Boston is a treat for your senses, for the city itself is an art museum. The Boston Public Library is  a museum masterpiece filled with murals, sculptures, paintings and frescoes.

The art scene is one of the country's most robust, with museums dedicated to everything from classic to contemporary. Visit the Boston Museum of Fine Arts to view the works of the Great Masters or the edgy works of art at the new Institute of Contemporary Art on the waterfront. Take a trip around the world at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, a 15th-century Venetian palace with its collection of more than 2500 objects.

A short distance from Boston, but well worth the ride, is the Peabody Essex Museum. The impressive collection, with special emphasis on the link between New England and Asia, include preeminent exhibits of maritime artifacts, Chinese export art and American decorative arts. Not to be missed is the 18th century Qing dynasty house, Yin Yu Tang, the only example of Chinese domestic architecture outside that country.

The Harvard Art Museum features some of the most treasured works of Western art, Germanic art and of ancient Asian, Islamic and Indian art.

The Museum of African American History is New England's largest African American history museum with three National Historic Sites dating back to the early 1800s and the Black Heritage Trail, which attracts visitors from around the world.

Children and adults will enjoy an afternoon or an entire day at the Harvard Museum of Natural History where there truly is something for everyone; from meteorites, dinosaur skeletons and fossils to the world-famous 3000 glass flower collection.

The same range exists for live performances. On any given night you can attend the opera, the latest Broadway musical or take in a performance at the nationally acclaimed Huntington Theatre Company or the American Repertory Theater. The classical repertoire of the Boston Symphony and the beloved POPS need no introduction. Looking for a stunning, detailed theatre, then definitely check out the Wang Theatre.

 

Celebrating a 30-year run Shear Madness, a comic murder mystery, where the audience gets to solve the crime, holds the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running nonmusical play in the history of the American Theatre and a must see for the shear fun of it! Another popular show is Blue Man Group, a superb combination of music, comedy and multimedia theatrics, giving audiences a totally unique form of entertainment and leaving them laughing till blue in the face.

The Handel & Haydn Society, the oldest continuously-performing arts organization is one of the country's premier period instrument orchestra and professional chorus. Listening to the annual Messiah performance is like a little piece of heaven. The Celebrity Series is a leading presenter of music, dance and the performing arts from around the world and fills the city’s Concert Halls and Performance Centers all season long. For dance aficionados, the renowned Boston Ballet will dance their way into your hearts with classic, modern and world premieres.

The music scene is also first-rate: Boston has the major venues to hold world-famous acts and the underground bars to showcase tomorrow's stars. TD Garden, Citi Performance Center, The House of Blues, and Jordan Hall all play host to international and national tours, from rock band Pearl Jam to country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift to international sensation CELTIC WOMAN. The three Boston music schools also offer concerts and performances all year long. On just about any evening you can hear cool melodies and hot sounds at the city’s clubs, bars and lounges.