We almost didn't make it see the Ropes Mansion before heading back home last week, but we decided…read moreour trip wouldn't be complete if we didn't see it. Do you remember in the movie when Dani and Max are outside the mansion just staring up at it in awe? That was me. The infamous mansion where Allison lives is a sight that can't be missed! It is located in a residential neighborhood at the very end of the street, but it is worth the quick detour away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist area. We came later in the evening so were only able to get a couple of night time shots - we wanted to get one of us in front of it, but a tour group was coming through at the same time and we didn't want to be too distracting. I'm not sure if they ever do tours inside, I believe the Ropes Mansion is owned by the Essex Museum, but the outside was definitely enough for me. If you're a fan of Hocus Pocus, this is a must stop!

As a fan of Hocus Pocus (it's one of my favorite Halloween movies!), I was very much looking…read moreforward to visiting Allison's house. While I didn't enter the house, it was great to see the exterior and take photos from outside. The Ropes Mansion garden is free to enter, and is accessible through an arched pathway at the side of the mansion. The garden, while small, is beautiful and tranquil to walk through, complete with plenty of roses and a small pond. It's a great spot to take tourist photos as well. A must-visit for Hocus Pocus fans!

For me, Boston was a revelation, I always wanted to visit it and it exceeded my expectations!…read more It is big, with so many things to do and see. I packed a lot in four days. I wanted to stay longer but hotels are so expensive! The only downside! Public transportation is pretty good, it makes it easy to get around everywhere you need to go! Weather could be iffy even in the summer, so be flexible. The vibe of the city is more European with lots of history around, many firsts in US- public park, subway system, botanical gardens, etc. I loved the famous campuses in town - BU, Harvard. Stayed in Cambridge area. Lots of historical sites, did the Freedom Trail, loved it, learnt a lot (I've been reading more history books since then). Loved the parks and public spaces - Boston Common and Public Garden among them. Major sites - Newbury street, Kenmore Square, Copley Plaza, Back Bay are great to visit. Loved Beacon Hill old area. Great views over the Boston Harbor and the Esplanade on Charles River! Great art museums- Isabella Gardner Museum was a joy to visit and MFA is rich in art offering! Chinatown is a great neighborhood to visit and so is the historic North End. Great food, lots of cafe-s, restaurants, breweries. Didn't have time to shop, but there are some nice bookstores and loved the visitor centers! And I feel like I barely scratched the surface! Sports aren't my thing, but there are famous venues around. I'd love to come back one day, dig deeper, visit more. Lots left to be explored. My husband lived here in college and was a bit down on Boston, but this visit improved his perception. Lively, clean, easy to get around and orient yourself, not very crowded. Lots of American history with an European vibe and esthetic. Unique city that has lots to offer to visitors!

