It’s always nice to have a souvenir from a city you have visited that you can’t get anywhere else. The memento serves as a way to remember your time there, and it can be a conversation starter when friends ask you about it back home. And, of course, local gifts make great presents for others.
Here are some of our recommended gifts from Boston, whether you or someone in your life is a sports fan, foodie or history buff.
Make Way for Ducklings Book
If there is a more beloved Boston-centric book for kids than Make Way for Ducklings, we don’t know what it is. This picture book, written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey, was first published in 1941 and was such a huge hit that a sculpture of its characters, a pair of mallards and their brood of ducklings, was later installed in the Public Garden. Every Mother’s Day, there is a Duckling Day parade, and on special occasions, the sculptures are dressed up in appropriate finery. Find it in most Boston bookstores, like the charming Beacon Hill Books & Café.
Paul Revere House Memento
Sooner or later, every visitor walks along the city’s famous Freedom Trail, and one of the attractions along it is Paul Revere’s home. Revere purchased it in 1770 and lived there when he made his famous ride. After touring the historic site, peruse the museum’s gift shop, where you can find an excellent selection of Boston- and Revere-centric reads, ornaments, charms, games and more.
Boston Tea
The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is a wonderful interactive attraction offering an overview of this pivotal moment in our nation’s history. Once you’ve thrown tea overboard and chatted with costumed interpreters, you can enjoy a real cup of tea and tasty treats at the museum’s Abigail’s Tea Room. After that, pick up some bespoke blended black tea made exclusively for the tea room. Available as either loose leaf or pyramid tea bags, it comes in a keepsake tin.
MBTA Swag
Those who know Boston know it’s best to forgo a car to get around and, instead, take the “T,” Boston’s mass transit system. Opened in 1897, the country’s first subway system makes it easy to get around the relatively small footprint of the city quickly. Once you’re done riding, find anything from a magnet of a 1940s streetcar to maps of the subway depicting the system from as early as 1916 at the official MBTA gift shop in Cambridge. Transit-themed puzzles, T-shirts, stickers and even pajamas are also available.
Union Oyster House Cookbook
Established in 1826, the Union Oyster House has been designated the oldest continually run restaurant and oyster bar in the United States by the National Park Service. It’s a must for any first-time visitor who revels in its rich history or who wants to eat an authentic Boston meal. After your fill of oysters and classic New England clam chowder and broiled scrod (a filleted cod or haddock), head to the restaurant’s gift shop and grab its cookbook to re-create the dishes at home.
Sports Regalia
Boston is such a sport-crazed town. You can find official team gear at various home stadiums and at shops and vendors all around the city. Want to pick up a Red Sox hat, Bruins socks or a Patriots hoodie? No problem. Almost anything you can imagine — it doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a blanket, drinking glass or even a cooler celebrating the Celtics’ 2024 NBA Finals victory on it — is on offer.
MFA, Boston Exhibit Posters & More
The world-class Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is an iconic place to enjoy a vast collection of art from around the world. It also holds special exhibitions, with limited items for sale in its gift shop themed to the exhibits, such as tote bags, ornaments and cards. You can also pick up posters and other products tied to permanent exhibits. Whatever captures your imagination at the museum, you can find something in the shop to remember it by.
Gurgling Cod Pitcher
Practical, whimsical and historic all in one, the gurgling cod pitcher has to top the list for unusual souvenirs. First created in 1964 by local jewelers Shreve, Crump & Low, the gurgling cods were modeled after a traditional English “glug jug.” When you pour water out of the pitcher, it releases a gurgling sound. Part of what makes these particular pitchers unique are their anatomically correct fish fins, gills and scales. The one-of-a-kind memento comes in green, red, blue, white, sea foam or gray.
Converse Sneakers
Did you know that Converse was launched in 1908 in Malden, Massachusetts? Today, its Converse flagship store is on Lovejoy Wharf, within steps of TD Garden. A cool program at the store allows you to design your sneakers however you like. Friendly designers can help you choose styles, colors, patches, wording, laces and other materials to make your shoes unique.
Art at the Boston Public Market
The non-profit Boston Public Market, located downtown, offers a variety of products made in Massachusetts or the New England area from approximately 30 vendors. While food is the market’s main attraction, local artisans are also featured. One vendor manages to celebrate both art and food. Artist Laurel Greenfield has paintings, prints and murals of food from New England and beyond. So, if you want more than just a fond memory of eating a lobster roll, you can also take home a print of one.
