City Skyline of Boston, Massachusetts
As one of America’s oldest cities, Boston boasts a long, fascinating, and often very strange history. Even Massachusetts locals might be surprised to learn some of its more obscure and bizarre facts.
Here are 27 of our favorites:
#1: The Boston Molasses Disaster
In 1919, in Boston’s North End neighborhood, a giant molasses tank exploded sending a wave of the gooey substance through the streets at up to 35 MPH. In all, 21 people were killed and more than 150 were injured.
#2: The First Lighthouse in the U.S.
The original Boston Light lighthouse was constructed on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor in 1716. It was the first official lighthouse to be built in what would officially become the United States of America.
#3: The Boston (Tea) Massacre
Protesters dumped more than 90,000 pounds of tea into the Atlantic during the famed Boston Tea Party. That amounts to almost 19 million teabags!
Green Monster at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts
#4: Fenway Green Isn’t for Everyone
Fenway Green — the paint used to freshen up Fenway Park‘s famed Green Monster — is patented by the Boston Red Sox who own the exclusive rights to the color.
#5: The Birthplace of Anesthesia
In 1846, Massachusetts General Hospital’s surgical theater became the birthplace of modern anesthesia. In what must have been a terrifying experiment, Dr. William T.G. Morton treated a patient with ether to remove a neck tumor in front of a live audience.
#6: Namesake Newtons
The Fig Newton cookie was named after Boston’s Newton suburb.
#7: Theft at the Gardner Museum
The largest art heist in world history occurred at Boston’s renowned Gardner Museum. In 1990, thieves dressed as police officers broke in and made off with thirteen items valued at more than $300 million.
Statue at Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts
#8: The Site of America’s First Public Park
Boston Common dates back to 1634 and is officially America’s oldest public park.
#9: You Better Know the Whole Star Spangled Banner
In the state of Massachusetts, it’s illegal to sing only a portion of the Star Spangled Banner. It’s also illegal to dance to it.
#10: Keep Your Mule Low
Speaking of strange laws, it’s also illegal to keep a mule on the second story of any building in Boston unless that building has more than one exit.
#11: That Citgo Sign Is False Advertising
Even though Fenway Park’s famous Citgo Sign continues to shine on, the closest gas station is more than a mile away. The closest Citgo station? More than a mile and a half. Bonus fact: the sign also contains 5 miles of neon tubing.
John Harvard Statue at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts
#12: The John Harvard Statue Is a Lie
Harvard University’s famous “John Harvard” statue isn’t of John Harvard at all. The sculpture was fashioned after a student named Sherman Hoar who sat in during its creation.
#13: The World’s Most Unique Bridge
The unique location of the Boston University Bridge allegedly makes it the “only place in the world where a boat can sail under a train passing under a car driving under an airplane.”
#14: America’s Oldest Subway Tunnel
In 1897, Boston’s Tremont Street Subway became the first true subway tunnel in America.
Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts
#15: A Large Volume of Volumes
The Library of Congress houses the country’s largest collection of published volumes with almost thirty million. Boston houses the second and third largest – Harvard University and the Boston Public Library with more than 15 million and 14 million, respectively.
#16: No More Christmas!
For a time in the 17th century, it became illegal to celebrate Christmas. The pilgrims outlawed the holiday as they felt the true meaning had been perverted.
#17: Deepest Tunnel in America
The Ted Williams Tunnel is the deepest manmade tunnel in America at 90 feet.
#18: The Airport (Might Be) Sinking
Boston’s Logan International Airport now lies on a manmade landfill area that was previously part of Boston Harbor.
#19: The Best Place for Students
With more than 33 colleges and universities (not including Harvard and MIT across the river in Cambridge), Boston boasts more higher learning institutions than almost any city in the country.
#20: The Birthplace of Telecommunications
At the John F. Kennedy Building on Cambridge Street sits a plaque to commemorate the birth of modern telecommunications:
“Birthplace of the Telephone. Here, on June 2, 1875, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas A. Watson first transmitted sound over wires. This successful experiment was completed in a fifth floor garret at what was then 109 Court Street and marked the beginning of world-wide telephone service.”
John Hancock Tower in Boston, Massachusetts
#21: The City’s Tallest, Glassiest Building
The John Hancock Building is Boston’s tallest skyscraper at 60 stories. It also contains more than 13 acres of glass panes. Bonus fact: for a time, the building’s 40-square foot, 500-pound windows were detaching from the building and falling to the street below.
#22: The Importance of “576”
The license plate number “576” is used today for the official car of the mayor of Boston. The number was chosen by James Michael Curley – the city’s first mayor with a car – based on the number of letters in his first, middle, and last names.
#23: (Almost) the Home of Candlepin Bowling
The sport of candlepin bowling was invented in nearby Worcester, Massachusetts in 1880. To this day, it remains largely unique to the New England states and Canadian Maritime provinces.
#24: The Oldest Baseball Park
In 1912, the legendary Fenway Park opened and remains the oldest, original baseball park still in use.
#25: Boston Cream Pie Is the Official State Dessert
The first Boston Cream Pie debuted at Boston’s Omni Parker House in the 19th century. It has since become the official state dessert of Massachusetts.
#26: Check Out a Book Bound with Human Skin
With one of the country’s largest collections of rare books and art exhibits, Boston’s Athenaeum is among the city’s most fascinating destinations. It also happens to be home to an original copy of James Allen’s biography, which is interesting because it was bound in his own flesh.
#27: The Dunkin’ Donuts Obsession
Massachusetts residents have a borderline obsession with their Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. Seriously, there are instances throughout the state where a Dunkin’ Donuts is located across the street from another Dunkin’ Donuts.
You could spend a lifetime in Boston and barely scratch the surface of its rich history and fascinating attractions. If you just can’t decide what to see or do, check out the Boston in One Day Sightseeing Tour. You’ll see the city’s best, most popular attractions in one 7-hour guided tour.
See all that Boston has to offer with these tours!
-Contributed by Mike Richard
27 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Boston from Boston Things to Do