347 Best Sights in Massachusetts, USA

The rustic restaurant and music club set on top of the dune are the main attractions at Cahoon Hollow Beach, which tends to draw younger crowds and plenty of families. It's a big Sunday-afternoon gathering place. The Beachcomber restaurant has paid parking, which is reimbursed when you buy something to eat or drink. (Arrive very early; the lot fills up quickly!) Erosion has made getting to the beach a steep climb. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking; a casual bite to eat with ocean views.

This museum celebrates the art, history, and culture of Cape Ann. The museum’s collection includes fine art from the 19th century to the present alongside artifacts from the fishing, maritime, and granite-quarrying industries, as well as textiles, furniture, a library archive, and four historic structures. A variety of tours offer insight into the collection and Cape Ann.

Cape Cod Lavender Farm consists of several thousand lavender plants, making it one of the largest such farms on the East Coast. Harvest time (best for visits) is usually around late-June–mid-July, when you'll see acres and acres of stunning purple waves, and they sell fresh bunches of lavender. The eleven-acre farm is surrounded by 75 acres of conservation land and walking trails. The farm sells soaps and bath salts, candles, essential oils, marmalade, lemonade, lavender salt, and many other lavender-infused goods. Keep your eyes peeled for its sign (on the right) as you're driving south on Route 124—it's easy to miss.

This waterfront museum stands as a testament and tribute to the bustle of the harbor that it overlooks. Changing maritime art exhibits, classes on boatbuilding and other nautical arts, children's programs, and an active boatbuilding shop all highlight the importance of the sea, in past and present alike. Take a harbor sail on the historic replica Crosby Catboat Sarah, and learn "dead reckoning"—real navigation without the aid of modern technology—and other seafaring skills.

A collection of habitats where you can swim, walk, fish, or just sit and enjoy the surroundings, the Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, on the easternmost shore of Chappaquiddick Island, encompasses 516 acres of wilderness. Its dunes, woods, century-old red cedar stands, moors, salt marshes, ponds, tidal flats, and barrier beach serve as an important migration stopover and nesting area for numerous sea- and shorebirds. You'll need an oversand permit to drive your own vehicle or you can call to inquire about guided tours. Admission paid at Cape Pogue, Wasque, or Mytoi provides visitor access to all three Trustees properties on Chappaquiddick Island for the day.

This gravity-defying mass of concrete and glass, built in 1963, is the only building in North America designed by the French architect Le Corbusier. It hosts Harvard's Department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies, exhibition spaces, and the Harvard Film Archive, and is dedicated to artist-centered programming. The open floor plan provides students with five stories of flexible workspace, and the large, outward-facing windows ensure that the creative process is always visible and public. The center regularly holds free lectures, workshops, and receptions with artists.

At the top of the ramp, the Sert Gallery plays host to changing exhibits of contemporary works and has a café. The Main Gallery on the ground floor often showcases work by students and faculty. The Carpenter Center Bookshop, a collaboration with Berlin-based Motto Books, is one of the only local places to carry small-press contemporary art books, magazines, and journals, with an emphasis on international publications and limited-edition projects.

This 59-room Stuart-style mansion, built in 1927 for Richard Crane—of the Crane plumbing company—and his family, is part of the Crane Estate, a stretch of more than 2,100 acres along the Essex and Ipswich rivers, encompassing Castle Hill, Crane Beach, and the Crane Wildlife Refuge, all of which are now owned and operated by the nonprofit Trustees of Reservations. Although the original furnishings were sold at auction, the mansion has been elaborately refurnished in period style; photographs in most of the rooms show their original appearance. The Great House is open for guided and self-guided tours and also hosts concerts and other events. Inquire about seasonal programs like fly-fishing or kayaking. If you're looking for an opulent and exquisite overnight stay, book a room at the on-site Inn at Castle Hill.

