler, may be radically different but they share the privilege of exhibiting one of the world’s finest collegiate art collections. While the Fogg boasts the city’s most extensive Picasso collection, the Busch-Reisinger leans toward the Bauhaus and German expressionist movements. And just down the block, the Sackler frequently rotates its impressive holdings of Egyptian and later Indian art (see Harvard University).

Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow can be credited with helping to shape Boston’s – and America’s – collective identity. His poetic documentation of Paul Revere’s midnight ride (see Paul Revere (1735–1818)) immortalized both him and his subject. In 1837, Longfellow took up residence in this house in the country’s academic heart, a few blocks from Harvard Yard. He was not the house’s first illustrious resident. General George Washington headquartered and planned the 1776 siege of Boston in these rooms. The building is preserved with furnishings of Longfellow’s and Washington’s heydays, and houses the poet’s personal archives.

Exploring the cosmos in the Hayden Planetarium, hitting the high notes on a musical staircase, experiencing larger-than-life IMAX films in the Mugar Omni Theater – the Museum of Science knows how to make learning enjoyable. In addition to these attractions, the museum frequently hosts blockbuster touring exhibits like Alice the Tyrannosaurus Rex . And on Friday nights, staff lead free star gazing sessions on the museum roof.

Its ongoing commitment to research aside, the Peabody excels at illustrating how interactions between distinct cultures have in turn affected peoples’ lives and livelihoods. Its North American Indian exhibit displays artifacts that reflect the aftermath of encounters between white Europeans and Native Americans. Meanwhile, the university’s Natural History museum delves even deeper in time, exhibiting eons-old natural wonders (see Harvard University).