New England Day trips from Boston
Boston is the Walking City, where no car is needed to see all the famous sights. Nearby towns and historical attractions are also easily visited without a car. Here are 10 great New England day trips. All are less than two hours from Boston and all are easy to get to by public transport. Go by train, bus, ferry – or on a private bus tour. And, just for fun, there’s a shopping trip, too!
SALEM, Massachusetts
Much more than witches
Salem is nicknamed the Witch City, after the notorious trials back in 1692. To find out what triggered the hysteria, visit the Salem Witch Museum. But, there is much more to Salem than witches. The Peabody Essex Museum started as a collection of sea captains’ souvenirs and is now one of New England’s best museums, with Asian export art, Japanese art and maritime art. The city’s great days of trade are recalled at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, with the Friendship. This is a reconstruction of the 171-foot three-masted ship that was built in 1797 and would have sailed for “the farthest ports of the rich East,” to quote the motto of Salem.
As for historic homes, Salem has them aplenty – particularly along Chestnut Street. The Phillips House is a Colonial Revival style home on tour through Historic New England. Then there is the House of the Seven Gables that inspired author Nathaniel Hawthorne, whose nearby birthplace is also open for visits.
- Train: Boston’s North Station to Salem (Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail Line, 30 min).
- Bus: Boston’s Haymarket Square to Salem (bus #450 or #455, one hour).
- Ferry: from Boston’s Long Wharf North on the Salem Ferry (under an hour; in season).
- Tour: Gray Line
CONCORD, Massachusetts
“The shot heard ‘round the world!”
One of New England’s prettiest towns, Concord also has one of the most famous sites in American history: the North Bridge, where British soldiers and Colonists clashed on April 19, 1775. A century later, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau launched another revolution – in American philosophy. These writers all spent time in the Old Manse, right next to the North Bridge. Fans of Little Women head for Orchard House, where Louisa May Alcott wrote her much-loved story in 1868.
Political and literary history come to life in the Concord Museum. See the Lantern immortalized in the poem “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” and also Ralph Waldo Emerson’s study. Linking Concord to Lexington is the 5-mile Battle Road Trail that follows the route taken by British soldiers and Minutemen on April 19, 1775. The Minute Man Visitor Center, with The Road to Revolution multimedia program, explains the hows and whys of the buildup to the War of Independence.
Getting round: the Liberty Ride (costumed guide, free re-boarding) stops at the main sites in Lexington and Concord, including the Minute Man Visitor Center.
- Train: Boston’s North Station to Concord (Fitchburg line), 35-45 minutes
- Tour: Gray Line
LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
‘The First Blood’ in the American Revolution
In the center of Lexington is Battle Green, where the Minuteman Statue honors the local Colonists, who faced British soldiers on April 19, 1775. When eight Minutemen were killed, “the first blood was spilt in the dispute with Great Britain” according to George Washington. In summer, guides in Colonial dress are on the Green, ready to explain all and give free tours. Nearby, the Lexington Visitors Center has information on all the sights.
Do visit the three historic houses run by the Lexington Historical Society: the Buckman Tavern, the Munroe Tavern, and the Hancock-Clarke House, where John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence, was staying. Pick up a self-guided walking tour brochure at any of the houses.
Getting round: the Liberty Ride (costumed guide, free re-boarding) stops at the main sites in Lexington and Concord, including the Minute Man Visitor Center.
LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS
Magnificent mills, Jack Kerouac and The Fighter!
Recent movies have put the spotlight on two of Lowell’s famous sons: poet Jack Kerouac and boxer “Irish” Micky Ward (in the Oscar-winning The Fighter). But it was the waterpower of the Merrimack River that put Lowell at the heart of America’s Industrial Revolution. Learn more in the giant, red-brick mills in the Lowell National Historical Park, where you can see and hear how textiles were produced in the noisy weave room in the Boott Cotton Mills Museum.
