Massachusetts > State > Indoor Activities > Historic Homes and Sites

Visit Historic Homes & Sites in Massachusetts and Explore the State and Country's Past

Massachusetts is a treasure for adults and kids interested is seeing the history of Puritan, Colonial, and Revolutionary times during a New England vacation. Historic homes and historic sites dating to the 17th and 18th century in Massachusetts cover a huge range, from Boston, MA's Freedom Trail and Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, MA to the Minute Man National Park at Lincoln, MA, in the Merrimack Valley region where the Revolutionary War began. History fans can see reenactments of Revolutionary War battles and visit 19th-century towns like Old Sturbridge Village. The possibilities for a history-themed vacation trip are endless.

Gingerbread Cottages in Oak Bluffs, MA on Martha's Vineyard - Massachusetts Historic Homes & Sites

Greater Merrimack Valley

61 Market Street, Unit 1C Lowell, MA, 01852 Phone: 978-459-6150

Step through the doorways of these Lexington and Concord homes and walk into history

When you step into historic homes in the Greater Merrimack Valley, you are doing more than learning about the nation’s past: You are walking in the steps of its giants. The houses offered for tours by the Lexington Historical Society include the Buckman Tavern, where the colonial military gathered the morning of April 19, 1775, before confronting the British; the parsonage where John Hancock and Sam Adams were staying when they were awakened by Paul Revere that morning; and the Monroe Tavern, where George Washington dined in 1789. In Concord, the Orchard House was the home of Louisa May Alcott and her family. Visitors who take the guided tour through the home, built in 1650, feel they are walking through the pages of “Little Women.”

The House of the Seven Gables

225 Derby Street Salem, MA, 01970 Phone: 978-774-0991

Homes on the waterfront celebrate the rich literary and maritime history of Salem

The maritime and literary history of Salem are celebrated in the homes that make up the property of The House of the Seven Gables. The Gables, now called the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, is one of America’s most beloved historic homes, built in 1668 by merchant and shipowner John Turner. Its most famous guest was Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was inspired to write his popular story based on the home. Original editions of his work, as well as collections of items about the house, the author and Salem, are showcased in the museum. Other 17th-century houses on the waterfront site include the Hooper-Hathaway House and the Retire Beckett House. Children can learn about the area’s maritime history with hands-on activities at Kids Cove in the Counting House.
Hours: Open daily 10am - 6pm from March thru August, and by online reservation in November and December. Advance tickets highly recommended.

Old Sturbridge Village

1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, off Route 20 Sturbridge, MA, 01566 Phone: 508-347-3362 Toll-Free: 800-733-1830

Living museum sends visitors back in time to life in a 19th-century New England village

Almost every kind of 19th-century activity or craft you can imagine is represented in the homes, shops, mills and other historic buildings at Old Sturbridge Village. The 200-plus-acre site re-creates an 1830s New England village, welcoming visitors inside its circa 1819 schoolhouse, 1796 Friends meetinghouse, Greek-Revival bank, 1810 blacksmith shop and other buildings (there are 40 in all), as well as extensive gardens and a farm with heritage-breed pigs, cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens. Costumed historians demonstrate everything from barrel-making and printing to cooking on a heart and preparing wool for spinning. There are exhibits on everything from tools and textiles to beekeeping as well as hands-on activities, games and presentations on early New England village tasks and everyday life.

American Heritage Museum

568 Main Street Hudson, MA, 01749 Phone: 978-562-9182

Museum exhibits honor the sacrifices made by veterans in the nation’s battles

The museum is now open! Wednesdays-Sundays from 10am-5pm. Advance ticketing is preferred - Please call or visit our website.

Some of America’s greatest wartime battles and sites are re-created and honored at the American Heritage Museum, where he mission is to provide visitors with an immersive experience in history. The World War I trench experience is told through a local nurse who treated wounded at a front-line field hospital; a Higgins Boat landing craft is part of the D-Day exhibit; a Sherman Jumbo tank is part of the Battle of the Bulge exhibit; a structure from the World Trade Center pays homage to the War on Terror. Vintage aircraft and autos including touring cars and roadsters are also part of the museum, which also offers (make arrangements in advance) rides aboard tanks. Check the website for special events like tank demonstrations and aviation weekends.

Sunset Cruise & Harbor Views! - See Plymouth, MA!

See You in Plymouth this Summer! Visit our Destination Plymouth page!

Discover Quincy

City of Quincy Welcome Center - 1259 Hancock Street Quincy, MA, 02169 Phone: 617-471-1700

Quincy offers a variety of ways to learn about, and celebrate, the nation’s history

Quincy bows to no one when it comes to cities that honor their history. Visit Adams National Historical Park to see the Old House at Peace Field, the Adams family residence from 1788 to 1927, featuring a vast collection of original artifacts. The Stone Library, America’s first presidential library, includes, among its 12,000 books, the Mendi Bible given to John Quincy Adams by the Amistad enslaved people. The park also contains birthplaces of both John and John Quincy Adams. You can also visit the “Church of the Presidents,” where the family worshiped and where their tombs now lie. Take the Presidents Trail, which goes past Adams, Quincy and Hancock homes and ultimately to the Abigail Adams Cairn, where she and John Quincy saw smoke from the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Tending the Garden - Plimoth Patuxet - Plymouth MA

Plimoth Patuxet Museums

137 Warren Avenue Plymouth, MA, 02360 Phone: 508-746-1622

Museum demonstrates the interwoven history of Indigenous people and Plymouth colonists

Experience the interwoven history of the Wampanoag people and the Plymouth colonists at Plimoth Patuxet Museums. In the 17th-Century English Village, timber-framed houses contain reproductions of household objects and furniture expertly re-creating the environment of early Plymouth Colonists. The village also features heritage-breed livestock and aromatic kitchen gardens. In the Historic Patuxet Homesite, visitors sit on fur-lined benches inside a wetu, where they learn about the home and family life of the Wampanoag People. At the Craft Center, see potters at work creating reproductions of historic items made in 17th-century Europe. In Plymouth Center, you can walk aboard the Mayflower II, a full-scale reproduction of the original tall ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth, and learn how cornmeal is ground at the Plimoth Grist Mill on Town Brook.

Concord Museum

35 Cambridge Turnpike at Lexington Road Concord, MA, 01742 Phone: 978-369-9763

Museum’s renovated galleries let visitors explore the rich, varied history of Concord

The history of Concord is so rich and varied, visitors will want to make a list of sites to explore. Start with the Concord Museum, housing one of the nation’s most treasured collections of Americana, including a Paul Revere lantern, Thoreau’s writing desk and spyglass, embroidery samplers from 18th-century schoolgirls, historic clothing and artifacts, including a spearhead, from the period immediately following the Ice Age. The museum’s 16 newly renovated galleries include artwork and items celebrating the town’s Indigenous, abolitionist and literary history as well as various artifacts from the Revolutionary War, including muskets, swords and powder horns. The museum is a gateway to other sites, including homes celebrating Alcott, Thoreau and Emerson as well as the Old North Bridge, where the shot heard ‘round the world was fired.