Occupying an entire corner of the Cole Hersee Building, this taproom has signature brews, from IPAs to lagers, as well as some limited releases, on draft. In nice weather, the front garage doors open to reveal a contemporary rendezvous spot for craft beer lovers. Children are welcome if they're accompanied by adults, but it's 21 and over after 8 pm. Check the website for frequent public events, including weekly trivia on Tuesday.

This enormous 1875 Gothic cathedral dominates the corner of Washington and Union Park streets. The main church of the Archdiocese of Boston and therefore the seat of Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley, Holy Cross is also New England's largest Catholic church. It's also home to an 1875 Hook & Hastings pipe organ, the largest instrument ever built by that company.

The small Central Burying Ground may seem an odd feature for a public park, but remember that in 1756, when the land was set aside, this was a lonely corner of Boston Common. It's the final resting place of Tories and Patriots alike, as well as many British casualties of the Battle of Bunker Hill. The most famous person buried here is Gilbert Stuart, the portraitist best known for his likenesses of George and Martha Washington.

Located at Massachusetts Avenue (known by locals as "Mass Ave."), Prospect Street, and Western Avenue, Central Square has burger and beer joints, ethnic eats, music clubs, vintage record stores, and consignment shops. Cambridge's city government is here, and Ben Affleck and Matt Damon used to live here. The Central Square T stop is on the Red Line.

Runners, bikers, and in-line skaters crowd the Charles River Reservation at the Esplanade along Storrow Drive, the Memorial Drive Embankment in Cambridge, or any of the smaller and less-busy parks farther upriver. Here you can cheer a crew race (perhaps the famous Head of the Charles), rent a canoe or kayak, learn to sail, or simply sit and share the grassy shore with packs of hard-jogging university athletes, in-line skaters, parents with strollers, dreamy couples, and intense academics.

A National Park Service site since it was decommissioned in 1974, the Charlestown Navy Yard was one of six established to build warships. For 174 years, as wooden hulls and muzzle-loading cannons gave way to steel ships and sophisticated electronics, the yard evolved to meet the Navy's changing needs. Here are early-19th-century barracks, workshops, and officers' quarters; a ropewalk (an elongated building for making rope, not open to the public), designed in 1834 by the Greek Revival architect Alexander Parris and used by the Navy to turn out cordage for more than 125 years; and one of the oldest operational naval dry docks in the United States. The USS Constitution was the first to use this dry dock in 1833. In addition to the ship itself, check out the Constitution Museum, the collections of the Boston Marine Society, and the USS Cassin Young. The Charlestown Navy Yard Visitors Center has exhibits on ships and a fun souvenir shop. A 10-minute movie about the Navy Yard runs every 15 minutes in a small theater.

Smells and sights define this popular tourist destination; keep an eye out for the many lingering seals who are hoping for a free meal. The unloading of the boats is a big local event, drawing crowds who watch it all from an observation deck. From their fishing grounds 3–100 miles offshore, fishermen bring in haddock, cod, flounder, lobster, halibut, and pollack, which are packed in ice and shipped to New York and Boston or sold at the fish market here. Also here is The Provider, a monument to the town's fishing industry, showing a hand pulling a fish-filled net from the sea. There's also a fish market and a seafood take-out shop.  The small parking lot fills up quickly, so try to park elsewhere and walk to the fish pier.

The view from this lighthouse—of the harbor, the sandbars, and the ocean beyond—justifies the crowds. The lighthouse is especially dramatic on a foggy night, as the beacon pierces the mist. Coin-operated telescopes allow a close look at the famous "Chatham Break," the result of a fierce 1987 nor'easter that blasted a channel through a barrier beach just off the coast. The U.S. Coast Guard auxiliary, which supervises the lighthouse, offers free tours July–August on most Wednesdays (1–3 pm; every other Wednesday in September); otherwise, the interior is off-limits. There is free parking in front of the lighthouse—the 30-minute limit is strictly monitored.

