Today Massachusetts ("Mass," as
most locals call it), is the largest New
England state in population, with six
million people, half of whom live
in the Boston area
(map).
It also has the most popular tourist attractions:
Boston &
Cambridge
Capital
of Massachusetts and unofficial "capital" of
New England, it's the region's largest
city and the hub of transportation,
commerce and society. The neighboring city
of Cambridge is America's most distinguished
university town. More...
Lexington & Concord
These two pretty, historic towns were where
the American Revolutionary
War began.
Today they're favorite get-out-of-the-city
destinations for walkers, bikers, history
buffs and shoppers. More...
North Shore
Historic Salem, Marblehead, Gloucester,
Rockport, Ipswich and Cape
Ann are prime
getaway areas for Bostonians and their
friends in the know. More...
South Shore
New England—and indeed America—began
here when the Pilgrims stepped ashore on Plymouth
Rock in 1620, and Americans visit Plymouth to
commemorate that beginning.
Cape
Cod
Long one of America's
favorite summer resorts, its charming
seaside towns
such as Falmouth, Hyannis, Chatham, Orleans,
Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown are
packed in warm weather, as is Cape
Cod National Seashore. More...
Nantucket & Martha's
Vineyard
These
two islands have been popular resorts ever
since the whaling trade declined. Nantucket is
smaller and pricier, "the Vineyard" is
larger and more diverse. More...
New
Bedford & Fall River
Southeastern
Massachusetts offers lots of
maritime history: New
Bedford is all about whaling,
and Fall
River has the world's
largest naval ship exhibit, including the World
War II-era battleship USS Massachusetts.
More...
Worcester
Massachusetts's second-largest city has
lots of colleges, an industrial base,
fine museums, and one of the world's
great collections of medieval
armor. More...
Sturbridge
Old
Sturbridge Village takes
you back to the New England of the early
1840s, and there are antique fairs and
Russian icons nearby. More...
Springfield
Talk about inventions! The internal combustion
auto, the motorcycle, the monkey
wrench, ice skates and the game of basketball were all invented here, but people visit
today for Springfield's excellent museums.
More...
Pioneer Valley
The Connecticut River Valley of western
Massachusetts is home to five famous
colleges, Massachusetts' third-largest
city (Springfield), scenic beauty, and
lots of history. More...
Berkshire
Hills
The north-south
range along Massachusetts' western
border with
New York state are a popular summer resort
and summer home to the Boston Symphony
Orchestra at Tanglewood.
More...
If you fly to New England you'll probably
land at Boston's Logan
International Airport (BOS).
(More
on Boston transportation.)
