There is a lot to see in Boston, but in planning
a visit to the area, one may want to take time to explore the many
famous attractions that surround the greater Boston area. Some of
these attractions are just minutes outside the main travel corridors,
others may take some time in getting there, but all are well worth
a visit.
-
Brewster - Located on the north side of the cape just before
the elbow.
- Cape Cod Museum of Natural History -
Route 6 A / Brewster / 508-896-3867
Cape Cod National Seashore - Located
from the elbow north along the eastern side of the cape to the northern
tip, the National Seashore has 27,000 acres of protected forest and
pristine beaches with hiking trails.
Chatham - Situated at the elbow, the town is the site of the
Chatham Light.
Hyannis - Located on the south side of the cape about mid way
to the elbow.
- Cape Cod Melody Tent - 21 West Main Street
/ Hyannis / 508-775-9100 / $
- John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum - 397
Main Street / Hyannis / 508-790-3077
- John F. Kennedy Memorial - Ocean Street
/ Hyannis Harbor
Provincetown - Situated on the northern
tip of Cape Cod, the town is accessible by ferry from the Boston waterfront
and Plymouth. Adventuresome drivers may want to explore the whole
Cape by driving to Provincetown down Route 6. Site of the Pilgrims
first landing, the town also has a thriving art colony.
- Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum
- High Pole Hill / 508-487-1310
Site of the first landing, a granite tower lets viewers see the
surrounding area, artifacts of the towns history are on display.
- Provincetown Art Association and Museum of
Art - 460 Commercial Street / 508-487-1750
Exhibitions of art, classes and lectures are offered.
- 40 miles southeast of Boston off Route 3
One of the earliest settlements in the region dating back to 1630,
the town of Sandwich was later known for its superb glassworks and
now hosts a museum on Americana.
- Heritage Plantation of Sandwich - 67
Grove Street / 508-888-3300 / $
The Museum is composed of a diverse collection of Americana including
antique cars, a 1912 carousel, an art and military collection.
Open daily at 10 am to 5 pm from mid-May to late October. In July
the annual Vintage & Classic Car Show is held.
- Sandwich Glass Museum - 129 Main Street
/ 508-888-0251 / $
Exhibits of Sandwich glass made locally from 1825 to 1888.
- Thornton W. Burgess Museum & Green Briar
Patch Nature Center - 4 Water Street / 508-888-6870
/ $ Home of children’s author and wildlife conservationist,
Thornton Burgess who wrote America’s own Peter Rabbit and
the Briar Patch and the Mother West Wind stories.
-Located directly south of Bourne and Plymouth, Woods Hole is on a
peninsula situated between Buzzard’s Bay and Nantucket Sound
and is a convenient location to catch the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard.
- NOAA Fisheries Science Aquarium - Albatross
& Water Streets / Woods Hole / 508-495-2000
Harborside aquarium, touch tanks and outdoor seals are some of
the attractions at this aquarium.
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- Woods Hole / 508-289-2252
The world’s largest private oceanographic institution is
located here on the south west tip of the Cape.
- 7 Eda Avenue / South Carver / Massachusetts / 508-866-8190 /
$
An old-fashioned-style amusement park with a turn of the century flare,
Edaville offers great family entertainment at a bit slower pace than
most of today’s theme parks. A carousel, children’s rides,
paddleboats and a museum are part of the highlights, however it’s
the train rides that bring visitors back again and again. An hour
south of Boston, 8 miles west of Plymouth, Edaville is open from spring
through the Christmas holidays weather permitting.
Located 40 miles northeast of Boston, Gloucester today may be best
known as the poignant backdrop for the true-to-life drama of “The
Perfect Storm”, a noted book and motion picture of the
last decade. The oldest seaport in the nation, Gloucester is still
a major fishing center, whose trade has remained an area livelihood
for over 350 years. On the waterfront promenade, one can glimpse the
statue of a mariner honoring those “who go down to the sea in
ships”. The town has several museums and a vibrant art colony
which has been a haven for artists for well over a century. For outdoor
activity, several great beaches are situated in the area, boat rentals,
fishing charters and whale watching excursions are available.
