View the rest of the Boston travelogue series:
Part I: Introduction
Part II: USS Constitution and the Freedom Trail
Part III: Faneuil Hall Marketplace and the North End
Part IV: Back Bay
Part V: Brookline and President John F. Kennedy
Part VI: Suburbs and Surrounding Area
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and so must this Boston travelogue series. As promised, the final chapter will feature a place very near and dear to my heart, and one about which I could speak all day: Boston College. This school, in addition to being a fine academic institution, is also a center of culture and history.
This school is partially located in Boston — the city line essentially splits the main campus — while the rest is in the neighboring suburb of Newton. There are other campuses, the Newton campus (two miles away from main campus) and Brighton campus (a short walk from main campus). The name of the area where the school is located is called Chestnut Hill, zip code 02467.
Getting there from Boston’s center city is not difficult. Boston College is serviced by the Green-B line of the “T” and is the last stop if you’re riding outbound. It is also not far off of the Mass Pike (Interstate 90); one would exit the highway at Exit 17, go south on Center Street, and take Commonwealth Avenue east until reaching the school. If driving there from the city, taking Commonwealth Avenue west will get you there.
One thing for which the school is famous is its Neogothic architecture. Notably, the centerpiece of the campus is Gasson Hall, originally opened in 1913, will celebrate its centennial next year. It underwent major exterior renovations for several years, ending in the late 2000s. In the early 2010s, Boston College added further bells and whistles to Gasson, including complete exterior illumination; seeing the building lit up at night in purely-bright white light is a stunning visual. Other examples of this kind of architecture include Devlin Hall, the admissions building, which lies next to Gasson, and Bapst Library.
Inside Devlin is an attraction which gets plenty of outside attention: the McMullen Museum of Art. This is located directly beyond the admissions office and is free and open to the public. In addition to inanimate work of arts, BC’s visual arts are also on display at the Robsham Theater, which has been open to the public since 1981.
Finally, for those interested in such things, there are plenty of sporting events to take in at BC. Boston College is the only major-conference program in the area, and college sports fans can see the football team play at Alumni Stadium, while the basketball and hockey teams play at the adjoining Conte Forum. The men’s hockey team in particular is elite and quite popular, having recently won national championships in 2008 and 2010.
(Next page: more sights on campus)
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