This house is the headquarters of the Peabody Historical Society & Museum. Each room of the house features displays relating to Peabody's historic past. The society maintains a large collection of clothing, jewelry and accessories of the Victorian era. The Ruth Hill Library contains an extensive collection of books, maps, manuscripts, photographs and records pertinent to the city of Peabody's history from the earliest times. The library is open to the public for research every Tuesday evening, Wednesday afternoon or by special appointment. The Military Room contains artifacts of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War I and II. The Children's Room offers a special hands-on experience for youngsters.

Glen Magna Farms
Ingersoll Street
Danvers, MA 01923
Phone: 978-774-9165 978-777-1666-garden tour

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Mansion built in the 19th century features decorative gardens and a teahouse.
Hours: Gardens open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-dusk; Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to noon. A guided tour of the house and gardens is offered May-July. Reservations required. Fee charged.

Golden Ball Tavern
662 Boston Post Road
Weston, MA
Phone: 617-894-1751

This 18th century house, once a tavern, is now home to an archaeological museum. Exhibits focus on the Jones family, who for six generations owned the property.

Gore Place
52 Gore Street
Waltham, MA
Phone: 617-894-2798

Gore Place is the early 18oos estate of Massachusetts Governor Christopher Gore. The mansion has been called the Monticello of the North and architectural historians consider it to be the most significant Federal period mansion in New England. The mansion and its farm are available for guided tours year-round. A calendar of events includes the April Sheepshearing Festival and the summer music series, Concerts in the Carriage House.

Gropius House
68 Baker Bridge Road
Lincoln, MA
Phone: 617-259-8843

Gropius, a reknowned modern architect, lived in this home. On exhibit are numerous Bauhaus furnishings and pieces of modern art. There is an admission charge.

Hamilton Hall
9 Chestnut Street
Salem, MA
Phone: 508-744-0805

Federalist meeting house, built in 1805. No admission fee.

Hancock-Clarke House
36 Hancock Street
Lexington, MA
Phone: 617-861-0928

Where was Paul Revere headed the night he made his famous ride? To this house! Colonial structure is open seasonally. There is an admission charge.

Haverhill Historical Society
240 Water Street
Haverhill, MA
Phone: 508-374-4626

Exhibits feature antique glassware, dolls, and home furniture and items. Of particular interest is a collection of Native American artifacts. There is an admission fee.

Heard House Museum
54 South Main Street
Ipswich, MA 01938
Phone: 978-356-2811

Open: Memorial Day through Columbus Day, Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.– 3 p.m.; Sunday 1-3 p.m.

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Built in 1800, this home contains a collection of antique furniture from China and Colonial America. Visitors will also find a display of carriages. Admission charge.

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Israel Putnam House
431 Maple Street
Danvers, MA 01923
Phone: 978-777-1666

Open: June through September, Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m.

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The Danvers Museum at the Israel Putnam House contains exhibits on local and regional history. Then known as Salem Village, the principal events of the witchcraft tragedy of 1692 occurred in Danvers. In the 19th century, the town became famous for its agricultural output, including the Danvers Globe Onion and the Danvers Half-Long Carrot. The Putnam House features a museum store. Self-guided tour maps of historic sites in Danvers, including sites related to the witchcraft tragedy, are available free of charge. Admission charge.

Jeremiah Lee Mansion
161 Washington Street
Marblehead, MA 01945
Phone: 617-631-1069

Beauty and history

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Stroll through the historic gardens at this 1768 mansion. The site also features exhibits of military and maritime items, antique children’s toys and furnishings, and examples of decorative arts from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Hours: June through October, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fee charged.

John Greenleaf Whittier Birthplace
Route 110
Haverhill, MA
Phone: 617-373-3979

John Greenleaf Whittier, one of America's best known poets, was born and lived in this in the early part of his life. Exhibits feature Whittier's works and history, as well as 19th century furniture and items. There is an admission charge.

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John Greenleaf Whittier Home
86 Friend Street
Amesbury, MA
Phone: 508-388-1337

Whittier lived and worked in this home for 56 years. The original furnishing remain intact and are on display. Open seasonally. There is an admission charge.