Highfield Hall & Gardens

56 Highfield Drive Falmouth, MA Phone: 508-495-1878

HIghfield Hall in Falmouth is a summer mansion built in 1878 and one of the few remaining examples in this region of Stick-style Queen Anne architecture. Today, the mansion and its surrounding gardens and woods and walking paths are a warm and welcoming place of permanent and changing art exhibits, music and other cultural events, cooking and tasting activities, and fun outdoor explorations for kids. One marvelous permanent feature is sculptor Patrick Dougherty’s magnificent stickwork sculpture on the mansion’s front lawn. Visitors to Highfield Hall can explore the walking trails, historic gardens, and Music Garden daily from dawn to dusk. Docent-led walking tours are free with admission.
Handicapped parking is available in front of the house and the mansion is wheelchair accessible. Only certified service animals are permitted in the mansion. Other leashed pets are permitted on the grounds. There are many dog-friendly trails in Beebe Woods. Highfield Hall adjoins the 380-acre Beebe Woods, which has extensive walking trails. The Beebe Woods Trailhead can be reached via Highfield Hall. Park at Highfield Hall and enter the property at the Ice House. Trail map.
Hours: Wednesday- Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Estate walks are held May-October on the first and third Saturdays of the month, 12:30-1:30 p.m., weather permitting.
Admission Adults, $10; seniors age 65 and older, $8; children under age 12, free

See Plymouth

4 North Street Plymouth, MA, 02360 Phone: 508-747-0100 Toll-Free: 800-872-1620

A visit to Plymouth means a stroll through the history of 17th-century America

You stroll through history when you visit Plymouth. Start with Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II, the statue of Massasoit and the Pilgrim Sarcophagus, containing the remains of those who died in the first year after the Mayflower arrived. In the Plimoth Patuxet Museums, interpreters will talk about life in a 17-century English village and a Wampanoag homesite. (You might even help dig out a canoe or play a Pilgrim child’s game.) The 1749 Court House Museum is the oldest wooden courthouse and longest-used municipal building in America, and the Jabez Howland House is the only existing house in town where Pilgrims spent time. China Trade treasures are displayed in the Federal-style Hedge House Museum, and Pilgrim and Wampanoag artifacts are displayed in the Pilgrim Hall Museum.

USS Constitution Museum

24 Fifth Street at the Charlestown Navy Yard Charlestown, MA, 02129 Phone: 617-426-1812

The USS Constitution Museum serves as the memory and educational voice of USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides," the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat. The museum houses the ship's logs, weapons, charts, journals, arts, and more. Visitors fire a cannon, swing in a hammock, or command the USS Constitution in battle using a computer.
Hours: Museum is open daily 10am - 5pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. The Ship is open for tours Tuesday to Sunday, 10am - 6pm, and is closed Mondays, MLK Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
Museum Admission (suggested): Adults $10-15, Children $5-10. Thank you for supporting us.

Mount Auburn Cemetery

580 Mount Auburn Street Cambridge, MA, 02138 Phone: 617-547-7105

In this cemetery are the graves of architect Charles Bulfinch, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Winslow Homer, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, in a tranquil arboretum and garden-like setting. A National Historic landmark.
Hours: Grounds are open 8am - 7pm. Washington Tower is open until 6pm.

William Cullen Bryant Homestead

207 Bryant Road Cummington, MA, 01027 Phone: 413-532-1631

Boyhood home of one of America's foremost 19th-century poets, the William Cullen Bryant Homestead is a National Historic Landmark. Although Bryant moved to New York City to become editor and publisher of The New York Evening Post, the Homestead became Bryant’s summer retreat in his later years. The house collection includes colonial and Victorian pieces from Europe and Asia.
Hours: Grounds, year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset; access to the house varies; please call for more information.
Admission: Grounds, free.
Information: http://bit.ly/b4lfIa

The Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile walking trail through Boston that connects 16 of the country's most important historical sites linked to the American Revolution. Lively and informative costumed characters travel the Trail during the summer. These characters are fun and engaging for children of all ages (from 5 to 75!) and act as ambassadors to the era of America's founding and the birth of our country's freedom.
Freedom Trail visitor information centers are located at Boston Common, Faneuil Hall, and the Charlestown Navy Yard. - Directions and Parking
Tours and Admission: While the Trail itself does not have any admission, tour times & fees vary depending on the location that you're visiting. Please check the website for specific tour dates, times and fees. Some locations may be closed to visitors.

Old State House (Museum of Boston History)

Corner of State Street and Washington streets Boston, MA Phone: 617-720-1713

Visit Boston’s oldest public building, the seat of Royal authority, where the American Revolution was fomented by Sam Adams, James Otis, John Adams, and John Hancock. See tea from the Boston Tea Party; objects from the Boston Massacre, Battle of Bunker Hill; Paul Revere’s handiwork; John Hancock’s red velvet coat.
Hours: Open Daily, 10am - 5pm. - Admission: Members Free, Adults $15; Seniors 65+ and Students $14, 12 and Under $8. Group Tours & Rates available - please contact us.

Christ Church

Garden Street Cambridge, MA, 02138 Phone: 617-876-0200

Used as a barracks during the Revolutionary War, this 1761 church is the oldest surviving church building in the country.

Kitchen Area at Winslow Crocker House - Yarmouth Port, MA

Winslow Crocker House (1780)

250 Main Street Yarmouth Port, MA, 02675 Phone: 617-994-6661

Explore a colonial Cape Cod house with a 20th-century flavor. In 1936, the house was moved down Old King’s Highway to its present location. The house was taken apart beam by beam and reassembled. Today it contains significant collection of antique furniture, hooked rugs, ceramics, and pewter. Admission is charged - free for members of Historic New England.

Salem Heritage Trail

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.
Information: http://www.salemweb.com/guide/tour/

Memorial Hall Museum

8 Memorial Street Deerfield, MA, 01342 Phone: 413-774-7476

Occupying a building originally constructed in 1798 for Deerfield Academy, Memorial Hall Museum holds over 31,000 items and includes the Old Deerfield Children's Museum, offering family activities in a reproduction of a 1690s house. Exhibits focus on the life and world of an agricultural economy from the earliest Native Americans to the arrival of Europeans.
Hours: May 1-October 30; call ahead or consult website for hours.
Admission: Adults, $6; youth and students 6-21, $3.
Information: http://bit.ly/12fzHIP

The Wayside

455 Lexington Road Concord, MA Phone: 978-369-6993

Built in the 19th century this home had some famous residents: The Alcotts, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Margaret Sidney. The house is part of the Minute Man National Historic Park.
Hours: The Wayside will remain closed through 2013 for repairs.
Information: http://1.usa.gov/sTLycW

Paragon Carousel

205 Nantasket Avenue Hull, MA Phone: 617-925-0472

A working antique carousel with authentic wooden horses. Visitors ride to music on a 1928 Wurlitzer organ.
Hours: April 1 to June 19, weekends, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; June 19 to Labor Day, daily, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Labor Day to Halloween, Friday, 4 p.m.-dusk and weekends, 11 a.m.-dusk. Closed Halloween to late March.
$2.50 per ride
Information: www.paragoncarousel.com

Martin House Farm

22 Stoney Hill Road at Route 6 Swansea, MA Phone: 617-742-3190

The Martin House Farm is a rare example of an 18th and early 19th century farm which still retains the character of its original setting. It consists of the house, two barns and cultivated fields surrounded by dry stone walls and woodlands. Check the farm website for many interesting public events through the season.
Hours: Open for tours on Sundays, early July through September, 1-4 p.m. Group tours can be arranged by appointment.
Admission: Adults, $5; children under age 12, free; active military and their families admitted free

Otis House Museum

141 Cambridge Street Boston, MA, 02114 Phone: 617-277-3956

In 1796, Harrison Gray Otis, a congressman and real estate entrepreneur, and his wife, Sally, lived and entertained lavishly in this elegant home, designed by Charles Bulfinch. Today the house portrays both high-style living in the Federal era and the cycles of change in a dynamic urban neighborhood. Museum shop.
Hours: Open June-October, Fri/Sat/Sun 11am - 4pm. Tours every hour.
Admission: Adults $15; Seniors & Students $13; Children $7.

