Boston's Visit the Pin Marketing Campaign

Highlighting Things to Do in Beantown

Aug 7, 2008 Lee Gjertsen

A series of 12-foot-high red pins have been placed around the city in an effort to get locals to visit area sites and attractions.

With it’s famous art institutions, world-class colleges and vital role in American history -- not to mention, arguably, the most well known U.S. ballpark -- Boston has long been a mecca for tourists. But with a new campaign the city is attempting to get more local residents appreciate all the attractions the city has to offer.

The “Visit the Pin” campaign was announced in June 2008 by Mayor Thomas Menino and involves the placement of 12-foot-high red pushpins at various key locations around the city. Each pin has interactive features, allowing visitors to send text messages and receive information on that location or about nearby events. The city has also launched an ad campaign about the pins and published a summer guidebook.

Here’s where to find the pins, and the events and attractions nearby.

Boston Common

Boston’s centerpiece park -- one of the oldest in the country -- has playgrounds and the Frog Pond for kids, historical plaques and statues for adults and softball fields, walking paths and a bandstand for everyone. It’s a pleasant place just to stroll with an ice cream cone or to explore the various nooks and crannies that hold evidence of the many roles the park has played in Boston’s history.

City Hall Plaza

This plaza in front of City Hall is located right downtown and is often used for concerts and rallies, as well as celebrations for Boston’s many championship sports teams.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace

Faneuil Hall and the adjacent Quincy Market offer something for everyone -- shopping, food, street performers, and a heavy dose of history. The hall itself has seen speeches ranging from Samuel Adams speaking for American Independence to John Kerry conceding the 2004 presidential election. The surrounding restaurants include take-out counters popular with local workers and several pubs, including one based on the bar in the TV show “Cheers.”

Boston Children’s Museum

This interactive museum allows kids of all ages to explore science, art and history. Exhibits range from a room of bubble blowers to another modeled after the “Arthur” books and TV series. The newly renovated space now includes a huge climbing structure near the entrance and an outdoor deck overlooking the water.

The New England Aquarium

Right on the waterfront, this aquarium is built around a four-story high central tank designed to replicate a Caribbean coral reef. Other exhibits include Atlantic harbor seals, African penguins and a room of jellyfish tanks.

Christopher Columbus Park

Also on Boston’s waterfront, this park was reopened in 2003 and has play areas and a water spray fountain for children, a rose garden, and a wisteria-covered trellis. It’s a welcome retreat in the middle of the city.

Copley Square

An impressive square in Boston’s upscale Back Bay section, this square features the Old South Church, Trinity Church, and the Boston Public Library. A farmer’s market is held in the square on Tuesdays and Fridays in the summer.

Franklin Park Zoo

A wide variety of animals including a lion, camels, zebras and tigers inhabit the zoo, in the Dorchester section of Boston. It’s most notorious resident, however, is probably one of its gorillas, Little Joe, who escaped in 2003. Zoo-goers can visit Joe -- firmly behind glass -- in the new $2.3 million gorilla exhibit.

Roslindale Village

This busy commercial hub a few miles south of Boston’s city center has restaurants and shopping and is currently seeing a renaissance. Visitors can enjoy the neighborhoods amenities after a visit to the nearby Arnold Arboretum.

These locations around the city highlight features that new visitors and long-time residents will both enjoy as they explore Boston this summer.

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