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Trace the history of Boston on the thousands of tombstones here, from the mean-spirited Mather family, theocrats who ruled the early city, to the valiant patriots slain in the fight for freedom. In the Battle of Bunker Hill (see Washington Takes Command (1776)), the British, who occupied the city in 1775, manned a battery from this site and fired on neighboring Charlestown. There are sweeping views of the harbor.

When the Custom House was built in 1840, Boston was one of America’s largest overseas shipping ports, and customs fees were the mainstay of the Federal budget. The Neo-Classical structure once sat on the waterfront, but now stands two blocks inland. The 16-story Custom House tower, added in 1913, was Boston’s first skyscraper. Since the 1990s, peregrine falcons have nested in the clock tower under the watchful eyes of wildlife biologists. The lobby displays a few artifacts from the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, and tours of the tower give sweeping harbor views.

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.

This pedestrian shopping area is flanked by Filene’s and Macy’s department stores but is given its real life by the pushcart vendors and downtown office workers who fill the streets.

Roxbury’s Dudley Square is the heart of African-American Boston as well as the busiest hub in Boston’s public transport network. The Beaux-Arts station is modeled on the great train stations of Europe. Among the square’s many shops and galleries is the Hamill Gallery of African Art, as much a small museum as a gallery. A few blocks from the square, the modest Georgian-style Dillaway-Thomas House reveals Roxbury’s early history, including the period when it served as HQ for the Continental Army’s General John Thomas during the Siege of Boston.

Built in 1912, the home field of the Boston Red Sox is the oldest surviving park in major league baseball, and aficionados insist that it’s also the finest. An odd-shaped parcel of land gives the intimate park quirky features, such as the high, green-painted wall in left field, affectionately known as “the Green Monster.” Although previous owners threatened to abandon Fenway, the current ones hope to enlarge the park to accommodate the many loyal Sox fans. Behind-the-scenes tours of the park include areas normally closed to the public, like the dugouts and private boxes.

For children with even the slightest interest in sports, a Red Sox game at legendary Fenway Park (see Fenway Park) is pure magic. Fans always feel part of the action at the country’s most intimate professional baseball park. The peanut, hot dog, and soda vendors keep kids’ enjoyment – and blood sugar levels – elevated.