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While the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism is a wonderful resource for the entire state, each region of Massachusetts is represented by a Regional Tourism Council, each providing an indepth look at each region. We encourage you to explore everything Massachusetts has to offer – all the nooks and crannies, the iconic, not-to-be-missed spots and out of the way gems that make our state so much fun!

Greater Merrimack Valley

Each of its 21 cities and towns has its unique charm – so a getaway in the Merrimack Valley can be made to order. Whether you’re looking for comfortable and cozy, vibrant and active, or fun and educational – adventure awaits!

The Berkshires

Serene mountain vistas, lush forests, and clear blue lakes define the Berkshire landscape, an idyllic setting for your next family vacation, romantic escape, or weekend with friends. Boasting more than 100 world class cultural attractions, superior outdoor recreation, and a famous farm-to-table food scene, the Berkshires promises an unforgettable experience.

Franklin County

The most rural county in Massachusetts boasts bucolic landscapes filled with lush farms, fields and valleys surrounding historic villages and bustling towns. The region is loaded with fine museums, educational institutions and cultural centers, but it’s known especially for its great outdoors.

Hampshire County

This region has a bounty of arts and culture; scenic beauty, biking and hiking trails; and creative and innovative cuisine, with locally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients and all the amenities you’d expect from a big city, but with the farm town feel and slow country living you can’t resist. This part of Western Massachusetts is salt of the earth meets on the rocks with salt, and Hampshire County is where it’s all happening.

Greater Springfield/Western Massachusetts

If you like to do things a little differently than most, you’ll love Western Mass. Fresh air and fresh experiences await you, from the great outdoors to the Dr. Seuss Museum, the Basketball Hall of Fame to the annual “Big E” Eastern States Exposition fair – there’s fun for the whole family!

Johnny Appleseed Trail/North Central Massachusetts

The birthplace of John Chapman – better known as Johnny Appleseed, the region is rich in recreation, history, culture, scenery, family fun and charm. Visit any time of the year and enjoy the fruits that every season has to offer in this convenient, dynamic New England region. From local attractions, outdoor activities, restaurants, lodging and shopping to a wide variety of special events, you can find something for everyone in the family here.

Central Massachusetts

Centrally located in the heart of New England, the region welcomes visitors to explore historic treasures and museums or one of the region’s parks, botanical gardens or wildlife sanctuaries. Catch a Worcester Bravehearts game or a Holy Cross basketball game at family friendly prices. Plan a family outing with activities and events that both kids and adults will enjoy. Enjoy seasonal and annual events celebrating food, music, the arts, makers, and history.

MetroWest Boston

Known for its innovation, this forward-thinking region focuses on the future while treasuring the best of New England’s past. The intersection of the oldest and newest, MetroWest Boston offers the best of both worlds, just a 20 to 40 minute drive from Boston or Worcester. With major arteries crisscrossing our region, you’re never far from what you like: recreation in all seasons, sophisticated amenities and services, upscale shopping and dining, a range of cultural attractions, and traditional New England town commons.

North of Boston

North of Boston is home to the 34 cities and towns of Essex County. Located only minutes from Boston, this year-round destination offers 200 miles of coastline and sandy beaches, world-class dining, rich history, vibrant arts and culture and nationally recognized attractions. From the salty air of Newburyport to the witches of Salem, the seafood of Gloucester to the industrial city of Lawrence, there is something for everyone North of Boston!

Greater Boston

Boston makes history but, even now, is still forging its identity. The spark that fueled the fight for American independence burns just as brightly today and inspires food, beer, and not-so-dirty water. It’s built five-star stays and world-class venues accessible in all four seasons. That’s why anyone who visits will agree that Boston never gets old.

Southeastern Massachusetts

Nestled between Boston and Cape Cod, there’s no better place to sample a heavenly slice of Massachusetts than on the secluded beaches and in the cozy waterfront eateries, eclectic art galleries and awe-inspiring state parks.

Plymouth County

Offering cranberry farms, beautiful nature walks and the home of Plymouth Rock, a universal symbol of America. It is where the Mayflower came ashore 400 years ago, bringing with it English pilgrims who helped found the nation. Boasting some of the best whale watching, dining, shopping, and cultural activities in a quaint New England setting, much of it nestled along the seashore. It is a history lover’s paradise, a family friendly atmosphere, and easy walking to take in breathtaking sunrises.