Pioneer Village: Salem in 1630

Forest River Park, Shore Avenue Salem, MA Phone: 508-745-0525

Visitors will enjoy this restored Puritan settlement, complete with costumed guides. The village, on three acres, contains various structures: dugouts, wigwams, thatched roof cottages, and the Governor's Faire House. Culinary and medicinal gardens and a blacksmith shop demonstrate 17th-century colonial life.
Hours: Consult village website.
Admission: Adults, $6; students and seniors, $5; children under age 6, free.
Information: http://www.pioneervillagesalem.com/

Wistariahurst Museum

238 Cabot Street Holyoke, MA, 01040 Phone: 413-322-5660

Twenty-six-room Beaux Arts mansion of silk manufacturer William Skinner featuring many outstanding architectural details and a house tour that weaves the tale of the people who lived and worked there. Dinosaur footprints and gardens.
Hours: Saturday, Sunday, Monday, noon-4 p.m. The gardens & grounds are open daily until dusk.
Admission: Adults, $7; students and seniors,$5; children age 12 and younger, free.
Information: wistariahurst.org.

Shrine of Divine Mercy

Eden Hill Stockbridge, MA Phone: 413-298-3931

Site of the first Christian mission to the Native Americans in the area. The structure is set on 350 acres, featuring stained class, murals, and wood carvings.

Massachusetts State House

Beacon Street at Park Street Boston, MA Phone: 617-727-3676

Built in 1798, the State House is across from the Boston Common at the summit of Beacon Hill. Charles Bullfinch, a leading architect of the time, designed the building. The dome is sheathed in copper and covered by gold. In the House of Representatives chambers hangs a wooden codfish -- Sacred Cod -- representing the importance of the fishing industry. At the top of the dome sits a wooden pine cone, a symbol of the logging industry in the 18th century.
Tours: Must be scheduled in advance. Please call to arrange.

Unitarian Meeting House & Church

11 Orange Street Nantucket, MA, 02554 Phone: 508-228-5466

Built in 1809, this church features a trompe l'oeil interior.
Hours: Open seasonally.
Admission: Free.

Old Burial Ground

Corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Garden Street Cambridge, MA, 02140 Phone:

This cemetery contains the graves of Myles Standish, John Alden, Priscilla Alden, their son and other pilgrims.

Black Heritage Trail

46 Joy Street Boston, MA, 02114 Phone: 617-742-5415

Beginning at the African Meeting House on Smith Court, this walking tour follows the history of the African-American community in 19th century Boston. Many of the sites are open to the public and are listed separately here. The the walk includes the following: The African Meeting House (1806), Smith Court, the Abiel Smith School (1834), the George Middleton House (1797), 54th Regiment Memorial on Boston Common, Phillips School, the John J. Smith House, the Lewis and Harriet Hayden House, and Coburn's Gaming House (1844).

Old Mill

150 Prospect Street Nantucket, MA Phone:

This wind-powered mill was built in 1746 and has been working ever since.
Hours: May 25–October 14, daily, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.; tours every half hour.
Admission: Adults, $6; youth age 6-17, $3.
Information: www.nha.org/sites/oldmill.html

Granary Burying Ground

Tremont Street between Park and School Streets Boston, MA, 02116 Phone:

America's most historic cemetery features the graves of John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and those killed in the Boston Massacre.
Hours: Open daily, 9am - 4pm.

Eastham Windmill

2515 State Highway Eastham, MA Phone: 508-255-1798

The Eastham Windmill is the oldest and last working gristmill on Cape Cod. A visit to the windmill gilves guests a snapshot of the Cape life in the 1700s. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. An annual celebration called Windmill Weekend takes place here the weekend after Labor Day. The fest includes music, food, crafts booths, a cookout, a pancake breakfast, a road race and a parade, and much more.
Hours: Summer, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m.

Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum

306 Congress Street Boston, MA, 02210 Phone: 617-338-1773 Toll-Free: 855-832-1773

You Are There!

This historic site transports you back to one of those moments in time that changed America and set its course for independence in 1776. This new floating museum experience offers a multi-sensory adventure with live actors, high-tech, interactive exhibits, authentically restored tea ships and the stirring documentary Let it Begin Here. During a one hour tour, you’ll meet colonists, explore the ships and dump tea overboard just as the Sons of Liberty did on December 16, 1773. There’s a gift shop and Abigail’s Tea Room for some mementos and a spot of the beverage that launched a revolution. Your one hour tour is educational and highly entertaining and will make history come alive as you step right into the scene from that fateful night. Don’t miss it!

Chesterwood

Williamsville Road, one mile south of Routes 183 and 102 Stockbridge, MA, 01262 Phone: 413-298-3579

Chesterwood is the country home, studio, and gardens of America’s foremost sculptor of public monuments, Daniel Chester French (1850-1931), creator of the Minute Man and Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial. It is situated on 122 acres in the idyllic hamlet of Glendale near Stockbridge. Many plaster sketches, including models of his Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial, are on view today in his studio as well as in the permanent exhibit in Barn Gallery.
Hours: Late May-early October, daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $16; children age 13-17, $8

Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum

158 Polpis Road Nantucket, MA, 02554 Phone: 508-228-2505

This museum is the re-creation of the 1874 life guard station originally at this site.
Hours: Late May to Columbus Day, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $5; youth age 5-18, $3.

Paul Revere House

19 North Square Boston, MA, 02113 Phone: 617-523-2338

The oldest building in downtown Boston, built in 1680, was also home to Paul Revere; whose patriotic ride is one of the most famous events of the Revolutionary War. The average visit is 30-45 minutes depending on the time of year. There are no public restrooms or telephones on the site.
Hours: Open daily 10am - 5:15pm - Admission: Adults $6, Seniors & College Students $5.50, Ages 5-17 $1

Schooner Ernestina

State Pier New Bedford, MA, 02740 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. Docked at the State Pier, off MacArthur Blvd. near the Cuttyhunk Ferry terminal.

