F.A.O. Schwartz Bear
All that is left of a once thriving F.A.O. Schwartz toy store on Boylston Street is a 12-foot tall, 3-ton bronze teddy bear. The iconic sculpture, created by local artist Robert Shure, was donated to the City of Boston after the toy store closed its doors in early 2004. Seven thousand suggestions for a new location for the sculpture came pouring in from all over the world, and in the end the bear was moved to the Floating Hospital for Children at New England Medical Center. The statue was installed in its new home in November of 2004.
Location: 755 Washington St., Boston
Public Transportation: Tufts-New England Medical Center (Orange Line)
Cost and Hours: Free, open 24 hours/day

Boston Marathon Finish Line
You don’t have to run the 26.2-mile course to cross the official Boston Marathon finish line. Held on the third Monday of every April (which is also Patriots Day), "Marathon Monday" is an unofficial holiday for many in the city. People line the course to cheer on world-class runners and to celebrate themselves. The route winds through Boston suburbs and neighborhoods and finishes on Boylston Street right in front of the Boston Public Library. The finish line spans Boylston Street, and gradually fades each year before being re-painted again in April.
Location: Boylston Street, Back Bay, Boston
Public Transportation: Copley (Green Line)
Cost and Hours: Free, open 24 hours/day

The Boston University Bridge
True, there are many bridges in Boston, but this bridge offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity. It's believed to be the only place in America where, simultaneously, a plane can fly over car driving over a train traveling over a boat. Watch out below (and above)! And while you're there, you can check out the often witty graffiti painted on the train bridge by local college rowing teams.
Location: Commonwealth Ave. and Brookine St., Allston
Public Transportation: BU East (Green Line)
Cost and Hours: Free, open 24 hours/day

Citgo Sign
This 60’ by 60’ neon wonder that stands above Kenmore Square is a local icon. It contains more than five miles of neon tubing, and it's lit from dusk to midnight most nights. You can get a good view from Commonwealth Avenue, just outside of Kenmore Square, or from inside nearby Fenway Park, where the sign is visible over the famous Green Monster. (Globe file photo)
Location: Kenmore Square, Boston
Public Transportation: Kenmore (Green Line)
Cost and Hours: Free, open 24 hours/day

Arthur Fiedler's Giant Head
If you're walking on the Esplanade (the park along the Boston side of the Charles River), stop and visit the Arthur Fiedler statue. Fiedler spent 50 years conducting the world-renowned Boston Pops orchestra, and he introduced free outdoor concerts at the nearby Hatch Shell during the summer. One of those concerts, in 1976, set a Guinness World Records for the largest audience (400,000) to attend a classical music concert.
Location: The Esplanade, Boston
Public Transportation: Charles/MGH, Boston
Cost and Hours: Free, open 24 hours/day