Rich with recreation, from the artistic to the adventurous. Cape Cod has been named as one of the top ten spots in the world for beaches, things to do, arts, cultural activities, golf. whale watching and water activities, including paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing and windsurfing. With world-class bike paths, scenic hiking trails, and some of the best shopping around. Come explore!

Martha’s Vineyard

A picturesque island paradise, just 7 miles off the coast of Massachusetts but a world away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland. The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center is your trusted resource to plan a dream vacation, find the best hotel or home rental, recommend restaurants and businesses, and so much more! Spring, summer, fall, or winter — every season is the perfect time to Visit Martha’s Vineyard.

Nantucket Island

With roots steeped in history and lore, Nantucket plays host to world-class dining, lodging, and shopping surrounded by picturesque landscape and idyllic architecture. Whether it’s an early morning fishing charter or dinner and a show, a bike ride to the beach or a drive out to Great Point, there is something here for everyone. We encourage you to find your perfect Nantucket experience.

Mohawk Trail

Stretching from the Massachusetts-New York line to Millers Falls on the Connecticut River, is the actual 63 mile East-West highway. Reminiscent of early American life, the Mohawk Trail provides the traveler of today with well over 100 attractions; country inns, gift shops and public and private camping areas nestled amid the seasonal changing beauty of the Berkshire Hills and Connecticut Valley.

The best places to visit in Massachusetts for history, beaches and witches

Jul 31, 2022 • 7 min read

Any list of great places to visit in Massachusetts starts with historic and photogenic Boston © Opla / Getty Images

For a small state,  Massachusetts punches far above its weight for its place in American history and culture.

Given the state’s outsize contributions to the arts, science, technology, sports and politics, it’s jam-packed with memorable sites, top-tier educational institutions and world-class museums. It’s also beautiful, from the wave-pounded Atlantic coast to the forest-covered Berkshires to vibrant cities and charming small towns.

Massachusetts’ compact nature makes it easy to explore, yet it would be impossible to do everything the state has to offer . Depending on your time and interests, you could make a grand sweep through the state, sampling its diverse regions or pick a hub to explore in depth. However you proceed, these are the best places to visit in Massachusetts.

Start in Boston, with museums, sports and urban nature 

From the Freedom Trail to Fenway Park , the Italian food of the North End to the Venetian palazzo–style Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum , Boston ’s attractions are legendary. 

A hub of American history that’s infused with a passion for sports and the arts, Boston brims with character. Next to the city’s iconic sites, diverse neighborhoods and artistic and architectural treasures are lesser-known attractions like the Boston Harbor Islands , a mix of history and nature, and the Black Heritage Trail , which provides insight into Boston’s 19th-century Black community.

Enjoy intellectual pursuits and diverse dining in Cambridge

A multicultural city with an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants, Cambridge is home to two of the country’s most prestigious institutions of higher education, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University .  

Though you can’t “pahk ya cah in Hahvahd Yahd,” you can stroll across its leafy quads, explore the excellent campus museums and soak in the intellectual atmosphere.

Further west,  Mt Auburn Cemetery contains the graves of dozens of famous figures such as Clement Morgan (founder of the NAACP), Eleanor Porter (author of Pollyanna ) and Joyce Chen (restaurateur and TV personality). Mt Auburn is also a magnet for bird-watchers, especially during the spring migration. 

Get witchy with it in Salem

Best known for the infamous 1692 witch trials, Salem draws crowds with its witch-related attractions. Yet this small and charming city has much more to offer.

Visit the Salem Maritime National Historical Park to learn about its past as a leading 18th- and 19th-century seaport. And be sure to explore the outstanding Peabody Essex Museum , a treasure trove of objects seafarers brought back from far corners of the world.

Don’t miss the House of the Seven Gables , which dates from 1668 and inspired one of Salem-born author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s best-known novels. And for more historic architecture, wander through the McIntire District, filled with well-preserved homes spanning 400 years of building styles. 

