Must-see attractions in New England

  • Shelburne Museum

    Burlington

    The extraordinary 45-acre Shelburne Museum, nine miles south of Burlington, showcases 100,000 priceless artifacts, from America and abroad.

  • Museum of Science

    Boston

    The educational playground that is the Museum of Science has more than 600 interactive exhibits. Favorites include the world’s largest lightning-bolt…

  • Boy watching sea turtle in aquarium

    New England Aquarium

    Boston

    Teeming with sea creatures of all sizes, shapes and colors, this giant fishbowl is the centerpiece of downtown Boston's waterfront. There are countless…

  • UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 09:  Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut (Photo by Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

    Wadsworth Atheneum

    Connecticut

    In 2015 the nation's oldest public art museum completed a five-year, $33-million renovation, renewing 32 galleries and 15 public spaces. The Wadsworth…

  • Colonial homes and garden

    Plimoth Plantation

    South Shore

    Three miles south of Plymouth center, Plimoth Plantation authentically re-creates the Pilgrims’ settlement in its primary exhibit, entitled 1627 English…

  • Boston, MA - 9/11/20: A welcome arch of butterflies and flowers made of traditional Chinese lanterns, spans the entry of the Franklin Park zoo for Boston Lights; Shutterstock ID 1824698471; your: Claire Naylor; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: Boston POIs

    Franklin Park Zoo

    Boston

    Tucked into Franklin Park, the zoo features a half-dozen different habitats, as well as special exhibits devoted to birds and butterflies. The highlight…

  • Dune's edge, pitch pine, Marconi beach, wellfleet, Cape Cod national seashore.

    Cape Cod National Seashore

    Cape Cod

    Cape Cod National Seashore extends some 40 miles around the curve of the Outer Cape and encompasses the Atlantic shoreline from Orleans all the way to…

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    Old North Church

    Boston

    Longfellow’s poem 'Paul Revere’s Ride' has immortalized this graceful church. It was here, on the night of April 18, 1775, that the sexton hung two…

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    Rough Point

    Newport

    While the peerless position and splendor of the grounds alone are worth the price of admission, this faux-English manor house also contains heiress and…

  • UNITED STATES - JANUARY 01:  Frye Measure Mill, Wilton, New Hampshire (Photo by Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

    Shelburne Farms

    Burlington

    In 1886 William Seward Webb and Lila Vanderbilt Webb built themselves a magnificent country estate on the shores of Lake Champlain. The 1400-acre farm,…

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    Institute of Contemporary Art

    Boston

    Boston has become a focal point for contemporary art in the 21st century, with the Institute of Contemporary Art leading the way. The building is a work…

  • The Breakers. Cornelius Vanderbilt house

    The Breakers

    Newport

    A 70-room Italian Renaissance megapalace inspired by 16th-century Genoese palazzi, the Breakers is the most magnificent of Newport's grandiose mansions…

  • Mark Twain House

    Mark Twain House & Museum

    Connecticut

    For 17 years, encompassing the most productive period of his life, Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835–1910) and his family lived in this striking orange-and…

  • BATH, ME - MARCH 18: A flyer for a past event is seen Friday, March 18, 2016 at the Maine Maritime Museum boat shop in Bath, Maine. (Photo by Joel Page/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)

    Maine Maritime Museum

    Midcoast Maine

    There's a palpable mix of reflective nostalgia and horizon-scanning adventure at this wonderful museum, which preserves the Kennebec's long shipbuilding…

  • USA, Massachusetts, Martha's Vineyard . Ancient houses at Oak Bluff
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    Campgrounds & Tabernacle

    Martha's Vineyard

    Oak Bluffs started out in the mid-19th century as a summer retreat by a revivalist church, whose members enjoyed a day at the beach as much as a gospel…

  • UNITED STATES - APRIL 23: The Elms mansion, designed by Horace Trumbauer (1868-1938), Newport, Rhode Island, United States of America. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

    The Elms

    Newport

    Designed by Horace Trumbauer in 1901, the Elms is a replica of Château d'Asnières, built near Paris in 1750. Here you can take a 'behind-the-scenes' tour…

  • A view of the sun rise at Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park, Maine

    Cadillac Mountain

    Acadia National Park

    Don't leave the park without driving – or hiking – to the 1530ft summit of Cadillac Mountain. For panoramic views of Frenchman Bay, walk the paved 0.5…

  • Rhode Island, Providence, State House, State Capitol. (Photo by Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)

    Rhode Island State House

    Providence

    Designed by McKim, Mead and White in 1904, the Rhode Island State House rises above the Providence skyline, easily visible from miles around. Modeled in…

  • Gordon Chibroski, Staff Photographer. Friday, June 14,  2013. .Visitors to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay are surrounded by a multitude of fauna and flora.

    Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

    Midcoast Maine

    These magnificent gardens are one of the state's most popular attractions. The verdant waterfront kingdom has 270 acres, with groomed trails winding…

  • This decorative iron gate is the entrance to the Memorial Quadrangle on the campus of Yale University. The gate beneath Harkness Tower, crafted by Samuel Yellin, is the most ornate of his many works at Yale.