Mitchell House

1 Vestal Street Nantucket, MA, 02554 Phone: 508-228-2896

The Mitchell House (1790) is the birthplace of Maria Mitchell, America’s first woman astronomer. Tour the house with Mitchell House staff and learn about the life of Maria Mitchell, her remarkable family, and Quaker Nantucket in the 19th century. The house contains many artifacts from the Mitchell's life, such as her Dolland telescope. The Mitchell House was named as one of the Top 10 Women’s History sites in the country by USA Today.
Admission: Adults, $5; children, $4 children; passes to all Maria Mitchell Association museums: Adults, $15; Children, $10.
Hours: Mid-June-Labor Day, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Mayflower II

State Pier Plymouth, MA Phone: 508-746-1622

A reproduction of the original Mayflower, the ship in which the Pilgrims journeyed to America. Visitors will get a sample of what life was like during their voyage in 1620.
Hours: Mid-March-end of October, plus Thanksgiving programming.
Admission: Adults, $10; children age 6-12, $7; seniors, $9. Combination tickets for Plimoth Plantation also are available.
Information: http://bit.ly/iYXlFA

Emily Dickinson House

280 Main Street Amherst, MA Phone: 413-542-8161

The Emily Dickinson Museum includes The Homestead, where Emily Dickinson lived most of her life, and The Evergreens, another family residence. The two houses share three acres of the family property. Tours are offered.
Hours: Open year-round except January and February, daily except MOnday and Tuesday. Winter hours usually 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; summer hours usually 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Open Mondays in the summer.
Admission: Adults, $12; seniors, $11; college students, $6; youth age 6-17, $6; children under age 6, free.
Information: www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/

Old Atwood House

347 Stage Harbor Road Chatham, MA Phone: 508-945-2493

Built in 1752, the house has a gambrel roof, wide floor planks. and a beehive oven. Of particular note is the Durang Wing collection of seashells from around the world. An herb garden and the equipment from the old Chatham Light are on the grounds.
Hours: June 8-October 8; hours vary within seasons; call ahead
Admission: Adults, $6; students age 8-18, $3; children age 7 and younger, free.

Copp's Hill Burial Ground

45 Hull Street Boston, MA, 02113 Phone: 617-635-7361

Originally called the North Burial Ground, pre-revolutionary graves can be found here, including those of Cotton Mather and Edward Hart, builder of the USS Constitution. Many African Americans who lived in the New Guinea community are buried on the Snowhill Street side. Open daily 9am - 4pm.

Old North Church & Historic Site

193 Salem Street Boston, MA, 02113 Phone: 617-523-6676

Still in use today, the oldest church in Boston was built in 1723. The building played a truly renowned role during the Revolution as the spot where lanterns were hung -- "one if by land, two if by sea" -- to warn about the approach of British troops.
Hours: Open for touring Tues–Sat 10am – 5pm and Sunday 12:30-5pm. Closed to visitors on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The Old Whaling Church

89 Main Street Edgartown, on Martha's Vineyard, MA, 02539 Phone: 508-627-4442

The church was built in 1843. With its dramatic front columns and majestic steeple, it's an excellent example of Greek Revival architecture. The church is now a community performing arts center and has many special events scheduled throughout the year. Call the church or consult the local papers for a schedule of events.

Gore Place

52 Gore Street Waltham, MA, 02453 Phone: 781-894-2798

Gore Place is the early 1800s 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 is 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.
Hours: The mansion is shown by guided tour only, Monday, Wednesday & Friday at 10am, 11am, Noon and 1pm. Admission $16 for Adults, $11 for ages 6-16.

Fall River Carousel

At Battleship Cove, 5 Water Street Fall River, MA Phone: 508-678-1100

On the Fall River waterfront, this carousel was built in the 1920s and placed in Lincoln Park. It has been fully restored. It is located in a Victorian pavilion and has nearly 50 carved horses moving to classic carousel organ music.
Hours: Open seasonally.
Admission: $1 per ride or $5 for 7 rides
Information: www.battleshipcove.com/carousel.asp

Coffin House (1678)

14 High Road Newburyport, MA, 01951 Phone: 978-462-2634

The Coffin family lived in this house for more than 300 years; the dwelling is a marvelous display of home life in rural New England. The building originated as a simple residence in the post-medieval style. Tristram Coffin and his family lived in three rooms, and their few possessions and furnishings are on display here.
Hours: June 1-October 15, first and third Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: $2.50-$5.
Information: http://bit.ly/VWrnJB

Gropius House (1938)

68 Baker Bridge Road Lincoln, MA, 01773 Phone: 781-259-8098

Walter Gropius, founder of the German design the Bauhaus, was among the most influential architects of the 20th century. He also taught architecture at Harvard University in Cambridge. Modest in scale, the house was a revolutionary design. It combined traditional New England wood, brick, and fieldstone with materials rarely used in building homes, including glass block, acoustical plaster and chrome. The house and its surrounding landscape were planned for maximum efficiency and simplicity of design. Property of Historic New England.
Hours: June 1 - October 15, Wednesday-Sunday; October 16 - May 31, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tours on the hour. Admission is charged.
Admission: Adults, $15; seniors, $12; students, $8.
Information: www.historicnewengland.org

Forefathers Monument

Allerton Street Plymouth, MA Phone: 508-746-1620

Monument to the pilgrims made out of solid granite. The largest of its kind in the United States. Free admission.

Plymouth Rock

79 Water Street Plymouth, MA, 02360 Phone:

The real thing! Plymouth Rock commemorates the site where the Pilgrims first came ashore in 1620.

Harborwalk

Walk starts at Old State House, 206 Washington Street Boston, MA Phone: 617-482-1722

A self-guided walk that traces the history of the Boston waterfront. The tour begins at the Old State House, brochures are available at the National Park Service Visitor's Center on State Street. The HarborWalk also connects to inland trails, including the Emerald Necklace system, the Charles River Esplanade, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

Brooks Academy Museum

80 Parallel Street Harwich Center, MA, 02645 Phone: 508-432-8089

This 1844 building was the site of a school that offered early courses in navigation. Maritime and Native American artifacts are featured, as are displays of antique glass, photographs, toys, and clothing. Collection includes Charles D. Cahoon paintings, Crowell carved birds, a large cranberry culture exhibit, historic photographs.
Hours: Open late June through mid-October; tours Wednesday through Friday, and at other times by appointment.
Admission: Adults, $3.

Old Gaol

Vestal Street Nantucket, MA Phone:

This site is maintained by the Nantucket Historical Association. Exhibits feature stocks and other equipment. It was the first prison in the U.S. to allow prisoners to go home at night.
Hours: May 25–October 14, daily, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $6; youth age 6-17, $3.
Information: www.nha.org/sites/oldgaol.html.

Rocky Hill Meetinghouse

4 Old Portsmouth Road Amesbury, MA, 01913 Phone: 978-462-2634

This property preserves an excellent example of an 18th-century meeting house, particularly its interior. Rocky Hill Meeting House was located along the only road that crossed the Powow River (via ferry) and led to the Salisbury Point and thereafter to Portsmouth. George Washington stopped here for a meet-and-greet on a journey in 1789. A Historic New England property.
Hours: Open only a few days every year; call of check website for open dates.
Admission: Free.
Information: http://bit.ly/VnNesi

John Whipple House and Garden

53 South Main Street Ipswich, MA, 01938 Phone: 978-356-2811

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.
Consult Ipswich Museum for visiting opportunities.

Abiel Smith School (1834)

46 Joy Street Boston, MA, 02114 Phone: 617-720-0753

Constructed in 1834, the Abiel Smith School is the first building in the United States built for the sole purpose of serving as a public school for black children. This historic site has been transformed into exhibit galleries and a museum store open to the public. This is the home of the Museum of African-American History and part of Boston's Black Heritage Trail.
Hours: Currently closed to the public. Online exhibits and events available.

Mayflower Society Museum

4 Winslow Street Plymouth, MA, 02360 Phone: 508-746-2590

The museum grounds host the 18th-century dwelling built by Edward Winslow. Behind the mansion are the offices and library of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. The property overlooks a snug harbor where a reproduction of The Mayflower is moored.
Hours: Open occasionally; call ahead for hours of operation.
Information: www.themayflowersociety.com/museum

Old South Meeting House

310 Washington Street Boston, MA, 02108 Phone: 617-482-6439

Built in 1729, the Old South Meeting House was the largest building in colonial Boston. The building hosted historic gatherings such as the protests over the Boston Massacre to the infamous meeting where Samuel Adams launched the Boston Tea Party. The exhibition "Voices of Protest" and innovative, hands-free audio program "If These Walls Could Speak" tell the story of figures from Old South's history and reveal the controversial history of free speech that continues to this day.
Hours: Open Daily, 10am - 5pm
Admission: Adults $15; Seniors 65+ & Students $14, Children 12 & under $8.

Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate

2468B Washington Street / Route 138 Canton, MA, 02021 Phone: 781-821-2977

sprawling gardens on an historic estate

Once a Colonial farmstead, the property was transformed into a country estate. The property includes a country house, landscaped grounds, and a complex of farm and estate buildings, manicured lawns, a walled garden, and a brick-edged garden. Visitors may explore more than 60 acres of meadow and woodland along three miles of trails.
Hours: Year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. No charge.

Stonehurst, The Robert Treat Paine Estate

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

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.
Hours: Grounds open year-round sunrise to sunset.
Admission: General admission, $3; guided tours: adults, $7; seniors and students, $5; children, free.
Information: www.stonehurstwaltham.org.

Adams National Historical Park - Quincy, MA

Adams National Historic Park

Newport Avenue & Adams Street Quincy, MA, 02169 Phone: 617-773-1177

Adams National Historical Park was the home of American presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams and their descendants from 1720 to 1927. The family's experience represented and shaped important events in United States history. The park preserves the properties of four generations of the Adams family to educate and inspire current and future generations.
Hours: Grounds are open daily from May thru October, sunrise to sunset. The historic homes and the park's Visitor Center (at 1250 Hancock Street) are available Wednesday thru Sunday, 9am - 5pm.
Admission: Basic passes are $15 per person, valid for seven days. Credit or debit cards only (no cash accepted). Children under 16 Free. Special passes for seniors, active military, veterans and Gold Star families available on the website.

Mary Baker Eddy House

23 Paradise Road Swampscott, MA Phone: 781-599-1853

Home where Mary Baker Eddy formulated her ideas, which later led to the founding of the Christian Science Church.
Hours: May 1-October 31; Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday 1-4 p.m.
Admission: Suggested donation of $5; children under age 12 admitted for free.
Information: http://bit.ly/MIeD8H

Chatham Railroad Museum

Depot Road Chatham, MA, 02633 Phone:

Paradise for railroad enthusiasts features thousands of train models, restored train depots, railroad artifacts and a 1910 caboose.
Hours: Second and fourth Sundays of the month, 2-4 p.m., except holidays. ; Admission: Free.

Harlow Old Fort House

119 Sandwich Street Plymouth, MA, 02360 Phone: 508-746-0012

This Pilgrim home was built in 1677. Open for visitors most Saturdays 1-4pm.

Naumkeag

5 Prospect Hill Road Stockbridge, MA, 01262 Phone: 413-298-8138

This 44-room house was the summer cottage of the Choate family, and features original furniture, ceramics, and artwork collected from America, Europe, and the Far East. Famous for its eight acres of terraced gardens and landscaped grounds that include the afternoon garden, rose garden, evergreen garden, Chinese garden, arborvitae walk, and linden walk. Steele’s Blue Steps is a series of deep blue fountain pools flanked by four flights of stairs overhung by birch trees.

Cogswell's Grant (1728)

60 Spring Street Essex, MA Phone: 978-768-3632

This 18th-century farmhouse, summer home of collectors Bertram and Nina Fletcher Little, houses their celebrated collection of American folk art, which they assembled over a period of nearly 60 years. Paintings, dressers full of redware, painted furniture, scrimshaw, wood carvings, decoys, sculptures, hooked rugs and other textiles are showcased throughout. Museum shop. A National Historic Landmark. Property of Historic New England.
Hours: Open June 1-October 15, Wednesday-Sunday,11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: Fee charged. Consult website or call ahead.
Information: http://bit.ly/VjTnJC.

Gingerbread Cottages in Oak Bluffs - Martha's Vineyard, MA - Photo Credit MOTT

Gingerbread Cottages of Oak Bluffs

The Campground includes 35 acres of brightly painted cottages dating back to mid-1800s. Tour a gingerbread cottage; enjoy performances at the Tabernacle. The campground is an open, pedestrian friendly National Historic Landmark. Parking is limited, but the campground is a short walk from the Oak Bluffs harbor. During July and August historic walking tours of the Tabernacle and association grounds are offered.
Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association oversees The Campground, which includes many of the colorful gingerbread cottages and the iconic iron Tabernacle. The cottages are a later outgrowth of a half-acre of property acquired in 1835 to house religious camp meetings typical of the Second Great awakening movement of the early 19th century. The early tents of the first participants began to be replaced in the early 1860s by the cottages, of which 318 still exist.

Arrowhead

780 Holmes Road Pittsfield, MA Phone: 413-442-1793

Truly a literary historic site, Herman Melville wrote Moby-Dick and several other works in this house. Tours are available. Open seasonally.
Hours: Memorial Day to Columbus Day, open daily, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; hourly tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: Tours are adults, $13; children and students, $8.

New England Holocaust Memorial

98 Union Street Boston, MA, 02129 Phone: 617-457-8755

Commemorates the millions of lives lost in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Tours offered; consult website for details. Open to the public.

Osterville Historical Society Museum / Capt. Jonathan Parker House

Parker and West Bay Roads Osterville, MA, 02655 Phone: 508-428-5861

The Captain Jonathan Parker House, built in 1824, was home to a local schooner captains who made his trade in fishing and transportation up and down the seacoast. The property contains historical maps, 18th- and 19th-century furniture, art, ceramics, and a 19th-century ornamental garden.
Hours: Late May to mid-September, Thursdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Private tours by appointment.
Admission: Free.
Information: www.ostervillemuseum.org.

Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum

396 County Street New Bedford, MA, 02740 Phone: 508-997-1401

This 28-room Greek Revival mansion was built for whaling merchant William Rotch, Jr. in 1834. The house and formal gardens chronicle 150 years of economic, social and domestic life in New Bedford. Greek Revival in style, it was designed by architect Richard Upjohn. The gardens are well-planned and historically interesting. Admission includes a 30-minute self-guided tour of the Museum and access to the exterior grounds and gardens.
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $6; seniors over age 65, $5; students, $5; children age 12 and younger, $3.
Information: www.rjdmuseum.org

Longfellow National Historic Site

105 Brattle Street Cambridge, MA, 02138 Phone: 617-876-4491

A historic double whammy, this site was headquarters for George Washington in 1775 and 1776. It was author Longfellow's home in 1837-38.
Hours: Guided tours are available from late May to the end of October by reservation only. The grounds and garden are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Admission is free.

Winslow House

Careswell and Webster streets Marshfield, MA Phone: 617-837-5753

Built in 1699, this home served as Daniel Webster's law office in the 18th century. Of particular interest it the carriage house, featuring a stagecoach, phaeton and brougham. Guided tours cover the Winslow house and herb garden. On some dates the carriage shed and blacksmith shop may be open. Tours last one hour.
Hours: Early May-late October. Call ahead to arrange a tour.
Admission: Donations requested.

