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Right by the New England Aquarium on Central Wharf you can watch the harbor seals on the front plaza for free, ride the Greenway Carousel, eat a lobster roll or have a beer on the wharf without an aquarium ticket, and catch a boat from Long Wharf next door to the Boston Harbor Islands or to the USS Constitution in Charlestown. Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market are a short walk inland. Aquarium station on the Blue Line is about 100 yards from the door.
Top-rated tours to book for this trip
City Cruises Boston Whale Watching Cruise by High-Speed Boat★ 4.5 (3,414 reviews) · Free cancellationFrom $85.56 per personCheck dates on Viator
City Cruises Boston Historic Sightseeing Harbor Cruise★ 4.5 (1,540 reviews) · Free cancellationFrom $46 per personCheck dates on Viator
New England Aquarium Admission Ticket in Boston★ 3.9 (506 reviews) · Free cancellationFrom $39.95 per personCheck dates on ViatorPrices, ratings and review counts are from Viator as of Oct 11, 2026 and can change.
Free before you go in: the harbor seals
The New England Aquarium's Atlantic harbor seal exhibit is on the front plaza, to the left of the main doors, and is free to anyone walking past, with training sessions during the day. Inside, entry is by timed ticket ($39.95 for adults, $30.95 for children 3 to 11), and weekends and holidays often sell out, so buy before you arrive. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
Ride the Greenway Carousel
The Greenway Carousel stands on the Rose Kennedy Greenway near Long Wharf, beside the park's Welcome Center Pavilion. Its animals, from a peregrine falcon to a sea serpent gondola, are based on drawings by Boston schoolchildren of creatures from Boston Harbor, and it was built to universal design standards so riders with a wide range of disabilities can use it. A ride costs $4, bought at the booth. Its current hours are Friday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; check the Greenway calendar for the daily schedule.
Where to eat near the aquarium
Two places on Central Wharf need no aquarium ticket: the Dockside Beer Garden (Friday to Sunday afternoons) and the Central Snack Bar on the plaza (weekends). Inside, the Harbor View Cafe on level 2 serves ticket holders. Luke's Lobster has a counter at the Welcome Center Pavilion by the carousel, open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with ordering ahead available.
For a sit-down meal, Waterline at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf, next door to the aquarium, serves New England dishes with harbor views. The Black Rose at 160 State Street, an Irish pub open since 1976, has live music seven nights a week and a menu of chowder, lobster rolls and Guinness beef stew; Aquarium station is its closest T stop too.
Take a boat from Long Wharf
Ferries to the Boston Harbor Islands leave from Long Wharf North, next to Christopher Columbus Park. The trip to Spectacle Island takes about 30 minutes and to Georges Island, with its Civil War-era Fort Warren, about 45. The ferries run from May to mid-October; the 2026 season ended on October 12. Tickets are sold by Boston Harbor City Cruises online, by phone at 617-227-4321 or at the Long Wharf North ticket center, and all are round trip.
The MBTA commuter ferry from Long Wharf crosses to the Charlestown Navy Yard, the end of the Freedom Trail. The USS Constitution Museum there is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on a suggested donation, and the ship itself, run by the U.S. Navy, is free from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a security check and photo ID for visitors 18 and over.
A short walk inland
Across the Greenway, Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Quincy Market have food stalls, shops and free entry to Faneuil Hall itself, and the New England Holocaust Memorial at 98 Union Street is an outdoor memorial open around the clock. Our guide to things to do near Faneuil Hall covers that side in detail, and our Boston Harbor guide follows the Harborwalk along the rest of the waterfront. If you are staying further north on the water, see our Battery Wharf guide.
Getting there and parking
Aquarium station on the Blue Line is the closest stop. The aquarium also gives walking times of about 8 minutes from State Street on the Orange Line, 10 minutes from Government Center on the Green Line and 12 minutes from South Station on the Red Line. It has no garage of its own; it lists five garages within 0.3 miles, at roughly $42 to $43 on weekdays without validation, and validates at several of them at the Information Desk.