Admire the scenic coastline of Cape Ann

Located in the northeastern part of the state, Cape Ann has an identity intimately tied to the sea: think beautiful beaches, great seafood – the fried clam was invented in Essex – scenic harbors and lighthouses and coastal parks. Founded in 1623, the city of Gloucester is the oldest fishing port in the United States and a top whale-watching destination, with tours operating from April to October. 

Along the harbor, the gripping Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial and Fishermen’s Wives Memorial honors those lost to the sea over the centuries, as well as the strong women who kept families and the community going. 

Seek out revolutionary and literary landmarks in historic Middlesex County

The peaceful, affluent suburbs northwest of Boston may not look like hotbeds of revolution now, but they played an integral role in shaping the USA . Dozens of sites in Lexington, Lincoln and Concord commemorate the dramatic events of April 19, 1775, when armed clashes between British regulars and Colonial militiamen sparked the American Revolutionary War. Concord was also the home of several prominent 19th-century American authors, including such luminaries as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau. 

Further north, Lowell’s textile mills and factories were at the heart of a different revolution: the Industrial Revolution. A host of significant locations are preserved in Lowell National Historical Park , including the Boott Cotton Mills Museum , where visitors can recreate working in a weave room in the 1920s. 

Plymouth is best for early colonial history

The city of Plymouth is made for US history buffs. Climb aboard the Mayflower II , a full-scale replica of the original ship that brought the first English colonists to Massachusetts’ shores in 1620.

And don’t forget Plymouth Rock, the famous (if rather underwhelming) boulder that the Pilgrims supposedly landed. The Pilgrim Hall Museum houses original artifacts from the early settlement, including personal possessions like a cradle, cupboards, a razor kit and one silk shoe.   

At the Plimouth Patuxet Museums , costumed interpreters bring the past to life at four sites, including a 17th-century English village and a Wampanoag Native American home site. 

Find glorious beaches and classic summer fun in Cape Cod 

Cape Cod calls up images of sandy dunes, long curves of beach, picturesque lighthouses , cranberry bogs and kettle ponds. 

Much of the outer Cape is protected as the Cape Cod National Seashore and offers a wealth of recreational opportunities and wildlife spotting. Nature lovers will also love the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and its trails through woodland and salt marsh, and Nickerson State Park , with its campgrounds and swimming areas.

Make a preppy getaway to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket

South of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket  are islands containing quaint towns, gingerbread-style wood houses, intriguing museums, lovely beaches, lighthouses and wildlife refuges. It’s no wonder many well-known artists, authors and even a few US presidents have found comfort among the sweeping dunes on these islands. 

Their permanent populations swell significantly in summer (the high season) with the influx of seasonal residents and short-term visitors. Book lodging – and ferry tickets, if you want to bring a car – well in advance.

Feast on seafood and seafaring history in New Bedford

Situated on the shore of Buzzards Bay, New Bedford is called “the city that lit the world” for its central role in the 19th-century whaling industry. The New Bedford Whaling Museum and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park explore this past and such other topics as natural history, conservation, immigration, cultural diversity and New Bedford’s important role as an abolitionist hub on the Underground Railroad. 

If whaling’s not your thing, New Bedford is also home to the well-presented Fort Taber-Fort Rodman Military Museum , a thriving arts community and the largest Portuguese-speaking population in the USA. The city teems with seafood restaurants and hosts the world’s largest Portuguese cultural festival, the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament . 

Worcester is great for families 

Worcester is New England’s second-largest city, and its attractions include the excellent Worcester Art Museum , the family-friendly EcoTarium , a thriving craft brewery scene and the minor-league Worcester Red Sox baseball team.  

West of the city is the Old Sturbridge Village , a recreated 1830s New England town filled with more than 40 restored buildings spread over 200 acres. Re-enactors teach the history of the village and the roles everyday folks played in it.  Moore State Park , located in Paxon and northwest of Worcester, is an 18th-century mill village on 400 acres filled with trails for hiking, cross country skiing and hunting. 

The Berkshires offer endless outdoor adventures

In westernmost Massachusetts, The Berkshires enchant with a delightful mix of natural beauty, cultural attractions and year-round outdoor recreation. 