Codman Estate (1740)

34 Codman Road Lincoln, MA, 01773 Phone: 617-994-6690

Tis country seat was a powerful force in the lives of five generations of the Codman family. Today, the interiors are richly furnished with portraits, memorabilia, and art works collected in Europe, showing the decorative schemes of every era, including those of interior designer Ogden Codman Jr. The grounds feature a hidden turn-of-the-century Italian garden with perennial beds, statuary, and a reflecting pool. Property of Historic New England.
Hours: June 1-October 15, second and fourth Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: $2.50-$5.
Information: http://bit.ly/UV0hBk.

John F. Kennedy Birthplace

83 Beals Street Brookline, MA Phone: 617-566-7937

Guided tours are available at the site, covering the house and neighborhood, where President John F. Kennedy was born in 1917. In 2017, during the centennial of the late president's birth, the site is featuring a new exhibit on JFK’s political legacy. "John Fitzgerald Kennedy: The First One Hundred Years." Also debuting in May 2017 is a new orientation film to celebrate the site’s 50th anniversary year.
Hours: Grounds are accessible year-round, the house is open May through October. daily, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Because of the size of the house, tours are limited to nine visitors; larger groups will be divided into tours of nine. Please allow for a one-hour visit.

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. Tours are conducted. Property includes Buckman Tavern, Hancock-Clarke House, and Munroe Tavern.
Hours: Open daily, Memorial day-October 28; open weekends March 31 through Memorial Day; noon-4 p.m. with tours hourly.
Admission: For all houses on the property, adults, $12; youth age 5-16, $8; for one house, adults, $7; children, $5.
Information: http://lhsoc.weebly.com/munroe-tavern.html.

Abbott Hall (Marblehead City Hall)

188 Washington Street Marblehead, MA Phone: 781-631-0000

This Victorian town hall is the setting for one of the most recognized paintings in America: The Spirit of '76.
Hours: Normal business hours.
Information: www.marblehead.org/

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

290 Argilla Road Ipswich, MA, 01938 Phone: 978-356-4351

Grand summer estate of Richard T. Crane Jr., this Stuart style mansion is now a National Historic Landmark. It is set atop the mile-long rolling lawn with a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean. Castle Hill hosts tours of the Great House, a July 4th celebration, concerts, and nature programs.
Hours: Grounds open year-round, Daily 9am - 5pm. Extended hours on Wednesdays in the summer. Early closing at 4pm November-January.
Admission: Non-member Adults $10, Ages 6-14 $5, Under 5 Free. Please check website for other discounts.

Grist Mill - Plimoth Patuxet - Plymouth, MA - Photo Credit Plimoth Patuxet

Plimoth Grist Mill (formerly Jenney Grist Mill)

6 Spring Lane Plymouth, MA, 02360 Phone:

A replica of a grist mill built on this site in 1636 and used by the Pilgrims to grind corn for flour. Visitors can see the water wheel turning and watch the miller grinding grain. Owned and operated by Plimoth Patuxet Museums.

Mission House

19 Main Street Stockbridge, MA, 01263 Phone: 413-298-3239

Built in 1739 and atop Prospect Hill, this National Historic Landmark was moved, and restored in 1926-27. Landscape architect Fletcher Steele designed the Colonial Revival garden, which features a Colonial-style dooryard garden. A replica of an old cobbler shop is the entrance to the property; a grape arbor in the Well Courtyard behind the house leads to a Native American museum.
Hours: Open for self-guided tours Thursday-Monday 10am - 4pm. Guided tours available. Gardens open daily.

Jackson Homestead

527 Washington Street Newton, MA, 02458 Phone: 617-796-1450

The Jackson Homestead, a 1809 Federal-style farmhouse, is a nationally accredited museum and home to Newton's Historical Society. The exhibits and programs concentrate on topics of New England history, including the home as a site on the Underground Railroad. Collections include paintings, costumes, photographs, manuscripts, maps, and historical artifacts.
Hours: Wednesdays & Fridays 11am - 5pm and Weekends 10am - 5pm. Also open by appointment.
Admission: Adults $6; Seniors, Students and Newton Residents $5. EBT reduced admission available. Children 5 & under Free. No admission charged on the first weekend of each month.

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.
Hours: April 1-October 31, daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; November-March 31, closed.
Admission: Free.
Information: www.nps.gov/sair/

Harbor View - Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum - Provincetown, MA

Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum

1 High Pole Hill Road Provincetown, MA Phone: 508-487-1310

Completed in 1910 to commemorate Provincetown as the first landing place of the Pilgrims. Visitors can walk to the top of the 252-foot granite monument and visit the Provincetown Museum to learn about Provincetown history.

Battleship Massachusetts

Battleship Cove, 5 Water St Fall River, MA Phone: 508-678-1100

The battleship Massachusetts, submarine Lionfish, destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., are among the World War II vessels docked at this location. Visitors will enjoy tours of the vessels and related exhibits.
Hours: Year-round, daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: Adults: $20; Seniors: $18; Children 4-12: $10; Children 3 and under: Free.

Historic Deerfield

88 Old Main Street Deerfield, MA, 01342 Phone: 413-775-7214

Located in western Massachusetts off Routes 5 and 10 in the 330-year old village of Deerfield, the museum has been called the gem of rural New England. It includes 12 houses dating to the 18th and 19th centuries and three exhibition galleries at the Flynt Center of Early New England Life. Guided and self-guided tours are offered. A full calendar of programs, special events, and village walking tours are offered throughout the year. The Museum Store and Bookshop feature gifts, museum reproductions and books about early America and the decorative arts.
Hours: Open Daily, year round; hours vary by season. Call ahead or consult website.
Admission: Adults, $12; youth age 6-17, $5.

Witch House

310 1/2 Essex Street Salem, MA Phone: 508-744-8815

This historic house was the home of a judge who presided over the witchcraft trials.
Hours: Open seasonally. Call ahead or check website for hours.
Admission: Self guided house tours, Adult, $8.25; seniors, $6.25; children age 6-14, $4.25. Prices are $2 higher for guided tours.
Information: www.witchhouse.info.

American Antiquarian Society

185 Salisbury Street Worcester, MI Phone: 508-755-5221

In 1812, this organization was begun by Isaiah Thomas. It now functions mostly as a research library.

King's Chapel

58 Tremont Street Boston, MA, 02108 Phone: 617-523-1749

Founded as the first Anglican Church in America in 1754, this became the site of the country's first Unitarian church soon after the Revolution.
Hours & Admission: Wednesdays thru Saturdays, 10am - 5pm. $5 per person. Guided tour tickets available for $10.

Harvard University

50 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA, 02138 Phone: 617-495-1000

America's oldest university and one of the world's most revered learning institutions, Harvard has given degrees to some of the nation's most important historical figures. Free campus tours led by students are available regularly - visit the website to register.

Captain Bangs Hallet House

11 Strawberry Lane (off Route 6A) Yarmouth Port, MA, 02675 Phone: 508-362-3021

The original part of this Greek Revival sea captain's house was built in 1740. The kitchen has its original brick beehive oven and butter churn, along with acollection of china, pewter, maritime artifacts, and clothing from the sea captain era. The 50 acre property has nature trails.
Hours: June 1 through October 15, Thursday-Sunday, with tours at 1, 2 and 3 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $3.