John Hale House
39 Hale Street
Beverly, MA
Phone: 508-922-1186

Home to Reverend John Hale, important figure in the infamous witchcraft trials. The house was built in 1694, and features restored 17th century rooms, as well as trial artifacts.

John Whipple House and Garden
53 South Main Street
Ipswich, MA 01938
Phone: 508-356-2811

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The house was built in the 1650s and moved to its present site in the 1920s. With more than 60 authentic Colonial flowers and herbs, the garden in front of the Whipple House represents a traditional housewife’s garden of the 17th century. The plantings are made up mostly of herbs that would be used in cooking and for medicinal purposes.
Hours: May 25-October 22, Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, 1-4 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays by appointment only. Tours begin on the hour. Fee charged.

King Hooper Mansion
8 Hooper Street
Marblehead, MA
Phone: 617-631-2608

This historic home features both historic displays and art exhibits. Admission is free.

Longfellow's Wayside Inn
Route 20
Sudbury, MA
Phone: 978-443-1776

The Inn that inspired Longfellow's Tales of a Wayside Inn. It has been restored to its 18th century original appearance. There is an admission charge.

Lowell National Historical Park
246 Market Street
Lowell, MA
Phone: 508-970-5000

In the 19th century, the city of Lowell was a thriving center of the industrial revolution. This park allows visitors to experience this history, complete with a restored mill, multi-media exhibits, walking tours and summertime barge and trolley rides in the canal. There is no admission charge, but a fee is needed to ride the barge or trolley. Reservations can be made by calling.

Lowell's Boat Shop
459 Main Street
Amesbury, MA
Phone: 508-388-0162

First opened in 1793, this is the oldest, continuously operating boat shop in the country. Admission is free.

Lyman Estate and Greenhouses
185 Lyman Street
Waltham, MA 02452
Phone: 617-893-7232

Go green

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One of the finest examples of a Federal period country estate in America. The mansion, greenhouse complex, and 37 acres of land are owned and maintained by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. The greenhouses, which are typical of structures that adorned landed estates in the 19th and early 20th centuries, shelter grapevines planted in 1870, 100-year-old camellia trees, and other exotic plants.
Hours: Year-round, Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The mansion is open by appointment for group tours.

Lynn Museum & Historical Society
590 Washington St.
Lynn, MA 01901
Phone: 781-581-6200

Open: daily, year-round, noon-4 p.m. daily throughout the year, closed holidays

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Four rooms exhibit items tracing Lynn's history over a span of 100 years, from 1776 to 1876. Admission charge.

Mary Baker Eddy House
277 Main Street
Amesbury, MA
Phone: 508-388-1361

The founder of the Christian Science Church, Eddy lived in this home from 1868 to 1870. Open seasonally. There is an admission charge.

Mary Baker Eddy House
23 Paradise Road
Swampscott, MA
Phone: 617-599-1853

Home where Mary Baker Eddy formulated her ideas, which later led to the founding of the Christian Science Church.

Minute Man National Historical Park
174 Liberty Street
Concord, MA
Phone: 508-369-6993

The starting point for the American Revolution happened here. Visitors will enjoy tours, exhibits and talks. Sites include the Minute Man statue and the North Bridge, site of the first shot fired in the Revolution. Admission is free.

Munroe Tavern
1332 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA
Phone: 617-674-9238

On April 19, 1775 -- the day the American Revolution began, this tavern was the headquarters for General Earl Percy. Open seasonally. There is an admission charge.

National Heritage Museum
33 Marrett Road, Route 2A
Lexington, MA 02421
Phone: 781-861-6559

Open: Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

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American history exhibits; films, shows, and concerts; permanent exhibit on freemasonry and the American Revolution. Admission is free.

Old Manse Concord MA Old Manse
269 Monument Street
Concord, MA 01742
Phone: 978-369-3909
Fax: 978-287-6154

Find your place

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Overlooking the North Bridge, site of the first organized armed resistance of the Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775, this National Historic Landmark was built ca.1770 by the minister, Reverend William Emerson. Emerson's grandson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, first drafted his essay "Nature" while living at the Old Manse. Nathaniel Hawthorne and his bride, Sophia, honeymooned here from 1842 to 1845. Hawthorne named the house in 1846 when a collection of his short stories was published as “Mosses from an Old Manse”. The house contains 200 years of family furnishings, including a Steinway cross-strung grand piano, eighteenth-century Cantonware, William Emerson's clock, and Nathaniel Hawthorne's writing desk.

