The Samuel Adams Boston Brewery is where the popular company’s beers are invented. Visit the small-batch brewery and tap room to try a variety of ales, lagers, and seasonal brews and to learn about the company’s history and its brewing process.
Perched on the top floors of Prudential Tower, View Boston is the premier observation deck in the city, offering 360-degree, panoramic views of the surrounding skyline. Visitors can take in the sights from indoor and outdoor areas and marvel at the immersive screen that displays street-level perspectives of neighborhoods and behind-the-scenes shots of popular attractions. An open-air deck also serves up cocktails and small bites.
As a city perhaps best known for its 1692 witch trials, Salem has a dark history that dates back centuries. Visitors can unpack stories of this colonial era at the Salem Wax Museum. Encounter wax figures from Salem's past in this quaint museum, and check out a small exhibit on the history of Salem, its witch hunt, and maritime industry.
The Gibson House Museum, located in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, is home to four floors of furniture, artifacts, and decor that date back to the 1800s. Explore this popular attraction on guided tours that detail the life and times of the elite Gibson family to learn how early aristocratic Americans lived.
The cornerstone of Concord’s historic attractions, The Old Manse was the town’s political and social center throughout the 19th century, in addition to serving as a home for literary greats. Preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the structure was originally built in 1770 for Rev. William Emerson, and stands adjacent to Concord’s Old North Bridge, where the American Revolutionary War started in 1775.
Built in 1919, Vilna Shul served as an Orthodox synagogue for Jews who immigrated to Boston from Lithuania. Now used as an inclusive community center, Vilna Shul, Boston's Center for Jewish Culture, is widely recognized as the city’s most iconic Jewish landmark, as it is one of the only remaining synagogues in the city’s downtown that immigrants built.
As one of the largest outdoor outlet shopping destinations in New England, Wrentham Village Premium Outlets® offers dozens of top fashion brands. From couture to kidswear, this place is a shopping mecca. It's a top destination from Providence and Boston, and discounts are typically steep—you can often save up to 65 percent off retail prices.
Founded in 1986, the Harpoon Brewery and Beer Hall is Massachusetts’ oldest established brewery and produces craft beers and a famous Harpoon Pale India Ale (IPA) in the trendy Seaport District. An adjoining beer hall hosts visitors guzzling brews in a buzzy, industrial-inspired setting and offers tours of the brewery operations.
Standing on the waterfront in Boston’s Seaport District, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA showcases challenging modern US and international art. Alongside its permanent collection, this cutting-edge glass gallery also hosts changing shows and themed exhibitions, all complemented by stellar views of Boston Harbor.
Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Gloucester’s century-old Hammond Castle Museum is the former home of inventor and “father of radio control” Dr John Hays Hammond Jr. Inside, his inventions and possessions—including one of the world’s largest pipe organs—are displayed. Featuring a mix of medieval, Gothic, and Renaissance styles, the museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
For such a small boulder, Plymouth Rock has an outsized history. Said to mark the site where the passengers of the Mayflower disembarked in the winter of 1620, this legendary stone is a reminder of a turning point for two continents. Admire the rock during a visit to the Pilgrim Memorial State Park as you learn more about the founding of the first colonies.
One of the most delightful attractions on Martha’s Vineyard, the Gingerbread Houses are a storybook cluster of 19th-century cottages that were originally used as housing for a Methodist camp and today are a National Historic Landmark. About 300 of these brightly painted, ornately decorated homes still stand at the Old Bluffs Campground, a highlight of Martha’s Vineyard guided excursions and independent audio tours.
The pastel-hued Aquinnah Cliffs—also known as Gay Head Cliffs—line the westernmost tip of Martha’s Vineyard and are one of the most scenic spots on the island. Visit the overlook by land to enjoy views of the coastline and the historic Gay Head Light lighthouse or set sail around the island to marvel at the cliffs from the water.
Visitors seeking an introduction to Salem’s quaint waterfront will often find themselves in Pickering Wharf, an area brimming with shops, restaurants, and cafés lining the harbor. This historic seaport is a pleasant place for a stroll and a browse, with many shops featuring unique arts and crafts. It’s also a destination for fresh seafood; many restaurants take pride in serving fresh seafood from local waters.
The JFK Museum in Hyannis offers a fascinating insight into the life of America’s 35th president. Dedicated to preserving the legacy of John F. Kennedy, who spent many summers on Cape Cod, the museum is a must-visit for anyone interested in Kennedy: the man and the president.