The region hosts world-class performing arts events in warmer months like the Tanglewood Music Festival , Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and Williamstown Theatre Festival . Art lovers won’t want to miss the Norman Rockwell Museum , the Clark Art Institute or Mass MoCA . 

The many interesting historic houses in the region include the birthplaces of activists Susan B. Anthony and W.E.B. DuBois, the homes of authors Edith Wharton and Herman Melville, and Naumkeag , a Gilded Age mansion and gardens. 

With the arrival of autumn, glorious fall foliage cloaks the hills and mountains, drawing leaf peepers galore, followed by winter-sports enthusiasts as soon as there’s enough snow.

Soak in the college-town vibes of the Pioneer Valley

A creative spirit flourishes along the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts, a region with numerous top-notch educational institutions and museums surrounded by gorgeous scenery. In Amherst, highlights include the home of poet Emily Dickinson and the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art . 

In Springfield, The Amazing World of Dr Seuss celebrates the city’s most famous native son, while the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an essential stop for fans of the sport invented here in 1891.

Stop in Historic Deerfield Village  for a taste of 18th-century life or visit Dinosaur Footprints for a trip much farther back in time. Stroll across the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, then take to one of the region’s many excellent hiking trails boasting panoramic views of verdant mountains, farmland and the winding river.

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15 Best Places to Visit in Massachusetts

Written by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers Updated May 13, 2023

The sheer variety of experiences and tourist attractions in Massachusetts will astonish you. Boston itself combines the vibrancy of a modern university town and commercial city with treasured historic sights. Plymouth preserves - and recreates - the experience of New England's earliest settlers. Throughout the state, you can visit the homes and studios of some of America's most beloved writers and artists: Louisa May Alcott, Thoreau, Whistler, Longfellow, Melville, Norman Rockwell, and Daniel Chester French.

But the places to visit in Massachusetts are not all about culture and history. Whether you head for the ski trails of the rolling Berkshires in the west or the long white sands of Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard , Massachusetts is about kicking back and having a good time, too. Plan your trip with our list of the best places to visit in Massachusetts.

Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard

Salem and cape ann, the southern berkshires, mohawk trail and the northern berkshires, worcester and old sturbridge village, new bedford and fall river, amherst and the pioneer valley, newburyport and plum island, map of places to visit in massachusetts.

From the Brahmin bastion of Beacon Hill and the historic sights of the famed Freedom Trail , to the world-class art museums , "The Hub" has something for everyone. Whether your passion is fine art, ethnic neighborhoods, Americana, antiques, seafood, modern architecture, black history, music, the Revolution, technology, bookstores, boats, brownstones, boutiques, or baked beans, you'll find it here.

Tourists interested in history can start their tour of the Freedom Trail at Boston Common , where you can get self-guided tour information or sign up for a tour led by a costumed interpreter at the Visitor Center . Highlights of the tour are the State House , Old South Meeting House , Paul Revere House , Old North Church , and Bunker Hill Monument . Tourists can also explore areas like the North End , a walkable neighborhood that is home to many historic sites (and several excellent pastry shops).

Boston is a great city for families, offering plenty of attractions that interest all ages . The Waterfront district is a great place to start, home to the New England Aquarium and the Christopher Columbus Park . The famous Faneuil Hall Marketplace is only a five-minute walk from here, offering a huge range of dining options, including a food hall, as well as tons of shops and cart vendors. Families also love the Boston Museum of Science , home to a planetarium, IMAX, and many interactive exhibits.

Younger kids always adore the Boston Children's Museum , which is full of activities and playful learning, and any summer visit with kids needs to include a ride on the Swan Boats in the beautiful Boston Public Garden .

Reaching out into the Atlantic south of Boston, Cape Cod is the city's summer playground, with miles and miles of white-sand beaches and picturesque towns filled with tourist attractions and amusements.

For active travelers, the Cape offers sailing, fishing, kayaking, swimming, and miles of cycling and walking trails. Nature lovers find bird-filled salt marshes, and whales to watch in the nearby waters of Stellwagen Banks. The seafood is legendary, and in the fall, entire landscapes are red with cranberries.