- Cape Ann Historical Museum - 27 Pleasant
Street / 978-283-0455 / $
Housing the largest collection of paintings of 19th artist Fitz
Hugh Lane, the museum is in a Federal period home and also contains
works of Winslow Homer and Maurice Prendergrast. Maritime and
Fisheries galleries contain boats, ship models and artifacts of
the fishing trade. / Open March through January
- Hammond Castle Museum - 80 Hesperus Avenue
/ 978-283-2080 / $
John Hays Hammond, Jr. built his dream castle in 1926. A medieval
design, the stone structure is furnished in proper “castle
attire”, houses works of art. In the collection is “Norman’s
Woe Rock” that inspired Longfellow’s poem “The
Wreck of the Hesperus”. / Open year round, closed two weeks
in October
- Rocky Neck - East Main Street /
An artist colony that inspired such painters as Cecilia Beaux,
Winslow Homer, Jane Peter and Maurice Prendergrast still flourishes
today in Gloucester. Galleries line the street and are open most
days during the summer months.
- Sargent House Museum - 49 Middle Street
/ 978-281-2432 / $
Built in 1782, this Georgian House furnished in period pieces,
was the home to Judith Sargent Murray and her husband John. John
Murray founded Universalism in America, Judith was a writer and
activist and the great, great aunt of John Singer Sargent whose
works hang in the home.
- Located 45 minutes north of Boston’s city center, the city
has a national park devoted to the rich history of Lowell’s 19th
century industrial complex. Other points of interest include the Whistler
House Museum of Art, the Brush Art Gallery, New England Quilt
Museum and the Brott Cotton Mills Museum.
- Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center
- 246 Market Street / Lowell / Massachusetts / 978-970-5000
/ Free Begin at the visitor center and then go onto the American
Textile History Museum to learn the history of Lowell.
- East Chop to West Chop and from Gay Head to Edgartown, this tourist
destination is most often visited by ferry out of Woods Hole or Falmouth.
Discovered in 1602, the island was the site of a Methodist campground
in the mid 1800s and since then has become an upscale summer destination.
Points of interest include the Flying Horse Carousel, Vineyard
Haven, Edgartown, the Old Whaling Church and West Tisbury.
For attraction specifics contact the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber
of Commerce / 508-693-0085
- Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour & Gift Shop
- 221 Daniel Webster Highway / Merrimack / 603-595-1202 / Free
New England and the world’s largest brewery, Anheuser-Busch
offers free tours of the brewing process as well as visits to
Clydesdale Hamlet where visitors of all ages can get their picture
taken with a Clydesdale. A Gift Shop and Hospitality Room are
also on premises.
- The best bet is to leave your car behind when ferrying
over to Nantucket, foot traffic and bikes are the main transport around
the island. Points of interest include the Nantucket Town,
the Whaling Museum and the spring and Christmas festivals.
For attraction specifics contact the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce
/ 508-228-3643
Located 75 miles directly south of Boston, Newport was the playground
of the rich and famous during America’s Gilded Age. Today the
playground is still decidedly up-scale, but many of the Gilded Age
mansions are open for viewing.
- Newport Mansions of The Preservation Society
- 424 Bellevue Avenue / 401-847-1000 / $
The Preservation Society preserves and protects many of the great
Gilded Age mansions Newport is so famous for, they also shelter
homes from the colonial period such as the Hunter House. Three
centuries of architectural landmarks are open for tours, separate
tickets or multiple house tickets are available. Homes, gardens
and mansions included under the auspices of the society are •
The Breakers • The Breakers Carriage House • Chateau-sur-Mer
• Chepstow • The Elms • Green Animals Topiary Garden
• Hunter House • Isaac Bell House • Kingscote •
Marble House • Rosecliff.
