New England attractions

Travel between Boston’s Long Wharf and Salem in style on the Salem Ferry. This high-speed catamaran cruises at up to 33 knots and can complete the journey in less than an hour. The 92-foot (28-meter) long ship can comfortably fit 150 passengers. Feel the wind on your face and enjoy the passing scenery from the upper and lower decks, or enjoy the comforts of the climate-controlled indoor lounge.

Located in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire, Squam Lake is the second largest lake in the state, encompassing Big Squam Lake and Little Squam Lake. A popular summertime destination, Squam Lake offers serene natural beauty, an abundance of wildlife, a variety of outdoor activities, and small town charm with plentiful amenities.

Located in Lappin Park in Salem, the Bewitched Statue is a tribute to actress Elizabeth Montgomery, the star of the popular 1960s show, Bewitched. Unveiled in 2005, the 9-foot (2.7-meter tall bronze statue features Montgomery’s character, the fictional witch Samantha Stephens, sitting on a broomstick in front of a crescent moon.

Part of the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, the Custom House is one of Salem’s top architectural and historic landmarks. Literature buffs are drawn here for its connection to the author Nathaniel Hawthorne—the building contains an exhibit of the office where he wrote the 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter. Operated by the National Park Service, this Salem landmark offers several exhibitions, but has limited hours; call ahead for the most up to date information.

Among the most photographed of all Maine’s lighthouses, this picture-perfect spot is full of New England coastal charm. From the whitewashed keeper’s house to the lighthouse itself, Cape Neddick Nubble Lighthouse is simply beautiful. Because the lighthouse is on an island, visitors are limited to admiring the view from the mainland.

Beaches, forests, and vacation towns wrap New Hampshire’s largest lake, which sprawls across 72 square miles (186 square kilometers) of the state’s interior. This is where old-fashioned American resort culture meets opportunities for outdoor adventure, whether you’re cruising by boat, fishing for lake trout, or hiking up nearby summits such as Mt. Major, Belknap Mountain, or Gunstock Mountain.

On the banks of Connecticut’s historic Mystic River, Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, it is home to four vessels with National Historic Landmark status. Visitors can explore more than 19 acres along the river, including a re-created 19th-century seafaring village and a working preservation shipyard.

Opened in 1819, the New Hampshire State House in Concord is a state capitol where the legislature still meets in the original chambers. Built of New Hampshire granite in the Greek Revival style and topped with a gilded dome, it’s home to the Chambers of the State Legislature, the Governor’s Office, the General Court, and the Executive Council.

Located in a renovated mill building of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company—once one of the largest textile mills in the world—the Manchester Historic Association Millyard Museum showcases nearly 11,000 years of history of the region. In addition to its permanent exhibit, the museum offers temporary exhibitions, school and family programs, lectures, and other special events.

Copley Place is the premier high-end shopping destination in Boston’s historic Back Bay. With over 50 shops spread across two levels, the impressive mall also features dining options, as well as convenient access to office buildings and two hotels. The mall has many luxury brands stores Stores that attracts locals and visitors alike.

A circle of granite pavers in front of the Old State House commemorates the Boston Massacre of 1770. The site marks the spot where British soldiers and colonists clashed: what started as a skirmish escalated into a riot, resulting in the deaths of five civilians. It’s considered one of the most pivotal events leading to the American Revolution.

Home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Hall is considered one of the top classical music venues in the United States. A US National Historic Landmark, the hall is also known for its beautiful interior and is considered to have one of the best acoustics of any music hall in the world.

Designed to connect Cape Cod Bay with Buzzards Bay, the Cape Cod Canal is a 7-mile-long (11-kilometer) artificial waterway built in 1914. Visitors and locals use it for both commercial and recreational boating and fishing, as well as walking and cycling along scenic paths on both sides.

Hundreds of big-name brands and shopping malls flank Route 1 in Kittery, a major shopping destination that draws bargain-seekers from around the region. One major stop is Kittery Premium Outlets, a mall with more than 60 stores from Anne Taylor to Zumiez. Discounts abound, and sales discount goods between 25 and 65 percent.