Other nearby museums include the American Textile History Museum www.athm.org/. From weaving and spinning in days gone by to “new” clothing made from recycled plastic soda bottles, the revamped exhibitions are fascinating for all ages. For quilters, the New England Quilt Museum is a must. The only quilt museum in the Northeast, it has a collection of more than 300 antique and contemporary quilts, plus regularly changing exhibitions.
Board a boat for a guided tour on the city’s canal system; ride a replica trolley along the original rails; explore the burgeoning art scene in small galleries.
- Train: Boston’s North Station to Lowell (Lowell Line) – 45 minutes
- Shuttle buses run between the station and downtown Lowell
NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS
A whale of a time
In 1841, Herman Melville left New Bedford on a whaling boat and that voyage inspired his novel Moby-Dick. Still America’s largest commercial fishing port, the main attractions are in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.
Don’t miss the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Among the world’s largest collection of whaling artifacts are the 66-foot blue whale skeleton and the Lagoda, the largest ship model in the world: 89 feet long and so big that you can climb aboard! Across the street is the “Whaleman’s Chapel,” or Seamen’s Bethel, still an active church. The pulpit, looking like a ship’s prow, was featured in Moby-Dick. Along the waterfront is the 108-year-old schooner Ernestina, the official vessel of Massachusetts.
Bus: Boston’s South Station Bus Terminal to New Bedford with DATTCO (1hr, 20 minutes)
PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS
The Pilgrims – how they got here and how they lived
Back in 1620, the arrival of permanent settlers in the north-eastern corner of the USA changed the course of history. The Pilgrims stepped onto this shoreline and named it Plymouth for the city in England that they had left behind. Docked at the State Pier is Mayflower II, a replica of the 106.5-ft long vessel that carried the 102 men, women and children across the North Atlantic. Plymouth Rock commemorates their landing. Three miles away is Plimoth Plantation, one of America’s best living history museums. Watch pilgrims go about everyday life in a 1627 village; talk to Native People about their heritage in the Wampanoag Homesite.
- Train/taxi: Boston’s South Station to North Plymouth station (MBTA). Then, take a taxi (South Shore Taxi (508) 406-8908; Plimoth Plantation 15 minutes, Mayflower II 8 minutes) or local GATRA bus
- Bus: Boston’s South Station to Plymouth Park/Ride Lot, Exit 5 (Plymouth & Brockton)
- Tour bus: Gray Line
PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Great history, great fun!
One of New England’s oldest cities, Portsmouth makes a terrific day out. Check out the local history at the Discover Portsmouth Center, then head for the Strawbery Banke Museum.
Here, workplaces and carefully-restored homes recall life in this seaport over the past 400 years – while artisans and costumed role players bring it to life. Dedicated to the people of Portsmouth is the museum in the John Paul Jones House, where Colonial America’s first naval hero lived back in 1781.
For many, the city’s charm is its historic homes, cobbled streets and glorious gardens in Prescott Park. Seafaring types enjoy the Albacore Museum, where the USS Albacore, was built. Go aboard this submarine, the US Navy’s most advanced until the advent of nuclear-powered vessels. Or visit the Smuttynose Brewery, the state’s largest craft brewer. Named after nearby Smuttynose Island, the brewery produces award-winning beers and ales.
- Bus: Boston to Portsmouth (Greyhound, 1 hour) into the city itself, or C&J bus service from South Station or Logan Airport in Boston to Portsmouth Terminal. Upon arrival at C&J’s Portsmouth station, COAST trolley service is available to take visitors to downtown stops, year round at select times. Limousine and taxi services are also available for the 5 minute ride to downtown (Blue Star Taxi).
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS
Pilgrims, painters and poets
At the very tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown is a mix of history and beaches, fishing and art. Busy Commercial Street is the main thoroughfare, lined with galleries, shops and restaurants. On the docks, fishermen unload their catch, while visitors board boats for whale watching trips to the nearby Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Behind town, the century-old Pilgrim Monument stands atop the bluff. Climb 116 stairs for expansive views. Rent a bike and pedal to Herring Cove Beach (1 mile from town) or Race Point Beach (2 miles, with surf and a lighthouse).
