An old city in the new world, Boston is a place chock full of historical landmarks and layered with centuries of well-kept secrets and hidden gems. From 17^th century graves to a 20^th century covert steakhouse, mystery is around every corner, waiting to be discovered by tourists and locals alike.

The good news is, Boston’s biggest historical attractions like Bunker Hill, Paul Revere’s House and Quincy Market are strung together along a red brick and painted path dubbed the Freedom Trail. Many tour companies are available with knowledgeable guides ready to walk visitors from site to site, explaining the who’s and what’s behind the Patriots’ road to revolution.

Whether following a guide or traveling the Trail alone, here are a few tips and tricks to add to your adventure.

Rest your feet on the Charlestown Ferry

While the Freedom Trail is completely walkable, it can make for a long day. To cut down on steps AND get a great view of the city, catch the Charlestown Ferry at Long Wharf after you hit all of the stops from Boston Common to Old North Church in the North End. The ferry leaves every 15 minutes and costs less than $2 to ride each way. Passengers can sit inside or out, but either way, they get a stunning view of the Boston skyline from the water! The ferry stops off at the Charlestown Navy Yard and from there it’s a short walk to Bunker Hill and the rest of the stops on this side of the bay.

Search for Mother Goose

Lay a penny on Paul Revere’s headstone, pay respect to John Hancock and look up at the towering Franklin Monument at the Old Granary Burying Ground, but don’t forget to visit Mother Goose. Walk up the center trail of the burying ground to the short dead end path located between the Franklin Monument and the back of the cemetery. Here lies the first wife of Isaac Goose, Mary, and his second wife, Elizabeth in an unmarked grave nearby. Mary gave birth to 10 children before passing away. Elizabeth raised all 10 kids and added 10 of her own to the clan. Elizabeth may have never penned a nursery rhyme, but she’s certainly earned the title “Mother Goose.“

Find your Saint in an alleyway

Stop by to see if Peter Baldassari has the wooden gate to All Saints Way alley open at Hanover and Battery Street in Boston’s oldest neighborhood, the North End. Baldassari is sometimes on hand to talk all about his passion project, collecting saints and building out his sanctuary to them. He will even help visitors find their Saint based on their birthday. It’s a beautiful place that mashes up art, history and religion in a homemade alleyway museum. If the gate is closed, take a peek through the slats to check out Baldassari’s collection. 

See where Benjamin Franklin was born

This unassuming landmark is just steps off the Freedom Trail between the Old Corner Bookstore and the Old South Meeting House, but many people miss it! The birthplace of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin at 1 Milk Street is marked by a small white bust of Franklin himself. The original building where Franklin was born burned down in 1810.

Dine in a secret steakhouse

Just 2.5 blocks from the Park Street Church stop on the Freedom Trail is a hidden 20-seat steakhouse where patrons can order hand crafted cocktails, caviar, foie gras and a 28-ounce bone-in Porterhouse. Walk through the casual JM Curley burger joint and look for the “Adults Only” sign. Turn off your cell phone and enter Bogie’s Place, a private dining experience of a lifetime. Main course prices range from $23 to $75 with add-on sides for $7 to $14. Make sure to call ahead and make reservations.

Take note of the 10-foot wide house

Directly across the Hull Street entrance to Copp’s Hill Burying Ground in the North End stands 4-story house touted as the narrowest house in Boston, measuring only 10 feet wide. Urban legend holds the house was built by a bitter brother to block the sunlight to his sibling’s larger home on land the two inherited from their father. The Civil War era house is still occupied today.

Step carefully over the dead

Four cemeteries are located on Boston’s Freedom Trail, including the city’s three oldest. Visitors may notice that the faded headstones that in some cases date back to the 1660’s, are all organized in fairly neat rows. That was not always the case. In fact, it’s likely that not many of the headstones still mark the resting place of those who were buried there, and the remains of bodies probably extend underneath surrounding streets and structures.

Grab a bite at Paul Revere’s old haunt

Hob nob where Paul Revere used to hang out, at the Green Dragon Tavern not far off the Freedom Trail at 11 Marshall Street, just behind Union Oyster House. The history of the pub is disputed, but it’s said that Paul Revere launched his famous midnight ride from here to warn the patriots of the British march toward Lexington and Concord. The current standing restaurant is proud of its history that extends at least back to the 1770’s, if not back to 1654 like the pub claims. Regardless, it’s a great place to take a load off and grab a bite to eat at a historic landmark!

Many people have outdated notions about winter vacations. Of course, travelling to sunny locales like Florida or the Caribbean are great if you want to work on your tan, but with the crowds and skin cancer risk, why not consider another option: New England.

At the heart of the northeast lies Boston, MA, a city built around its ports and famous universities. A city often swallowed by the Apple to its south. However, Boston has a lot to offer tourists in terms of history, culture and winter fun. The “down” season is clearly one of the best times to visit here too. Even though you cannot go for a harbor cruise, you can see most everything else Bean Town has to offer and do it without the crowds.

Museums Galore!

Many people do not realize that Boston is home to over 40 museums that celebrate an awesome range of cultural attractions. This includes the famous JFK Presidential Library as well as a plethora of historical museums and sites dedicated to the Revolutionary War and Colonial era.