A 40-mile stretch of Cape Cod's eastern coast is set aside as Cape Cod National Seashore , its perfect dune-backed beaches, woodlands of Atlantic white cedar, and bird nesting grounds networked by miles of hiking paths. At the outer tip of the cape is lively Provincetown , known for its inclusive atmosphere and thriving arts scene, including live drag shows during the summer. Tourists also venture to the far end of the cape to see the impressive dune system.

Although part of Boston's metropolitan area and connected by a single transit system, Cambridge is a separate city. And within it are two premier universities whose campuses feel like cities of their own. Harvard is the country's oldest institution of higher education, dating from 1636, only 16 years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. The campus, which you can tour free with a lively student guide, is centered in Harvard Yard , right at Harvard Square .

Adjacent are the outstanding Harvard Art Museums , in a building designed by Renzo Piano, and farther on is the complex housing the equally prestigious Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology; Mineralogical Museum; and the Botanical Museum, housing the famous collection of glass flowers.

The 150-acre Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus is an open-air art gallery, with sculptures by artists that include Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, Jacques Lipchitz, and Auguste Rodin. Discover these with the help of a campus map, as you stroll among buildings designed by some of the greatest names in modern, postmodern, and contemporary architecture: Frank Gehry, Alvar Aalto, I. M. Pei, and Eero Saarinen, among others.

South of Cape Cod and easy to reach by ferries, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard offer sandy beaches and the relaxed pace of island life. Nantucket is a 15-mile-long island only 30 miles south of Cape Cod. Between 1740 and 1830, more than 125 whaling ships called Nantucket their home port, making it the world center for the whaling industry.

You can discover more about whaling, whales, and the ships and seamen who hunted them, at the Nantucket Whaling Museum , filled with ship models, scrimshaw, whaling equipment, fascinating logbooks, and the skeleton of a 43-foot sperm whale. Elsewhere on the island are chic shops and restaurants, beaches, and miles of quiet lanes and walking trails.

One of the most relaxing places in Massachusetts is laid-back Martha's Vineyard , only five miles from Cape Cod, but light years away in atmosphere. Its gentle landscapes are covered in farms and six villages, each with its own year-round local life. Some of its miles of beaches are beneath scenic sand bluffs. The appealing town of Oak Bluffs preserves rows of little 19th-century "gingerbread" cottages, built when it was a Methodist Camp meeting site; don't miss the historic merry-go-round, the Flying Horses Carousel .

• Read More: Top Attractions & Things to Do in Nantucket

North of Boston, and less visited than Cape Cod, Cape Ann is known for the picturesque fishing harbor at Rockport , and the working port of Gloucester. But in-the-know travelers come here for its beautiful and uncrowded beaches, its thriving art colonies, and the idyllic little towns of antique-filled historic homes .

Salem was the hub of the China Trade, and once one of the major ports on the East Coast, and its streets today are still lined by stately homes built for sea captains and prosperous merchants. It has literary connections as the birthplace and home of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the added historic appeal of the infamous Salem Witch Trials -a grim history that Salem has turned into several tourist attractions.

• Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Salem and Cape Ann

Although Concord was of major importance in the struggle for independence - it was here that the "shot heard 'round the world" was fired at North Bridge on April 19, 1775 - it is as well-known for the transcendentalists . This remarkable group of writers and philosophers who lived and worked here included writers Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, and Henry David Thoreau, and they created some of their most famous works here.

You can visit the Alcott's Orchard House , preserved in its original state, where Louisa set her semi-autobiographical novel Little Women . Walden Pond , immortalized in Henry David Thoreau's writings, is part of a 411-acre nature preserve with a replica of his cabin.

For an overview of Concord's Revolutionary history and literary legacy visit the excellent Concord Museum , where you'll find Native American artifacts, Thoreau's snowshoes and furniture, Ralph Waldo Emerson's study, and the original lantern that signaled Paul Revere, along with collections of 17th- to 19th-century decorative arts and furniture.

Northwest of Boston is Lexington, where the first shots in the War of Independence took place on April 19, 1775. A Minuteman statue by sculptor Henry Hudson Kitson and a monument mark Battle Green, where colonial militia members (called the Minutemen for their ability to get ready for battle in a minute's notice) clashed with British troops.

