347 Best Sights in Massachusetts, USA

On the Harvard University side of Harvard Square stands the Wadsworth House, a yellow clapboard structure built in 1726 as a home for Harvard presidents. It served as the first Massachusetts headquarters for George Washington, who arrived on July 2, 1775, just a day before he took command of the Continental Army. The building traded presidents in for students (such as Ralph Waldo Emerson) and visiting preachers as its boarders, and today, it houses Harvard's general offices.

Encompassing 3,000 acres of estuaries, woodlands, salt marshes, and barrier beaches, this research reserve is a good place for walking, fishing, and birding. On the grounds, check out the Wampanoag wetu (summer dwelling); indoors, a Discovery Room offers nature exhibits for kids. South Cape Beach State Park is part of the reserve; you can lie out on the sand or join one of the interpretive walks. Flat Pond Trail runs through several different habitats, including fresh- and saltwater marshes. You can reach Washburn Island on your own by boat; it offers 330 acres of pine barrens and trails, and swimming.

Nathaniel Hawthorne lived at the Old Manse in 1842–45, working on stories and sketches; he then moved to Salem (where he wrote The Scarlet Letter) and later to Lenox (The House of the Seven Gables). In 1852 he returned to Concord, bought this rambling structure called The Wayside, and lived here until his death in 1864. The home certainly appealed to literary types: the subsequent owner of The Wayside, Margaret Sidney, wrote the children's book Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (1881), and before Hawthorne moved in, the Alcotts lived here, from 1845 to 1848. Notably, The Wayside is a site on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program, as the Alcotts helped at least one enslaved person on his way to Canada and freedom. An exhibit center, in the former barn, provides information about the Wayside authors and links them to major events in American history (open for special events). Hawthorne's tower-study, with his stand-up writing desk, is substantially as he left it.

For information about restricted beaches, call the Wellfleet Beach Sticker Office. You can also purchase weekly or seasonal stickers here if you are renting a house in town (you'll need a proof-of-stay form).

This is one of the best beaches on the south shore (Nantucket Sound), with the crowds to prove it. A breakwater was formed here in 1837 in an effort to protect the mouth of Bass River, but that was abandoned when a sandbar formed on the shore side. It's a long, wide, and popular sandy beach, stretching for 1½ miles, with marshland and the Bass River across from it. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: swimming; walking; windsurfing.

In addition to offering pick-your-own blueberries, tomatoes, and pumpkins on a seasonal basis, Whitney's sells fresh produce, herbs, and dairy products. A deli and a bakery are also on-site, as well as an outdoor playground and greenhouse.

Whitney's Farm has a large market with baked goods and a deli; you can also pick your own seasonal fruit. The fun Pumpkin Fest takes place on weekends, mid-September–October.

About 20 miles northwest of Northampton, in the scenic hills west of the Pioneer Valley, is the country estate of the 19th-century poet and author William Cullen Bryant. The 195-acre grounds overlooking the Westfield River Valley are a great venue for bird-watching, cross-country skiing, and picnics. Experience one of the many literary-themed events held throughout the year on the property.

Now a modest but engaging house museum, this 1808 Federal-style structure was designed by Asher Benjamin. From 1845 to 1859, it was the home of noted historian William Hickling Prescott, and today it's the headquarters for the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Guided tours venture through rooms furnished with period furniture, including Prescott's former study with his desk and "noctograph," which helped the nearly blind scholar write. Fun fact: Prescott's secret staircase allowed him to escape into his study when bored by guests in the parlor.

If you walked past this gallery, you'd inevitably end up ducking in for a closer inspection of the stunning glassworks in the windows. The expertly curated selection inside has more to offer, however, including everything from wooden sculptures to cold-cast metal faces, almost every piece demanding attention.

