Great Things to Do in MA
Great Things To Do - North of Boston & Merrimack Valley Region
4 listings
Gloucester, MA
Artist Colony Is Vibrant in Gloucester
978-515-7004Rocky Neck Art Colony in Gloucester is the oldest working art colony in the country, and has been luring artists to its picturesque shores for more than 150 years. Today the area is still home to many working artists and to galleries showing paintings in all media, as well as batik, photography, jewelry, prints, sculpture, ceramics, and fine gifts. A convenient walking tour of Rocky Neck, along East Main Street, includes information about three dozen galleries and studios on the Neck. A new book about the artists and history of the region, titled Rocky Neck Art Colony 1850-1950, by Judith Curtis, is available.
Concord, MA
Here Lies Hawthorne
978-318-3233Pay your respects to celebrated authors and thinkers at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, the sylvan resting place of some 10,000 souls. Stroll the garden-like grounds on a self-guided walking tour. Literary buffs may flock to "Author's Ridge" atop the highest hill, which marks the modest family plots of Henry Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Emerson, and Louisa May Alcott. "The Knoll" houses specially consecrated Jewish burial grounds. "Mourning Victory", or the Melvin Memorial, honors three brothers killed in the Civil War. While here, explore nearby Walden Pond or the Wayside, home to both Hawthorne and Alcott. Self-guided tour books available.
MA
Stroll Charming Downtown Gloucester
The town of Gloucester, on the northern edge of Massachusetts Bay, is historically a rugged fishing town known for its iconic statue of Man at the Wheel (and for its role as the base of fearless fishermen in the movie “Perfect Storm”). It is also a great place to visit if you love sweet New England downtowns. Gloucester’s HarborWalk is a one-mile walking path through town from Gloucester House to Stage Fort Park. From St. Peter’s Square on Rogers Street, the HarborWalk passes the working waterfront to Harbor Loop. The Walk then turns up to City Hall, then turns back down through the historic district to St. Peter’s Square. (photo by David Gleeson)
North Andover, MA
Enjoy a 20th-Century Diplomat’s House & Gardens
978-689-9105The Stevens Coolidge House & Gardens at 153 Chickering Road in North Andover was an early-20th-century estate with expansive and beautiful gardens. (Originally, the estate was the summer home of Helen and John Gardner Coolidge—a diplomat and a nephew to Isabella Stewart Gardner—from 1914 to 1962.) The Trustees of Reservations, which preserves and manages the property, did an improvement project in 2020-2021 that included new and improved gardens, indoor classrooms, retail space, an event lawn, and revised interior spaces. This is a fine year to visit. Admission tickets must be bought online in advance, for a specific time slot.