The USS Constitution Museum
Located at the Charlestown Navy Yard The USS Constitution Museum is a private, non-profit museum that serves as the memory and educational voice of USS Constitution, the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat. Located alongside the vessel, the museum houses the ship’s logs, weapons, documents, charts, journals, decorative arts and more. Interactive exhibits allow visitors to fire a cannon, swing in a hammock, and experience life as a sailor onboard USS Constitution in 1812.
Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Oct. 15; winter hours from Oct. 16 are daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Call 617-426-1812 or visit www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org for more information.
This three-mile trail, winding through downtown Boston and Charlestown, tours 16 sites and structures of Revolutionary-era significance. Ninety-minute tours begin at the Visitor Center at 15 State St. and cover the heart of the Freedom Trail, from the Old South Meeting House to the Old North Church. Tours leave at regular intervals in the spring, summer and fall, weather permitting. Call 617-242-5642 for the daily schedule or 617-242-5689 for group reservations.
Adams National Historical Park
Located in Quincy, the park comprises 11 historic structures and a cultural landscape totaling almost 14 acres. The site’s main historic features include John Adams’ birthplace; where 2nd U.S. President John Adams was born Oct. 30, 1735, and, less than 75 yards away, John Quincy Adams’ birthplace; where his son, John Quincy Adams, 6th U.S. President was born July 11, 1767; the “Old House,” home to four generations of the Adams family; the Stone Library, which contains more than 14,000 historic volumes and includes the book collection of John Quincy Adams; and a visit to the United First Parish Church, where both Presidents and the First Ladies are entombed in the Adams family crypt. Regularly-scheduled tours of the historic homes are offered April 19 through Nov. 10. The park provides a trolley bus that offers transportation between sites, but you must be on a guided tour to enter the historic homes. Tours are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Quincy can be reached by traveling north on Route 3 from Plymouth. Additional information is available on the park’s Web site, www.nps.gov/adam.
Located in historic Fall River on scenic Mount Hope Bay, Battleship Cove boasts the world’s largest naval ship exhibit, providing the opportunity for visitors to experience what it was like to serve on board a Navy warship in WWII. Major exhibits include the submarine, Lionfish; the battleship, USS Massachusetts; the destroyer, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.; a drone anti-sub helicopter; and an East German high-speed missile corvette. The museum is open daily, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, during the following hours: March 23 through July 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and July 4 through Sept. 1, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sept. 2 through Nov. 2, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Nov. 3 through March 22, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $14 for adults and $8 for children ages 6 to 14; children under 6 are admitted free of charge. For further information, call 800-533-3194, from New England only, or 508-678-1100, or visit the Web site, www.battleshipcove.org.
Cape Cod Central Railroad
Travel back in time to a by-gone era while you take the scenic ‘road’ around the Cape on Cape Cod Central Railroad. You’ll enjoy views accessible only by the railways during this nostalgic two-hour journey as a commentator relives over 150 years of railroading on Cape Cod Central Railroad. In addition to the Scenic Excursion Train, you can enjoy a ride on the Luncheon Train, the Sunday Brunch Train, the Family Supper Train or the elegant Dinner Train. Call 888-797-7245 or 508-771-3800, or check www.capetrain.com for schedule and pricing information.
Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum
Rising above the town of Provincetown on High Pole Hill Road, the top of the 252-foot Pilgrim Monument provides spectacular views. Located on the corner of Bradford and Winslow streets, Built in the early 1900s, the granite monument commemorates the landing of the Pilgrims in Provincetown in 1620. The cornerstone was laid in 1907 by President Theodore Roosevelt. With 116 steps and 60 ramps, this climb is well-suited for those in passably good shape. Small children might tire quickly, but you can take your time and the view is worth it. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, and $3.50 for children ages 4 to 12. Open daily April 1 through Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the monument stays open until 7 p.m. in July and August. Admission includes a gift shop and museum, and free parking is available. On exhibit during the summer of 2008, “The Studio Show” will present the history and fate of artist studios in Provincetown. Visit the Web site, www.pilgrim-monument.org, for more information.
Local tip: Look for interior stones that were donated by cities, towns and organizations from all over the United States. See if your city or town is here.
Heritage Museums & Gardens
Located on 76 acres in Sandwich, Heritage Museums & Gardens is a delight., especially if you visit while the thousands of rhododendrons are in bloom, usually Memorial Day weekend and into the first two weeks in June. Highlights include galleries of American art and history and Native American history, a functional 1912 carousel and a stunning collection of 32 antique automobiles, beautifully displayed in a replica of a Shaker round barn. The museum is open April 1 to Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors ages 65+ and $6 for youths ages 6 to 16. Children under 5 are admitted free of charge. For further information, visit www.heritagemuseumsandgardens.org.
Local tip: Make sure you take a complimentary ride on the carousel.
Also located in Sandwich, the Sandwich Glass Museum is open April 1 to Dec. 31 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. On exhibit are nearly 5,000 pieces of glass produced at the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co. between 1825 and 1888. Admission is $4.75 for adults and $1 for children ages 6 to 14. Check out the Web site, www.sandwichglassmuseum.org for more information.
Local tip: Don’t miss the glass-blowing demonstrations held every half hour.
Located off the south coast of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard’s six towns offer distinct experiences to visitors. Beaches, shopping, eating and bicycling are popular pursuits. You can get there most conveniently by air from Hyannis or by ferry from Falmouth, Woods Hole or Hyannis, all on Cape Cod. Visit www.mvy.com for complete information.
Local tip: Visit the original Black Dog Tavern in Vineyard Haven for a meal or the general store for a Black Dog T-shirt.
A fascinating island to visit, Nantucket provides a glimpse into the past, when it was the whaling capital of the world. Quaint shops, numerous galleries and great restaurants abound among the cobbled streets, and beautiful beaches surround the island. Nantucket’s annual Daffodil Festival, when over 3 million daffodils bloom and turn the countryside into a vivid yellow tapestry, is scheduled for the weekend of April 25 through 27. Complete information on how to get there is available at www.nantucketchamber.org/.
Local tip: Be sure to visit the Whaling Museum while you’re there.
