The oldest church building still in active use in the US is a treasure. A must visit for any fan of…read morecolonial history in New England. Beautiful inside and the staff is happy to answer questions and illuminate the history of the church. The graveyard in back is highly recommended too and has many beautiful tombstones from the 17th and 18th century.

We are lucky to have many architectural treasures in the historic and very New England town of…read moreHingham, Massachusetts but the Old Ship Meetinghouse is a particular gem and should be on a list of places you might want to visit when you're in town. Old Ship was built in 1681 and it's the only structure in America that's been in continuous use as a church for all that time. It's the only 17th century Puritan meeting house left in the U.S. It's currently in use as a Unitarian-Universalist church. Old Ship was built in the English Gothic (Neo-Gothic) style of the 17th century and is a somewhat imposing structure sitting atop a hill overlooking pretty Main Street. (This is the very same Main Street that Eleanor Roosevelt called "the prettiest Main Street in America" and is worth its own visit) Just wait however until you step through the doors of the church. I've yet to meet anyone who wasn't absolutely amazed at the beauty and incredible craftsmanship of the interior. What will catch your eye instantly is what is known as a Hammerbeam ceiling. This ceiling is nothing short of magnificent with its open bare timbers constructed of huge oak beams. It's said to look like the upside down frame of a ship and indeed it does, hence the name: "Old Ship". Going inside is really to take a giant step back in history. Whenever I'm in there I feel almost overcome by the simple yet jaw-dropping beauty. The pulpit is quite grand sitting way up high at the front of the church with a curved staircase leading up to it. There is a second level balcony surrounding the main part of the church which is a good place to go for an on-high perspective of the interior. Chances are good that you'll be fascinated by the rich history and you'll likely sense, as I do when I'm here, the indomitable spirits of those Puritan first settlers who were determined to see this church built, coming here as they did for religious freedom. Some of the other original meetinghouse furnishings are still used and perhaps the most special of those is the Christening Bowl. It's thought to have been made before 1600 and it was brought to Massachusetts from those original settlers from Hingham, England. (The town of Hingham, Mass still shares an on-going relationship to this day with the people in Hingham, England.) Old Ship Meetinghouse is set in front of the Old Ship Burying Ground, also known as Hingham Cemetery which I have reviewed previously. It would make for a lovely afternoon to visit Old Ship Meetinghouse and then take a stroll through the historic cemetery. . Better yet, in September when the regular church season resumes after the summer hiatus, come on a Sunday and take in the unique Unitarian-Universalist service so that you can sit in appreciation of the beautiful, antique church surroundings while perhaps being inspired by its current day use. You will be most welcomed to do so by all who are there.

As Brian S. notes, this was the very first lighthouse station in the United States, established in…read more1716 with the current 75 foot tall conical tower dating back to 1783 (raised to 98 feet in 1856). If you look at Boston Harbor, you'll see that there was a big need for such things with all the small islands here including this one, Little Brewster Island. Tours of the lighthouse are available through the National Park Service. I got to see it today courtesy of clear weather and Delta Air Lines flight 5639. [Review 1808 of 2024 - 1233 in Massachusetts - 22830 overall]

The very first…read more The United States has a lot of lighthouses but the location of the very first one was on Little Brewster Island out in Boston Harbor. There were other markers and very primitive lights perhaps but the first "real" lighthouse was construction on the little island back in 1716. Boston was the largest city in the country at the time and ship traffic was increasing dramatically. The treacherous reefs and rocks made getting in and out of Boston Harbor a nightmare. The exact dimensions of the first lighthouse aren't known but it seemed to do the job and ship wrecks decreased. Unfortunately the old light had a series of unfortunate mishaps and problems, including being set on fire by the Americans to keep the British from using it in and then once again by the British in 1776 to keep the Americans from using it. It was finally completely destroyed. After the war of indepenence was over it was obvious that the growing nation once again needed a lighthouse in Boston Harbor so in 1783 a new one was built. This new one stands 98 feet tall and is still shining. Even though Boston Harbor is the very first lighthouse location because the first light got destroyed, the "new" Boston Harbor light is now the second oldest lighthouse still standing. The oldest is in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. It is possible to take a boat out of of Boston and go out to the island and light and climbing to the top is a fantastic experience. Only 76 steps but there are a couple of ladders to negotiate once the steps end. You can view the second order Fresnel Lens from six inches away but absolutely no touching. Of course great views from all directions can be seen. The island also has the old keeper's house as well as numerous other artifacts and even a cool lighthouse kitty. Not the tallest light or most aesthetically beautiful but for a sheer sense of history the most important.

We stopped in to visit John Adam's home after he became the second US President. The home had been…read morein the Adams family for several generations before being turned over the National Park Service. They provide an excellent tour but you must get your ticket at the visitor's center.

Our flight to Tampa was canceled Tuesday night. By the time we knew we'd be here to sightsee, tours…read morewere sold out. Instead we toured the grounds on our own! I think a tour would have been better - 5 stars - but on our own we saw a lot, and with the walking tour on the National Parks app, we learned a lot about our surroundings. That made this 5 stars. Next time we come, we'll book the tour and use our National Parks Pass to save money.

