Since Boston is one of the most historically significant U.S. cities, there’s much to say about it. We could talk about the Pilgrims and the Massachusetts Bay Colony (est. 1630). We could recall the Boston Tea Party (1773) and other Revolutionary War struggles that made Boston the “parent of / our hallowed america,” to quote Porsha Olayiwola, the city’s poet laureate. But there’s one thing that we really need to know about the so-called “hub of the universe”:

What adventures did Tate McRae find there?

In “Think Later” (2023), the pop star sings, “Met you at a night out in Boston.” In “Revolving Door” (2025), she admits that she “still think[s] ‘bout that night out in Boston.” And at a live concert in Boston, she told the audience that she “had a really fun and crazy night out here,” which inspired “a whole album.”

Unfortunately, Tate McRae is unlikely to answer fan mail from our Senior Writer, who used to be a literature professor and otherwise respectable person but is now OBSESSED with this very talented singer and dancer. Therefore, we cannot solve the mystery of Tate McRae’s unforgettable adventure.

Happily, we CAN tell you where to see amazing art and enjoy other cultural experiences in that city that CreativeFuture CEO Ruth Vitale called home for most of the first 25 years of her life!

Here are some of the people and places that have made Boston so amazing!

Brattle Book Shop (est. 1825)

Undoubtedly, America’s most famous self-made man is Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), the tenth of SEVENTEEN children born to a Boston candlemaker. But the famous printer, writer, scientist, and statesman would have approved of a later Bostonian’s enterprising spirit. In 1949, George Gloss was looking for work, so he BOUGHT a bookstore that was going out of business. Thanks to that initial investment of $500, not to mention Gloss’ subsequent efforts, the store survived to become “one of America’s oldest and largest used book shops.” You can hear the story on CBS!

Today, the three-story bookshop is owned by Kenneth Gloss. He knows how to curate a collection from an experience that is even better than on-the-job training: He grew up in his father’s store! Ken has appraised books for local universities like Harvard and Tufts, Antiques Roadshow, and the FBI! You should visit his store whether you’re sight-seeing, searching for a rare volume, solving a crime, or making a period film, because Brattle Books assists filmmakers with set design.

Arnold Arboretum (est. 1872)

Founded in 1634, Boston is one of the oldest American cities, so naturally, its inhabitants take a long view of history. Perhaps that explains why the City of Boston decided in 1882 to lease the Arnold Arboretum to Harvard University until the year 2882. The 1000-year lease was signed just ten years after the arboretum opened. It was designed as part of the Emerald Necklace park system by Frederick Law Olmstead (1822-1903), the father of landscape architecture and designer of Central Park in New York City.

At the Arnold Arboretum, you can wander over 281 acres, admiring the landscape while learning more about plants, FOR FREE. The gardens have over 15,000 specimens, while the herbarium has 1.5 MILLION. It is like heaven for the plant daddies on our staff. Before leaving, climb Peters Hill for a picturesque view of the Boston skyline, which you can see from another vantage at the Prudential Center. And before completing your botanical studies, head over to Cambridge for the Harvard Museum of Natural History, where you may behold the breathtaking Glass Flowers made by Leopold Blaschka (1822-1895) and his son, Rudolf (1857-1939).

Swan Boats (est. 1877)

Another Boston entrepreneur, Robert Paget, is responsible for the swan boats that have become such an iconic part of the Public Garden (est. 1837). To design a vessel for showing visitors the beautiful lagoon, Paget drew inspiration from the Arthurian tale of Lohengrin, Knight of the Swan. While Lohengrin travels in a boat pulled by a swan, Paget used a decorative swan to conceal the peddle mechanism at the back of his boat. Passengers sat in rows of benches as they were ferried across the lake.

The boat tour company that Paget founded is still run by his descendants. There are currently six of his distinctive boats, the oldest of which has been in use since 1910. They have been celebrated in works of children’s literature including Robert McCloskey’s Make Way for Ducklings (1941) and E. B. White’s The Trumpet of the Swan (1970). In fact, the swan boats have become such a beloved and integral part of Boston that you simply cannot claim to know the city without having taken one ride. At least!

Back Bay Fens (est. 1879)

When Olmstead designed the parks of the Emerald Necklace, he addressed industrial pollution in the Back Bay by restoring the tidal wetland. But its ecology changed in 1910, when the Charles River was dammed to control flooding. Plants that grew in saltwater had to be replaced with plants that would thrive in fresh water. Notably, without the dam, the former swampland would not be able to support the Kelleher Rose Garden (est. 1931), where Boston couples can get married among 1500 flowers.

