There is probably no better location to celebrate the 4th of July than in Boston, the Cradle of American Liberty. The combination of history, music, revelry and fireworks makes this city’s Independence Day celebration one of the most iconic in the nation.
Visitors can walk the Freedom Trail and see where the American Revolution began. The excursion should include the Old North Church and the Bunker Hill Monument. In the Charlestown Navy Yard, you can step aboard the USS Constitution. “Old Ironsides” is the oldest commissioned warship in the U.S. Navy. After immersing yourself in history, you can prepare for the festivities at the “Oval” on the Charles River Esplanade. The Boston Pops Orchestra provides a free concert every year. Their stellar performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture is accentuated by church bells and real cannons. The concert ends when Old Glory unfurls from the ceiling of the Hatch Shell and the orchestra plays their signature song: The Stars and Stripes Forever.
The party doesn’t stop there. This is the signal that the fireworks display is about to begin. Tens of thousands of pyrotechnic shells are fired from barges located on the river. The fireworks display is choreographed to music provided by the orchestra. If you weren’t able to secure a place inside the Oval, you can hear the concert and view the fireworks all along both banks of the Charles River.
An insider tip is that there is a free dress rehearsal concert, without the fireworks, on July 3rd.