    Yale University

    New Haven

    Each year, thousands of high-school students make pilgrimages to Yale, nursing dreams of attending the country's third-oldest university, which boasts…

  • Portland Museum of Art

    Portland

    Founded in 1882, this well-respected museum houses an outstanding collection of American artists. Maine artists, including Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper,…

  • USA, New Hampshire, Hanover, Dartmouth, aerial view, autumn

    Dartmouth College Green

    New Hampshire

    The green is the focal point of the Dartmouth College campus, both physically and historically. Along the east side of the green, picturesque Dartmouth…

  • M657FF New Britain Museum of American Art _ New Britain, Connecticut, USA

    New Britain Museum of American Art

    Connecticut

    Moved to its present, modern premises in 2003 in honor of its centenary, the impressive yet little-known New Britain Museum of American Art houses a stand…

  • Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode island, usa; Shutterstock ID 410932201; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Content Asset; Full Product or Project name including edition: Guides Project Eastern USA

    Fort Adams State Park

    Newport

    Fort Adams is America's largest coastal fortification and the centerpiece of this gorgeous state park, which juts out into Narragansett Bay. It's the…

  • Rockland Harbor Breakwater Lighthouse

    Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse

    Midcoast Maine

    Tackle the rugged stone breakwater that stretches almost 1 mile into Rockland Harbor from Jameson Point at the harbor's northern shore. Made of granite…

  • Ottauquechee River, Quechee Gorge, Quechee National Park, Vermont USA

    Quechee Gorge

    Vermont

    Lurking beneath US 4, less than a mile east of Quechee Village, the gorge is a 163ft-deep scar that cuts about 3000ft along a stream that you can view…

  • Yale Center for British Art

    New Haven

    Reopened in 2016 after extensive restoration, this fabulous gallery was architect Louis Kahn’s last commission and is the setting for the largest…

  • Hartford

    Connecticut Science Center

    Connecticut

    Designed by Argentinian architect Cesar Pelli, the Connecticut Science Center is both an exciting architectural space and an absorbing museum for adults…

  • Exterior, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut

    Yale University Art Gallery

    New Haven

    This outstanding museum was architect Louis Kahn's first commission and houses the oldest university art collection in the country; it includes Vincent…

  • Cliff rocks by trail by Portland Head Lighthouse in Fort Williams park in Cape, Elizabeth Maine during summer day

    Fort Williams Park

    Portland

    Four miles southeast of Portland on Cape Elizabeth, 90-acre Fort Williams Park is worth visiting simply for the panoramas and picnic possibilities. Stroll…

  • Portland Head Light

    Portland

    Fort Williams Park, on Cape Elizabeth, has rolling lawns dotted with bunkers and gun emplacements. Within the park stands the beloved, and much…

  • ROCKLAND, MAINE, UNITED STATES - 2012/10/12: Farnsworth Art museum. (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Farnsworth Art Museum

    Midcoast Maine

    One of the country's best small regional museums, the Farnsworth houses a collection spanning 200 years of American art. Artists who have lived or worked…

  • Maine, Camden Harbor, Camden Hills State Park, Penobscot Bay, View From Mount Batti. (Photo by: Jeff Greenberg/UIG via Getty Images)

    Camden Hills State Park

    Midcoast Maine

    With more than 30 miles of trails, this densely forested park is a choice place to take in the midcoast's magic. A favorite hike is the 45-minute (half…

  • PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND - JULY 24: The Athenaeum (1838) on July 24, 2015 in Providence, Rhode Island; Shutterstock ID 305923790; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Content Asset; Full Product or Project name including edition: Guides Project Eastern USA

    Providence Athenaeum

    Providence

    One of the most prominent buildings on Benefit St, the Greek Revival Providence Athenaeum was designed by William Strickland and completed in 1838. This…

  • People enjoy Church street in Burlington, Vermont. (Photo by: Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)

    Church Street Marketplace

    Burlington

    Burlington's pulse can often be taken along this four-block pedestrian zone running from Pearl to Main Sts. When the weather's good, buskers (licensed by…

  • Castle in the Clouds

    New Hampshire

    Perched on high like a king surveying his territory, the arts-and-crafts-style Castle in the Clouds wows with its stone walls and exposed-timber beams,…

  • Peabody Essex Museum

    Massachusetts

    All of the art, artifacts and curiosities that Salem merchants brought back from the Far East were the foundation for this museum. Founded in 1799, it is…

  • Jordan Pond

    Acadia National Park

    On clear days, the glassy waters of this 176-acre pond reflect the image of Penobscot Mountain like a mirror. A stroll around the pond and its surrounding…

  • Watch Hill

    Rhode Island

    A 5-mile drive southwest of Westerly town center, you'll come to the cloistered community known as Watch Hill, where New York's rich and/or famous have…

  • Mt Monadnock State Park

    New Hampshire

    Visible from 50 miles in any direction, the commanding 3165ft peak of Mt Monadnock is southwestern New Hampshire’s spiritual vortex. The surrounding state…