Minutemen and their commander, Captain Parker, gathered in the 1710 Buckman Tavern before confronting the British, and its interior, preserved as it would have been in the 18th century, is complete with the original seven-foot-wide taproom fireplace. The old front door still contains British musket-ball holes.

Munroe Tavern , built in the early 1690s, became a field hospital for the wounded and contains period artifacts and furniture. The Hancock-Clarke House contains period furniture of the Clarke family and Reverend John Hancock, grandfather of the signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Pilgrims fleeing religious persecution in Britain arrived in Plymouth in 1620 on board the Mayflower , establishing the first permanent European settlement in the north. Plymouth Rock marks the place where the Pilgrims first landed.

Visit a re-creation of their village, peopled by costumed interpreters who play roles of actual Pilgrims at Plimoth Patuxet Museums (formerly known as Plimoth Plantation ), and learn about the life of Native Americans who welcomed them at Hobbamock's Homesite.

Pilgrim Hall Museum opened in 1824 to showcase Pilgrim artifacts; furniture; decorative arts; painting; and the remains of the Sparrow Hawk, a wooden ship that wrecked off Cape Cod in 1626. Highlights include Governor Bradford's bible, Myles Standish's sword, and the original cradle used by Peregrine White, who was born on the Mayflower. Sparrow House , built in 1640 and Plymouth's oldest surviving wooden house, shows how primitively the first settlers lived.

• Read More: Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Plymouth, MA

The Berkshires, with their green hills, white churches, photogenic villages, and narrow country lanes, present the idyllic view of New England. Since the early 1800s, the southern communities of this region, which covers the entire area of western Massachusetts, have been a magnet for creative talent, and this cultural largess of music, dance, art, and literature is one of the region's major tourist attractions .

So are the miles of hiking trails, scenic waterfalls, and the ski areas of Butternut and Catamount , which combine to make the southern Berkshires one of the favorite places to visit in Massachusetts in the winter. Among the natural highlights are 80-foot Bish Bash Falls and the hike to the summit of Monument Mountain .

Stockbridge was home to the artist Norman Rockwell, and the Norman Rockwell Museum features his original works. Chesterwood was the summer home of Daniel Chester French, sculptor of the Seated Lincoln in Washington's Lincoln Memorial; his studio showcases his work, including working models.

In Pittsfield , you can tour Arrowhead , home of Moby Dick author Herman Melville . Lenox , best known for Tanglewood , the summer venue of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, was home to Pulitzer Prize winning author Edith Wharton, who built The Mount here in 1902 on a 40-acre estate, where you can tour her extraordinary Italianate gardens.

If you love gardens, be sure to also see the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge. The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield features works by American artists, an Egyptian mummy, and antiquities from Classical Greece and Rome. Naumkeag is the 44-room summer residence of a prosperous family, filled with antiques, art, and Chinese porcelain.

Tony Award-winning Williamstown Theater Festival and the many resources of Williams College make Williamstown a cultural hub in Western Massachusetts. The Clark Art Institute Museum features extensive collections of European and American painting and sculpture, highlights of which are the works of French Impressionists and American painters Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent.

Hike the Maine-to-Georgia Appalachian Trail as it crosses the summit of Mt. Greylock , the state's highest point, or you can drive to the top for views of three states.

Williamstown is the start of the scenic driving route, the Mohawk Trail , which follows an old Native American trail across western Massachusetts. In North Adams, MASS MoCA is an arts center for sculpture, theater, dance, and film, housed in 27 restored historic buildings. Hancock Shaker Village features a working farm using Shaker methods and 20 original furnished buildings used by the Shaker community from 1783 to 1960, including the Round Stone Barn.

Worcester is an industrial city west of Boston, at the center of rolling rural countryside. Its prosperous history shows in the collections of the Worcester Art Museum , whose more than 35,000 pieces are highlighted by European and American works, Asian art, Greek and Roman sculpture, and contemporary art.

The most recent addition is the outstanding collections of medieval, Japanese, and other armor and artifacts from the now-closed Higgins Armory Museum . The indoor/outdoor EcoTarium complex features wildlife exhibits, a planetarium, and a tree-top walkway where you can learn about the New England environments and ecosystems.

