Premiering in the U.K. in 2012, super-producer Cameron Mackintosh’s new version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera was, as expected, a record-breaking hit. Now that the blockbuster musical has embarked on a U.S. tour, it was inevitable that it would stop at Boston’s own lush and lavish Opera House in the Theatre District.

Step back in time by visiting the Boston area sites most closely associated with the birth of the United States of America.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is one of Boston’s true masterpieces. More than a jewel for visitors, it’s a treasure trove. “It is a window to the past,” says Dr. Christina Nielsen, curator of the collection and director of program planning, “and in some ways feels like a time capsule, like you’ve traveled back in time and can see and experience the vision of a creative individual who lived in a very different era.”

The sight of the 221-foot Bunker Hill Monument is no doubt a familiar one to many Bostonians. What is less certain, however, is if even locals know the real story behind this monument and the Revolutionary War battle that it commemorates.

The Langham Hotel, Boston is your ticket to the lap of luxury in the heart of the Financial District, and is also where concierge Daymeyn Gantt brings his brilliant talents to light. Daymeyn gives guest's the dish on the beauty of walking along Harvard Bridge, the VIP treatment, and how to make the most of a day on the town.

While discovering Boston’s museums can keep you busy for weeks, take the time to go beyond city limits and explore Massachusett’s vibrant art and culture institutions. Here are six museums just a short trek away.

The USS Constitution was one of the first ships commissioned for the U.S. Navy, and the oldest naval vessel afloat today. Built at Edmond Hartt’s shipyard in Boston, Joshua Humphreys and Josiah Fox

Brush up on everything from art and history to science and nature at 10 of Boston’s most illustrious repositories of knowledge.