An Off-The-Map Guide To JFK in Boston

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, Massachusetts © Marcio Silva | Dreamstime

President John F. Kennedy’s legacy continues to inspire around the globe, and only Boston can claim to be the first stomping ground of one of the mostinfluential leaders in American history. Walking around town, you’ll stumble across little-known sites from the unassuming home where he was born to his restaurant booth, but first, let’s start off somewhere grand and iconic.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Located in South Boston, the JFK Presidential Library and Museum is a 10-acre facility dedicated to preserving the life and times of the 35th American president. Permanent exhibits include a walk through his campaign trail and the history of the Space Race, while special exhibits include an up-close-and-personal look at Kennedy’s life on nearby Cape Cod.

Union Oyster House, Boston, Massachusetts © Chris schmich | Flickr

The Kennedy Booth at Union Oyster House

One of Kennedy’s favorite places to dine out was at America’s oldest oyster bar. He had a favorite booth in the upstairs dining room, which is today dedicated in his honor and marked by a plaque, designating it “The Kennedy Booth.”

John F. Kennedy Birthplace

The suburban Brookline home where John F. Kennedy was born and raised is now a National Historic Landmark, open for daily visitation. After JFK’s death, the Kennedy family purchased the Beals Street house and turned it into a memorial to the late president’s legacy. Rose Kennedy arranged the furnishings, photographs and other mementoes.

John F. Kennedy Campaign Headquarters © Sharon Mollerus | Flickr

JFK Memorial Statue at the Massachusetts State House

A bronze homage to John F. Kennedy stands in the courtyards surrounding the gold-domed Massachusetts State House, immortalizing the late president as forever striving forward. The plaza where it stands was closed to public access after 9/11, but you can see the statue as an attendee of an official statehouse tour.

Portrait of John F. Kennedy by Jamie Wyeth at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The Portrait of John. F Kennedy (1967), one of American painter Jamie Wyeth’s most iconic images, was recently acquired by the MFA in Boston. Jacqueline and Robert Kennedy approached Wyeth to paint the portrait posthumously. It is currently on tour with Jamie Wyeth’s first retrospective, which ends in October 2015.