Interesting Facts Tourists Must Know About Boston

Interesting Facts Tourists Must Know About Boston

Everyone knows that Boston is not only the capital but also the largest city in the state of Massachusetts. However, there are other more tidbits about this great city that may interest you. Here are some interesting facts tourists must know about Boston.

• Boston is one of the most visited cities in the U.S. In 2009 alone, the city has received more than 23 million domestic and overseas tourists with a combined spending impact of $7.2 billion.
• Boston is a college town. Considered as the “Athens of America”, the city has over 100 colleges and universities situated in Greater Boston area. The overall college student population is more than 250,000 in Cambridge and Boston alone. It is also the home of Harvard University, the oldest university and one of the world’s leading academic institution.
• Boston Firsts. In the U.S., the city of Boston was the first to have a public park in 1634 called Boston Common, first to put up a U.S. Post Office in 1639, first to have a public library in 1960, first to establish a public school called Boston Latin School in 1963, first to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in North America in 1737, first to have a police department in 1838, first to place a phone call in 1876 when Alexander Graham Bell phoned his assistant from his Boston machine shop, and first to own a subway in 1897.
• Boston sweets. The city is the origin of the world-famous Boston cream pie which has been declared as the official state dessert in 1996. Boston is also the city where the chocolate chip cookie was discovered in 1930.
• The Boston Terrier, as the name implies, originated from Boston in 1869. The state dog is the first U.S. purebred dog which was a result of combining an English terrier and English bulldog.

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