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Boston, Massachusetts destinations, parks and attractions

Are you going on a road trip to Boston, Massachusetts, looking for tips about the destinations so you and your party can enjoy it, be comfortable and not spend a fortune?

Here are some of the top destinations in Boston, Massachusetts and tips about visiting them

Top Boston, Massachusetts destinations

  1. Freedom Trail - Most of what you will want to see is along this path! Boston's Freedom Trail is a walking trail you follow through the city to see the most famous Colonial America landmarks. It is easily identified by the red brick line and brass medallions set in the pavement.  The trail starts at the Visitor Center in the Boston Common and goes 3 miles to
  2. Faneuil Hall - Deserves it's on listing! There is a walking tour throughout the property and original artifacts in Historic Faneuil Hall. Then grab some food in the many restaurants.  Taste the area's specialties like Boston Baked Beans, New England clam chowder, Indian Pudding, clam chowder, lobster rolls, oysters on the half shell at the world-famous Food Colonnade.
  3. Boston Common and Public Garden Swan Boats - Famous since Victorian times!
  4. Harvard University - 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The U has historic buildings and excellent museums and a thriving local community of  shops, restaurants, cafés, and bookstores. Museums worth seeing include:
    The Harvard Art Museums,  Fogg Art Museum (Italian early-Renaissance art), the Busch-Reisinger Museum (German and northern European Expressionist art), the Arthur M. Sackler Museum (Asian antiquities and Jade art), the Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology, the Mineralogical Museum, the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and the Botanical Museum.
  5. The Museum of Fine Arts - 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts
    Staying on the Museum theme here's an excellent fine arts museum.
  6. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - 280 The Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts.
  7. Old Sturbridge Village - 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, Massachusetts. This popular destination is a living history museum that re-creates life in early 1800's New England . There are over40 authentic historic homes, craft shops, stores, mills, and farm buildings moved to this 200-acre site. People dressed in the period's attire demonstrate daily tasks of the town's folk. There is even a working farm and garden with livestock and heirloom plant varieties.
  8. Norman Rockwell Museum - 9 Route 183, Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Norman Rockwell lived here for the last 25 years of his life, painting and become a common figure in the town. Famous for his Saturday Evening Post covers depicting every day American life.
  9. Whale Watching at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary - The Stellwagen Bank is considered one of the top whale-watching locations in the world, you can also see white-sided dolphins, harbor porpoise, seals, and other marine life. Hop on board a  whale watching tour boat in Boston, Gloucester or Provincetown. . See this NOAA page to find a whale watch company to view a complete list of vessels that view whales in the sanctuary. Make the most of your whale watching experience by following the suggestions on the Tips for Whale Watching page.

National parks and monuments in Boston, Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts State parks and historic sites

Many DCR facilities have a parking fee. Massachusetts residents pay lower fees than non-residents. Resident and non resident status is determined by the vehicle license plate. Some parks only charge fees during certain times of the year. Click the link below to view the most recent parking fees schedule for every state park.

Parking fee locations and schedule

Annual Parking Pass

You can save money on park visits by getting an annual ParksPass. A ParksPass waives the daily parking fee for most DCR parks. The parking pass costs $60 for Massachusetts residents.

Senior ParksPass

Massachusetts residents aged 62 and older can buy a lifetime parking pass. The lifetime Senior Parks Pass costs $10. Senior Parks passes may only be bought in person or by mail.

Learn how to get a lifetime Senior ParksPass

Boston, Massachusetts Seasons, bugs, topography and climate

Massachusetts is mainly a humid continental climate, with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters and plenty of precipitation. The state does have extreme temperatures from time to time with 100 °F or 37.8 °C in the summer and temperatures below 0 °F or −17.8 °C in the winter not being unusual. Bugs... near stagnant lakes and marshes black flies, no-see-ums and mosquitos.

Boston, Massachusetts Camping tips

Massachusetts has accessible tent sites, too, with hard-packed level ground, pedestal grills, and accessible picnic tables. All our accessible sites are marked on Reserve America with a figure in a wheelchair.

You'll always find accessible restrooms in the same loop as accessible sites, though there usually isn't an accessible pedestrian route between the sites and the restrooms. Before you make a reservation, you should contact the park to see if their cabins, yurts, or tent sites fit your specific needs. Also, be sure to learn about DCR campground regulations before you reserve your campsite.

If you have questions about accessible camping in general, please contact the Universal Access Program.

There are both state parks and private campgrounds in Boston, Massachusetts.