7 Unforgettable Small Towns to Visit in Massachusetts

Massachusetts, one of the thirteen original colonies in the United States, is famous as a center of revolutionary history and colonial culture. Its early Puritans, a Christian minority, wanted to make a new society for themselves but grew outnumbered as the Massachusetts Bay Colony swelled with other kinds of destiny-seekers. From whaling and fishing to glass manufacturing, literary giants, and even a little witchcraft, Massachusetts has seen a lot of history in its time. Pride in that history has turned the state into a playground of well-conserved points of interest. In particular, the state's smaller towns provide an unforgettable look at the many lives and stories that Massachusetts has been proud to host.

Concord

Concord, population 18,000, offers visitors a town that may not be small everywhere but is certainly on the smaller side for densely-populated Massachusetts. Established in 1635, it is a place famous for its role in the American Revolution, when the fledgling thirteen original colonies successfully overthrew British rule. Today's Concord has and in the nearby town of Lincoln, the Minute Man National Park, at the site of the Parker's Revenge battle and with information on the War of Independence, including a forty-foot painted mural of the era's conflict. Concord lies northwest of Boston, Massachusetts, the state's capital and largest city, and another center of revolutionary history. 

For arts and poetry lovers, Concord maintains sites like Walden Pond, a natural wonderland that poet Henry David Thoreau made famous. Concord likewise features the Raph Waldo Emerson House, the legendary nineteenth-century American writer, lecturer, and philosopher. Other artifacts remain at the Concord Museum, which is also devoted to America's revolutionary and literary pasts. 

Gloucester

Gloucester, a seaside town with 29,800 residents, boasts a proud history as a center of maritime trade and industry on the Cape Ann Peninsula. Perhaps America's best-known fishing town, with its docks in operation since 1623, the town today offers whale watching outings on the water, as well as the Gloucester Fishermen's Memorial, a tribute to the town's thousands of men who have perished while at sea across generations. Poingantly, a similar statue, the Fishermen's Wives Memorial — dedicated to the spouses the fishermen's deaths left behind — also stands nearby. Modern readers and moviegoers may recognize Gloucester as the town that provided the setting for the real-life story captured in "The Perfect Storm," the 1997 book by Sebastian Junger that was later adapted for film. 

Dedham

Dedham, population 25,000, lies in quaint Norfolk County, not far south of Boston. Settled in 1635, the same year as Concord, some in the town wanted to name it "Contentment," but were later overruled in favor of the name that reflected the English birthplace of numerous residents at that time. Later settlements sprang from civic leaders originally from Dedham, giving the latter the local nickname, the "Mother of Towns." Dedham's Fairbanks House, a 17th-century Puritan structure, remains standing today, making it the oldest surviving timber-frame house in North America — and a must-visit for any history buff. In the early twentieth century, Dedham became known as a center of pottery manufacturing, while in more recent decades, Dedham's old-time look and feel have attracted numerous productions in film and television. Dedham keeps up an active festival calendar with year-round activites for all ages. 

Nantucket

The island of Nantucket, an idyllic getaway whose name is synonymous with New England charm, has just 14,400 inhabitants. Lying 30 miles south of Cape Cod, a similarly famous slice of the massachusetts coast, Nantucket became a major location for the New England whaling industry, beginning in the seventeenth century. The town's Whaling Museum speaks to this rich past as a key part of what sustained colonial Massachusetts in its earliest days. Nantucket's beaches are justifiably celebrated, and the Great Point Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge gives nature lovers a way to better understand local flora and fauna. With so much to like on the island, Nantucket is well worth the ferry ride from mainlaind Massachusetts. 

Lenox

The town of Lenox, population just 5,100, is a small place near Massachusetts' western border with a giant creative pedigree. The town is famous for its late-nineteenth-century mansions, where New England's wealthiest families built stately homes and hosted one another in a mix of hospitality and competition. There is even a museum summarizing the town's homes and attractions from that period, called the Ventfort Hall Mansion & Gilded Age Museum. In more modern culture, Lenox welcomes cultural events like the Tanglewood Music Center, a festival and musical arts center that cultivates modern classic music and its musicians. Tanglewood likewise hosts the Boston Symphony Orchestra each summer. For amateurs of the stage, Lenox is also home to Shakespeare & Company, a theater group dedicated to the works of English playwright William Shakespeare.   

Sandwich

The town of Sandwich — no relation to the American lunch meal — lies on Cape Cod, has 20,600 inhabitants in total. The Sandwich Glass Museum gives a glimpse into past local industries, while the Heritage Museums and Gardens should delight gardening and green-space enthusiasts of all kinds. The town's salt marsh, which lies next to the beach facing the Atlantic Ocean, offers another natural space for individuals or families to enjoy. Like Gloucester, Sandwich's maritime past is evident in so many of the town's setting today. Even Sandwich's motto sums up its relationship to the sea, for it reads: "After so many shipwrecks, a haven." Golfers and boaters can enjoy the Sandwich Hollows Golf Club as well as the Sandwich Marina. 

Salem

Salem, first settled way back in 1626, has 44,700 residents today. The town, located on the Atlantic coast bewteen Boston and Gloucester, became famous during its 1692 prosecuction of women and girls suspected of witchcraft. Salem would forever after be associated with the trials' shorthand, the Salem Witch Trials. Today, the town say it is "still making history," through a variety of visitor-friendly offerings. Culture and history mavens can seek out the Pioneer Village, the Salem National Maritime Historic Site, and the art-focused Peabody Essex Museum — one of the oldest continuously operating museums in the United States. For those who want to focus on the coast, Salem Sound offers sea views and blustery weather, while boat rides are available to Baker’s Island for a peek at the 10-acre light station. Witchcraft or not, Salem is pure magic. 

Conclusion: American history and a proud future

Massachusetts' small towns make for an unforgettable visit — or as many visits as the curious traveler may wish to make. Gloucester, Sandwich, and Nantucket show the state's rich maritime history, and Dedham, Lenox, and Concord have made industrial and literary contributions for the ages. Whether in the state for a quick visit or a longer-term stay, the sheer size and breadth of offerings in Massachusetts are sure to satisfy even the most discerning and experienced traveler. The state's natural and man-made treasures may just be the inspiration needed to inspire a visit to the state soon.