Boston is loaded with historical locations to visit. If the weather is pleasant and you're in…read moreBoston, consider checking out Georges Island and Fort Warren. As part of the Boston Harbor Island National Park system, you can purchase a ticket for $25 (and less for seniors/kids), and take a 45 minute ferry ride to one of the islands and explore. I went to Georges Island, which is beautiful and the location of Fort Warren, which housed prisoners during the Civil War. You can follow a tour guide or explore on your own. Bring snacks and water. The ferries aren't frequent, so if you miss one, it's a few hours to get back to Boston Harbor. Other than the ferry interior needing a good upgrade, it's a pleasant and interesting trip, ideal for a half-day excursion.

Fort Warren is on Georges island, part of the Boston Harbor Island National Park. We took a 40-min…read moreboat ride here and was dropped off on the island for 2 hours. There was restroom facilities as well as water fountains located by the visitor center. There is also a concession stand, but I recommend bringing lunch. The fort was so much fun to explore. Some parts are dark, so I do recommend a flash light.

Sadly, Abigail Adams hasn't faired as well as her husband and son…read more I came here expecting a Tour with a knowledgable Guide, a Gift Shop, a spiffy multimedia presentation. At least something similar to John and Quincy historical sites just up the road. Here, nothing. Just a note on the front window about monthly tours. Oh come on now. They don't even have a copy of her famous letters during the Revolution to her husband for viewing? If it wasn't for those letters, generations of historians would be out of luck! Sad! Two Stars for the effort, not for the second First Lady.

Enjoyed a nice walk across the rocks, beautiful view…read more Parking is free and nice to watch the boats going bye Nice looking at the homes literally on the water

Lovely place to stop and grab some photos of the coastline and lighthouse. History buffs can read…read morethe plaque telling the story of the sisters but just know the cottage attached to the lighthouse is privately owned - if you need to pee, there are two Porta Potties by the entrance. Lots of parking when we came on a beautiful, not too hot Saturday afternoon. I really didn't see much of a beach area but loved the rocks feeding out into the water. With small kids, the rocks may be a little challenging but they're pretty flat and easy to walk on otherwise.

THIS was SERIOUSLY a lucky find! I can;t tell you how HAPPY I was when I found this!…read more If you want to know more about the local heritage, come here and read this memorial! You can find a LOT of these local bolders all over the place! I'm SO glad they made a memorial out of one! THANK YOU!!!!

Located in the Dorchester Adams area, this historic house is located about 20 minutes from the…read moreAshmont T station. The first floor is fully renovated with bathrooms available. This is an architectural tour rather than the inhabitants of the house. Tour guides are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

Had the chance to catch one of only 4 days that this historic site is open per year. It was really…read moreinteresting as one of the earliest surviving houses in Boston. It's owned by Historic New England and they seem to do a good job with limited funding. It would be nice if it was open to the public (other than schoolchildren) more often, but I'm sure it's a money issue. Anyway, we had a very enlightening tour at the Pierce House. The passion the staff have for the house is obvious. They do an excellent job explaining the shifts in the house as it was expanded over time. I like that they don't go overboard 'restoring' everything in site. It's clear that the house is, or at least was, a living thing that grew with its occupants. I hope they continue being able to preserve this site and restore things like the dairy it contains. The only thing I will say is that since they are only open 4 days a year, they seem to have a lot of pent up energy and information. Our tour was a bit long and super intense! It was like a deluge of information and we were drowning in it. While I can fully appreciate their investment in the site, I think they could work on giving a bit more streamlined tour and then maybe allowing people questions for some of the finer points. I learned more about joinery that I thought possible. . . . Pierce house is worth stopping by if you're in the area (check the website for the rare tour). It's really an important piece of surviving Boston history.

The home does not have much to see but it is still very cool to walk into the home where John Adams…read morewas born and lived his life. The best part of the visit was an Adams re-enactor telling stories about John Adams. You need to purchase tickets to visit at the Visitor's Center.

Side-by-side houses that are super old and retain their historic character. So amazing to know…read morethat both Adams' were born and lived in these houses. Hard to imagine what the area used to look like, but the tour guides did a wonderful job describing all the background. Loved our visit.

Beautiful, large park that's easy to access from Boston. I definitely recommend it for both locals…read moreand visitors alike - if you come on a clear day, you can see the city from various vantage points and the views are unbelievable. I had initially thought we'd do a quick loop in under an hour but all told, we spent about two hours in the park. It does get pretty popular, particularly on weekends, but there were stretches where the crowds clear out and you can find space to yourself. Would love to come back here when the leaves change. Words can't really do the vistas justice. $15 for the parking/entrance fee (no fee if you walk or bike in). A little hillier than I anticipated but sneakers work just fine - we wore hiking boots and felt a bit silly. There are also plenty of benches scattered around for whenever you want to catch your breath or just soak in the moment. Watch out for that one massive pothole near the entrance to the park/by the check-in gate.

This past weekend, myself and a buddy wanted to get out of Boston and shake up our walking route…read moreand landed on World's End. Be careful when putting the address into your navigation, especially Waze users, as it took us to the totally wrong location at first. Once you arrive, however, parking is pretty straightforward. It costs $10/car. The staff at the hut where you pay for parking was super helpful in letting us know what route would best suit our time constraints. We were even given a map! The trails were pretty clear, some maybe weren't as clearly defined as they could've been. Note for hikers: this does feel like more a stroll in the park as opposed to a true hike. Some hidden paths did feel like one, however, so don't be afraid to venture off what seems to be the most defined routes. We loved the views of the Boston skyline, harbour, and Hull, MA. This place is definitely worth a visit. I'm looking forward to coming back in autumn to see some good foliage!