Sometimes the best waterfront attraction can be just a place to chill.

The 3-mile-long, 65-acre Esplanade is the perfect spot for that. Plenty of benches, just watch out for the geese.

This museum, which has roots stretching back to the early 1800s, includes more than 700 interactive exhibits as well as a planetarium and IMAX films.

The Navy's oldest commissioned ship, "Old Ironsides,” is open for tours.

Visitors can also check out the neighboring museum dedicated to the heavy frigate first launched in 1797.

Incredibly interactive, right down to costumed performers and a replica of an 18th-century ship, this museum is about all things Revolutionary (capital R).

It’s also part of a very vibrant waterfront area in general in Boston.

A staggering variety of marine life calls the aquarium home, starting with the seals you can see even before you pay admission (hint, hint).

The museum itself dates from 1936, but this striking iteration right on the water opened in 2006.

As the name suggests, the ICA is all about contemporary art and design.

The five bastions of the old Fort Independence dominate this 22-acre state park. There is also plenty of greenspace as well as a long run of the Harborwalk.

Plus, Castle Island connects easily with the JFK library area via Marine Park and Carson Beach.

The peninsula is partly in Boston, partly in Winthrop, and is entirely a piece of a national park covering the Harbor Islands.

There is a 2.6-mile pathway along the waterfront and a further two miles of trails on the hills farther inland.

Deer Island also hosts a remarkable wastewater treatment facility, which is open for tours.