13 best things to do in the Back Bay

The Charles River Esplanade is one of Boston’s best public parks. Stretching 17 miles along the banks of the river, it offers plenty of grassy expanses, docks and benches for admiring the view. Pack up a picnic (or build your own charcuterie board at Kured in nearby Beacon Hill) and spread out somewhere scenic. You’ll watch sailboats drift by and joggers skate past. In season, there's a Night Shift beer garden, free concerts at the Hatch Shell, boat rentals and other attractions.

The BPL sits regally amid Copley Square, attracting scores of student groups, visitors and casual book-browsers to its endless stacks. The building is a joy to get lost in: Be sure to visit the cloistered courtyard, a most tranquil place to linger; and Bates Hall, where rows and rows of green lamps make reading feel ever so scholarly. The renovated Johnson Building houses a colorful children’s section with whimsical mini brownstones to sit beside. And if you’d like someone to point out the highlights during your visit, join a free art and architecture tour offered almost every day of the week.

Care to duck into a hidden bar during your Back Bay adventure? Good luck finding Hecate Bar, the no-reservations speakeasy with seating for only 24 people. It’s concealed behind a nondescript door in a back alley between Newbury and Boylston, below sister restaurant Krasi. (Pro tip: make a dinner reservation there first.) Once you’re inside Hecate Bar, prepare to be delighted by some seriously complex and unique cocktail concoctions.

See the city from above at View Boston, the stunning observatory that takes up the top three floors of the iconic Prudential Tower. (That's 52 stories up!) The immersive attraction offers each visitor a personalized perspective on the city, with interactive displays featuring tidbits about Boston art, music, history, neighborhoods and more. Head out to the Observation Deck to see 360-degree views, then grab a drink at Stratus, Boston’s highest rooftop bar. Tickets are $10–$25 for families to access to indoor and outdoor observation decks, exhibits and bars.

Trinity Church is the visual centerpiece of Copley Square. The Richardsonian Romanesque building was completed by Henry Hobson Richardson in 1877. It’s known for its extensive wall murals—almost every inch was hand-painted by a team led by American artist John La Farge. The impressive stained-glass windows, meanwhile, include four that were designed by the English Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones and made by Arts and Crafts movement pioneer William Morris. You can take guided tours offered Tuesday–Saturday, as well as see concerts and visit other events that are open to the public.

Make time to dine or at least grab drinks at OAK Long Bar + Kitchen. Often listed as one of the best hotel bars in Boston, the Fairmont Copley Plaza amenity is actually just one of the best bars in Boston, period. Served over the historic hotel's beautifully restored—and truly lengthy—bar, cocktails here are some of the best pours in the city year after year, and each month there’s a new “marketail” that incorporates an ingredient from the nearby Copley Square Farmers Market. Summer examples include a white-peach whiskey smash and a drink with strawberry-infused Aperol. 

Pluck the freshest produce from the stalls at Copley Square Farmers Market, which is open every Tuesday and Friday from late May–November. As Boston’s largest farmers market, it comprises more than two dozen vendors, plenty of which accept EBT cards. Among the standouts: fresh mushrooms from Livingstone Mycology and flowers and fresh eggs from Riddle Brook Farm.

At first glance, it looks like any other convenience store, with its window lined with faded bleach bottles and paper towels. But behind a hidden sliding door here is a secret store within a store. Behind it, you’ll find the ultra-modern interior that is Boston’s hottest sneaker shop—carrying rare releases from Nike and Adidas, as well as deluxe streetwear and books on art and design.

Newbury Street is officially cool again. Not that it ever stopped being cool, it’s just that the pre-pandemic vibrancy locals fondly remember the thoroughfare having has returned. Located in the heart of Back Bay, Newbury Street has always been known for its designer shops and historic brownstones. Stroll here to pop in and out of stores like Marimekko, Brandy Melville and Patagonia. Newer restaurants like Faccia a Faccia by chef Ken Oringer, and Michael Serpa's Little Whale Oyster Bar have fresh, fun fare and lively atmpsheres perfect for people-watching both indoors and outside.

The Mapparium, the world’s largest walk-in globe, is among the city’s quirkiest landmarks. Essentially a three-story model of the Earth built to scale, the perfect sphere runs 30 feet in diameter and can be crossed by means of a glass bridge that bisects its interior. The 608 stained-glass panels recreate the world as it was in the mid-1930s, when the project was completed. (Geography aficionados will notice the outdated borders and names.)

In a sea of chains, Trident remains a tried-and-true standby for the more indie-minded of Boston’s over-caffeinated literary nerds. The magazine selection at this Newbury Street shop is peerless—art zines, obscure trade publications… and is that a Spanish edition of Foreign Affairs? The food and drink from the café is solid, too, and special events like author talks and book signings sometimes feature a signature drink. If you’re hoping to host a party somewhere special, Trident just opened a new event space hidden behind the stacks.

This hidden-gem museum on Beacon Street is worth touring. The 1859 rowhouse is a veritable time capsule of what life was like in Boston from the mid-19th to early-20th centuries, preserved by three generations of the Gibson family. You’ll step into period rooms with antique furniture, not to mention an original kitchen and pantry. Reserve tickets for a general tour, or choose from a list of specialty tours if you want to learn about a new aspect of the house and its inhabitants. And for a bonus fun fact: Part of Greta Gerwig’s Little Women was filmed here.

This massive food and drink complex takes up a grand, multi-floor space in the Prudential Center. Enjoy a stroll through the retail maze, stopping to look at a surprisingly affordable range of luxuries from near (local cheesemakers) and far (every Italian product imaginable). There are a slew of places to eat and drink inside the Italian market, too, from full-service, high-end dining at the rooftop Terra, to quick sandwiches and gelato.