Boston
The educational playground that is the Museum of Science has more than 600 interactive exhibits. Favorites include the world’s largest lightning-bolt…
Must-see attractions in Massachusetts
South Shore
Three miles south of Plymouth center, Plimoth Plantation authentically re-creates the Pilgrims’ settlement in its primary exhibit, entitled 1627 English…
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Massachusetts
If you walk south on Lafayette from Derby St, you'll find yourself on the other side of the tracks (or river, in this case). Welcome to El Punto, or ‘The…
Cape Cod
Cape Cod National Seashore extends some 40 miles around the curve of the Outer Cape and encompasses the Atlantic shoreline from Orleans all the way to…
Boston
Boston has become a focal point for contemporary art in the 21st century, with the Institute of Contemporary Art leading the way. The building is a work…
Martha's Vineyard
Oak Bluffs started out in the mid-19th century as a summer retreat by a revivalist church, whose members enjoyed a day at the beach as much as a gospel…
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Massachusetts
All of the art, artifacts and curiosities that Salem merchants brought back from the Far East were the foundation for this museum. Founded in 1799, it is…
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Nantucket
One of the island's highlights, this evocative museum occupies an 1847 spermaceti (whale oil) candle factory and the excellent exhibits relive Nantucket's…
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Cape Cod
The Salt Pond Visitor Center is the place to start exploring the National Seashore – and it has a great view to boot. Here you'll find exhibits and short…
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South Shore
If Plymouth Rock tells us little about the Pilgrims, Mayflower II speaks volumes. Climb aboard this replica of the small ship in which the Pilgrims made…
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Boston
Dating from 1713, the Old State House is Boston’s oldest surviving public building, where the Massachusetts Assembly used to debate the issues of the day…
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South End & Chinatown
What used to be an abandoned parking lot beneath the interstate is now an 8-acre playground and art space. The main draw is the fantastic mural project,…
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South Shore
Claiming to be the oldest continually operating public museum in the country, Pilgrim Hall Museum was founded in 1824. Its exhibits are not reproductions…
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Martha's Vineyard
Virtually unchanged since it appeared in the movie Jaws 40 years ago, Menemsha is a relaxing outpost to explore. Basin Rd borders a harbor of fishing…
Boston
Teeming with sea creatures of all sizes, shapes and colors, this giant fishbowl is the centerpiece of downtown Boston's waterfront. There are countless…
Boston
Longfellow’s poem 'Paul Revere’s Ride' has immortalized this graceful church. It was here, on the night of April 18, 1775, that the sexton hung two…
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Cape Cod
Fun for kids and adults alike, the 100-acre Heritage Museums & Gardens sports a superb vintage automobile collection in a Shaker-style round barn, an…
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Cape Cod
Nearly 50 historic sea captains' homes are lined up along MA 6A (the Old King's Hwy) in Yarmouth Port, on a 1.5-mile stretch known as the Captains' Mile…
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Cape Cod
Hyannis has been the summer home of the Kennedy clan for generations. Back in the day, JFK spent the warmer months here – times that are beautifully…
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Nantucket
More than just the public library, this stately Greek Revival edifice is a sight in itself. The 2nd-floor Great Hall has hosted such notables as Ralph…
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Nantucket
Welcoming ferries into Nantucket Harbor, this lighthouse was established in 1746 and is still in operation. It's quite tiny (only 26ft), but impossibly…
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Nantucket
Everyone comes to this church, which traces its roots to the early 1700s, for the eagle-eye view from the top of the steeple. It's well worth the 94-step…
Boston
Tucked into Franklin Park, the zoo features a half-dozen different habitats, as well as special exhibits devoted to birds and butterflies. The highlight…
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Massachusetts
Stellwagen Bank is 842 sq miles of open ocean rich in marine life. The area was declared a National Marine Sanctuary in 1992 to conserve the area's…
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Massachusetts
The most poignant site in Salem is the Witch Trials Memorial, a quiet park behind the Peabody Essex Museum, where simple stones are inscribed with the…
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Massachusetts
Contained within the Peabody Essex Museum, this 16-room Chinese house was shipped to the museum from China's southeastern Huizhou region.
Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
Boston
'Boston Harbor a teapot tonight!' To protest against unfair taxes, a gang of rebellious colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into the water. The 1773…
Boston
Dating from 1848, Forest Hills is a gorgeous, green cemetery that is filled with art and whimsy. It is still an active burial ground, but it also plays…
Massachusetts
Georges Island is one of the transportation hubs for the Boston Harbor Islands. It is also the site of Fort Warren, a 19th-century fort and Civil War…
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South Shore
The Adams family sights are accessible by guided tours departing from the Adams National Historic Park Visitor Center. Every half-hour (until 3:15pm),…
Massachusetts
Designated a National Recreation Area, the Boston Harbor Islands consist of 34 islands with sandy beaches and hiking trails. Since the massive cleanup of…
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South Shore
‘You sank my battleship!’ This cry was ne’er heard aboard the mighty USS Massachusetts, a hulk of a craft that survived 35 battles in WWII, gunning down…
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Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
Massachusetts
This 4662-acre sanctuary occupies the southern three-quarters of Plum Island. More than 800 species of bird, plant and animal reside in its many…
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Massachusetts
Historic buildings from throughout the region have been moved to this site to re-create a New England town from the 1830s, with 40 restored structures…
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Edward M Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate
Boston
Ted Kennedy served in the US Senate for nearly half a century. It is fitting, therefore, that his legacy should include an institute and museum designed…
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Massachusetts
This museum was established in 1976 as a local repository for all of the shipbuilding artifacts of Essex residents. The fascinating collections of photos,…
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Boston
‘No tax on tea!’ That was the decision on December 16, 1773, when 5000 angry colonists gathered here to protest British taxes, leading to the Boston Tea…
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John F Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Boston
The legacy of JFK is ubiquitous in Boston, but the official memorial to the 35th president is the presidential library and museum – a striking, modern,…
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Cape Cod
All roads lead to the National Seashore's Coast Guard Beach. The main road from the Salt Pond Visitor Center deposits you here, as do cycling and hiking…
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Massachusetts
Six miles of trails wind along old carriageways, past ancient stonewall property markers and through acres of grasslands. Farm friends dot the pastures,…
