21 Fun Things to Do in Boston at Night

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Boston is an amazing city in the New England area of the United States. This historic and cultural hub features an array of attractions and landmarks to see. Places to visit include museums, art galleries, and many incredible bars, eateries, and shops.

Another great way to explore Boston is by trying a multitude of nighttime activities. You can discover numerous fun things to do in Boston at night that will allow you to see even more of the city. From going to concerts and improv performances to exploring museums or taking a ghost tour, you can find a range of exciting activities for all types of travelers.

Heading to Boston and planning last-minute?

When visiting Boston, book your accommodations and experiences before you go. Below are some top recommendations to get you started.

🏨 Top accommodations in Boston

• The Colonnade Hotel (rated highly)
• Aloft Boston Seaport District (relax by the pool)
• Seaport Hotel Boston (4-star rating)

☂️ Top tours and experiences in Boston

• Boston Duck Boat Sightseeing City Tour With Cruise Along Charles River (likely to sell out)
• Martha's Vineyard Daytrip From Boston With Round-Trip Ferry & Island Tour Option (very popular)
• Boston Whale Watching Cruise by High-Speed Catamaran (very popular)
• Boston Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour With 14 Stops (very popular)
• Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum Admission

21 Fun Things to Do at Night in Boston, MA

Shop and eat at Faneuil Hall Marketplace

Faneuil Hall Marketplace is a historic marketplace and one of the most popular attractions in Boston, Massachusetts. Interestingly, some historians even refer to it by the Boston nickname, the Cradle of Liberty.

The market features an array of stalls, small independent shops, and some chain stores. Best of all, Faneuil Hall Marketplace is open until 9 PM most days, allowing you to shop and eat into the night.

Stores to visit include clothing, accessory, and gift shops. You will also discover an array of snack and dining options, from pretzel carts to oyster bars and bakeries. You can learn a little more about the market's history during a visit as well.

☂️ Discover Faneuil Hall Marketplace on a tour

• Boston Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour With 14 Stops (popular and sought-after)
• Freedom Trail - Small Group Tour of Revolutionary Boston

🏨 Stay in close proximity to Faneuil Hall Marketplace

• Homewood Suites by Hilton Boston Seaport District (highly acclaimed)
• Hampton Inn Boston Seaport District (lounge by the pool)

View exquisite art at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

If you're an art lover, then a trip to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum while in Boston is recommended! The museum stays open until 9 PM on Thursdays, allowing you to visit at night.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum houses numerous works of art, including paintings, tapestries, ceramics, and sculptures. Pieces on display include those by Rembrandt, Manet, and Botticelli. The museum is also surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens, which you can look around.

☂️ Visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum with a tour

• Boston City View Bicycle Tour by Urban AdvenTours (frequently earns a five-star rating)
• Go City - Boston All-Inclusive Pass With 45 Attractions & Tours

🏨 Accommodations close to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

• Hilton Garden Inn Boston Brookline, ma (rated highly)
• Homewood Suites by Hilton Boston Brookline-Longwood Medical (rated 4-stars)

Stroll around Boston Common and Public Gardens

One of the laid-back places to visit in Boston at night is the Boston Common. The Common is one of the US' oldest public places and is beautiful to walk around during the day and at night.

The adjoining Boston Public Gardens are also stunning and can be accessed in the evening. Wandering through the Boston Common and pretty gardens is an ideal way to relax after a long day!

☂️ Visit Boston Common with an excursion

• Boston Duck Boat Sightseeing City Tour With Cruise Along Charles River (highly sought-after)

🏨 Places to stay near Boston Common

• Seaport Hotel Boston (4-star rating)
• Revere Hotel Boston Common

Hang out at the Cheers bar

The iconic bar in the hit 80s sitcom Cheers was inspired by the real-life Cheers Bar on Beacon Street in Boston. This location is still open and in operation as a pub today.

Said to be the "ideal American bar," Cheers features beer on tap, bar snacks, and live sports. After having a drink, you can purchase a range of Cheers merch from an on-site store.

If you're up for it, you can even try the Norm Burger Challenge. Those that finish the gigantic double patty burger get their name added to the hall of fame!

🏨 Stay nearby Cheers

• Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Harbor on Tudor Wharf (relaxing pool)
• Club Quarters Hotel Faneuil Hall

Get spooked on a Boston ghost tour

Boston is home to many spooky secrets! A great way to learn about some of the paranormal activity that haunts the city is on a ghost tour. There are various ghost tours to choose from, all of which will take you to an array of eerie places.