Long known for its Bohemian atmosphere, Provincetown has a tradition of artists, playwrights (Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams) and theater, as well as a gay and lesbian community Stay longer and explore Cape Cod without a car by riding the buses of the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority from Provincetown to villages, such as Wellfleet, Brewster, and Harwich.
- Ferry: seasonal from South Boston waterfront with Bay State Cruise Company (90 min) or Boston Harbor Cruises (90 min)
QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS
Home of an American Political Dynasty
Two U.S. presidents – father and son – were born in this city just south of Boston. John Adams was the second U.S. President; his son, John Quincy Adams, was the sixth. Find out more in the Adams National Historical Park. Start at the Visitor Center, then walk or ride the free trolley bus to their respective birthplaces and to the grander “Old House.” With its original furnishings, this was home to four generations of the Adams family from 1720 to 1927. Next door, the Stone Library holds the Adams library and papers.
Quincy also has a long shipbuilding history. Tour the USS Salem www.uss-salem.org, a heavy cruiser that was once the flagship of the U.S. Sixth Fleet. It was built in the former Quincy shipyard that is now the United States Naval Shipbuilding Museum www.uss-salem.org. And, the shipyard is where the expression “Kilroy was here” originated during World War II – so they say!
- Subway: take the MBTA Red Line subway train to the Quincy Center Station (25 min). The National Park Service Visitor Center is within walking distance.
Providence, Rhode Island
City of Culture
The Rhode Island capital matches history with 21st-century fun. College Hill is the home of prestigious Brown University. The oldest building on campus is University Hall (1770), which served as a hospital for Colonial soldiers during the American Revolution. Take a walking tour along Benefit Street, nicknamed the “Mile of History,” with grand mansions, such as the 18th-century John Brown House. Art lovers head for the Rhode Island School of Design’s own museum, with great paintings by Cézanne, Monet and Renoir, as well as art from Asia and from the Ancient World.
Back in the 1990s, Providence rediscovered its waterfront, creating Waterplace Park and Riverwalk. Three rivers flow through the city: cruise along them in a gondola; watch as WaterFire combines music with the sparkle of 100 bonfires on the water. To the west is Federal Hill, with its distinct Italian flavor, delis, restaurants and cafés. Dominating all is the State Capitol, with the world’s third largest unsupported dome that is topped by the gilded statue of the Independent Man. Inside, see the charter granted to Rhode Island by King Charles II in 1663.
GLOUCESTER, Massachusetts
At the entrance to Gloucester, the 8-ft tall “Man at the Wheel” statue of a fisherman is a reminder that this is not only “America’s Oldest Fishing Port”, but still a fishing town, and the inspiration for the book and movie The Perfect Storm. Cape Pond Ice still provides ice for the local fishing fleet. Take their tour to see ice sculptures, the working wharf and learn about The Perfect Storm connection. From spring through autumn, whale watching cruises are a must: the kings of the sea feed only 15 miles offshore.
But the shimmering light has also attracted artists like Fitz Henry Lane, Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer and Mark Rothko. See art works at the Cape Ann Museum; follow the Rocky Neck Historic Art Trail, America’s oldest working art colony. Nearby Rockport is another artists’ colony, (4 miles east), with a harbor, studios and art galleries. But, the center of attention is a red fishing shack on Bradley Wharf. Nicknamed “Motif No. 1.”, this is one of America’s most painted and photographed buildings.
Train: Boston’s North Station to Gloucester and Rockport (Newburyport/Rockport Line 1 hour to Gloucester, 70 min to Rockport)
WRENTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
When the going gets tough…the tough go shopping at Wrentham Village Premium Outlets, where stores offer savings of between 25 and 65 percent every day. Halfway between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, this is one of the U.S.A.’s most popular outlet shopping destinations, where 170 stores are set in a village-like complex. Stores range from Banana Republic, Barneys New York and Burberry to Salvatore Ferragamo, Vera Bradley and more. Get there and back by bus; trips include free VIP coupon books.
- Tour: on special shopping trips with Brush Hill; Boston Common Coach; Gray Line (all approx 45 min each way). Pickups are available from select Boston hotels.