Two foo lions ward off evil for those who pass through the massive, traditional paifang gate that signals your entrance to Chinatown. It was donated to the Asian residents of Boston by Taiwan, in the early 1980s. You'll likely see red lanterns hanging from it; they signify good luck. The main square around the gate acts as a gathering place for the neighborhood's residents, who meet to socialize or play games. The gate is situated at Beach Street, and it also marks the end of the Greenway.

This modest yet beautiful gray clapboard structure was designed in 1761 by Peter Harrison, the first architect of note in the colonies (he designed King's Chapel). During the Revolution, members of its mostly Tory congregation fled for their lives. The organ was melted down for bullets and the building was used as a barracks during the Siege of Boston. (Step into the vestibule to look for the bullet hole left during the skirmish.) Today, the organ facade takes inspiration from the original 1762 gallery organ.

Martha Washington requested that the church reopen for services on New Year's Eve in 1775. The church's historical significance extends to the 20th century: Teddy Roosevelt was a Sunday-school teacher here (and famously fired because he remained Dutch Reformed rather than becoming an Episcopalian), and Martin Luther King Jr. spoke from the pulpit to announce his opposition to the Vietnam War.

This 1867 Gothic Revival church, a National Historic Landmark at the corner of Newbury and Berkeley streets, has one of the largest collections of liturgical windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany in the country. It's crowned by a 236-foot-tall steeple—the tallest in Boston—that Oliver Wendell Holmes called "absolutely perfect." Inside, a 14-foot-high Tiffany lantern hangs from a breathtaking 100-foot ceiling. The church is now Presbyterian and United Church of Christ.

The microconglomerate of Cisco Brewers, Nantucket Vineyard, and Triple Eight Distillery makes boutique beers, wine, and vodka on-site. Tours and tastings are available (fee) and the brewery hosts live music and on-site food trucks in season.

Over the years, various plans—involving gardens, restaurants, music, and hotels—have been floated to make this a more people-friendly site. Possibly the only thing that would ameliorate Bostonians' collective distaste for the chilly Government Center is tearing it down. Locals got their wish, as the entire City Hall Plaza area (one of the largest civil spaces in Boston) has just completed a several-stage, multiyear makeover. The brutalist redbrick plaza was torn up and revamped to create a more aesthetically pleasing array of tree canopies, terraces, and improved public spaces including a playspace with soft sidewalks, funhouse mirrors, musical structures, a water feature, and the Internet-famous "Cop Slide" (a slide that created a viral video of a police officer's very speedy exit). The plaza continues to be the home of many of the city's famed festivals, rallies, and outdoor concerts.

Built in 1712, this house (whose name rhymes with "fluff") is now the only local survivor of its era aside from Old North Church, which stands nearby. Picture the streets lined with houses such as this, with an occasional grander Georgian mansion and some modest wooden-frame survivors of old Boston's many fires—this is what the North End looked like when Paul Revere was young. Today, Clough House is home to two new attractions: the Printing Office of Edes & Gill, which offers visitors live Colonial-printing demonstrations, and Heritage Goods + Gifts, a shop dedicated to New England artisans and small businesses with a special focus on locally made products from BIPOC- and women-owned businesses.

Considered one of the Cape's prettiest beaches, Coast Guard Beach, part of the National Seashore, is a long beach backed by low grass and heathland. A handsome former Coast Guard station is here, though it's not open to the public, and the beach has a very small parking lot (restricted to residents and vehicles displaying handicapped placards from mid-June to Labor Day), so the best bet is to head to the Salt Pond Visitor Center and follow signs to the Little Creek Staging Area parking lot. From there, take the free shuttle to the beach. Shuttles run frequently and can accommodate gear and bicycles. At high tide the size of the beach shrinks considerably, so watch your blanket. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; surfing; swimming; walking.

