As the oldest surviving public building in Boston, the Old State House has seen a remarkable amount of history since its creation in 1713. Over the past 300 years, the Old State House, or “Towne House” as it is sometimes called, has been home to some of Boston’s biggest historical moments, including the Boston Massacre.

It’s probably no coincidence that the Museum of Fine Arts is hosting the exhibit Magna Carta: Cornerstone of Liberty right around the Fourth of July holiday, as many are celebrating the origins of America’s independence.

Even prior to former Boston Mayor Tom Menino dubbing the South Boston waterfront the Innovation District, the Hub was a center of progressive ideas. Innovation has long been a part of the city’s fabric dating back to its very beginnings. Here’s just a small sampling of sites associated with some of the more prominent Boston firsts.

Celebrating its 41st year, the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular is more explosive and remarkable than ever. Having recently won a New England Emmy Award, the Fireworks Spectacular continues to entertain hundreds of thousands each year.

Boston happily plays host to many talented musical performers and groundbreaking theatrical acts, and the next two weeks see some real crowd-pleasers. We've got groovy chart-topping classics, a Grammy Award-winner, and a magical mix of stage shows featuring vampires, the Brothers Grimm, and mysterious goddess-worshipping islands.

Provincetown, or “Ptown” as it’s more affectionately known, has been a popular destination for longer than most people imagine. When the Pilgrims first landed here on the Mayflower in 1620 prior to their more famous landing in Plymouth, they stayed for five weeks before moving on to form a more permanent settlement across Massachusetts Bay.

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.