Worcester was the major center of manufacturing diners between 1906 and the 1960s, turning out more than 600 of them that were transported across the country. You can honor this legacy by stopping at the well-preserved Miss Worcester Diner or Boulevard Diner .

Not far from Worcester is Old Sturbridge Village, a living history museum of more than 40 historic homes, farm buildings, and shops demonstrating New England crafts and daily life of the early 1800s. One of the state's most visited tourist attractions, Old Sturbridge Village appeals to all ages with its costumed interpreters demonstrating period crafts such as spinning, weaving, wool dyeing, pottery, tinwork, and blacksmithing, along with the daily tasks of farmers, millers, and homemakers.

In May, July, and September, the small town of Brimfield becomes the entire Northeast's Antiques Central, as dealers and collectors converge for several days of frenzied buying and selling at the Brimfield Antique Show and Flea Market .

South of Boston and Cape Cod, New Bedford was the heart of the world's whaling industry in the 19th century, with 80 percent of the nation's whale ships, and factories turning whale oil into candles and whale bone into corset frames and umbrellas. This legacy is remembered in the excellent Whaling Museum , with displays on the history of whaling, a large scrimshaw collection, a whaleboat, whale skeletons, and a whaling film.

Also worth seeing are the Seamen's Bethel featured in Herman Melville's Moby Dick , and the 1834 Rotch-Jones-Duff House with decorative arts, antique furniture, and extensive gardens. Take a self-guided walking tour of the waterfront, preserved as the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park , and still an active and colorful fishing port .

Nearby Fall River also has a rich history, both as a textile center and a shipping port, but perhaps its most famous citizen was Lizzie Borden, whose trial for her alleged murder of her parents still fascinates visitors to the Fall River Historical Society museum. The Marine Museum houses one of the world's largest Titanic exhibitions and models of the Fall River Line, a fleet of steamships that carried wealthy passengers from New York and Boston to summer homes in Newport.

At Battleship Cove, you can tour New England's largest floating museum, which includes the battleship USS Massachusetts , PT torpedo boats 796 and 617, the USS Lionfish , a WWII submarine, and the USS Destroyer Joseph P Kennedy , which served in Korea, Vietnam, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Near the Connecticut River in central Massachusetts, Amherst is home to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, and Hampshire College, making it a center for arts and culture with museums, galleries, bookstores, and performance venues. The Emily Dickinson Museum includes the poet's home and that of her brother, where you'll find collections and exhibits relating to her life and writing.

In nearby Hadley, a stage coach, oxcart, wagon, broom-making equipment, and other old farming equipment is shown in a restored 1782 barn at the Hadley Farm Museum . Several historic homes and a museum at Historic Deerfield illustrate the colonial and Federal periods in the Pioneer Valley.

The Merrimack River powered some of the world's largest mills during the heyday of the textile industry, and in the Lowell area are a number of reminders of that era. The Middlesex Canal , built between 1793 and 1803, connected the Merrimack with the port of Boston, playing an important role in the Industrial Revolution that is explored at the Middlesex Canal Museum in Billerica.

The American Textile History Museum traces textile production from the 18th century to the mid-1900s with exhibits of hand-powered tools, machinery, fabrics, and garments.

Another facet of textile history is shown at the New England Quilt Museum , where you can admire the intricate handiwork in contemporary, traditional, and antique quilts. For a break from textiles, see works of James Abbott McNeill Whistler and other American artists at his birthplace, the Whistler House Museum of Art .

The major tourist attractions relating to Lowell's part in the Industrial Revolution are found at two open-air museums: the Lowell National Historic Park and the Lowell Heritage State Park . After seeing the videos, hop on the trolley for a tour, or in summer ride a boat along the canal system.

A guided tour of the Boott Cotton Mills Museum shows the weaving room where 88 looms pound away, powered by an ingenious system of shafts, belts, and pulleys all driven by the Merrimack River. Nearby, the former workers' boardinghouse concentrates on the living conditions and explores the stories of textile workers, often farm girls or immigrants. Lowell's textile mills were instrumental in the beginning of the American labor rights movement.