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Orchard House
399 Lexington Road
Concord, MA
Phone: 978-369-4118

In this 19th century home, Louisa May Alcott lived and wrote Little Women. Tours are offered. There is an admission charge.

Parson Barnard House
179 Osgood Street
North Andover, MA
Phone: 508-686-4035

This 1715 home gives visitors a unique historical perspective. The development of the home and New England life is shown through the first four owners of the house. There is an admission charge.

Parson Capen House
1 Howlett Street
Topsfield, MA 01983
Phone: 978-887-3998

Open: June 15 to September 15, Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday, 1-4:30 p.m.

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Headquarters of the Topsfield Historical Society, the Parson Capen House is probably the finest surviving example of Elizabethan architecture in America. The house is situated on a knoll overlooking the Common, originally on a 12-acre lot of land granted Reverend Capen by the Town in 1682. The Topsfield Historical Society purchased the house in 1913. It was restored under the direction of George Francis Dow, and an official housewarming was held on January 14, 1914. Docents explain the history of the house and grounds.

Peabody Essex Museum
East India Square
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: 978-745-1876

Open: Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day

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Exhibits feature Asian art, history and ethnology, also maritime history. There is an admission charge.

Pioneer Village: Salem in 1630
Forest River Park
Salem, MA
Phone: 508-745-0525

Visitors will enjoy this restored Puritan settlement, complete with costumed guides. Open seasonally. There is an admission fee.

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Ralph Waldo Emerson House
28 Cambridge Turnpike
Concord, MA
Phone: 508-369-2236

This 19th century structure was home to author Ralph Waldo Emerson, who lived and wrote there from 1835 to 1889. The original furniture is on exhibit. Open seasonally. There is an admission charge.

Rebecca Nurse Homestead
149 Pine Street
Danvers, MA
Phone: 508-774-0554

In 1692, Rebecca Nurse became one of the women executed as a result of the Salem witch trials. This 17th century structure was her home. Open seasonally. There is an admission charge.

Rocky Hill Meetinghouse
Elm Street
Amesbury, MA
Phone: 508-227-3956

Built in 1785, this meetinghouse is a display of traditional New England church architecture. Admission is free.

Ropes Mansion
318 Essex Street
Salem, MA
Phone: 508-744-3390

Built in 1727 this home features historical items and a formal garden. There is an admission charge.

Salem Heritage Trail
Salem, MA
Phone: 508-744-0004

This self-guided walking tour highlights Salem's important and historic contribution to American history. Sites include: House of the Seven Gables, the Peabody Essex Museum, Ropes Mansion (1727), the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, the Salem Witch Museum, Stephen Phillips Memorial Trust House, Witch Dungeon Museum, the Witch House. Details about each of these sites are available in the historic sites section.

Salem Maritime National Historic Site
174 Derby Street
Salem, MA
Phone: 508-744-4323

The waterfront area of Salem has been designated a National Historic Site. Buildings include a visitor's center, the Derby Wharf, West India Goods Store and the old Custom House. Free admission.

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
244 Central Street
Saugus, MA
Phone: 617-233-0050

Founded in 1646, the site features the original blacksmith's shop and ironworker's home. The blast furnace and forge are reconstructed to be historically accurate. Admission is free.

Schooner Ernestina
State Pier
New Bedford, MA
Phone: 508-992-4900

This schooner was built in 1894, and was used as a vessel for immigrants and exploration of the arctic. The ship now offers sails and educational programs. Open seasonally for tours. There is an admission charge.

Seaman's Bethel
15 Johnny Cake Hill
New Bedford, MA
Phone: 508-992-3295

This location was built in 1830 and is supposed to have been described in Herman Melville's Moby Dick.

