7 Most Beautiful Historic Towns in the Northern United States
The Northern United States enjoys a slightly colder climate with an allegedly cooler personality, but also a thriving economy and the most varied blend of cultures, with roots dating back to the nation's founding days! Home to the Empire State and its no-less significant neighbors, Easton, PA, was the site for the public reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, while Kingston, New York's first capital, bore witness to a defining moment in the US at the Senate House State Historic Site, the pivotal place for the adoption of New York State's first constitution!
Offering all the benefits of low crowds, unique geography, and economics, look no further than these charming towns, and behind their demeanors, with culturally painted faces and wisdom dating back to the 1600s of the European settlement, and even deeper Native American history! With many seafaring towns and fishing villages in New England, Port Townsend was a strategic point at the tip of the Olympic Peninsula in the State of Washington!
Easton, Pennsylvania
With roots deep into the early US settlement and the free nation, Easton was the site of a public reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Honing, preserving, and celebrating its incredible heritage, the small town with unproportionate character and historic sites is a real treasure trove for culture and history lovers, especially its landmark theater! Visitors can enjoy artistic vigilance through the years over various media at the nationally registered historic place of the State Theater Center for the Arts, a captivating 1,500-seater venue that has captured all ages with shows, live Broadway-style performances, and concerts.
Dig through Easton's heritage wealth at the Signal Museum and the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society, highlighting an impressive collection of artifacts like tools, textiles, and furniture that predated European settlers by a long shot! The National Canal Museum is a great stop on your journey through the past, depicting the significance of this famed waterway for the state's, Delaware's, and Lehigh nationals through the present day! Easton Farmers' Market, a favorite local place to stock up on farm-fresh groceries, meats, and baked goods, offers a real cultural experience for tourists to mingle and sample in its buzzing atmosphere!
Kingston, New York
The first bearer of the capital title for the Empire State, Kingston's influential role in the American Revolution is also notable as a small-town must-see for anyone in the US! There is so much to discover in this "ancestral mantlepiece on the Hudson River," a community hub, really, ever since 1659, seven years after its founding. Start the captivating journey at one of the state's best, the Hudson River Maritime Museum, with centuries worth of artifacts and vessels, each meticulously curated for your significant insights after decades of research. Nearby, the Victorian Rondout Historic District is adorned in 19th-century architecture, including neat storefronts, while the Forsyth Nature Center offers a captivating collection of exhibits on the regional fauna and flora!
Dig even deeper into the 18th century along the Stockade District with impeccable stone buildings that showcase the architectural rigor of the past, including styles that you won't find in modern masonry! Right here, the edifice of Old Dutch Church is one of Kingston's most treasured sites and an even older landmark, as it was reconstructed in 1852 after the first version burned down. Now, the Senate House State Historic Site is a real biggie, bearing witness to a defining moment in the nation's history as the place for the pivotal adoption of New York State's first constitution! With abounding attractions that rival the current capital of Albany, its highlight, Point Beach, offers a breezer to decompress in the fresh air on a riverside picnic or a stroll.
Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic, with its historic seaport and in-your-face stardom, is a delightful town to visit for all ages, groups, and interests! Its seaport museum is, unexpectedly, a real breath of fresh air, with seafaring vistas over immersive 19-acre grounds along the beautiful Mystic River! The nation's leading maritime museum, a recreated 19th-century seafaring village, is captivating, and its blacksmiths, coopers, printers, and shipwrights are still hard at work today! For fascinating insights, Charles W. Morgan, the world's last wooden whaleship, welcomes you aboard to get the feel of sailing in the Great Age of Sail! There's also the planetarium, with decades of dedicated research on planets and the galaxy in general, under the starry skies.
The active can paddle on a sailboat or rowboat from the boathouse, or relax and enjoy the views aboard Liberty on the Mystic River! Among history exhibitions, art galleries, and other landmark sites, the legendary pizza joint is imperative, with no better for movie fans than Mystic Pizza for dinner—simply delicious! From The Galley, Latitude 41°, and Oyster Club's seafood, the 1756 Captain Daniel Packer Inn is a real historical relic, with a cozy pub for marine-themed dishes, lobster lollipops, and fresh ale. Whaler's Inn, the best bet for sublime views, offers great access downtown to browse boutiques, like the Olde Mistick Village, with snacky places like artisanal grilled cheeses or Bleu Squid's cupcakes.
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend's unmatchable long saga begins in the mid-18th century in the area where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets Admiralty Inlet. Previously home to the Klallam Tribe, the first settlers came in 1851, while the small town was named in 1792 by none other than British Captain George Vancouver! Destined for greatness as the strategic point in Jefferson County's Quimper Peninsula at the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula, at the entrance to the sound, the absence of a railroad was a major downer on the town's development and ability to use its resources fully, cut off from the thriving markets on Puget Sound to the south. After losing population following economic stagnation, the papermill was the sliver of hope in 1928 that leveled out its hardships as a reborn, desirable place to live and work.
