Best Attractions in Boston | 2016 Editors’ Choice Awards

Looking for the best things to do in Boston? You won’t have to look far! Read our picks for the best attractions in Boston for 2016.

Best Inspiration: Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, Boston Grapple with constitutional issues and explore Kennedy’s Senate legacy at this new institution near the JFK presidential library. Each visitor or family gets a tablet for easy interaction with the ever-changing programming. Visitors ages 5 to 8 may also borrow a “Junior Senator” backpack full of books and activities. Columbia Point, 210 Morrissey Blvd. 617–740–7000; emkinstitute.org Best New Art Space: Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge The central atrium in this jewel box of a museum building, designed by Renzo Piano, creates light-flooded spaces where the art gleams. The European, American, and classical art of the Fogg; the German art of the Busch–Reisinger; and Asian art from the Sackler collections all fit under one roof in a coherent flow. 32 Quincy St. 617–495–9400; harvardartmuseums.org Best City Beach: Spectacle Island, Boston Just a half-hour ferry ride from Long Wharf, Spectacle is the gateway to the Boston Harbor Islands. A pristine sandy beach beckons sunbathers and swimmers; the urban towers on the horizon look close yet are refreshingly far away. The visitor center with restrooms and seasonal snack bar is adjacent. Boston Harbor Islands. 617–223–8666; bostonharborislands.org Best Walking Tour: Boston National Historical Park, Boston Rangers offer two informative free one-hour tours of the Freedom Trail. Both depart from Faneuil Hall, with “Meetings, Mobs & Martyrs” leading uphill to Old South Meeting House, and “Allegiance to Revolution” threading through the North End to Old North Church. Faneuil Hall. 617–242–5642; nps.gov/bost Best Free Evening Entertainment: Summer in the City, Boston This dynamic outdoor series offers free movies and live soul, blues, and jazz bands on summer weeknights at Rowes Wharf. It’s sponsored by the Rowes Wharf Sea Grille at the Boston Harbor Hotel, but the area is public and there’s no pressure to order at the restaurant (or its bar), though the food and drink are top-flight. 70 Rowes Wharf. 617–856–7744; roweswharfseagrille.com/summer-in-the-city-boston-en.html

Best Vintage Rides: Swan Boats, Boston Take an old-timey spin around the Public Garden lagoon in one of the marvelously ridiculous pedal boats decked out to look like giant swans. Said to be inspired by a scene in Wagner’s Lohengrin, the boats have been cruising here since 1877. Public Garden, 4 Charles St. 617–522–1966; swanboats.com Best Folk-Music Club: Club Passim, Cambridge Founded as Club 47 in 1958, this cellar spot in the alley between two buildings of the Harvard Coop remains Greater Boston’s venerable home for folk music, blues, and even a little jazz—pretty much any flavor of music played for active listeners. 47 Palmer St. 617–492–7679; passim.org Best Urban Wilds: Franklin Park Zoo, Boston With a pair of new lion brothers and the adorable little gorilla Azize (1 year old on May 14), the megafauna are getting all the glamour shots. But don’t overlook some of the less-heralded critters, such as the ruddy duck and the black-tailed prairie dog, both of them YouTube-ready. 1 Franklin Park Road. 617–541–5466; zoonewengland.org