It’s pretty nerdy, but how could you not love the world’s biggest walk-in globe? The three-story, stained glass, to-scale globe sits inside the Mary Baker Eddy Library and is one of the quirkiest offerings in the city. Walk through the centre of the world (via the glass bridge) and experience vivid music, light and words that explain how the world has changed over time.

You may not think it, but Boston is one of the best places in the world to go whale watching. There are two marine sanctuaries off the coast and it’s there that you can see humpbacks, minkes, sperm, blue or finback whales (some over 20 metres long). Other marine life is abundant, so keep a watch out for white-sided dolphins, pilot whales and the critically endangered right whales.

Boston has always had a vibrant art scene, and on the first Friday of each month, the SoWa art and design district in Boston’s South End comes alive as artists, galleries and studio owners fling open their doors and welcome passers-by to enter their spaces and learn more about their work. May to October sees the food trucks roll in, farmers’ markets put down roots and beer gardens pop up, making it the perfect setting for a lazy weekend.

There’s so much good food in Boston, from its buttery lobster rolls and maple bacon donuts to the legendary prune stuffed gnocchi. But we simply can’t go past the Boston cream pie at Parker’s Restaurant at the Omni Parker House. It’s a cake rather than a pie, but let’s not split hairs when a sponge cake with dark rum-infused pastry cream and chocolate icing is this good.

To get a real sense of what gets the hearts of passionate Bostonians racing, book tickets to a Red Sox game. There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of a baseball game with the heartfelt national anthem, foot-long hot dogs, spectators trying to catch foul balls and spectacular hits and home runs. And if you can’t manage to get tickets, you can always do a tour of Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.