The town blossomed after finding its calling in tourism with its natural setting, maritime charm, and attractive history, including many preserved late-Victorian-era homes and buildings. Home to officially the Townsend Historic Landmark District since 1977, one of the nation's only three surviving Victorian-era seaports, visitors can take it in on a stroll along the downtown waterfront. Here, in the cultural heart, in between the Victorian buildings to one side and seawater on the other, popular festivals burst in flavor for every taste, like the annual Port Townsend Film Festival and the Wooden Boat Festival. With its immersive small-town atmosphere and everything maritime at the Northwest Maritime Center, Port Townsend is also an up-and-coming gem in the arts community with a thriving art gallery scene!
Rockland, Maine
Rockland offers all the benefits of low crowds and the coastal vistas, with unique geography, economics, and identity through the years. As a thriving shipbuilding port and lobstering industry, its anchor is still deep in the ocean, but Rockland lives through its main street today. With a mix of seafaring attractions for every taste, its blend of New England vibes and bucolic charm attracts flocks of tourists each year. Boasting one of the best recreational boating harbors on the East Coast and the port launch at its heart, it is a vacation worth exploring, with the islands in the bay and a historic lighthouse! Halfway between Freeport and Bar Harbor, and in between the agricultural lands and one of the deepest harbors on the New England seaboard, the cuisine scene is a standout here, with only what is farm-fresh garnishing succulent seafood dishes.
This happy waterfront town is a breezy escape in every season to prowl a good dozen boutiques along the main and Archer's on the Pier for dinner. You can enjoy the views of the lobstermen reeling in the next bout of doomed claws among the attractive pleasure craft sails and the flip-flop to meet the sunset at the protected Rockland Harbor by a mile-long granite breakwater. The mountainous, rocky shore attracts hikers and whale watchers with relaxing views over a picnic, while the town's own 8,000 nature lovers and boat enthusiasts lend an adventurous vibe and family-friendly atmosphere that caters to all ages. Visitors can enjoy culture in the thriving art scene and annual festivals like the Atlantic Blues Festival and the Maine Lobster Festival, as well as the Maine Boat & Home Show.
Rockport, Massachusetts
Home to Motif 1, known the world over, Rockport exudes history and bursts with culture, captivating its never-ending string of visitors. Spot the vibrant red building of the exact 1840 replica of a fishing shack to see, paint, and Instagram it along with others. By far not the only landmark, Rockport is sort of an attraction in itself, perched with views of the jaw-dropping, rugged Atlantic coastline. With its European-style downtown and natural scenery nodding to coastal England, this charming New England town transports you overseas. Don't miss the revamped visitor center for the best trails and hotspots to make the most of this scenically-soaked town.
Elegant, modern, and natural, with adventures for every taste, Rockport, at the tip of the Greater Cape Ann, sparks the eyes and calls out to the seafaring souls with longing views that are like food for the city-starved folk on a breathtaking stroll. Painting a picture of New England charm and tradition with authentic and unique attractions, its heritage runs deep into the 1600s, when the settlers first rejoiced in the fertile fishing waters of the harbor. Rockport found talent in other things like granite and timber, with evidence at Halibut Point State Park, which features old granite quarries and impressive trails where visitors can see wildlife and the Atlantic Ocean. Afterwards, the top-rated Fish Shack Bar & Restaurant by locals and tourists will stuff you with the best fish and chips of your life!
Southampton, New York
While it is hard to choose from among the most-worthy culturally rich towns in the Northern US to end the list, let us lead you back to the Empire State and back to 1640, Southland's birth. Some towns' early days are foggy, but not this town, whose first English colonists set the trajectory for its historic charm. The Parrish Art Museum is a real cultural touchstone, with a diverse collection of American art zooming in on the East End of Long Island. The soft white sands along Cooper's Beach fringe the Atlantic Ocean for your summertime pleasures, while the Southampton Historic District is spectacular for all-season strolls along its 18th- and 19th-century architecture! Southampton thrived through fishing and farming into the present-day fame of Long Island potatoes, local sweet corn, and duck confit on menus!
The Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center and Museum reflects even deeper history with dedicated preservation of the Shinnecock tribe's heritage and its significant contributions in the area. The Native American Shinnecock tribe sold land to settlers and shared knowledge of planting and fertilizing crops, as well as trapping fish, clams, and scallops in the bay. Discover the fascinating history of the Puritans, originally from England but who set sail from Lynn, Massachusetts, incorporating the village only in 1894. Having landed at Conscience Point, the state's first permanent English settlement was named shortly after in honor of the British Earl of Southampton.
Including most of the Pacific Northwest, northeast, and some midwest regions, the perfect balance of weather and temperature as per traditional seasons lets visitors enjoy the beaches in the summer, an actual white Christmas, and the best skiing in the winter. Did you know that the New England towns in the region burst with the most colorful foliage in the fall? Take that Florida and scorching desert locations, home to nevertheless magnificent state parks. But back to the point: in between all the outdoor pursuits and the colder days, nothing keeps visitors from enjoying the culture and discovering the fascinating history of our nation!