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Route 62
Concord, MA
Phone: 508-371-6280

Buried here are the Alcott sisters, Ralph Waldo Emerson, artist Daniel Chester French, Nathaniel Hawthorne and William David Thoreau.

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Stephen Phillips Memorial Trust House
34 Chestnut Street
Salem, MA
Phone: 508-744-0440

This early 19th century mansion holds an unusual collection of American, Asian and English furnishings. Open seasonally. There is an admission charge.

Stevens-Coolidge Place
139 Andover Street
North Andover, MA 01845
Phone: 978-682-3580
Fax: 978-682-3580

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The house’s collections include Chinese porcelain and other Asian artifacts, American furniture, and American and European decorative arts. Landscape includes a perennial garden, a kitchen and cut flower garden, a rose garden, a French potager garden with a unique brick serpentine wall, and a greenhouse complex.
Hours: Gardens: Year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. House: Guided tours Mother’s Day through Columbus Day weekend, Sundays, 1-5 p.m.; July-August, Wednesdays, 2-4 p.m. Fee: Garden: no charge; house, fee charged.

Stonehurst, The Robert Treat Paine Estate
100 Robert Treat Paine Drive
Waltham, MA 02452
Phone: 781-314-3290

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Designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and Frederick Law Olmsted, Stonehurst is the only museum devoted to these two pioneering figures in American architectural and landscape history. In addition to early modern interiors that presage those of Frank Lloyd Wright, visitors can enjoy the Olmsted-designed grounds and woodland trails.

The House of the Seven Gables
115 Derby Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: 978-744-0991
Fax: 978-741-4350

Cross the threshold into one of the most famous structures in America & experience the countless surprises hidden beneath its legendary gables

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Discover The House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts. This seaside historic site showcases the seventeenth century Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, forever immortalized as “The House of the Seven Gables” by author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Professional guides welcome guests year round to explore Salem’s architecture, maritime history, and the literary legacy of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Admission also includes a visit to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Birthplace to learn more about how the author’s life and experiences in Salem influenced his work. Adding to the site’s charm are three-season gardens and a unique museum store. Open mid-January through December, 10:00am-5:00pm, with extended hours until 7:00pm, July-October.

The Wayside
455 Lexington Road
Concord, MA
Phone: 508-369-6975

Built in the 19th century this home had some famous residents: The Alcotts, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Margaret Sidney. Tours are regularly offered. There is an admission charge.

Tsongas Industrial History Center at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum
115 John Street
Lowell, MA 01852
Phone: 978-970-5080

Open: Call for appointment to visit

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Activities and exhibits highlight the history of industry and industrial development in New England and the United States. Admission charge.

Wenham Museum
132 Main Street
Wenham, MA 01984
Phone: 978-468-2377

Open: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed Mondays and major holidays

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Museum of social history from 175h century to present. Claflin-Richard House (c. 1690); world-renowned doll collection, dollhouse, costumers, model trains, toys. Conant photography collection, family discovery, and changing exhibits. Admission charge.

Witch Dungeon Museum
16 Lynde Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: 978-741-3570

Open: April through November, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

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This museum features a tour of the dungeon where those accused of witchcraft were held. Reenactment of the trial is also part of the exhibits. There is an admission charge.

Witch House
310 1/2 Essex Street
Salem, MA
Phone: 508-744-0180

This historic house was the home of a judge who presided over the witchcraft trials. Open seasonally. There is an admission fee.

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Abbott Hall
Washington Street
Marblehead, MA

This Victorian town hall is the setting for one of the most recognized paintings in America: The Spirit of '76.

American Textile Museum
491 Dutton Street
Lowell, MA 01854
Phone: 978-441-0400

Open: Thursdays and Fridays 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sundays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; closed Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and holidays.

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This museum details the history of the textile industry in America, long the major economic force in New England. Visitors will see examples of machinery and products from different periods in history, as well as an operating weaving room and wool mill. Admission charge.

Andover Historical Society
97 Main Street
Andover, MA 01810
Phone: 978-475-2236

Open: Guided tours, Tuesday-Saturday, 1-4 p.m.; museum closed in August

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This home, built in 1819, features 19th century artifacts and furnishings. A 19th-century barn is also on the property.

