After we left Boston on our recent organized guided tour of New England fall foliage we stopped…read morebriefly here before heading to Hyannis. The first shots occurred here which started the American Revolutionary War. There is a statue of Captain John Parker, leader of the Lexington militia. The flag flies 24 hours a day. Across the street from the Battle Green is Buckman Tavern and the visitor center.

A good pause for any history buff. The green is exactly that - just a patch of grass the middle of…read moretown. There is a historical marker and a statue but not much else to see. We unfortunately did not have time for the visitors center, or the surrounding historical building tour but I would recommend it if time allows.

Home to the Marblehead Arts Association, stop in & see some displays…read more Built by Greenfield Hooper, a candle maker, in 1728, & his son, Robert, a wealthy shipping merchant, added the front section in 1745. There is always an art gallery display, art show or some other cultural event taking place, so stop in when walking around Marblehead Center.

I had a very limited amount of time to visit because my parking time was about to run out so I ran…read morein and did a self guided tour really quickly, and will definitely have to come back again to fully take everything in. The gift shop here though is fantastic and I spent over $100 on magnets and adorable Christmas ornaments. Be sure to stop on in if visiting Lexington.

"Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin…read morehere." Wonderful self guided audio tour, staff was very accommodating to mobility issues.

(if you think this review is too long, just scroll to the bottom for my more "humorous"…read moreobservations) If you're driving on Adams Street towards Lower Mills or the other way towards East Milton Square, you might overlook this spot. If you're into historical sites and museums, this might be worth a look. Otherwise, you might just want to go to one of the many higher-profile museums in the area, like the Adams Historical Site the town next door. You have to reserve a spot in one of the scheduled tours to enter the museum. I went for a 1 pm tour and the next one was at 3. Trust me, the tour is really 2 hours long. The positive of this museum is that while the house is not that large in terms of square feet, you do get your bang for your buck. The tour guide was generally polite and rather informative. However, she always seemed to ask historical questions every time we entered a room and wanted us to answer - really got irritating as the tour went along. If I wanted to answer historical questions, I would've gone to a bar for stump trivia. Lastly, if you're not into this stuff, you will be bored out of your mind and will resort to utilizing the futuristic item called a smartphone. The Forbes family was involved in various historical events/periods and some of those rooms each had a theme from a time period. The family was involved in the China trade, so there's a decent collection of old Chinese furniture in the parlor. It doesn't compare to the Peabody Essex Museum, granted, but it's something. There is a room for the Forbes involvement in the Civil War and Abolition. Another room described the Forbes charitable endeavors during the Great Famine in Ireland during the mid-1800's. So you'll get some learnin' from various periods. Compared to other historical spots around the area, this one doesn't seem to be maintained well and needs better restoration. There was significant water damage in a few rooms and exhibit pieces (like beds, plates, etc.) seemed to be arranged worse than a 5-year old. The house needs a paint job in the worst way. Also compared to other historical sites, this one was rather dirty. There is a "gift shop", and by "gift shop", I mean a small glass case in the foyer containing books for sale. p.s. - you'll likely have older folks in your tour group that think "oriental" is still an acceptable way to describe Asians. p.p.s. - there's a nice Chinese junk model. It's in a glass case, and not in some sort luggage storage box or something. So you can't say there's junk in the trunk. *rim shot* :-P

Most people would drive by this historic home without paying much attention but the small staff is…read morevery friendly and often you can get a private or near-private tour of this gorgeous 1830's greek revival home which is filled with varying antiques but what is of particular interest is the vast array of objects collected by the Captain during the China trade years of the 1800's. Also, one of the previous owners was an avid collector of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia. The museum is set up more like a home and objects are easy to see and some can even be handled (kitchen area). The architecture inside and out is beautiful and the grounds keep with the feel of the home. The tour can be done on your own or guided. Great place to relax and take your time admiring the collection.