Founded in 1980, this nonprofit organization received a National Medal for Museum and Library Service for its role in preserving the Yiddish language and Jewish culture. The award recognized the center's rescue of more than a million Yiddish books that might otherwise have been lost. Housed in a cool, contemporary structure that mimics a traditional Eastern European shtetl, or village, the collection comprises more than 100,000 volumes. Special programs take place throughout the year. The biggest is Yidstock, a mid-July festival celebrating klezmer and other Jewish music.

At this leafy, 735-acre retreat, hiking paths wind through the trees, paddleboats navigate Porter Lake, and hungry ducks float on a small pond. The zoo, where Theodor Geisel—better known as Dr. Seuss—found inspiration for his children's books, is home to nearly 200 animals, from camels and bobcats to lemurs and wallabies. It's manageable in size, and spotting animals in the exhibits is fairly easy, which makes this an especially good stop for families with small children. Another plus: you can purchase small cones of food from the gift shop to feed many of the animals. Leave time to explore the park after you finish the zoo.

Boston's Chinatown may seem small, but it's said to be the third largest in the United States, after those in San Francisco and Manhattan. Beginning in the 1870s, Chinese immigrants started to trickle in, many setting up tents in a strip they called Ping On Alley. The trickle increased to a wave when immigration restrictions were lifted in 1968. As in most other American Chinatowns, the restaurants are a big draw; on Sunday many Bostonians head to Chinatown for dim sum. Today the many Chinese establishments—most found along Beach and Tyler streets and Harrison Avenue—are interspersed with Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, and Malaysian eateries. A three-story pagoda-style arch at the end of Beach Street welcomes you to the district.

In 1776 Dorchester Heights hill commanded a clear view of central Boston, where the British had been under siege since the preceding year. Here George Washington set up the cannons that Henry Knox, a Boston bookseller turned soldier, and later secretary of war, had hauled through the wilderness after their capture at Fort Ticonderoga. The artillery did its job of intimidation, and the British troops left Boston, never to return. The view of Boston from the site is magnificent. Sadly, the tower is not open to the public, but the lovely park grounds are a destination on their own on a warm day.

Lion and tiger habitats, the Giraffe Savannah, and a 4-acre mixed-species area called the Serengeti Crossing that showcases zebras, ostriches, warthogs, and wildebeests keep this zoo roaring. The Tropical Forest, with its Western Lowland Gorilla environment, is a big draw, and kookaburras, emus, and kangaroos populate the Outback Trail. From May to September butterflies flit and flutter at Butterfly Landing, where docents are on hand to answer questions and give advice on attracting the colorful insects to your own garden. Franklin Farm entices children with sheep, goats, and other farm animals. In winter, call in advance to find out which animals are braving the cold. The park, 4 miles from downtown, is reached by Bus 16 from the Forest Hills (Orange Line) or Andrew (Red Line) T stops; there's plenty of parking.

If the name sounds familiar, it's because a Beacon Hill home bears the same name. This is the first of three houses built for Harrison Gray Otis, Boston's third mayor and a prominent citizen and developer. It's owned and operated by Historic New England, an organization that owns and maintains dozens of properties throughout the region. The furnishings, textiles, wall coverings, and even the interior paint, specially mixed to match old samples, are faithful to the Federal period, circa 1790–1810. You may be surprised to see the bright and vivid colors favored in those days. Otis lived here only four years before moving to more sumptuous digs, also designed by Charles Bulfinch, on Beacon Hill. A second-floor room brings to life the home's days as a late-19th-century boardinghouse, and a display describes the "champoo baths" of former resident Mrs. Mott. From May through October, Historic New England runs a Beacon Hill walking tour from the house. It highlights the two sides of Beacon Hill, taking visitors past grandiose mansions and more modest townhomes. Along the way, you'll pass the African Meeting House, Louisburg Square, and the Boston Common. The $15 price includes admission to the Otis house.

The Hynes Convention Center hosts conferences, trade shows, and conventions. It's connected to the Prudential Center, where visitors can find a branch of the Greater Boston Visitors Bureau in the center court of the mall.