Boston’s waterfront teems with stuff to do. Here are 10 attractions to check out, including museums, one long park, and a very old ship.
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Boston waterfront attractions: 10 must-visit spots
Including museums, parks, and at least one sewage-treatment plant

Charles River Esplanade
Sometimes the best waterfront attraction can be just a place to chill.
The 3-mile-long, 65-acre Esplanade is the perfect spot for that. Plenty of benches, just watch out for the geese.
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Museum of Science
This museum, which has roots stretching back to the early 1800s, includes more than 700 interactive exhibits as well as a planetarium and IMAX films.
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U.S.S. Constitution
The Navy's oldest commissioned ship, "Old Ironsides,” is open for tours.
Visitors can also check out the neighboring museum dedicated to the heavy frigate first launched in 1797.
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Boston Children's Museum
The institution dates from 1913, making it one of the oldest children’s museums in the U.S.
It’s also part of a very vibrant waterfront area in general in Boston.
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Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum
Incredibly interactive, right down to costumed performers and a replica of an 18th-century ship, this museum is about all things Revolutionary (capital R).
It’s also part of a very vibrant waterfront area in general in Boston.
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New England Aquarium
A staggering variety of marine life calls the aquarium home, starting with the seals you can see even before you pay admission (hint, hint).
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Institute of Contemporary Art
The museum itself dates from 1936, but this striking iteration right on the water opened in 2006.
As the name suggests, the ICA is all about contemporary art and design.
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John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
I.M. Pei designed the Columbia Point library and museum, which is a repository for all things JFK-related, including a permanent exhibit on his family.
The complex opened in 1979 and was rededicated in 1993.
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Castle Island
The five bastions of the old Fort Independence dominate this 22-acre state park. There is also plenty of greenspace as well as a long run of the Harborwalk.
Plus, Castle Island connects easily with the JFK library area via Marine Park and Carson Beach.
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Deer Island
The peninsula is partly in Boston, partly in Winthrop, and is entirely a piece of a national park covering the Harbor Islands.
There is a 2.6-mile pathway along the waterfront and a further two miles of trails on the hills farther inland.
Deer Island also hosts a remarkable wastewater treatment facility, which is open for tours.
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