Adult students in Boston will no doubt find it a rich location to live and study. In addition to having a truly impressive array of schools, the city is known for its diversity. It is a city with a rich past, vibrant present and bright future.

Boston's official website states that, "Boston prides itself on being one of the most livable cities in America. Twenty diverse neighborhoods offer more than 600,000 residents the opportunity to taste, touch and experience things from all over the world." (http://www.cityofboston.gov/residents/default.asp) Boston is also a leader in providing medical care, community development, crime prevention and education.

Colleges and Universities
As mentioned in our Boston History , Harvard University was founded in 1636, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. It has grown from eight students to more than 18,000 degree candidates and 13,000 students working part-time or night-time in the Harvard Extension School.

Boston University (BU) is another leading teaching and research institution with its two primary campuses in Boston and programs around the world. It was chartered in 1869 with a vision of educating students of both sexes from every race and religion. Martin Luther King, Jr., would later graduate from BU.

These are just two of the many fine institutions situated in Boston and nearby Cambridge. Other excellent schools situated in Boston and nearby Cambridge include Northeastern University, Wheelock College, Simmons College, Suffolk University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New England Conservatory of Music and many others.

While it would be impossible to describe here all the attractions and educational opportunities available in Boston, we'll cover a few highlights:

Mayflower II
Modern visitors can experience the voyage that the Pilgrims experienced to cross the Atlantic, albeit in a slightly shorter time span. This replica was painstakingly recreated and features both modern tour guides and period actors sharing personal accounts of the voyage.

Boston Harbor
Enjoy the view or contemplate the history of the Boston Tea Party. The Harbor is the starting point for a number of whale-watching cruises as well as sightseeing tours or rides on the ferry.

The Boston Globe
Take a free tour of one of the nation's oldest newspapers and learn about the paper printing process.

The Hayden Planetarium
Who wouldn't want to witness the "most powerful virtual reality simulator in the world" at the Hayden Planetarium? This advanced facility allows visitors to explore the universe with a variety of shows (set to almost any genre of music) or experience the Big Bang in a multi-sensory re-creation of the theorized beginning of the universe.

USS Constitution
Nicknamed "Old Ironsides," the USS Constitution is actually made of wood including two types of oak and yellow pine. The oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, she got the name in a battle with British Frigate H.M.S. Guerriere in 1812. She sunk the frigate while its cannonballs simply bounced off her sides as though she were made of iron.

The House of the Seven Gables
Literature lovers may want to stop by this legendary house. Just north of Boston, it provides a variety of entertainments from costumed interpreters to seaside gardens to secret staircases. The Turners-Ingersoll Mansion, as it's also called, is the oldest surviving 17th century wood mansion in New England. Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel of the same name was inspired by it. The house where Hawthorne was born was physically transported next door, so you can visit it too.

Boston Public Garden
A stop at America's first public botanical garden is sure to be relaxing and entertaining for those familiar with the famous children's story, "Make Way for Ducklings." Set in the Public Garden and inspired by an actual duck who used to stop traffic daily as she led her ducklings to the pond, the story of Mrs. Mallard and her brood has been immortalized here in a series of small bronze statues. Take a picture with Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Pack and Quack.

Medieval Manor Theatre Restaurant
You'll be entertained during dinner by comedic performers from minstrels to wenches. The manor's six-course feast and dinner theatre is not the place to visit with a full stomach, or a concern for clean fingers given that no one is allowed to use utensils. Advertised as a "bawdy romp through the Middle Ages," this feast gives you the chance to enjoy being an honored guest of the Lord of the Manor.

"Duck" Tour
This fully narrated land and water tour features amphibious vehicles - dubbed ducks - from WWII. You can travel through the city in these "ducks" to a variety of interesting places including Back Bay, Beacon Hill, downtown Boston and the North End. The peculiar crafts are then driven into the Charles River (don't worry, they float!) for the remaining half-hour cruise.

And leave it to the Bostonians to think of everything... If you are concerned about the weather, just look to the beacon on top of the John Hancock building. There is a rhyme to help remember what the lights mean:

Steady blue, clear view
Flashing blue, clouds due
Steady red, rain ahead
Flashing red, snow instead

Sources:
( http://www.boston-travel-services.com/ )

( http://www.lonelyplanet.com )

( http://www.cityofboston.gov )

( http://www.bostoncitylinks.com/boston.html )