Tufts Blogs

In my four years at Tufts, I’ve explored quite a few places around Boston and in the surrounding area, and I’ll tell you what: you’re in for a treat! Not just for the education, but for all the awesome places to check out around the city. Boston is truly “America’s college town”—there are loads of cool places to hang out with friends, amazing food, and excellent deals and discounts. Whether you’re looking for an action-packed group activity, a centering nature walk, or aesthetic study spaces, there’s something for everyone. Here are some of the best places that have made my Tufts experience unforgettable!

The New England Aquarium
My friends and I decided to make the most out of our first week of senior year, and one of the places we checked out was the New England Aquarium, located on the wharf in downtown Boston. Now, I’ve only ever been to one other aquarium in my life, but I have to say, this one was pretty impressive. They had seals, sea lions, tiny penguins, massive octopuses, turtles, jellyfish, manta rays, sharks, and a million types of fish. The center of the building is a four-story-tall circular tank with all kinds of marine wildlife in it, and the ramp to the top wraps around the tank so you can see the animals from every angle. Each floor that you pass on the way up has tons of exhibits, though I’ll admit that I read very little and mostly just looked at the cool animals. At the touch tank, I got to pet the manta rays as they swam in circles around their exhibit. On the main floor, I spent so much time watching tiny penguins as they swam together, hopped around their little rocks, screeched and played with each other, and ate fish. The best part of all of this? The otherwise $40 tickets were free with Boston Public Library Museum Passes! It’s easy to get a Boston Public Library card as a Tufts student, and they have free or discounted museum passes to dozens of museums and attractions in the area. One cardholder can get four free tickets to the Aquarium any time, so our whole experience was completely free. I highly recommend visiting at least once before you graduate!

Level99
Located about 30 minutes from campus, Level99 is truly one of a kind. It is described as a “social gaming playground featuring over 50 real-world physical and mental challenges and games.” But to describe it in English, it’s basically a warehouse-sized building filled with small rooms, each with their own activity, challenge, or game. Think: escape room, but dozens of mini-challenges instead of one big challenge, and tons of variety in terms of physical, mental, individual, and teamwork oriented activities. The rooms are masterfully designed based on a theme—Minecraft, outer space, pirate ships, and wildlife, to name a few—and the games are so much fun. Each entails something different: puzzles, innovation, parkour, target practice, problem-solving, athletics, murder mysteries, and more. I have gone with groups of 4 to 8 friends and I have had an excellent experience every time. If you ever get the chance to check this place out, test out some skills you never knew you had, and have a fantastic time with friends, I highly recommend it.

Middlesex Fells Reservation
Whenever I need to touch grass, the Middlesex Fells Reservation (AKA “the Fells”) is the first place I go. The closest entry point is in Medford a couple miles from Tufts, but the reservation is so big that it resides in five different cities. There are miles and miles of hiking trails surrounding a large pond, and you could visit every week for your four years at Tufts and still find a new place to explore every time. The park is very conveniently located, yet far enough away from traffic that all you can hear as you walk along the trails is the trickle of running water, birds chirping in the trees above, and the crunch of twigs and leaves underfoot. The trails vary in intensity, so you can make your Fells trip a pleasant stroll or bike ride through the woods or an intense workout; whatever your heart desires. It is such a beautiful way to take a break from the chaos of life, appreciate the world around me, and ground myself in nature’s loving embrace. I am so grateful for the location of the Tufts campus, because as great as it is to live near Boston, it is wonderful to have so many nearby opportunities to get away from the city and enjoy a change of scenery.