Besides the Rose Garden, you should check out the Richard D. Parker Memorial Victory Gardens (est. 1942). They are an important part of U.S. history, because around 20 million such gardens were created across the country to bolster agriculture during World War II. In addition, three of Boston’s war memorials are in the Back Bay Fens; you can read about them in this blog by local tour guide Aline Kaplan. While you’re doing historical research, you should also listen to episode 311 of Hub History, a podcast about Boston, to hear the story of the Charles River dam, which created the modern Fens.

Boston Symphony Orchestra (est. 1881) / Boston Pops (est. 1885)

When the Simpsons move to Boston after a planned “hate-cation” backfires – because the city has so much to enjoy – a worried Marge asks Homer, “Can we really afford to live in a city with a symphony AND the Pops?” The main difference between the two orchestras is their repertoire, but they also have separate conductors. The Pops started four years after the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), when the Civil War veteran and philanthropist Henry Lee Higginson, who founded both orchestras, wanted to create a concert series devoted to popular rather than classical fare.

Many of the same musicians play in the BSO and the Pops, but their conductors have been chosen for their unique qualifications. For instance, the Grammy-winning conductor of the BSO, Andris Nelsons (b. 1978), has a black belt in Taekwondo! Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Commonwealth Award-winning conductor of the Pops, Keith Lockhart (b. 1959), has famously great hair! There are still many opportunities to admire their skills and talents in the 2025-2026 season, but we especially recommend the July 4 Pops concert at the Hatch Shell (est. 1941), which culminates with fireworks every year.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (est. 1903)

Traveling around the world can have unexpected consequences: One day, you’re making your very first trip to Venice. Fast forward a few years, and you’re halfway up a ladder, supervising construction on a museum meant to house your international art collection. That’s the lesson we drew from the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924), a strong-willed heiress who discovered a passion for art and devoted herself to sharing it with the public.

Gardner created a gorgeous museum with a first-rate collection. Tragically, it was the victim of a terrible heist in 1990, when thieves got away with works by Degas, Manet, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and more. The strange and remarkable tale is told in the podcast Last Seen, Season 1 (2018). But numerous treasures remain, including John Singer Sargent paintings and the sixteenth-century Black Glass Madonna. Let’s hope they stay safe, because Gardner wrote in her will that her museum was meant for the “enjoyment and education of the public forever.”

Note: She really did climb a ladder to talk to construction workers. See for yourself in this video!

The Freedom Trail (est. 1951)

This path connecting 16 of Boston’s most important historic sites was designated the Freedom Trail in 1951. The oldest landmark is a house built around 1680, which belonged to Revolutionary War hero Paul Revere (ca. 1735-1818). The Old North Church (est. 1723) is where Revere had arranged to place his signal lanterns, and the Bunker Hill Monument (est. 1842) commemorates the heroic resistance of Bostonians to the British attack on June 17, 1775.

You can walk the Freedom Trail yourself, but you can learn even more by signing up for one of the themed tours. When we tried to decide on a favorite, we were sorely tempted by the Historic Pub Crawl. But if you know us, you won’t be surprised that we chose the Lantern Tour, featuring “true accounts of grave robbing, cold-blooded killings, and the appalling crimes of spies and assassins.” Whenever the universe offers you a choice in recreation, always take the most haunted. That is the CreativeFuture way.

Sorellina (est. 2006), Restaurant

Boston has many excellent restaurants – our favorites include Neptune Oyster, Oleana, and Flour Bakery. (We dearly miss Durgin-Park, where customers could dine on chowder or prime rib while being insulted by their waiters.) But if you’re planning on an Italian meal, as Ruth does practically every day, you should check out Little Italy in Boston’s North End, as well as Sorellina (Italian for little sis or kiddo) near Copley Square. Chef Jamie Mammano opened this terrific Italian-Mediterranean restaurant after working for the Four Seasons Hotels and the U.S. Ambassador to Spain.

The main reason to go is the menu, of course, but Mammano spared no expense on the decoration. In fact, he hired Tufts alumna Celeste Cooper – AFTER she had been inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame. While adhering to a modernist aesthetic that prioritizes functionality, Cooper maintains, “Good design has the power to move you just as a poem does.” You will find yourself surrounded by poetry if you dine at Sorrellina – and not just because it is right next door to the renowned Boston Public Library!

That’s our roundup! We hope it gave you new reasons to visit the Hub, not the least of which is to immerse yourself in Boston’s distinctive culture.

We’ll be back soon with another roundup – unless we’re relaxing in a Swan Boat, running away to join the Freedom Trail Players®,  or cheering for the Red Sox or the Bruins at one of their home games.

Until next time, find some creativity wherever you can! #StandCreative