Things to do / Travel Guide
Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island is where New England history began, and where that distinctive culture grew and developed. From early Colonial life to the era of the great whaling ships to the extravagance of the Gilded Age in the late 19th century, the landscape of Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode island is studded with fascinating places that make this history come alive.
Historical Attractions in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts
These were the site of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, which opened the Revolutionary War. Historical markers abound in these cities telling the battle's story. Concord is also known for its rich literary history, as writers including Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau lived in the city at one point or another. Thoreau's famous Walden Pond, at which he wrote “Walden,” is located nearby.
Historical Attractions around Boston, Massachusetts
Many of the American Revolution's most famous sites can be found in Boston. This city's heritage from its earliest period was one of hard work and an emphasis on education. These tenets bore the city fruits in the decades leading up to the Revolution, as money and prestige flowed in on account of trade from the New World to the New World. Boston's prestige is what kept it at the forefront of the Old World's conflict with the Colonies; the signs of this prestige and of the conflict characterize Boston to its very core. You can see many of these landmarks on the city's downtown Freedom Trail, a 2.5 mile walking tour. Some of the historical sites you'll see on the trail are:
- Boston Common: The oldest city park in the United States.
- Massachusetts State House: Still in use, its cornerstone was laid by John Hancock.
- Old South Meeting House: A patriotic meeting place.
- Old State House: The oldest surviving public building in Boston.
- Paul Revere House: Remember “The British are coming!”
- USS Constitution in Charlestown Navy Yard: “Old Ironsides,” the world's oldest battleship still in commission. This United States Ship is still used for State functions, but it hasn't left the dock for some years now.
- Bunker Hill Monument: Considered by some to be the bloodiest battle in the American Revolution.
Off the Freedom Trail there are other historic landmarks in Boston. Visit Beacon Hill, a historic neighborhood featuring elegant brownstones, brick-paved streets, and working gaslights. If you're short on time, limit your tour to a stroll down Mount Vernon Street, which has several buildings designed by Charles Bulfinch, Boston's leading architect during the Federal period.
Founded in 1634 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University was the New World's first university. It's in the greater Boston area, to the city's west. Strolling through Harvard Yard, having your photo taken in front of John Harvard's statue, and checking out all the old buildings, are just a few of the things you can do in the United State's best known college town.
Regarding historical buildings, many date as far back as the 1720s, and Massachusetts Hall even sheltered Continental soldiers during the Revolutionary War.
Historical Attractions in Plymouth, Massachusetts
Plymouth Rock is where the Pilgrims landed on the North American mainland in 1620. Despite the fact that 18th and 19th century souvenir hunters chipped away at it and greatly reduced its above-water size, the massive rock, located off of Water Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is still an impressive site. Between 1620 and 1920 the top part was taken off and moved from place to place, but since 1920 it has remained at the same location.
Also in Plymouth is one of the United States' best living-history museums, Plimoth Plantation, where modern-day “Pilgrims” recreate life in the first settlement as it was in 1627.
Historical Attractions in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts will forever be remembered for the infamous Witch Trials that took place there in 1692. The story of these trials is retold at the Salem Witch Museum. Also not to be missed in Salem is the many-gabled colonial home that inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel “The House of the Seven Gables.”
Historical Attractions in Rhode Island and Southeast Connecticut
Although Massachusetts can boast of many “firsts” in American history, Rhode Island can lay claim to an interesting “first” of its own. Newport's White Horse Tavern, a drinking establishment founded in 1673, is the oldest tavern in the U.S.A., and it's still a popular gathering spot for hungry and thirsty locals and visitors.
Newport, Rhode Island, is home to a magnificent collection of mansions. Built during the late 19th-century by families such as the Vanderbilts and the Astors, many on Bellevue Avenue towards the south of the island, these legendary “summer cottages” take their inspiration from the opulence of Europe. They were sites of turn-of-the-century decadence, when families would spend their all vying to outdo each other. Some of the most famous, including The Breakers, Chateau-sur-Mer, The Elms, Marble House, and Rosecliff, are open daily for touring and “oohing and aahing.”
Newport is also home to the oldest synagogue in the United States, Touro Synagogue, located at 85 Touro Street. In 1781, during the last stages of the Revolutionary War, the synagogue hosted a town meeting that was attended by General George Washington. The synagogue is still in use.
Experience the region's seafaring history at Mystic Seaport, located in Mystic, Connecticut. At this recreation of a 19th-century seaport community, you can watch craftspeople at work and board the last remaining wooden whaling ship. Mystic is representative of the whaling and fishing towns of the area as they were, but if you want something a bit less restored and still authentic, check out Stonington. This town used to be commercially based, however around the time of the Civil War it became known as a resort for the wealthy.
Historical Sites in Boston, Cape Cod, Newport, Connecticut, Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island
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