Not everyone can jet set around to the slopes or a tropical oasis on Spring Break week; someone has to hang back and prep for St. Patrick’s day parties, put more hours into that spring internship or just enjoy alone time in that suddenly very quiet off-campus apartment.
If you’re in this category and just noticed you have six days left to fill with some local fun, but don’t know where to go, check out these easily accessible expeditions around town.
Coit Observatory @ BU
Every Wednesday night, the Coit Observatory has open viewing hours at 7:30pm, assuming clear weather. Telescopes and binoculars are available to the public for stargazing and you can even learn a little astronomy while you are there. Bonus: you don’t even have to leave campus! The observatory is accessible through the Astronomy department (5th floor of CAS). Make sure to check out @BUObservatory for weather updates.
USS Constitution
You may have heard of “Old Ironsides.” The USS Constitution was built in Boston in response to English trade restrictions on American merchants. The 44-gun ship defeated four British ships in the War of 1812 and is still a fully commissioned Navy ship. Tours run every half hour starting at 10 a.m. from Thursday through Sunday and are led by active-duty Navy sailors. After your history lesson at the Charlestown Navy Yard, head back across the river and grab some lunch at any of the delicious North End eateries and save room for dessert! Can you say “cannoli?”
South Boston Saint Patrick’s Day Parade
More Boston history trivia: British troops withdrew from Boston on St. Patrick’s Day in 1776 after spotting 59 cannons atop Dorchester Heights and deciding to play it safe rather than risk another defeat by the Continental Army. American troops had secretly moved the cannons some 300 miles from Fort Ticonderoga in New York to scare off the British. It worked. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade commemorates Evacuation Day, the day the British retreated. You can be part of this classic Boston tradition on March 18th. Celebrate with locals and with the many tourists who visit Boston to see the parade.
Freedom Trail
If you haven’t walked the red line through town yet, this is the week to do it. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red brick (mostly) trail that leads to 16 historic sites including churches, meeting houses and burial grounds. The Granary Burying Ground (near the Park Street T stop), where Paul Revere rests, is one of the stops. The USS Constitution is on the trail, too.
The Institute of Contemporary Art
If modernity is more your style and you’ve already seen the new wings of the MFA and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museums, head to the waterfront and check out the ICA. The museum features contemporary art in all media including film and performance and is free on Thursdays from 5 p.m to 9 p.m. Go once. Go a few times. You’re bound to find something new during every visit.
Around BU
If all else fails, you lost your T pass or you just want to stay close to home, check out campus events on BU Today. Any way you cut it, there’s just no way to be bored if you’re in Boston during Spring Break week.
