While it may feel overly academic to visit a library on vacation, a trip to the BPL need not feel like a chore. Situated on one side of the impressively imposing Copley Square (which also houses Trinity Church) the library was designed by the New York firm McKim, Mead, and White and opened in 1895 (a Philip Johnson-designed addition was added in 1972). Noteworthy features include several vast murals by prominent artists, including a series by John Singer Sargent, and an Italian Renaissance-inspired interior courtyard with bubbling fountains and arched pathways.

• 1. Boston Public Library
  700 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116; 617-536-5400 42.349493-71.079011 bpl.org