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.

An engineering marvel when it was built in the late 1860s, New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington Cog Railway (The Cog) was the first mountain-ascending train in the world. Today the same mechanization that ferried early tourists offers a unique alternative to driving or hiking to the wind-whipped summit of the highest peak in the northeastern United States. The half-day journey is a great way to get a taste of both New England’s rich history and beautiful natural scenery.

Dating back to the 18th century, the Portland Head Light watches over the rocky coastline of Maine as the state’s oldest lighthouse. Its picturesque location also makes it the most photographed lighthouse in the United States. And the surrounding Fort Williams Park is a popular beach and hiking destination.

Take in aerial views spanning four states as you ride the glass-lined Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway to the top of New Hampshire's tallest mountain. The country’s first aerial tramway, the tram was created to give skiers mountaintop access. Today, you can ride the tram year-round, whether you're a hiker, skier, or sightseer.

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.

Based in Portland, Maine, Rising Tide Brewing Company opened its doors in 2010, starting with just one barrel. Today, the popular, family-owned brewery runs a tab of 4,500 barrels, distributed across Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Theirs is technically a brewpub, offering plenty of elevated comfort-food dishes to complement those sudsy ales.

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.

Located in South Boston, Castle Island is one of the city’s most appealing waterfront parks. Spanning 22 acres (9 hectares), the park is home to Fort Independence, as well as green space, paths, playgrounds, and beaches, making it an ideal location for visitors looking for a day of history, leisure, or outdoor recreation.

Fringing Squam Lake in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is an environmental park that spotlights the area’s rich wildlife. Visitors immerse in nature by seeing live animals along the main nature trail, taking lake cruises, and enjoying bloom-filled gardens, guided programs, and other activities.

This fascinating museum specializes in the display of illustration artworks, as designed for books and other print media. Over 150 artists have featured works on its walls, including Norman Rockwell, NC Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, and Howard Pyle. In fact, it’s the largest collection of illustrated masterpieces in the world. The museum is housed in a former mansion, a stately American Renaissance building with architecture that is worth a visit alone. Vernon Court was designed in the style of a French chateau, and has a ballroom, marble hall, and other elegant rooms now filled with art. The illustrations offer lots of insight into American society at the time they were created, and often reflect social change, attitudes, and behaviors. The art that remains from this era captures a moment in time before electronics, when books and magazines were the main form of entertainment. The mansion even displays period furnishings and decorative arts to create an immersive experience that provides context and reflects the time of the art. Self-guided and guided tours are available.

Nestled in rural New Hampshire, the family-owned Zorvino Vineyards produces award-winning grape and fruit wines in a stunning 80-acre (32-hectare) estate framed by New England forest. Visitors come to the winery, vineyards, bistro, and wood-beamed barn for everything from wine tastings and tours to hand-crafted menus and special events.

The Mayflower II is a reproduction of the famous pilgrim ship, the Mayflower, that made a transatlantic crossing in the 1600s. Built and first sailed from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1957, the Mayflower II has become a historic ship in its own right. It’s both a working vessel and a floating classroom that you can visit.

Dating back to 1755, Portland, Maine's Tate House Museum is the only existing example of pre-revolutionary architecture open to the public. In its heyday, it was the residence of Captain George Tate, a senior mast agent in the British Royal Navy, though it's now a museum, complete with period furnishings, an herb garden, and a gift shop.

Travel back to the time of the Plymouth Colony settlers with a visit to this reconstruction of the historic Plimoth Grist Mill, which was originally built in 1636, set along the Town Brook stream in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This working mill still operates today, offering visitors a hands-on history lesson. See the 200-year-old millstones and learn how water diverted from the brook powers the mill.

An intimate performance lounge with all front-row seating, the Mystic Dark Room offers unique entertainment experiences. The lounge’s program changes throughout the year, hosting everything from adults-only entertainment to holiday spectaculars such asThe Nutcracker and family favorites includingThe Little Mermaid.

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.