- Astors' Beechwood Mansion - 580 Bellevue
Avenue / 401-846-3772 / $
An oceanfront mansion in Newport is the former home of Caroline
Astor who was known for creating the first American social register.
Preserved in it’s Victorian Era ambience, the home hosts
special events throughout the year.
- 1 Old Sturbridge
Village Road / Sturbridge / Massachusetts / 508-347-3362 / $ /
Open Year-round A re-created village from the 1830s, Old Sturbridge
Village encompasses 200 acres with over 40 buildings open for exhibit.
As one of Americas well-known living history museums, visitors are
immersed into the early 19th century rural life of New England where
artisans, craftsmen and re-enactors demonstrate the skills needed
to survive in an agrarian society. Seasonal and special events are
highlighted, celebrated as they would have been during the era. (Slightly
over an hour west of Boston, south of the conjunction of I-90 and
I-84)
- Plimoth Plantation - Route 3 / Exit 5
/ Plymouth / Massachusetts / 508-746-1622 / $
Founded in 1947 with one house from the historic village, the
“Plantation” is now a recreation of the whole village
as it was in 1627. A living museum the Plimoth Plantation, Inc.
also encompasses a recreated Hobbamock Wampanoag Indian Homesite
and a rebuilt Mayflower II. Visitors will meet up with costumed
actors in period clothing recreating personae of the first settlers
down to the accents and chores. Special events take place throughout
the season which lasts from spring to late November. Some shops
and exhibits are open through December.
- 162 West Main Road / Little Compton / Rhode Island / 401-635-8486
/
Less than an hour and half south of Boston, Sakonnet is open year-round
and offers tours and tastings.
- Located 15 miles north of Boston, Salem has a bit of a wicked history.
However the city makes the best of all of its history with walking
tours, festivals and museums. For specific information contact Destination
Salem - 63 Wharf Street / Salem / Massachusetts / 978-741-3252
/
- House of the Seven Gables - 54 Turner
Street / 978-744-0991 / $ / open July - October
Locally known as the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, the harbor-front
house dates back to 1668 and is considered one of the country’s
best examples of 17th century architecture. The unique structure
of the house inspired Hawthorne to write his novel which gave
the home its most well-known moniker - The House of Seven
Gables. A dramatic evening program based on the book and
called the “Spirits of The Gables” is presented in the
house during certain times of year.
- Peabody Essex Museum - East India Square
/ 800-745-4054 / $
More than two dozen galleries house some of New England’s
extraordinary cultural treasures gathered from around the world.
Art and architecture are two of the main themes of the Peabody
Essex, where historic homes and gardens are part of the offering.
A major expansion is under way which will add 6 new galleries
and an 18th-century Chinese house.
- Salem Wax Museum & Witch Village
- 288 Derby Street / Wax Museum / 978-740-2929 / Witch
Village / 978-740-9229 / $ The museum covers the history
of the witch trials with waxed figures recreating pivotal scenes,
also the maritime history of the area is told through exhibits.
The Witch Village is operated by practicing witches who demonstrate
their craft.
- Salem Witch Museum - Washington
Square / 978-744-1692 / $
The whole story is told in this museum about the witch trials,
accusations and executions. Life-sized figures and venues puts
the visitor into the scenes as they happened. Open daily in July
and August.
- An hour and a half west of Boston, south of I-90 via
I-291 to I-91
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame -
1150 West Columbus Avenue / Springfield /1-877-4-HOOPLA / $
An all new $100 million-plus facility honors the game and its
native son and creator Dr. James Naismith. The exhibits include
interactive activities, artifacts and of course the scoop on all
of the great players and coaches in the world’s favorite
team sport.
- 417 Hixbridge Road / Westport / Massachusetts / 508-636-3423
/ Located on a 110 acre farm, the Westport vineyard and winery
produces several varieties including chardonnay, riesling and champagne.
The winery offers tours and tastings and also encompasses a gift shop
and art gallery. Open daily.
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