Commissioned in the French boulevard style, the mall is a grand allée of shade trees extending down the middle of the Back Bay's Commonwealth Avenue. Studded with statuary, it serves as the green link between the Public Garden and the Back Bay Fens. One of the most interesting memorials, at the Exeter Street intersection, is a portrayal of naval historian and author Samuel Eliot Morison seated on a rock as if he were peering out to sea. The Boston Women's Memorial, installed in 2003, sculpted by Meredith Bergmann, is between Fairfield and Gloucester streets. Statues of Abigail Adams, Lucy Stone, and Phillis Wheatley celebrate the three women's progressive ideas and contributions to Boston's history.

A dramatic and personal memorial near Dartmouth Street is the Vendome Hotel Fire Memorial, dedicated to the nine firemen who died in a 1972 blaze at the Back Bay's Vendome Hotel, which, now office space, is across the street. The curved black-granite block, 29 feet long and waist-high, is etched with the names of the dead. A bronze cast of a fireman's coat and hat drapes over the granite.

The original contents of Emerson's private study, as well as the world's largest collection of Thoreau artifacts, reside in this 1930 Colonial Revival building just east of the town center. The museum provides a good overview of the town's history, from its original Native American settlement to the present. Highlights include Native American artifacts, furnishings from Thoreau's Walden Pond cabin, and one of the two lanterns hung at Boston's Old North Church to signal that the British were coming by sea. Those with kids should ask for kid-friendly guides, scavenger hunts, and drawing sets.

Two modern structures dominate Copley Square—200 Clarendon (still referred to by its former name, the Hancock) off the southeast corner and the even more assertive Copley Place skyscraper on the southwest. An upscale, glass-and-brass urban mall built between 1980 and 1984, Copley Place includes two major hotels: the high-rise Westin and the Marriott Copley Place. Dozens of high-end designer shops, restaurants, and offices are attractively grouped on several levels, surrounding bright, open, indoor spaces.

Every April thousands find a glimpse of Copley Square the most wonderful sight in the world: this is where the runners of the Boston Marathon end their 26.2-mile race. The civic space is defined by three monumental older buildings. One is the stately, bowfront, 1912 Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel, which faces the square on St. James Avenue and serves as a dignified foil to its companions, two of the most important works of architecture in the United States: Trinity Church—Henry Hobson Richardson's masterwork of 1877—and the Boston Public Library, by McKim, Mead & White. The 200 Clarendon (Hancock) Tower looms in the background. To honor the runners who stagger over the marathon's finish line, bronze statues of the Tortoise and the Hare engaged in their mythical race were cast by Nancy Schön, who also did the much-loved Make Way for Ducklings group in the Public Garden. From May through October, a popular farmers' market draws crowds.

An ancient and melancholy air hovers like a fine mist over this Colonial-era burial ground. The North End graveyard incorporates four cemeteries established between 1660 and 1819. Near the Charter Street gate is the tomb of the Mather family, the dynasty of church divines (Cotton and Increase were the most famous sons) who held sway in Boston during the heyday of the old theocracy. Also buried here is Robert Newman, who crept into the steeple of Old North Church to hang the lanterns warning of the British attack the night of Paul Revere's ride. Look for the tombstone of Captain Daniel Malcolm; it's pockmarked with musket-ball fire from British soldiers, who used the stones for target practice. Across the street is 44 Hull (Boston's historic Skinny House), the city's narrowest house, measuring at just a mere 10 feet wide, which fetched a selling price of $1.5 million in 2021. This is Freedom Trail stop 14.

Once a privately owned packet landing, this is a beautiful crescent of white sand backed by low dunes on Cape Cod Bay. Amenities: snack bar; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

Located just over the border from northwest Cambridge and easily accessible on the Red Line, this funky neighborhood near Tufts University is packed with great eateries, lively bars, and candlepin bowling. Harvard Square can sometimes feel a little tired after midnight, but there's still a lot of energy here late at night. At the Somerville Theatre ( 55 Davis Sq.), you can enjoy cheap first-run matinee movies ($10), excellent popcorn, and even beer and wine with your feature. The Davis Square T stop is on the Red Line.