Fun & Affordable Romantic Activities in Boston

1. View Boston

View Boston, formerly known as Skywalk Observatory, offers 360-degree views of the city of Boston from its observation deck at the top of one of New England’s tallest buildings. Located inside is Boston 365, a 3D model with projection mapping of Boston that reveals the celebrations, spirit, and seasons of the city. There are also a few spots at View Boston to grab a bite to eat or a drink. The Beacon features a window-facing bar and Stratus provides more amazing views of the city below accompanied by beer, wine, and specialty cocktails, as well as quick bites and shareable plates.

800 Boylston St Floor 52, Boston, MA 02199

2. Museum of Fine Arts

The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) is one of the nation’s leading art institutions, dating back to 1876. The museum houses 450,000 works of art, including Egyptian, American, European, Asian, African and Contemporary. Whether you are interested in paintings, sculpture, prints, musical instruments, photography, fashion, jewelry, or works by living artists, there is something for everyone.

Choose from several dining options, ranging from casual to sophisticated. Stop for a romantic lunch or dinner at Bravo, an award-winning restaurant with both indoor and outdoor tables, an excellent wine list and dishes prepared with sustainable ingredients. New American Café is housed in a glass-enclosed courtyard and serves salads, hot and cold plates, wines, and craft beers. Taste Café and Wine Bar is the place for coffee, gourmet tea, sandwiches and gelato. Garden Cafeteria has a salad bar, pizzas, hamburgers, soups and desserts.

3. Bella Sante Boston Day Spa

Check into the Bella Sante Boston Day Spa on Newbury Street for an afternoon of pampering and relaxation. The spa has nine treatment rooms where you can get couples massages, facials, body treatments, and other services.

4. New England Aquarium

The New England Aquarium is home to thousands of aquatic animals, educational exhibits, and a 3D IMAX theater where you can watch incredible films featuring whales, sharks and colorful fish.

See several species of penguins, including African, Little Blue and Rockhopper Penguins. Learn about 15-inch Moon Jellies, 20-foot Giant Pacific Octopi, 18-inch Leafy Seadragons and other extraordinary creatures. See the new four-story, 200,000 gallon Giant Ocean Tank featuring a Caribbean coral reef with turtles, seals, sharks and stingrays.

5. Charles River Esplanade

Boston’s Charles River Esplanade has been revitalized and enhanced by the non-profit Esplanade Association to create a community space with recreational, cultural, and educational programs and activities for people of all ages. The riverside park now offers a wide array of activities, including passive recreation, organized sports and free classes, and family activities, such as lounging on the park docks, renting a sailboat, or playing a pick-up game at one of the fields or courts. For children, there are three different playground areas at Charles River Esplanade. There are also several art murals and the occasional art activation.

Charles River, Esplanade, Boston, MA 02116, 617-227-0365

6. A4cade

A4cade is a clever new bar offering from cult Boston-area foodie favorites Area Four and Roxy's Grilled Cheese, located in Cambridge's hip Central Square district. The 21-and-up speakeasy-style arcade is a retro gamer's paradise, offering a wide variety of arcade-style games from the 20th and 21st centuries, ranging from favorites such as Mario Kart and Pac-Man to themed games featuring iconic pop culture characters such as the Addams Family, Batman, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Clever cocktails offerings play on late-20th-century pop culture nostalgia, including the carrot-infused What's Up Doc and the Carmen Sandiego, which pairs tequila with absinthe and St. Germain. An extensive selection of draft and bottled local beers are also available, along with an abbreviated menu of sandwiches and burgers from Roxy's Grilled Cheese.

292 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, Phone: 617-714-3960

7. The American Repertory Theater

The American Repertory Theater, commonly referred to as the A.R.T., is one of the United States' most distinguished regional theaters, housed within Harvard University's Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge. The theater, which was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, has received some of the theater world's most prestigious awards throughout its tenure, including a Pulitzer Prize and three Tony Awards. A full season lineup of American plays and musical theater performances is showcased each year, with a focus on new American works, reinterpretations of classical texts, and revitalizations of overlooked works of the past. Notable past performances have included the company's Tony Award-winning productions of Pippin and The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess. In addition to its standard season lineup, the company also serves as the home for the Harvard-Radcliffe Drama Club and Harvard University's Advanced Theater Training program.

Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138, Phone: 617-547-8300

8. Boch Center

Boch Center is an venue and nonprofit innovator that aims to provide inclusive and relevant cultural and educational experiences, as well as performing arts entertainment, to diverse audiences in Boston. The programming at Boch Center includes family programs, comedy, multimedia, theater, musicals, spoken word, dance, and both popular and classical music performances. Home to the iconic Shubert and Wang Theatres, a variety of artists perform on the Boch Center’s stages, ranging from local ensembles and emerging artists to internationally renowned performers. More than 200 performances are offered every year through partnerships with international, national, and local producers.

270 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116, 617-482-9393