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Best Places to Celebrate 4th of July in Boston
The Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum wishes you and your family a safe and eventful 4th of July in Boston. We created this page to help visitors plan a great celebration while on vacation in Boston. We’ll offer you some local tips on the best places to watch the fireworks and celebrate America’s Birthday!
The Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum will be operating with our standard business hours of 9am-5pm during the holiday and tours begin every 15 minutes. We hope you take advantage of the holiday to visit our brand new museum and interactive theater experience.
Here are some local tips on the best places to celebrate:
Boston Harborfest
Celebrate the 4th of July for an entire week with the annual Harborfest. This year the festival coincides with Boston Navy Week and the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. The USS Constitution and several other Navy Ships will be the centerpiece of the bicentennial celebration. There will be a parade of ships in the Harbor on June 30th and the 31st Annual Chowderfest on July 1st.
USS Constitution Turn Around
On the 4th of July from 11:00am-1:00pm “Old Ironsides” will make it’s annual journey from the Charlestown Navy Yard to Castle Island accompanied by the USCGC Eagle. There is a 21 cannon salute to America and a Blue Angel Fly Over. Additionally, several boating companies offer cruises to follow the USS Constitution through the harbor.
Explore The Freedom Trail
From 11:00am-4:00pm receive a special tour of the Freedom Trail with a colonial guide. Tours start every hour. This is a great walking tour to view many historic sites of the American Revolution.
Old South Meeting House & Boston Tea Party Ships
Discover where the Boston Tea Party Began at the Old South Meeting House with a special scavenger hunt from 9:30am-5:00pm. This is a great event for kids that includes prizes and mystery clues to find out how the Boston Tea Party Started. After the scavenger hunt, head over to the Boston Tea Party Ships and throw tea into the sea! Experience an interactive tour of the Boston Tea Party Ships and much more. This would be a fun itinerary for a Boston 4th of July Celebration.
4th of July Concert on the Charles River Esplanade
End your day with one of the best fireworks displays in the Northeast featuring the Boston Pops Orchestra and Jennifer Hudson. The event officially starts at 8:00pm, however many people start to arrive before 2:00pm for the best seats close to the Oval. There are restricted access points and definitely take public transportation.