Boston is also home to several great “niche” museums such as the Children’s Museum, the Fuller Craft Museum, the USS Constitution Museum, and the Salem Witch Museum. Both Harvard and MIT sponsor museums on their campuses and there’s even a museum dedicated to Whaling in Nantucket.

One of the best aspects of travelling to Boston in the winter is that museums are always open regardless of weather and many even offer discounted entry for the “off season.” You may also consider purchasing a tourist card such as the Go Boston card which offers entry to over two dozen museums in and around the Boston area.

Winter Weather Fun

In addition to great indoor activities, Boston’s location at the heart of New England allows easy travel to most of the best ski and snow resorts in America. There are several great cross country ski areas within a short drive including trails in Weston, Carlisle, and Northfield. New Hampshire is also close by offering excellent cross country trails in its Waterville Valley.

For the less agile, snow tubing is also a great way to spend the day. Nashoba Valley’s Snow Tubing Park in Westford offers four snow tube lifts and 17 lanes as well as an observation deck. Off of 495 in Amesbury, the Amesbury Sports Park offers three lifts and nine tracks as well as the Corner Kicks Pub for some good eats after hitting the lanes.

Finally, Frog Pond in the heart of The Commons offers ice skating from 10 am until well into the night all winter long. Admission is free for those under 13 and only $4 for everyone else. Skating in the Commons offers an unprecedented opportunity to see Boston from a new angle and have fun at the same time.

Don’t Forget to Eat

Finally, winter weather is no match for the world-class fare served at any of the hundreds of Boston’s fine restaurants and eateries. Located on the water, seafood here is superb and, like many big cities, Boston’s Little Italy on the north end and downtown Chinatown pockets offer cultural dishes to please any palate.

Whether you are going for the culture or going for some fun, winter time in Boston will not disappoint. It is clearly worth it to take time this winter to see the sights, get a little wet and cold, and then warm up with amazing foods in New England’s largest city.

After a long New England winter, Bostonians know how to celebrate spring. From opening day at Fenway Park to the season’s first swan boat rides at the Public Garden, Hub residents welcome spring and warmer weather visitors in style. Boston CityPASS has deep discounts on admission to top Boston attraction, so you can beat the winter blues without breaking into your piggy bank. Attractions include the New England Aquarium, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science, the Skywalk Observatory at the Prudential Center, and your choice of admission to either the Harvard Museum of Natural History or the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

The Boston CityPASS offers nearly half-off savings, plus VIP line-skipping privileges, so you save both time and money. An adult pass is just $46 (value: $84.95) and a youth pass for ages 3 to 11 is $29 (value: $50.45). The pass is activated the first time you use it at any attraction, and it’s good for nine consecutive days afterward. Pick one up online, or at any participating attraction.

Both the New England Aquarium and the Museum of Fine Arts have undergone renovations in 2009. The aquarium unveiled an open air habitat for its northern fur seals—the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center—which overlooks historic Boston Harbor. The aquarium’s massive central tank and penguin habitats have been popular with generations of visitors. At the Edge of the Sea Touch Tank, you can touch a spiny sea star, feel the hard shell of a horseshoe crab, or hold a sea urchin.

The MFA debuted new Italian Renaissance and 20th-century galleries, precursors to the fall 2010 opening of a dramatic new Art of the Americas wing. The museum’s collection includes more than 450,000 paintings, textiles, sculptures, ancient artifacts, prints, drawings, photographs, jewelry, decorative arts, and much more. The special exhibition “The Secrets of Tomb 10A: Egypt 2000 BC” asks visitors, “What would you pack for a trip to the afterlife?” The exhibition, which closes on May 16, showcases relics uncovered in the burial tomb of a provincial Egyptian governor named Djehutynakht.

Just down the road from the MFA is the Skywalk Observatory. From 750 feet above ground, you’ll have a panoramic view of the city from rowers on the Charles River to the gold-domed State House across the river to MIT and Harvard Universities in Cambridge. (Call ahead though, the Skywalk closes in inclement weather or during private functions.) Free Skywalk admission also includes an Acoustiguide audio tour as well as admission to the Dreams of Freedom Immigration Museum located inside the Skywalk. The Immigration Museum is the perfect starting place for visits to Boston’s ethnic neighborhoods, like the Italian-flavored North End with its narrow brick lanes or working-class Irish South Boston (different from the South End neighborhood, which is home to many mouth-watering upscale eateries and night spots).

The Museum of Science is full of discoveries about chemistry, physics, weather, dinosaurs, the natural world, and more. For an extra charge, you can take in planetarium and IMAX presentations. And be sure to say hello to Cliff, one of only four complete triceratops skeletons in the entire world.

Boston CityPASS holders also have the choice to visit either the Harvard Museum of Natural History (HMNH) and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, or the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Both attractions are much more than just dusty repositories of history and science. The HMNH invites visitors to look closer and dig deeper, with thousands of preserved animal specimens, gems, minerals. Don’t miss the famous glass flower collection—thousands of painstakingly handcrafted glass botanical specimens that you will swear were just picked in the garden that morning. The JFK Library has ever-changing, dynamic exhibitions that explore the life and times of Boston’s native son, from the early years of the space program to the tumultuous civil rights era, to personal effect of life in America’s Camelot.