Make the most of your next ladies night in Boston. The days of spending endless hours at a crowded bar with your girlfriends trying to get the attention of a busy bartender are over. We all know that your time is worth more than that and we should be chasing experiences instead!
Since 2020 is the Year of Activities (I just made that up, but why not?), here are some great options for hitting the streets of one of the birth places of modern America! History, beautiful architecture, fun drinks, and some awesome bonding time await you!
For The Ladies Night For the Party Queen
The Donkey Show
OBERON at the American Repertory Theater, 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge, MA
This experience is 90 minutes of wild, 1970s-themed, interactive theater (based on A Midsummer’s Night Dream… here are the Spark notes, you slacker) followed by a totally fun dance party under spinning disco balls. The Donkey Show has been running for almost 10 years, so it has some serious longevity behind it!
Added bonus: The name of this event suggestion might elicit some shock from your friends who know the Urban Dictionary definition – which we’re not linking here because we don’t want to corrupt you, so you’ll have to look it up.
For the Do-Gooders
Orientation at Boston Cares
They don’t give you the address until you sign up, but it’s located on the West End.
Ladies night means different things to different people. Maybe you’re a born do-gooder or, if you’re like us, you have a lot to atone for (::blesses myself::). Why not take your friends and do the orientation for Boston Cares, which runs anywhere between two and 17 volunteer events A DAY. They have 11,000 volunteers on their roster and, in 2018, managed to donate over 70,000 people hours to varying programs around Boston!
For The Girls Who Love History Nerds
Brews & Clues
We’re biased, but Brews & Clues is a super fun way to see the city and have a great time with your friends! The tour is part scavenger hunt, part trivia, and part pub crawl and it runs at your pace! You can work as a team to answer questions or compete and have the loser buy a round at the next stop on our Freedom Trail tour!
Every stop on the tour serves food, including some that have serious accolades like being voted in Lonely Planet’s ‘500 Best Restaurants in the World’ for 2018. There’s pub snacks, lobster rolls, and anything else you could want for this awesome event!
For the Ladies Who Craft
The Paint Bar
Paint and Sips have become pretty popular over the last few years, but this one has a bar inside! Ticket pricing for the painting lesson and all materials is always affordable and, with two different locations, you should easily find one of the options convenient.
You also know what you’ll be painting in advance! Pay homage to your city with options like “Boston Common Walk” and “Sailing on the Charles River” or you can go on one of their specialty theme nights! A recent event included painting your own margarita glass for Cinco de Mayo.
For the Wholesome
Alice’s Table
Trying to avoid making your friend, her friend, or her mom that tagged along blush? Try flower arranging because there’s nothing controversial about flowers (except the stamen). Some events are accompanied by brunch or a cheese plate, a calligraphy lesson, or even a barre class – and the hardest decision you’ll have to make is wreaths or a vase of peonies. Although, you know peonies are the best flower out there… uh oh, we just made this controversial, didn’t we?
For the Foodies
Create Your Own Seafood Crawl
New England is known for its stellar seafood options, so why not create a three-course meal while testing out some neighborhood favorites! These restaurants are all within a few blocks of each other, so it’ll be easy to transition. Take ladies night on the go with these three hot spots for stellar seafood.
Pauli’s North End, 65 Salem Street, Boston, MA 02113 to
Union Oyster House, 41 Union St, Boston, MA 02108 to
Neptune Oyster, 63 Salem Street, Boston, MA 02113
First, head to Neptune Oyster and put your name on the list. There’s almost always a wait (sometimes it’s a few hours), but trust us, it’s worth it. Then head out for course #1 while you wait for a spot to open up at Neptune’s.
Course #1:
At Pauli’s – Lobster rolls! Depending on your hunger, there are three sizes of rolls here. They don’t have a full restaurant, so get takeout and walk the 8 minutes to Langone Park and eat your sandwiches on a bench overlooking the water.
Course #2:
At Union Oyster House – this place consistently shows up on the list of best chowders in the city with a clam and a fish option. It also happens to be the oldest restaurant on the Freedom Trail, founded under the name Atwood & Bacon in 1826. Grab a bowl and go on to stop 3.
Course #3:
Hopefully, your spot is waiting for you now at Neptune. When you arrive, you’ll find an array of East (bigger and saltier, like the people) and West (smaller and sweeter) Coast oysters. The selection changes daily and there are always affordable options.
