Long regarded as America’s best walking city, Boston can be a joy via wheelchair, too. It’s a city rich in history and full of sites that jump between the old and the new. And it’s all accessible and convenient if you do a bit of planning before beginning your Beantown adventure.

Top of the Hub
Why not begin your visit at the Top of the Hub? The view of the city skyline from the Prudential Center Observatory is breathtaking. Looking to the east, you’ll see the procession of planes that make their way in and out of Logan Airport. On clear days, they pass over Boston Harbor and the Waterfront in single file.

To the north, the sight of the Longfellow Bridge, Hatch Shell, Public Garden, Beacon Hill, Museum of Science, and the Charles River contrast with the historic Back Bay brownstones and Government Center skyscrapers. Off in the distance, and just around a curve in the river to the west, the crimson spires of Harvard University and Cambridge rise above the horizon.

And looking to the south, it’s easy to spot Fenway Park’s legendary Green Monster forming a barrier between the Lansdowne Street revelers and the thousands of members of Red Sox Nation who gather to watch the team play well into October each year.

If you are in a wheelchair, the view of the city from the Observatory is completely free!

Accessible Duck Boat
After seeing Boston’s highlights from above, exit the Prudential Center at street level and board a Duck Boat for a unique, highly spirited tour on a converted military amphibious craft. You’ll cruise by all the sites that make Boston the birthplace of freedom and a city of firsts, from the gold-domed State House to the Old North Church, fashionable Newbury Street, Faneuil Hall, and Quincy Market.

The 80-minute tour won’t end until after you’ve splashed into the Charles River and motored past the teams of college sailors and rowers who bring youthful energy to the Charles each day from sunrise to sunset.

Every Duck Boat is equipped to allow two wheelchairs to be strapped to the back viewing deck along with companion seating. Advanced reservations will ensure that the wheelchair lift is ready and adequate space is reserved before you arrive.

The Freedom Trail
The red brick pathway that lines most city sidewalks is called The Freedom Trail. A roll along this 2.5 mile path will take you by 16 national historic sites, including the U.S.S. Constitution, Bunker Hill, the Charlestown Bridge, the North End, Old North Church, Paul Revere’s House, the Boston Massacre Site, Old South Meeting House, Corner Bookstore, and finally to Boston Common. It is a true stroll through colonial history.

The Freedom Trail is fully wheelchair accessible, and 90-minute public tours are available through the Freedom Trail Foundation. Private tours may also be arranged for companies, school groups, and others. 

Accessible Transport
Boston’s subway system is called the MBTA, but you might hear it called the “T.” The Red, Green, Blue and Orange lines are wheelchair-accessible (most stations and cars) and will take you to other sites including the New England Aquarium, Harvard Square (made famous in the movies Good Will Hunting and With Honors), the John F. Kennedy Library and Chinatown, as well as to many of Boston’s colleges and universities, including Boston College, Tufts, Boston University, and the Boston Conservatory of Music.

Discount fares for wheelchair users and their guests are available on the MBTA, and attendants are available at most stations to offer assistance and give directions.

After experiencing the sites of Beantown, why not end your visit at the place “where everyone knows your name?” You may not find yourself seated next to Sam, Carla, Diane, Woody, Frasier, Norm and Cliff, but you’ll find yourself among friends at Cheers.

The original restaurant and bar is located in the basement of the Hampshire House and is accessible by lift and elevator.

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If you're looking for another vacation that combines history and big-city adventure, see Accessible Travel in Historic Philadelphia.

See Ground Transportation so You Can Get Around Once You Get There for information on accessible transportation in your destination of choice.