Boston on the 4th of July
 

We're visiting Boston over the long holiday weekend, and as schedules worked out we're landing at Logan in the late morning on the 4th of July.

--Will crowds make this a difficult / cumbersome time to visit the central city?

--Should we expect standard tourist attractions be closed or overrun on the 4th? Will certain areas or attractions best be avoided because of congestion due to people camped out for events?

--Will the T be jammed-packed?

It seems like July 4th might be the both the best and worst days to be in the heart of Boston. The Pops concert with fireworks would be enjoyable but I'm guessing people stake out spots many hours ahead and we don't want spend our first day staking out whatever spot we can still get at 1pm and baking until the concert starts.

I could see this being a great day to visit historic sights on the Freedom Trail if special things are going on, or perhaps a miserable day to do so because of crowds and closures and gridlock.

Any insight on crowds or other suggestions for being in Boston on the 4th?

I've in Boston on the 4th a few times, and I don't recall any attractions or the T being jam-packed except for the Hatch Shell area before the pops concert/fireworks. And yes, people start staking out spots for the concert VERY early. My suggestion would be to listen to the concert from wherever you can hear it (one year I literally sat in the middle of Storrow Drive, and I could still hear quite clearly), then right near the start of the fireworks, make your way to the Longfellow Bridge. Absolutely perfect view of the fireworks.

I've done the Freedom Trail on the 4th as well, and none of the sights along the way were too crowded when I did so (three years ago).

Depending on where you are staying, it might take a bit longer or be more expensive to get to your hotel as they will close Storrow Drive and taxis frequently take that to Back Bay hotels. So, just need to be a bit patient.

Things like Duck Tours (lots of fun) may well sell out so should check on that and lines at the USS Constitution will definitely be longer. But, the Freedom Trail itself is so spread out that there's no reason not to do it. Faneuil Hall will be more fun than usual.

For the fireworks, the Longfellow Bridge will not be an option due to construction. The Cambridge side of the river by MIT is a good place to watch and they pipe in the music.

Overall, a lot of locals will clear out for the weekend to higher end restaurants should have some nice availability.

Thanks for the info!

Ah, I didn't realize that, thanks for the info.

Here is some info on the 4th of July.
http://www.boston.com/travel/boston/...zBJ/story.html

FYI: Because of Hurricane Arthur, the celebrations (including the concert on the Esplanade and the fireworks) have been rescheduled from July 4th to tonight, July 3rd.

Other cities and towns that had planned celebrations for that evening have also moved them to tonight, moved them to Saturday the 5th, moved them to Sunday the 6th, or cancelled them entirely. Check specifics before going out of your way.