Stories you'll hear include those relating to the Salam Witch Trials, early colonists, various ghosts that haunt the city. Some tours will also take you to the Copp's Hill Burying Ground, the Granary Burying Ground, and many other haunted landmarks.

🏨 Accommodations close to Boston

• Hotel AKA Boston Common (highly acclaimed)
• Omni Parker House (4-star rating)

Go to a concert at House of Blues

House of Blues is a southern-style bar and music venue that hosts an array of great concerts. While many of the acts are country music and blues performances, there are other genres of music shows; be sure to check the events calendar to see what's on.

The bar also has sports games on, and you can order a range of tasty drinks and snacks. Dishes on the menu include wings, pizzetta, burgers, sharing plates, and more.

🏨 Accommodations nearby Citizens House of Blues Boston

• Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Cambridge (well-rated)
• The Royal Sonesta Boston (lounge by the pool)

Learn about Boston history on a Freedom Trail Bar Crawl

Boston's Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile-long path that takes you past 16 historically significant places. One of the fun night activities in Boston is combining a walk along the trail with a pub crawl!

The Freedom Trail History Tour and Pub Crawl will allow you to visit these places of historical significance and learn more about them. On the way, you'll also go to some of Boston's best bars, with four beers or ciders included in the tour price.

🏨 Accommodations near 6 Faneuil Hall Sq

• Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor
• Cambria Hotel Boston, Downtown-South Boston

Grab drinks at Black Rose

Black Rose is a well-known Irish pub in Boston where you can get Irish ales and listen to live music. The bar has been one of the most popular pubs in the city for over 40 years, and getting at least one drink here is highly recommended.

Along with ales, you can enjoy Irish classics like a pint of Guinness or an Irish coffee. They even have a Lucky Charms coffee! American beers, wine, and liquor are available too. Black Rose often hosts live music nights as well, which makes the experience even more enjoyable.

🏨 Accommodations in close proximity to The Black Rose

• Boston Park Plaza
• The Revolution Hotel

View the skyline from a rooftop bar

The perfect place to see the Boston skyline is from a rooftop bar! Boston has a good selection of rooftop bars, offering incredible vistas and delicious beverages.

Lookout Rooftop at the Envoy Hotel is an ideal spot for those that want to see Boston Harbor while they have a drink. Even if visiting in the Winter, you can head to the rooftop to hang out in a cozy heated igloo, which still offers incredible views.

Other rooftop bars to try include the fun Felipe's Taqueria, trendy Coppersmith, and the laid-back Blue Owl.

Sing Karaoke at Wild Rover

One of the best things to do in Boston at night is visiting a karaoke bar. One of the most popular ones in town is Wild Rover. This fun bar and club spot features live music, great drinks, and of course, karaoke. Along with karaoke nights, you can enjoy many other events at Wild Rover, including ladies nights and DJ sets.

🏨 Accommodations nearby the Wild Rover

• Boston Harbor Hotel (exceptional rating)
• Hilton Boston Downtown Faneuil Hall (4-star rating)

Challenge your friends to a game of bowling

Bowling is always a fun and laid-back nighttime activity. When in Boston, spending the evening at Kings Dining and Entertainment allows you to play a few games while enjoying drinks and snacks.

As you bowl, you can order a range of interesting cocktails, craft beer, or wine. If you want some snacks, there's a vast selection, including tacos, nachos, salads, and more. Kings also has pool tables if you're looking for something to do while you wait for a lane.

🏨 Accommodations in close proximity to Kings Dining & Entertainment

• Kimpton Marlowe (4-star rating)
• Le Meridien Boston Cambridge

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Explore the Institute of Contemporary Art

This is another great attraction for art and culture enthusiasts. The Boston Institute of Contemporary Art was founded in 1936 to display an array of contemporary artworks.

To this day, the gallery is renowned for its extensive contemporary art exhibitions, including paintings, photography exhibits, sculptures, and more. Twice a week, on Thursday and Friday, the gallery remains open until 9 PM, making it an ideal late-night attraction to visit.

🏨 Stay in close proximity to the Institute of Contemporary Art

• The Boxer
• The Westin Boston Seaport District (rated very highly)

Watch a Comedy Show at Improv Asylum

Located in the North End, Improv Asylum is one of the hottest comedy clubs in the city. Watching a comedy show here is one of the most fun Boston things to do at night!

As the shows are based on improv comedy, the venue promotes the fact that you'll never see the same show twice. So, the performance you watch will be unique to you and the other audience members. If you get inspired by what you see, you can try improv classes yourself at Improv Asylum too.