Newburyport has a rich history as an important seaport and shipbuilding center, and you can explore its seagoing past in the Custom House Maritime Museum . Get a look at the prosperity that shipbuilding brought to the city at the federal-style Cushing House Museum and its beautiful gardens. The house is filled with collections of furniture, silver, needlework and treasures brought back from exotic ports. The harbor is still active, and you can take whale-watching tours from its docks or enjoy a meal at one of the waterfront restaurants.

Nearby Plum Island is an 11-mile barrier island, with miles of beaches, dunes, and marshes protected by the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge . You can kayak in its marshes, walk its beaches, and watch for sea and shore birds from its boardwalks. For information on its resident and migratory birds, stop at the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Joppa Flats Education Center.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

Where to Go in Massachusetts: For even more information on what to see and do, refer to our pages on the Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Massachusetts . This will give you a complete overview of the major tourist sites around the state. When you are ready to fine tune your itinerary, these articles will lead you to the best beaches , hiking trails near Boston , and the best weekend getaways .

Exploring Nearby States : New England is a compact region, so it's easy to see the attractions of New Hampshire and explore historic Portsmouth , only a short trip from Boston. Northern New Hampshire is home to the White Mountains, where you'll find some of New England's best hiking trails and mountains for skiing . On the coast to the south is Rhode Island , with the spectacular mansions of Newport .

More on Massachusetts

Central Massachusetts

Western Mass.

Cape Cod & The Islands

North of Boston

South of Boston

Welcome to central massachusetts.

Great Things to Do in Central MA

Family fun at farms, orchards, and historic Sturbridge Village

The slightly hilly topography of this central swath of Massachusetts is the home of farms, orchards, and small towns. The major town is Worcester, an attractive smaller city with an excellent art museum. Just north of Worcester, MA , in Boylston, MA , is a wonderful botanical garden with special areas and features that invite visitors even for winter time enjoyment. A fun attraction for kids and adults is Old Sturbridge Village , a living history museum that invites visitors to explore daily life in a New England farming town in the mid-1800s. Old Sturbridge Village offers lots of seasonal programs about cookery, farming, animal husbandry, home crafts and more from the 19th century.

Places for outdoors sports are abundant at this region’s many lakes and state parks :

• Wachusett Mountain ski area is hospitable to skiers of all abilities.
• Worcester, MA , the region’s biggest town, teaches about the natural world and entertains visitors at its Ecotarium , New England's leading museum of science and nature. Worcester also prides itself on the Worcester Art Museum .
• Southwick’s Zoo in the town of Mendon, MA offers plenty of fun among its animals, like its Woodlands Express train and Skyfari Sky rides .
• Fruitlands , a collection of four museums near the town of Harvard, MA , was founded in 1843 by Bronson Alcott, father of the writer Louisa May Alcott, as an experiment in utopian living. Today, the 210-acre landscape includes a Shaker Museum, a Native American museum, a fine art gallery of Hudson River landscapes, and trails through woodlands and meadows.
• New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston blooms all year, and hosts a nice annual artwork-and-flower show.
• The area is Johnny Appleseed country , named for its native son, the arborist John Chapman. Route 2, from Lancaster, MA on the east end to Turner’s Falls, MA on the west end, travels through beautiful countryside typical of mid-Massachusetts. Great for a fall foliage drive .
• Outdoor fun carries through at Quabbin Reservoir , an 85,000-acre property that contains one of the largest public drinking water supplies in the country. Visitors may fish from the shore or small boats, hike on 250 miles of discontinued roads, and hunt, bird watch, snowshoe, bicycle, and picnic (no swimming or dogs).
• For skiing and winter sports, hike yourself over to Wachusett Mountain ski area in the town of Princeton, MA .

Massachusetts Travel Guides

Explore a destination in Massachusetts to see the top hotels and top things to do, as well as photos and tips from U.S. News Travel.

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MassGIS Data: Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Regions

Tourism Regions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as defined and maintained by the Massachusetts Office or Travel and Tourism (MOTT).

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The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism defines 6 tourism regions of cultural and geographic significance within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

This layer is named  REGMOTT_POLY .

MassGIS developed this layer by grouping Municipalities based on maps of these regions sent by MOTT.

The polygon attribute table contains the following fields:

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