Each summer, the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company stages a major production on the Boston Common, drawing crowds for (free) Shakespeare under the stars. Productions often appeal to the masses with a populist twist, thus The Taming of the Shrew, set in a North End restaurant.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Make Way for Ducklings Statue

0.08 MILES

The most endearing of the Public Garden monuments is Make Way for Ducklings, always a favorite with kids. The sculpture depicts the characters in Robert…

2. Soldiers & Sailors Monument

0.09 MILES

This massive monument is dedicated to the namesake soldiers and sailors who died in the Civil War. The four bronze statues represent Peace, History, the…

3. Public Garden

0.09 MILES

Adjoining Boston Common, the Public Garden is a 24-acre botanical oasis of Victorian flower beds, verdant grass and weeping willow trees shading a…

4. Boston Common

0.11 MILES

America's oldest public park, Boston Common has a long and storied history, serving as a campground for British troops during the Revolutionary War and as…

5. Parkman Bandstand

0.15 MILES

Dating to 1912, Parkman Bandstand is now used for concerts, rallies and other events.

6. Acorn Street

0.16 MILES

This atmospheric cobblestone alleyway is Boston's famous narrowest street. It was once home to artisans and to the service people who worked for the…

7. Great Elm Site

0.17 MILES

Now marked by a plaque, the Great Elm stood on this site for more than 200 years. History has it that the tree was used for public executions in the 17th…

8. Ether Monument

0.18 MILES

On the northwest side of the lagoon in the Public Garden, the Ether Monument commemorates the first use of anesthesia (in Boston) for medical purposes.