🏨 Places to stay near Improv Asylum

• Battery Wharf Hotel, Boston Waterfront (highly acclaimed)
• Onyx Boston Downtown (4-star rating)

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Go to a Sports Game

Boston is home to sports teams in all the major US leagues. Catching an evening game is one of the super exciting things to do when in the city. If they're playing in the evening, a trip to watch the Boston Red Sox MLB team at Boston landmark Fenway Park is a must.

Other teams to watch are the Boston Bruins NHL team and Boston Celtics NBA team. The NFL's New England Patriots also play just a 30-minute drive from downtown in Foxborough. Along with watching major league teams, Boston has many minor league and college sports teams to cheer for.

☂️ Explore Fenway Park with a tour

• Tour of Historic Fenway Park, America's Most Beloved Ballpark (very popular)

🏨 Stay in close proximity to Fenway Park

• Hyatt Regency Boston Cambridge
• Courtyard by Marriott Boston Cambridge

Tackle an escape room

If you're wondering what to do in Boston at night and like challenging activities, then going to an escape room is a perfect idea. Escape the Room Boston offers a selection of escape games to try, including escaping an apartment and getting out of a clock tower.

These fun games are a great way to challenge yourself and your friends while having fun. You have just an hour to escape, so be sure to arrive ready to tackle puzzles and piece together clues.

🏨 Accommodations nearby Escape the Room Boston

• Oasis Guest House
• W Boston (unwind poolside)

Learn something new at the Museum of Science

A fun Friday night activity is going to the Museum of Science, which is open until 9 PM. This educational museum features a range of science-themed exhibits and an indoor zoo.

Topics covered include engineering, vaccine development, fossils, and the Arctic. You can also see cute creatures at the indoor animal care center and visit a fascinating planetarium.

🏨 Accommodations near the Museum of Science

• Harborside Inn
• Kimpton Marlowe Hotel (well-rated)

Drink your way through a Boston brewery tour

Great pubs and incredible breweries are staples of Boston. So, spending the evening hopping between some of the city's best breweries is the perfect activity.

A guided Boston brewery tour allows you to go from distilleries to microbreweries and cider houses all in one night. At each location, you can taste beer samples and snack on complimentary pretzels. Breweries to visit include Samuel Adams Brewery and BearMoose Brewing Company.

🏨 Accommodations close to 2 Park Plaza

• Moxy Boston Downtown (rated highly)
• Found Hotel Boston Common

Enjoy a Musical

The Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre is one of the best places to go in Boston at night for those that love musicals. You will find an array of shows to watch, no matter when you visit Boston.

Performances here are often quite unique instead of being classic Broadway-style musicals. Seeing a show at the Emerson Theatre is a truly memorable event!

🏨 Accommodations close to Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre

• DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Downtown
• Hyatt Regency Boston

Cook delicious Italian food

A laid-back evening activity that's perfect for food lovers is an Italian dinner cooking class. At the class, you'll be taught tasty Italian recipes by a professional chef and will get hands-on experience cooking them.

Dishes you may create include ravioli, mushroom chicken marsala, and Italian-style salad. All classes end with participants making the traditional Italian dessert Tiramisu.

🏨 Stay near 19 Kingston St

• The Godfrey Hotel Boston (highly acclaimed)
• InterContinental Boston (rated 5-stars)

Take a seafood lovers food tour

New England is known for its fresh and delicious seafood, and a great way to try the best dishes in the area is on a seafood lovers food tour. This walking tour will take you to a range of the city's best seafood restaurants.

Dishes you'll get to taste include lobster rolls and clam chowder. Along the route, you'll also see numerous historic Boston landmarks.

🏨 Accommodations in close proximity to the Tony DeMarco Statue

• Hotel Indigo Boston Garden
• Club Quarters Hotel in Boston

Head to Boston Harbor for a Sunset Cruise

Watching the sunset over Boston is a memorable experience. One of the best things to do in Boston, MA, at night is watching the sunset on a cruise boat. You can find a handful of sunset cruise operators offering you the chance to sail across Boston Harbor.

Onboard, you'll sail past a range of landmarks, and your captain may offer some historical background on them. Of course, you'll also be able to take in the stunning sunset over the Boston skyline and watch the city turn to night.

In Summary

Boston is an amazing city break destination. Along with there being numerous activities to enjoy in the day, you can discover lots to do at night in Boston. No matter what you enjoy doing, there'll be an attraction to visit or an activity to try that will make your evening fun and memorable.

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