On Location Tours will transport you right along the Charles River to the Back Bay Neighborhood, a popular filming location for TV and movies like Boondock Saints, Boston Legal, and What’s the Worst That Can Happen starring Danny Devito and Martin Lawrence.
Back Bay is a must see location for any and all tourists because of its art galleries, boutiques, fantastic restaurants, and upscale shopping. The main reason Back Bay has become a famous tourist stop is for the beautiful brownstone architecture throughout. Take a walk along Commonwealth Ave, modeled after the Boulevards of Paris, this is the first planned neighborhood in Boston which was built in the 19th century. Another must see location is Newbury Street, another street filled with brownstone buildings and great shopping for the entire family. The interesting truth about the Back Bay neighborhood is that it did not even exist 150 years ago during the colonial days. In fact, the whole region was a large swamp that was later filled in 1857 and was now one of the few neighborhoods where the streets are laid out in a grid formation.
While touring Back Bay make sure to seek out the neighborhood’s wonderful attractions like the Prudential Center with its beautiful Skywalk Observatory with a 360-degree view of Boston and beyond from the sky-high vantage point. Make sure to also view the exclusive experience at the Antenna Audio Tour where your eyes and ears do the walking around the city’s cultural and historic events and details. The John Hancock Tower lives up to its name as the tallest building in New England casting its shadow over the serene Copley Square. Not far from the tower is the Trinity Church, a boldly designed church by Henry Hobson Richardson defines Copley Square as the cultural heart of Boston and is an American design landmark that critics and visitors alike view as a bold ecclesiastical masterpiece.
Other historical buildings include the Gibson House; a beautiful representation of the American Row house lifestyle, these vertical houses built in the 1850s to the 1870s reach up six floors and provided a home for a family for generations. The Gibson house has been turned into a public museum for the community to enjoy and contains an array of residents’ personal possessions and perfectly represents the way of life for most families in the early twentieth century. Close by are the First Baptist Church, the Boston Public Library, and the Institute of Contemporary Art with an amazing collection 65 years in the making and contains art by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, and Robert Rauschenberg. The art institute also contains educational facilities, performing arts theater, a media and technology center, and a restaurant with a delicious menu.
If food is on your mind, Back Bay Boston has something for everyone. Check out Croma for amazing gourmet pizza, Grill 23 Bar for one of the best steaks ever put on your table, the classic Hard Rock Cafe for an amazing burger, Stephanie’s on Newbury featuring the comfort food your grandmother made, Summer Shack for the raw bar of your dreams, and for a romantic night out a couple needs to look no further than Top of the Hub, located at the Prudential Tower. For those who still have energy, there are plenty of pubs to take you into the night. Clery’s Bar near the Hynes Convention Center is a neighborhood favorite, Bukowski’s Tavern is quirky and fun, the Cactus Club Restaurant and Bar offers the best Margarita at a fair price and the Sonsie Bar that played host to actors like Drew Barrymore for the movie Fever Pitch, which also starred comedian and now late night host Jimmy Fallon.
It is no wonder with all the amazing architecture and must visit locations that Back Bay is a prime spot for filming. The private Boston TV & Movie Sites Tour highlights all the best Boston filming locations including the Boston Public Library used for the movie The Box starring Cameron Diaz, and The Woman starring a slew of stars including Debra Messing, Eva Mendez, Meg Ryan, and Annette Benning. Copley Square has played host to many TV shows and films including The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, the movie My Best Friend’s Girl with Dane Cook and Kate Hudson and Blown Away starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones.
Do you have a group trip to Boston? Check out the Boston TV & Movie Sites Tour. This tour is only offered for private groups.
* In an effort to stay current, we are constantly updating our tours with new locations and cannot guarantee the presence of locations mentioned on our site. If you have a particular interest in locations from a specific TV show or movie, please let your tour guide know and we will do our best to accommodate your request.