Yesterday we listed some Walking Tours and Walking Attractions in Boston that you may want to check out while up for the 125th Annual Meeting. Today, we take a look at some Boston Points of Interest. Both of these “What Boston Has to Offer” posts are drawn from the print version of the Program of the 125th Annual Meeting. See the full version of “What Boston Has to Offer”  online here.

Are you familiar with Boston? What sites do you think attendees of the Annual Meeting should check out? Please add your suggestions in the comment section below.

Boston Points of Interest

Boston Athenaeum, 10 1/2 Beacon Street, Boston (www.bostonathenaeum.org; 617-227-0270; open Monday–Saturday, 8:30 A.M.–5:30 P.M., plus Mondays and Wednesdays until 8:00 P.M.). A membership library first opened in 1807. The first floor and exhibition galleries are open to the public; tours are available to see other floors and collections.

Boston Children’s Museum, 300 Congress Street, Boston (www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org; 617-426-6500; open daily 10:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M., Fridays until 9 P.M.; $12 adults and children 1–15, $1 Fridays from 5:00–9:00 P.M.). Exhibits focus on science, culture, environmental awareness, health and fitness, and the arts. Children can climb a three-story structure, explore the science playground, visit an authentic Japanese house, make art, and much more.

Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston (www.bpl.org; 617-536-5400; open Monday–Thursday 9:00 A.M.–9:00 P.M., Friday–Saturday 9:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M., and Sunday 1:00–5:00 P.M.). America’s first public library; 27 neighborhood branches with more than 33 million items and online around-the-clock service.

Commonwealth Museum, 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston (www.sec.state.ma.us/mus/museum; 617-727-9268; open Monday–Friday 9:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.; free admission). The museum has recently opened its new permanent exhibition, "Our Common Wealth: the Massachusetts Experiment in Democracy," a state-of-the-art permanent exhibition using technology to trace the development of rights in Massachusetts from the 1600s until today. Climate controlled cases display the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, John Adams’ Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, and unique royal charters.

Concord Museum, Cambridge Turnpike, Concord (www.concordmuseum.org; 978-369-9763; open Monday–Saturday 11:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M., Sunday 1:00–4:00 P.M.) The site of the battle that began the American Revolution. The museum has a historical collection including the Revere lantern, Emerson’s study and Thoreau’s Walden desk, Concord-made clocks, silver and furniture.

Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Avenue, Boston (www.icaboston.org; 617-478-3100; open Tuesday–Sunday 10:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M., Thursdays and Fridays until 9:00 P.M.; $15 general admission, $10 students, and free for youth 17 and younger). Founded in 1936, the institute is the oldest non-collecting contemporary arts institution in the United States. Through a comprehensive schedule of exhibits of local, national, and international significance, and educational outreach, film series and gallery talks, the museum provides the public access to contemporary art, artists, and the creative process.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Columbia Point, Boston (www.jfklibrary.org; 617-514-1600; open daily 9:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.; $12 adults, $10 students with valid college ID, $9 children 13–17, free for youths and children under 17). Housed in a building designed by I.M. Pei, the national memorial to President Kennedy sits on a 10-acre waterfront site on Columbia Point with panoramic views of Boston’s skyline and Harbor Islands. Included are period settings from the White House and 25 multimedia exhibits. Visit the web site for information to research in the library’s archives.

Museum of African American History, 46 Joy Street, Boston (www.afroammuseum.org; 617-742-5415; open Monday–Saturday 10:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M.; $5 adults, $3 children 13–17, and free for children under 13). New England’s largest African American history museum with four national historic sites dating back to the early 1800s and the Black Heritage Trail. Permanent interactive exhibits in Boston at the museum’s Abiel Smith School include The Times We Had, Separate Schools, Unequal Education, and Building on a Firm Foundation; historic artifacts; and works of art.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston (www.mfa.org; 617-267-9300; open Monday–Tuesday and Saturday–Sunday 10:00 A.M.–4:45 P.M., Wednesday–Friday 10:00 A.M.–9:45 P.M.; $20 adults, $18 students 18 and older, $7.50 youths 7–17, and free for children under seven). The museum houses masterpieces from around the world, including more Monets than any museum outside of Paris, a Japanese art collection, treasures from Egypt and the ancient world, and American art from colonial to modern times.

Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston (www.mos.org; 617-723-2500; open daily 9:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.; $21 for individuals 12 and older, $18 children 3–11, and free for children younger than three). More than 700 interactive exhibits, with New England’s only IMAX® Dome screen, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, the Theater of Electricity, the Butterfly Garden, and the 3-D Digital Cinema.

New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf (near the Marriott), Boston (www.neaq.org; 617-973-5200; Monday–Friday 9:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M., Saturday–Sunday 9:00 A.M.–6:00 P.M.; $21.95 adult, $13.95 children 3–11, free for children under three). The aquarium houses a four-story, 200,000 gallon ocean tank that is home to sea turtles, sharks, tropical fish, and many other species. Visitors can watch IMAX® films on New England’s largest screen. The New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center exhibit opened July 2009.

Old North Church, 193 Salem Street, Boston (www.oldnorth.com; 617-523-6676; open daily 10:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M., Sunday services 9:00 and 11:00 A.M.; Behind the Scenes tour prices $5 adult, $4 for children 16 and younger). Built in 1773, this is Boston’s oldest church building where the signal lanterns were displayed on April 18, 1775, to warn of British troop movements.

Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street, Boston (www.oldsouthmeetinghouse.org; 617-482-6439; open daily 10:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M.; $6 adults, $1 children 6–18, and free for children under 6). A meeting of 5,000 people at the Old South Meeting House on December 15, 1773, started a revolution with the Boston Tea Party. The National Historic Landmark has been in continuous use for over 250 years.

Old State House Museum, 206 Washington Street, Boston (www.bostonhistory.org; open Monday–Friday 9:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M.; $7.50 adults, $6 students, $3 youths 6–18, free for children younger than 6). The Old State House is the oldest surviving public building in Boston. Built in 1713 to house the government offices of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, it stands on the site of Boston’s first Town House of 1657–78, which burned in 1711.

Paul Revere House and Pierce/Hichborn House, 19 North Square, Boston (www.paulreverehouse.org; 617-523-2338; open daily 9:30 A.M.–4:15 P.M.; $3.50 adults, $3 college students, $1 youths 5–17, and free for children younger than 5). Paul Revere’s home is downtown Boston’s oldest building, built in 1680. The Pierce/Hichborn House was built about 1711, and is one of the earliest remaining brick structures in Boston. It was home to Moses Pierce, a glazier, and was later owned by Nathaniel Hichborn, a boatbuilder and a cousin of Paul Revere.

Peabody Essex Museum, 161 Essex Street, Salem (www.pem.org; 978-745-9500; open daily 10:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.; $15 adults; $11 students 17 and older, and free for children 16 and younger). Located 16 miles north of Boston, the museum displays the art and culture of China, Japan, India, and beyond. Visitors can take MBTA’s Green or Orange Lines to the North Station and transfer to commuter rail for the trip to Salem.

USS Constitution Museum, Building 22, Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston (www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org; 617-426-1812; museum open daily 10:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.; no admission fee, but suggested donation $4 adult and $2 children). The USS Constitution Museum and the ship are operated separately and do not share the same hours of operation. The latter is managed by the U.S. Navy. Ship hours Thursdays–Sundays 10:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M., closed Mondays–Wednesdays. The USS Constitution, or Old Ironsides, is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. The museum houses and displays artifacts related to the ship’s history.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.