Phillips House (1821)

34 Chestnut Street Salem, MA, 01970 Phone: 508-744-0440

In 1821, construction of this Federal-style mansion began on Salem's fashionable Chestnut Street as the home of Captain Nathaniel West. The housse contains a family collection that spans five generations and blossomed during Salem's Great Age of Sail. Property of Historic New England.
Hours: June-October, Tuesday-Sunday; November-May, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tours every half hour. Closed most major holidays. Visit the Carriage House for a self-guided tour, available late April through mid-November.
Admission: Adults, $5; seniors, $4; student, $2.50.
Information: http://bit.ly/l59m93

Mayhew Chapel & Indian Burial Ground - Vineyard Haven, MA

Mayhew Chapel and Indian Burial Ground

Christiantown Road Vineyard Haven, MA, 02568 Phone: 508-627-8687

This Christiantown memorial is the site of an Indian burial ground and the Mayhew Chapel, named after Thomas Mayhew Jr., a missionary. This site is owned by the Wampanoag Tribe. Includes a wildflower sanctuary.

The Mount -- Home of Edith Wharton

Plunkett Street Lenox, MA Phone: 413-551-5111

The Mount is a historic site and a center for culture inspired by the achievements of Edith Wharton. Designed by Wharton in 1902, the house embodies the principles outlined in her influential book, The Decoration of Houses (1897). The property includes three acres of formal gardens surrounded by extensive woodlands. Programming at The Mount reflects Wharton’s core interests in the literary arts, interior design and decoration, garden and landscape design, and the art of living. Hours: Grounds open year-round; house, stable, and bookstore open daily from early May to October 31.
Admission: Adults, $16; students, $13; grounds pass, $12; guided tour, $2; free for youth under age 18.

John F. Kennedy Memorial at Veterans Memorial Park

Ocean Street and Gosnold streets Hyannis, MA Phone:

This outdoor, oceanside monument, erected in the popular Kennedy retreat on Cape Cod, memorializes the fallen President. There is no admission fee.

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Bedford Street (Route 62) near Monument Street Concord, MA Phone: 978-318-3233

A beautiful garden cemetery. Buried here are the Alcott sisters, Ralph Waldo Emerson, artist Daniel Chester French, Nathaniel Hawthorne and William David Thoreau.
Hours: Daylight hours.
Admission: Free.
Information: http://bit.ly/10vCCYH

First Congregational Church of Wellfleet - Wellfleet, MA

First Congregational Church in Wellfleet

200 Main Street Wellfleet, MA, 02667 Phone: 508-349-6877

Famous for its steeple clock, which, according to legend, is the only clock in the world that strikes ship's time. The interior of this 1850 Greek Revival building is stunning, with pale blue walls, a brass chandelier hanging from a gilt ceiling rosette, and curved pews forming an amphitheater. Sunday evening concerts are held here throughout the summer.

Trinity Church (MA)

206 Clarendon Street Boston, MA, 02116 Phone: 617-536-0944

Recognized as one of the most significant buildings in America, Trinity Church took shape on marshland in Boston's Back Bay in the 1870s. Built in 1877, the church was designed by H. H. Richardson, and is a prime example of the Romanesque architectural style. Tours are mostly available Tuesday to Saturday; Please check the website's calendar for specific tour times and other events including regular services.

Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House - Concord, MA

Orchard House - Home of Louisa May Alcott

399 Lexington Road Concord, MA, 01742 Phone: 978-369-4118

Amos Bronson Alcott purchased two houses on 12 acres on the Lexington Road in 1857. He moved joined the smaller tenant farmhouse to the rear of the larger manor house. The grounds included an apple orchard. The house is noted as the place where Bronson's daughter, Louisa May Alcott, wrote and set her classic, "Little Women," in 1868 at a shelf desk her father built especially for her.
Hours: A reservation is currently required. Please reserve your tickets on the website.
Admission: Adults $12; Seniors 62+ & College Students with ID $10, Ages 6-17 $5. Family and Military rates available.

Old Manse

269 Monument Street Concord, MA, 01742 Phone: 978-369-3909

Overlooking the North Bridge, this National Historic Landmark was built in 1770 by the Rev. William Emerson. His grandson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, drafted his essay "Nature" while living here. Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne lived here from 1842 to 1845. The house contains 200 years of family furnishings.
Hours: House tours are Weds-Mon, 11am - 5pm. Last tour starts at 4pm. The grounds are open for free, daily & year-round, sunrise to sunset. Closed Tuesdays.
Admission: Adults $12, Seniors 65+ and Students $10, Children 6-14 $6, Members and Children under 6 Free.

Lawrence Heritage State Park

1 Jackson Street Lawrence, MA, 01840 Phone: 978-794-1655

At this living history site, visitors can see the mills and boarding houses of one of the country's first planned industrial cities. Interactive exhibits in a genuine and a restored mill workers’ boarding house describe lives of generations of immigrant mill workers, along with the story of the Great Strike of 1912, a major piece of this country’s labor history. The Bread and Roses Festival on Labor Day is an annual highlight. Guided tours are offered.

Bunker Hill Monument

Monument Square at Boston National Historical Park Charlestown, MA, 02129 Phone: 617-242-5641

Monument marks the site of the Bunker Hill skirmish, one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War, which took place on June 17, 1775. The monument is currently closed for historical restoration. Please check the website for additional information.

Tanglewood

297 West Street Lenox, MA, 01240 Phone: 617-266-1492

Tanglewood, on a vast, green property in the Berkshires region of Massachusetts, is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops. From spring through fall, Tanglewood hosts a large variety of live music performances covering the spectrum of classic, rock, jazz, and more, along with performers in the comedy and storytelling. Other special programs include audience talk-backs and programs for children.

Jeremiah Lee Mansion

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

Beauty and history

This 1768 Colonial Georgian mansion was built for a wealthy merchant and ship owner, and it exists now exactly as it did then. The house has a good assortment of early American furniture, including examples by Boston, Salem and Marblehead cabinet makers. Decorative arts from the 18th and 19th centuries include ceramics, silver, mirrors, clocks, and textiles. The site also features exhibits of military and maritime items, antique children’s toys and furnishings.
Hours: June through October, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fee charged.
Information: marbleheadmuseum.org/LeeMansion.htm

Alden House Historic Site

105 Alden Street, Duxbury, MA Phone: 781-934-9092

Part of the property granted to two of the Mayflower's most famous passengers, John and Priscilla Alden, visitors can tour the family home of their descendants and explore the nearby foundation of the couple's 17th century homesite.

Hours: June 1-mid-October; Wednesday-Saturday, noon-4 p.m.

Admission: Adults, $8; children under age 18, $5.

Information: www.alden.org/

Quaker Meeting House

7 Fair Street Nantucket, MA, 02554 Phone: 508-228-1894

Constructed in 1838 as a Friends school, the Quaker Meeting House provides an appropriate setting for presenting the story of Quakerism as a dominant social and economic force on Nantucket. Interpretive presentations are regularly scheduled.
Hours: Open April through October; call ahead for hours.
Information: www.nha.org/sites/quakermeetinghouse.html

African Meeting House in Nantucket

29 York Street Nantucket, MA, 02554 Phone: 508-228-4058

The Museum of African American History on Nantucket features two historic sites, the African Meeting House and the Florence Higginbotham House. These buildings were at the center of a thriving 19th-century African American community on the island.
The African Meeting House on Nantucket is the island’s most vivid reminder of a thriving 19th-century African American community. Erected in the 1820s by the African Baptist Society, it was a church, a school for African children, and a meeting house.
The Seneca Boston-Florence Higginbotham House was built in 1774 by Seneca Boston, a weaver and formerly enslaved man whose family maintained the house until 1918. The property was owned by African-Americans for the next two centuries.
Hours: January to May: Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 2pm, or by appointment. Tickets available on the website.

Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum

67 East Road Adams, MA Phone: 413-743-7121

Susan B. Anthony was born in Adams on February 15, 1820. Her Federal-style home built in 1818, stands as an important symbol of the women’s suffrage movement. The museum highlights the familial and regional influences that shaped Ms. Anthony’s early life.
Admission: Adults, $6; seniors, $4; students, $3; children age 6 and younger, free. Call to arrange private tours.

Fort Sewall

Front Street, Route 114 Marblehead, MA Phone:

This historic fort offers a scenic view of Marblehead Harbor. The headland, which is a public parkland, hosts annual Revolutionary War re-enactment encampments and other public programs.
Hours: Year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset/
Information: http://essexheritage.org/sites/fort_sewall.shtml.

Bidwell House

Art School Road Monterey, MA, 01245 Phone: 413-528-6888

The Bidwell House (1750)was built as the parsonage. Surrounding the house are terraced stone walls of perennial beds. The remaining acreage is woodlands laced with hiking trails and foot paths leading to historical landmarks throughout the property. The Kitchen Garden demonstrates the early colonial style and variety of plants and 19th-century Shaker vegetable gardening.
Hours: Memorial Day-Columbus Day, Thursday through Monday (closed Tuedays and Wednesdays), 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with tours on the hour. The last tour starts at 3 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $10; seniors, $8; students, $5; children under age 6, free.

Stevens-Coolidge Place

139 Andover Street North Andover, MA, 01845 Phone: 978-682-3580

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 are open year-round, daily, 8 a/m/ to sunset. Gardens are most vibrant mid-June though September. House tours are currently not available.
Admission: Free.
Information: http://bit.ly/2WBhL.

Clara Barton Birthplace Museum

66 Clara Barton Road North Oxford, MA Phone: 508-987-2056

The first home of one of America's most famous women and the founder of the American Red Cross. Exhibits feature Barton's career and history, in addition to family memorabilia.
Hours: June 1-August 31, Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; September, Saturdays only, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $6; seniors, $5; children age 6 to 12, $3.
Information: www.clarabartonbirthplace.org/

Highland House Museum

6 Highland Light Road Truro, MA, 02666 Phone: 508-487-3397

The Highland House Museum is located in the former Highland House, a hotel built on the Highlands in 1907. Also near the Highland Lighthouse in North Truro, it is a classic example of a turn-of-the-century summer resort hotel. The museum displays artifacts and information about early European settlers and the Native Americans that preceded them.
Dates & Hours: June 1 to September 30, Monday-Saturday 10am - 4:30pm.

Buckman Tavern

1 Bedford Street Lexington, MA Phone: 781–862–5598

In this old lodging, built 1710, minutemen gathered early on April 19, 1775, preparing to fight an approching British expedition in Lexington. This headquarters of the minutemen also was one of Lexington’s busiest 18th-century taverns. Tours are available seasonally. Property includes Buckman Tavern, Hancock-Clarke House, and Munroe Tavern.
Hours: Open daily April through Thanksgiving weekend, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: For all houses on the property, adults, $12; youth age 5-16, $8; for one house, adults, $7; children, $5.
Information: http://lhsoc.weebly.com/buckman-tavern.html

La Salette Shrine

947 Park Street, Route 118 Attleboro, MA, 02703 Phone: 508-222-5410

These historic statuary gardens were designed as areas for meditation and worship. During the Christmas holiday a unique and decorative light display is offered. Information: www.lasalette-shrine.org

Boston Common

Bounded by Tremont, Beacon, Charles, Park and Boylston streets Boston, MA, 02116 Phone:

The starting point of the Freedom Trail, the large Boston Common is a beloved and legendary park, and the anchor for the Emerald Necklace, a system of connected parks through many Boston neighborhoods. Until 1830, cattle grazed the Common. British troops camped on Boston Common prior to the Revolution and left from here to face Colonial resistance at Lexington and Concord in April, 1775. Lots of public space and public events take place here.

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. Park properties include the Visitor Center, 246 Market Street; the Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit, 40 French Street; the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, 115 John Street (admission is charged); the Moody Street Feeder Gatehouse, Merrimack and Dutton streets; and the Norther Canal Walkway, adjacent to 175 Aiken St. and/or Mammoth Road/School Street Bridge.
Hours: Hours vary by location and by season. Check museum website for hours of operation.
Admission to Boott Cotton Mills Museum: Adults, $6; youth age 6-16 and students, $3; senior discount; children age 5 and younger, free.

Minute Man National Historical Park

210 North Great Road Lincoln, MA, 01773 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.
Hours: The park itself and Hartwell Tavern are open year-round, sunrise to sunset. Visitor Centers are open early May thru the end of October, 9am - 5pm.

Flying Horses Carousel

15 Lake Avenue Oak Bluffs, on Martha's Vineyard, MA Phone:

Martha's Vineyard is home to the oldest working carousel in the U.S. The wooden horses have real stirrups.
Hours: Open during the summer months, into October.
Admission: $2 a ride
Information: http://bit.ly/nM8ChU

Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm (1690)

5 Little’s Lane Newbury, MA, 01951 Phone: 978-462-2634

Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm welcomes kids and families and offers fun and educational activities for everyone. The site has a 17th-century manor house that offered a country home for wealthy Newburyport businessmen. Also on the site are nature trails and a picnic spot in maple groves. Nature walks, family events, and lectures are presented year-round. Museum shop. A National Historic Landmark.
Hours: June 1 to October 15, Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Grounds open year round, sunrise to sunset.
Admission: $4-$5.
Information: http://bit.ly/mOJyOW.

African Meeting House in Boston (1806)

Smith Court at Joy Street Boston, MA, 02114 Phone: 617-742-5415

The African Meeting House on Beacon Hill was built in 1806 in what was the heart of Boston's 19th century African American community. It is today a showcase of black community organization in the formative years of the new republic. The Meeting House was the host to giants in the Abolitionist Movement who were responsible for monumental historical events. The African Meeting House is the oldest black church edifice still standing in the United States. It is part of Boston's Black Heritage Trail.
Hours: Open year-round Tuesday thru Sunday, 10am - 4pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. Tickets available on the website.

Faneuil Hall and Faneuil Hall Marketplace

1 South Market Street Boston, MA, 02109 Phone: 617-523-1300

Built in 1742, this marketplace and meeting area became a focal point of discussion and protest against the British government during the colonial era. Historical talks are held daily in what has become known as the "Cradle of Liberty." Faneuil Hall Marketplace is next to Faneuil Hall. The Marketplace is a treasure trove for shopping and dining in the Greek Revival-style Quincy Market filled with 45 international eateries and the flanking North and South Market buildings with 80 specialty shops.

Seamen'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.
Hours: Memorial Day through Columbus Day, daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Free.
Information: portsociety.org

Springfield Armory National Historic Site

1 Armory Square Springfield, MA Phone: 413-734-8551

This National Historic Landmark houses the world’s largest collection of American military firearms dating from colonial times and offers year-round public programs, exhibits, and special events.
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: Free admission.

Park Street Church

1 Park Street Boston, MA, 02108 Phone: 617-523-3383

Founded in 1804, the church is one of the stops on the Freedom Trail. Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison gave his first speech against slavery here in 1829. Services are still held here each Sunday.

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