A part of Boston's maritime story, the Rowes Wharf development updated an historic battery, which was renovated in the 1980s. The renewed expanse of downtown waterfront boasts hotels, shops, and eateries with Boston Harbor views. There's easy ferry access, and several sailboat tours start here; it's an ideal jumping-off point for a cruise.
Boston’s Cheers Beacon Hill (formerly the Bull & Finch Pub) is a mandatory pilgrimage for fans of the popular television showCheers, which was inspired by this authentic neighborhood watering hole. Although the bar’s interior differs from its famous TV alter ego, you’ll find the same friendly atmosphere, good pub grub, and frothy pints of beer.
Acorn Street, in Boston’s historic Beacon Hill neighborhood, is known as one of the most photographed streets in the US. This cobblestone lane, lined with Federal-style row houses and gas lanterns, transports you back in time. Tourists visit for its beauty, rich history, and New England charm, making it a favorite spot for leisurely strolls and picture taking.
Boylston Street runs west to east from Higginson Circle to the Boylston Light Rail Station near Chinatown in Boston. Stretching for approximately 2 miles (3.2 kilometers), Boylston Street is a main road in the city, connecting Downtown with Fenway, and is a famous street for upscale dining and shopping in Back Bay’s neighborhood.
Enjoy IMAX films about the natural world on New England’s largest screen, with 12,000 watts of digital sound, at Simons IMAX Theatre at the New England Aquarium. Put yourself in the heart of the action, and come face to face with creatures and habitats that are too small, too large, or too endangered to view in an aquarium.
One of three lighthouses on Nantucket, Great Point Lighthouse sits at the far northern tip of the island and is a postcard-worthy destination for walks or 4x4 excursions. Its bright light is the most powerful in New England and still guides ships past Great Point almost 250 years after the first lighthouse was erected on this treacherous outpost.
Situated below the historic Chatham Light lighthouse, on the Atlantic Ocean side of Chatham, this Cape Cod destination is the largest and one of the most scenic beaches in the Chatham area. The expansive sandy beach offers stunning views and is ideal for strolling, fishing, and watching seals and other wildlife.
Long before Nantucket became a summer resort hot spot, the island was a vibrant whaling community. Learn about 400 years of whaling history at the Whaling Museum, home to nine galleries and more than a thousand whaling-related works of art and artifacts. End your visit with a stop on the rooftop deck for views of Nantucket Harbor.
Covering 43 miles (69 kilometers) of Boston’s 47-mile (75-kilometer) shoreline, the Boston Harborwalk is a linear park and pathway that skirts the Boston Harbor and connects dozens of neighborhoods, beaches, trails, and parks. Take in city and harbor views, visit museums, and discover restaurants and shops as you walk or cycle this innovative waterfront space.
Part theme park, part water park, and known for offering a top selection of roller coasters, Six Flags New England is a mostly seasonal attraction serving thrill seekers and families alike. This entertainment hub buzzes all summer. Steamy weather brings crowds from across the northeast hungry for water slides, tasty food, and summer fun.
Immortalized by landscape painter Winslow Homer and featured in the Hollywood blockbuster The Perfect Storm, the Eastern Point Lighthouse is one of New England’s most characterful and historic lighthouses. The Gloucester, Massachusetts, lighthouse is nearly 200 years old and on the National Register of Historic Places. A wildlife sanctuary flanks it and offers impressive coastal views.
Gain a new perspective on world geography at the Mapparium, the centerpiece of the How Do You See the World? experience at Boston’s Christian Science Plaza. Situated inside the Mary Baker Eddy Library, this 3-story stained-glass globe from 1935 features a footbridge that spans its hollow interior, allowing visitors to admire the pre–World War II world from the inside out. A 10-minute narration and exhibition of related artifacts and documents complete the experience.
Overlooking the sea in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum documents the life and legacy of President Kennedy. The building holds official presidential documents and correspondence, a wealth of multimedia exhibits and artifacts, and literary gems such as some unpublished writings of Ernest Hemingway.
This compact wedge of marshland, beach grass, and beach swings out into Buzzards Bay, and its nature trails offer a quiet haven even when the rest of Cape Cod is chockablock with visitors. At its tip is “The Knob,” a promontory that, on a clear day, has views stretching to New Bedford, the Elizabeth Islands, and the Cape Cod Canal.
Rising 54 feet (16 meters) above Boston’s Freedom Trail, the New England Holocaust Memorial is a striking tribute to the estimated 6 million Jews who died during the Holocaust. Its glass-and-steel towers etched with numbers and illuminated from within are the city’s most important commemoration of one of the darkest periods in modern history.
