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Boston
Public Garden
The
Boston Public garden lies between Tremont, Beacon, Charles and Boylston
Streets.
This
is the starting point of the Freedom Trail. This is garden, also known
as Boston Common is one of the oldest public parks in the country.
Boston Common is the anchor point for a string of connected parks,
called the Emerald Necklace that meanders through almost all the
neighborhoods.
The
Boston Common is almost 50 acres of open space that has been put to many
uses over the years from cattle grazing grounds to garbage dump to
public garden. Admission is free.
Harbor
Islands State Park
Located
at 408 Atlantic Avenue the Harbor Islands State Park is open from 9 am
to sunset all summer and in winter only during the weekends.
The
Islands have always existed as far any one can remember but the park cam
into existence in 1996. It covers about 18 islands in Boston Harbor, the
islands range from 1 acre to over 200 acres in size. A majority of the
islands are accessible only by private boat, but six can be reached by
ferry and water taxis from the Boston waterfront. Ferries depart Boston
for every hour from 10 am to 5 pm during the summer season. Water taxis
run continuously loop the staffed islands throughout the day. George’s
Island with Fort Warren sitting on it is the most important island of
this park. Lovell’s Island has campsites, a picnic area, and the
remains of Fort Standish. Gallops Island has facilities such as picnic
grounds, a swimming beach, and hiking paths. Peddock’s Island, the
largest, has Fort Andrews. Grape Island is the Bird watcher’s favorite
with an all kinds of birds attracted to this island by the plentiful
wild berries. Over night camping is allowed on some islands but one must
have a permit.
Franklin
Park Zoo
Located
on 1 Franklin Park Road, this is one of the most interesting zoos with 4
distinct areas in the Park. The park itself is the “Crown Jewel” of
Emerald Necklace Park System that meanders all over Boston. The Zoo has
over 210 species ranging from anacondas to zebras, butterflies, bats,
and giraffes to gorillas.
The
Four section are The African Tropical Forest, Bird’s World, The
Children’s Zoo, and Hooves & Horns.
The
African Forest is spread over three acres of land. It features not only
animals from Tropical Africa but also the plants and bushes. The
Bird’s World is a 7-acre complex that has hundreds of bird species in
‘naturalistic habitat-based exhibits’. It has a gigantic
walk-through birdcage, where one can see birds in free-flight. The
Children's Zoo is 5-acre of outdoor barns and yards, simulating a New
England farm. Hooves & Horns is the oldest area of the zoo. The
Hoof-stock is presented in open paddocks bound by fences.
Frankllin
park zoo is open from Mon-Fri between 10am and 5pm; on Sat-Sun between
10am and 6pm from Apr-Sept. and Oct-Mar it open daily from 10am to 4pm.
Admission is charged at $5.
New
England Aquarium
The
New England Aquarium is located near Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Central
Wharf off Atlantic Avenue. The Aquarium has more than 7,000 aquatic animals from around
the world. The animals include such amazing animals as the penguins,
horseshoe crab sea otters, harbor seals and even whales and sharks. It
has amazing settings and exhibits like the “Edge of the Sea”, a
rocky shore habitat, and a 200,000-gallon “Giant Ocean Tank”.
Other
attractions at the Aquarium include IMAX® Theatre, Whale Watch cruises
and Science at Sea harbor tours. The tours are offered only from April
to October and are charged extra; also on site are the Aquarium Café
and Gift Shop.
It
makes sense to go there at opening time and get a more personal touch
with the aquatic animals. The full ticket costs $13.50 for the Aquarium,
another $13 for Science at Sea and $27 for the Whale-watch and $8 for
IMAX.
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