Boston, Tuesday, Day Two : Tiffany Windows, Museum of Fine arts, the tea party museum, and evening adventures

The Arlington Street Church, just around the corner from our hotel, has what is believed to be the largest collection of Tiffany stained glass windows in any one church.  It is currently one of the many Unitarian Universalist Churches in the Boston area.

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts American Wing tells the story of our nation's art in painting, sculpture and decorative arts.  A glass atrium joins the two wings.  Shown here are John Singleton Copley's Watson and the Shark and Joan Mitchell's Chamonix.

The Tea Party Museum is at the site of the original Boston Tea Party the night of December 16, 1773.  A replica of one of the ships with life size figures and live actors made for an authentic experience.  The loose tea was packed in 342 wooden boxes on three ships and took the men (exact number unknown) three hours to dump into the harbor.  The ship's captain (portrayed seated at his desk in his quarters on board ship) gave the Sons of Liberty permission to dump the tea, provided they did not touch the other cargo.   Our group enjoyed tea and pastries afterwards.

We strolled Faneuil Hall Marketplace then dined at Union Oyster House, offering chowder and New England seafood standards since 1826.

The Boston Public Library, by McKim, Mead and White, completed by 1895, is particularly enchanting at night.  The  John Singer Sargent murals on the third floor gallery ceiling are arguably his finest work.  The gallery is huge:  84 feet long, 23 feet wide and 26 feet high.