As fantastic as Boston's shopping is, retail therapy is but one diversion in a city teeming with history, culture and natural splendour.

Those wanting to bone up on the city's pivotal role in the Revolutionary War would do well to start at the beginning of the three-mile Freedom Trail (146 Tremont St www.bostonusa.com). The red paint trail begins at Boston Common and winds past 16 historic sites including the Old South Meeting House and the Old North Church. For winter visitors and those more inclined toward history prior to 1776, the city's great museums should be high on the list. The Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Ave. www.mfa.org) is a player on the international museum scene and is especially renowned for its collection of Impressionist paintings. The MFA has the largest stash of Monets outside of Paris. Nearby is the charming and intimate Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (280 The Fenway. www.gardnermuseum.org) The well-to-do and iconoclastic Mrs Gardner built a Venetian palazzo-style home smack in the middle of Boston, then filled it with her diverse collection of Botticellis, Rembrandts and other treasures for posterity to enjoy.

Those curious about more recent history should stop by the John F Kennedy Library and Museum (Columbia Point, www.jfklibrary.org), a short ride from Downtown on the red line. The collection details the accomplishments of America's 35th president and the state's most beloved native son. The Museum of Science (www.mos.org) and New England Aquarium (www.neaq.com) are famously family- friendly and each boasts its own Imax Theatre.

During spring and summer, wander over to the Park Street T station and stroll through Boston Common and the Public Garden, which, when in full bloom, is an unparalleled treat for the senses. Once there, get off your feet and take a swan boat ride (www.swanboats.com.) For top-notch people watching, take the red line to Harvard Square and gawk at the street performers, philosophers and quirky individualists who gravitate toward the university's environs. Boston is a sports town and nowhere is that more evident than at Fenway Park (4 Yawkey Way, www.redsox.com) Be sure to enjoy a Fenway frank.