"Built a fort out of sheets I finally found you…read moreMy missing puzzle piece I'm complete" (Katy Perry) Overlooking Marblehead Harbor, this coastal fort dates way back to 1644, and was one of the oldest English sites of seaside defenses in North America. It came under American control during the Revolution, was rebuilt in the early 1800's when a battery of big guns were added to defend the harbor from enemy attacks. It served an important defensive role in the War of 1812, transitioned into a town park in 1892, and even returned to military duty during the Spanish American War in 1898. Today, it's a public park and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975. The park offers you stunning views of the harbor and the hundreds of boats crossing the waters. The Fort Sewall grounds are loaded with historical sights - maps and markers and plaques and remnants of the old fort including underground prison cells are everywhere. Some of those big guns that defended the harbor from enemy attack are still there, others are gone but there are ghostly markers on the stone walkway showing where they once proudly stood. It's a glorious place to walk around, enjoy the scenery and imagine those big guns blasting away to defend the harbor two centuries ago.

Nice little historic park. You will need to find parking down the street with a short walk up a…read moresmall hill. The park is well maintained with a path that wraps around the fort. Beautiful views and the fort has been maintained with replica living quarters.

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.

Super cool historical experience. If you are a history buff and you are interested in what little…read moreremains of the Salem witch trials, then this is a must see. This is one of the only places still standing with a direct connection to the Salem witch trial. The grounds also hold the only known burial site of one of the victims of the trials. The docents were well informed and were kind enough to stand around answering our "history dork" questions.

If you are looking for a guided tour this isn't it. This is a self guided tour. Absolutely love the…read morehistory of this homestead. I would suggest learning a bit about Rebecca Nurse beforehand. There is a lovely old family cemetery attached as well.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! THE HILLTOP 67 FOOT NEON CACTUS SIGN HAS BEEN RESTORED TO IT'S FORMER GLORY…read moreDAYS & LIGHTS UP RT. 1 WITH ITS ORIGINAL GREEN BRILLIANCE ONCE AGAIN. IT IS BEAUTIFUL & CONTINUES TO SHINE WITH ITS VINTAGE 60's VIBE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT IS STRAIGHT OUT OF VINTAGE LAS VEGAS. This is a Perfect Example of what a Great Restoration project looks like with Adaptive Use for a new purpose & generation. It is impressive during the day but WOWS you at night! You have to see it from afar & then stop & see it up close especially at night. It's FREE! It is located right outside the 110 Grill in Saugus. When people think of Boston they always think of the Citgo Sign at Fenway Park, but there are other very notable signs & one of them is the Hilltop Cactus Sign. First of all it is MASSIVE towering at 67 foot tall. The Hilltop Steak House was a very famous restaurant on Rt1 in Saugus from back in the 60's. People would see that Giant Cactus Sign & it would beckon them to stop in to get a bite to eat. Customers would wait in long lines near the cows for their room & number to be called over the loudspeaker like #92 Kansas City. Then you would go into the restaurant to your designated room & seat & table. The restaurant was HUGE! The Hilltop was one of the busiest restaurants in all of America at its peak serving 20,000 patrons each week. At its pinnacle it served more than 2 million people. This lasted for decades. Delicious Huge Portions of Food for a Good Price. They were known for their Steaks & Prime Rib. Finally the quality of the food went down hill & in 2013 they closed. The Hilltop still has a warm fuzzy soft spot for many people today. In 1966, Frank Giuffrida the owner hired Mack Advertising Inc., to create a new sign for the Hilltop restaurant. Many designs were considered until they decided upon the Giant Cactus. The 67-foot sign contains nearly a half mile of neon tubing. Woahhh! The Barlow Sign Comoany in Hudson New Hampshire meticulously restored this Vintage Jolly Green Giant of a Cactus. Where the restaurant once stood is a mixed use space of residential housing of 280 apartments & retail & restaurants. Instead of knocking down the sign & putting it in some landfill; now it serves a useful purpose for lighting up the city & as a sign for the new community & businesses while still holding on to it's glorious past history. WHAT A BRILLIANT RESTORATION! You have to stop on by. And for those famous cows they have also been rescued. See my review of The Hilltop Steak House Cows located not too far from here in Lynnfield MA. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!