Boston / 10 photo spots
10 Instagram spots around Boston
Boston’s photo stops range from harbour views and historic streets to gardens and distinctive civic buildings. These ten locations offer compositions across several neighbourhoods.
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Photo spots on the map
8 of 10 photo ideas have sourced location coordinates. The initial view is for orientation. An area marker does not indicate an exact photo position.
Select a highlighted number to show its sourced location on the map. Every name links to the photo spot.
If the map does not load, use the OpenStreetMap link or the photo spot list.
All photo spots
- Charles River EsplanadeApproximate area
- Fenway ParkSourced place
- Bunker Hill MonumentSourced place
- Isabella Stewart Gardner MuseumSourced place
- Boston Public GardenApproximate area
- Massachusetts State HouseSourced place
- Christian Science PlazaApproximate area
- Quincy MarketSourced place
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Destination reference: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Spot coordinates: Wikidata, CC0. Selection, association and some calculations by You, Me, Away.
Charles River Esplanade
The Esplanade follows the Boston side of the Charles River and looks towards Cambridge. Use the riverbank as a leading line, keeping the water and buildings across it in separate layers of the image.
Search Google MapsFenway Park
Fenway Park is the home of Boston’s Red Sox. Photograph its exterior in the context of the surrounding streets, or select a sign and a section of the stadium for a closer sports-themed frame.
Search Google MapsBunker Hill Monument
The Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown marks a battle of the American Revolution. Compose vertically around the obelisk, leaving some of the grounds visible below so the monument has a clear sense of place.
Search Google MapsIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was designed around an interior courtyard garden. Consider the relationship between the garden and the surrounding architecture, using the courtyard as a central shape rather than filling the frame with individual objects.
Search Google MapsBoston Public Garden
Boston Public Garden has a pond, swan boats and the Make Way for Ducklings statues. Choose one feature as your focal point and include paths or trees to show its place within the garden.
Search Google MapsMassachusetts State House
The Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill is topped by a golden dome. Photograph the building from the street with some space around the roofline, then focus more closely on the dome as an architectural detail.
Search Google MapsBoston Public Library
The Boston Public Library includes Bates Hall and an Italianate courtyard. Frame the courtyard and its surrounding architecture as a series of shapes, or focus on a single decorative detail of the building.
Search Google MapsChristian Science Plaza
At Christian Science Plaza, the reflecting pool sits near a domed church. Position the pool in the foreground and allow enough room for the dome, using the long edges of the water to organise the frame.
Search Google MapsChinatown Gate
The China Trade Gate marks an entrance to Boston’s Chinatown. Photograph the gate with the adjoining street for context, then look closer at its painted details and the contrast between the structure and surrounding buildings.
Search Google MapsQuincy Market
Quincy Market stands within the Faneuil Hall Marketplace area. Let its historic exterior anchor a street scene, or frame one entrance more closely to show the building’s relationship to the activity around it.
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