America’s first botanical garden is a Parisian park in miniature, with pathways designed for promenading, formal flower beds and a petite lagoon fringed with weeping willows and crossed by a wrought-iron bridge. On a lovely day, come and enjoy a picnic.

The Arboretum is one of the world’s leading centers for plant study, as well as a lovely place to take a stroll on a sunny day. Designed in collaboration with Frederick Law Olmsted, the 281-acre spread is free to visit and open to the public daily.

As remarkable as its eccentric socialite founder, the Gardner Museum is a lavish reconstruction of a 15th-century Venetian palace, including an exquisite internal courtyard. The museum, which houses a 2,500-piece art collection, opened in 1903.

Once crammed into a tiny building in Back Bay, the ICA is now the cultural cornerstone of the Seaport. The dramatic, glass-walled building houses galleries, a theatre and a café. The museum prides itself on being a showcase for challenging works.

The breathtaking centerpiece of Boston's beloved aquarium is the colossal, 200,000-gallon salt-water replica of a Caribbean coral reef. On a smaller scale, there’s a kid-friendly touch tank and the comical penguin exhibit.

The 210,000-square-foot Encore—which cost nearly $3 billion—includes 15 dining and lounge venues, 671 guest rooms and an ultra-premium spa. The six-acre Harborwalk features pedestrian and bike paths, and lush green spaces with gorgeous floral displays.

Set across 30 acres in leafy Lincoln, this former estate of Massachusetts merchant Julian de Cordova now displays some of the most stimulating, cutting-edge contemporary art in the area. The grounds feature giant, often interactive, sculptures.

Kids of all ages walk right up to Franklin Park Zoo’s glass enclosures and make faces at imposing gorillas or lions, while others love to pet Nigerian dwarf goats at the Contact Corral. Keep an eye out for the pygmy hippos and playful capybaras.

Boston's first contemporary culinary hub boasts a tantalizing variety of curated food offerings, two top-notch bars and lots more. The 29,000 sq ft space offers enhanced safety protocols and plenty of seating, both indoors and on a sun-splashed patio.