The Bay State is well known for the wide range of activities and excitement that visitors find in Boston, but it’s also home to scores of small towns that exude the historical charms of New England and transport visitors back to simpler times.
Some are prime fall foliage destinations and others are vibrant coastal communities. Each of these 10 cities offers its own distinct character.
10 Nantucket
Nantucket is a town, an island and a county, with a total population of about 14,000 that swells to 80,000 in the summer.
The seasonal playground attracts affluent visitors to its beaches, hiking and biking paths, elegant inns and restaurants, and its many historical buildings, such as the Jethro Coffin House, built in 1686, and the Old Mill, a still-functioning windmill dating from 1746.
Downtown Nantucket, which still looks like a colonial village, offers three pristine beaches, Francis Street Beach, Fisherman’s Beach, and Children's Beach.
The town is a must-see on any tour of the Eastern Seaboard, and one of the most charming islands in New England.
9 Edgartown
Edgartown is a small village on Martha’s Vineyard, a classic New England destination and roughly a 40-minute ferry ride from Cape Cod. Its colonial architecture makes it a quintessential New England town with roots dating back to 1642.
Visitors will love that it’s a walkable destination, and has a vibrant harbor and fishing port. Home to just 500 year-round residents, the town is crowded with visitors from mid-June through Labor Day. Along with calm beaches, the town is home to the Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, and Felix Neck, a bird sanctuary that is part of Martha’s Vineyard State Forest.
Chappaquiddick Island also is part of the township, and can be reached via ferry. Edgartown is the perfect place to enjoy an island vacation.
8 Provincetown
Situated at the outermost tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown is home to about 2,900 year-round residents, but like other seasonal economies, its numbers swell to 60,000 during summer months.
The town is a favorite LGBTQ+ destination, priding itself on its celebration of individuality and freedom of expression. The town is considered the oldest continuous art colony in the country and is known as the top whale-watching hub on Cape Cod.
Large swaths of the town are located inside the Cape Cod National Seashore, providing miles of superb beaches. In town, there’s plenty of nightlife and entertainment from late spring to mid-fall. Provincetown undoubtedly is one of the 10 best New England towns to visit in summer.
7 Plymouth
Plymouth is a coastal town in Massachusetts, south of Boston, and considered the gateway to Cape Cod. Even with a local population of 60,000, it retains a small-town atmosphere, particularly around its harbor.
The town is the site of the first Pilgrim settlement, founded in 1620, and visitors can view Plymouth Rock, a boulder in Pilgrim Memorial State Park that marks the place where settlers are thought to have landed.
Also at the harbor, tourists can explore the Mayflower II, a full-scale replica of the ship that carried the Pilgrims across the Atlantic.
6 Stockbridge
Stockbridge is a town of just under 2,000 people in the Berkshires, in western Massachusetts. It’s a leaf-peeper’s paradise in mid-fall and is home to the Norman Rockwell Museum, which showcases the work of the famous 20th-century artist.
Loaded with Americana charm, the town features the Naumkeag estate, with an 1886 mansion and gardens.
Tourists also flock to the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Settled in 1734 and sporting a colonial ambiance, Stockbridge is a favorite stopping point for travelers exploring the rural areas of western Mass.
5 Lenox
The Berkshires town of Lenox, home to just 5,000 people, has a multitude of upmarket hotels and resorts, and a wide variety of restaurants, all catering to the summer crowds who visit to attend music performances at the renowned Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Visitors who plan a summer vacation in Lenox should book concert tickets well in advance. Other must-visits in Lenox are The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home, where tourists can explore multiple gardens plus the writer’s historic home.
Lenox is definitely among the towns that visitors to New England should seek out.
4 Deerfield
Deerfield is a quaint little town in Franklin County, nestled along the Connecticut River and home to about 5,000. Dating from the 17th century, the town is among New England’s historical gems, and has a historic district that transports visitors back to the colonial era with tours of many centuries-old building and homes.
One of the state’s most notable inns is located in the town, the Deerfield Inn. Found in the middle of Historic Deerfield, the inn is a gathering spot for locals and visitors alike.
Accommodations are in the main inn and in a restored carriage house. The inn dates from 1884.
3 Rockport
Rockport is about an hour’s drive north of Boston and has about 6,900 residents. The coastal town in summer is a haven for sailing, kayaking, swimming, and hiking. It’s also an art lover’s town, with 30-plus galleries and the Rockport Art Association and Museum.
Visitors can experience live entertainment at the town’s Shalin Liu Performance Center and at the Windhover Center for the Performing Arts. Many seasonal festivals are held each year between spring and fall.
Photographers will love taking their best shots of the Straitsmouth Island Lighthouse and Thacher Island’s Twin Lighthouses.
2 Concord
Twenty miles west of Boston, the town of Concord has about 29,000 residents and an abundance of museums, historical sites, and walking tours that chronicle the town from the early days of colonialism to the Revolutionary War.
Minuteman National Park, for example, is a must-see site, with its 40-foot mural that illustrates a battle between Colonists and British Regulars. Its visitor center is open from April to October.
The Concord area attracts thousands of fall foliage seekers each year.
1 Newburyport
Roughly a half-hour’s drive northeast of Boston, Newburyport has about 18,000 residents. A top summer destination, the town has many eateries, shops, galleries, and cafes. Its big draw in summer is Plum Island Beach, a barrier island that’s perfect for swimming, strolling, fishing, and kayaking.
Visitors also can explore the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, where bird watching is always rewarding. Originally a ship-building port, the town dates back to the 1600s.