Balch House
448 Cabot Street
Beverly, MA

Built in 1636, this home is one of the oldest wood-frame structures in the United States. Open seasonally, admission is free.

Bartlett Museum
270 Main Street
Amesbury, MA 01913
Phone: 978-388-4528

Open: Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day, Friday-Sunday, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.; holidays, 1-4 p.m.; other times by appointment

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Museum features collections of horse-drawn carriages and Native American artifacts. Open seasonally. Admission is free.

Beauport Sleeper-McCann House Museum
75 Eastern Point Boulevard
Gloucester, MA 01930
Phone: 978-283-0800

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Beauport, Sleeper-McCann House, a National Historic Landmark, was the eclectic summer home of interior designer Henry Davis Sleeper. Sleeper, a nationally-noted antiquarian and collector, began building Beauport in 1907. He eventually enlarged the house to over 40 rooms filled with a lifetime collection that includes period furniture, glassware, books, ceramics, hooked rugs, and silhouettes arranged within various rooms, many of which are decorated to evoke different historical and literary themes. Open June 1-October 15, Tuesday-Saturday, guided tours on the hour, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

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Beverly Historical Society
117 Cabot Street
Beverly, MA 01915
Phone: 978-922-1186

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The society's Cabot House headquarters offers a research library, period rooms, and an exhibit about early banking in addition to images of New England transportation. Open year round. Also Balch and Hale houses. There is an admission charge.

Buckman Tavern
On the Green
Lexington, MA
Phone: 617-862-5598

On April 19, 1775 the Minute Men gathered in this historic tavern, right before the beginning of the American Revolution. The exhibits inside feature 18th century furniture. Tours are available seasonally. There is an admission fee.

Castle Hill Ipswich MA Castle Hill
290 Argilla Road
Ipswich, MA 01938
Phone: 978-356-4351
Fax: 978-356-2143

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Grand summer estate of turn-of-the-century plumbing magnate Richard T. Crane Jr, and his family, this David Adler designed 59-room Stuart style mansion is now a National Historic Landmark. Set atop the mile-long Grand Allee, a rolling lawn with a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean, the Great House at Castle Hill also features Grinling Gibbons woodwork in the library, an Italian garden, John Singer Sargent drawings, and period antiques. Castle Hill hosts weddings and private functions, and offers extensive public programs year-round, including tours of the Great House, a 4th of July celebration, a Christmas boutique, concerts and nature programs.

Codman House
Codman Road
Lincoln, MA
Phone: 617-259-8843

This home, built in 1735, is notable for architectural features unusual for the period. Tours are seasonal and leave hourly. There is an admission fee.

Coffin House
14 High Road
Newburyport, MA
Phone: 978-462-2634

This home contains period rooms that focus on the development of New England life through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Open seasonally, there is an admission fee.

Concord Free Public Library
129 Main Street
Concord, MA
Phone: 508-371-6240

The library contains a small collection of books, writings and art about the history of Concord.

Concord Museum
Cambridge Turnpike at Lexington Road
Concord, MA 01742
Phone: 978-369-9763
Fax: 978-369-9660

Exploring historic Concord? Begin at the Concord Museum!

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Concord’s remarkable past is brought to life through artifacts from an outstanding collection, self-touring galleries, period rooms, audios and hands-on activities. Highlights include the Exploring Concord film and engaging Why Concord? history galleries; a nationally-significant collection of Concord-made clocks, silver and furniture; Revolutionary War artifacts including the famous Revere lantern; American literary treasures in the Thoreau Gallery and the study of Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great spokesman for individualism and self-reliance. A visit to the Concord Museum provides an inspiring introduction for an exploration of this famous community. Open daily year round.

Cushing House Museum
98 High Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
Phone: 978-462-2681

Open: Individuals and groups under 10 people, May 1-October 31, Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; closed holidays

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This mansion, built in 1808, features antique furniture, artwork and a carriage house. Open seasonally. Admission charge.

Custom House Maritime Museum
25 Water Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
Phone: 978-462-8681

Open: Call ahead for hours of operation

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Follow the history of maritime Massachusetts through the exhibits at this museum. Open seasonally. There is an admission fee.