I've wanted to go to Boston for a while and we booked a trip in May 2020, but Covid put a stop to…read morethat, and Harvard graduation thwarted our attempts in May 2022. In 2025, Alison Krauss and Union Station were touring (no Vancouver dates, sadly), and it was an excuse to finally go to Boston. I went with my sister and husband and we were in Boston for a full week, flying in on Saturday September 13 and flying out on Saturday September 20, 2025. (Yeah, I am behind on reviews!) We stayed in Sonder Pierce Boston, a luxury condo-style hotel near Fenway Park. We arrived the evening of September 13, so all we did was go to the nearby Target to purchase some groceries and grab dinner at Time Out Market, which was across the street from our hotel. Sunday September 14, our first full day in Boston, we went to Boston Common and walked along the Freedom Trail. We went to the Granary Burying Ground and passed by the Old City Hall and Boston Irish Famine Memorial. We had lunch at Hub Hall, walked through the New England Holocaust Memorial, had a drink at Durty Nelly's, walked through the Paul Revere Mall, stopped at the Old North Church for a bathroom break, walked along the William Felton "Bill" Russell Bridge, and saw the USS Constitution. Monday September 15, we walked around the financial district, stopping for some gluten-free donuts at Kane's Donuts, and had lunch at James Hook & Co. We walked along the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway and the Long Wharf, went to the Boston Public Market where we had a cider flight from Red Apple Farm and bought several bags of yummy nuts from Q's Nuts. We had a drink at The Bell in Hand and walked through Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market where we had a drink and quick bite to eat at Ned Devine's. We went to Boston Public Garden where we saw the "Make Way for Ducklings" sculpture and had dinner at Faccia a Faccia. Tuesday September 16, we walked around the Harvard Medical School campus which was near our hotel and walked over the Boston University Bridge into Cambridge. In Cambridge, we walked through Fort Washington Park, had lunch at Miracle of Science Bar and Grill, went to Pandemonium Books and Games, and visited Harvard University. At Harvard, we saw a free exhibit on Edward Gorey at the Houghton Library and the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments. We had dinner at Eventide and went to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Wednesday September 17 was the night of the Alison Krauss concert, so we stayed close to our hotel during the day. We went to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, walked past the Back Bay Fens, and had lunch at Time Out Market. While my husband spent the evening relaxing at the hotel, my sister and I had dinner at Legal Sea Foods Harborside before going to the Alison Krauss concert at Leader Bank Pavilion. Thursday September 18, we went to Salem by boat with Boston Harbor City Cruises. We went to the House of the Seven Gables, had lunch at New England Soup Factory, stopped for a drink at Village Tavern, went to the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, Charter Street Cemetery, and Salem Witch Museum. We shopped at Black Cat Curiosity Shoppe and Wicked Good Books, and had dinner at Turner's Seafood. We then spent the evening further walking around Salem, stopping for drinks at East Regiment Beer Company and Far From the Tree Cider. Friday September 19, we spent the day walking around Boston. We went to the Massachusetts State House, Commonwealth Museum, and walked along the waterfront. We browsed in Brattle Book Shop, stopped for lunch in Elephant and Castle and Union Oyster House, and went to Boston Public Garden again before going Trader Joe's. Saturday September 20 was our last day in Boston. Our flight was at 7pm, so we had time to see more of Boston. We saw the Boston Massacre Memorial, had a drink at Margaritaville, lunch at Legal Sea Foods - Long Wharf, walked through the Central Burying Ground in Boston Common, and walked through Boston Public Garden. It was a fantastic trip, and I hope to go back one day! [Yelp collections: Boston, MA 2025; Cities]

Beautiful house on the Salem witch tour. Accessible to walk up to at all times. Enjoyed this stopread more

Night photo may have gotten a ghost! Very cool area to explore and kept in great conditionread more

While in Salem Massachusetts we found the Witchcraft Victims Monument in Danvers MA. There is no…read moresignage directing you towards the village when it was over played Noël Teel & I visited while Tony helped the baby! Tony Vanoy Lisa Diane Boyce-Vanoy Dale Lisa Vanoy

A very somber place. It's on a one-way street. Not much parking there. It's off the beaten path…read more Commercial tours are not allowed to go there. We had the place to ourselves. Nice time to reflect on the tragedy. There's a small memorial plaque for each person that was killed.

I've been to Saugus Townhall maybe a half a dozen times. The employees here are nice it's like…read morestepping back to 1980 and people still have enthusiasm to be at work. The employees here are very knowledgeable and willing to help. The building itself must be A couple hundred years old it's absolutely gorgeous inside. Lots of heavy wood details and painted in century gone by colors. Saugus itself is a great little town.

It doesn't look like much from the street other than you do recognize the famous outline. I'm…read morefiguring out the parking is a little strange but once you get there you are immersed in the feeling of having experienced it. What an incredible old house. And the museum people are doing a great job of keeping it up. Certainly well worth your time.

I was passing by and decided to stop by. This library is in the middle of a neighborhood. It's…read moregorgeous you can see it from far away. It looks like it used to be to be a house and they turned it into a library. As soon as you walk in there in there is a staircase to go upstairs or downstairs. This place is bright nice and open . It's very clean and they have a lot of new books. I went on a warm day and the air was blasting. Very nice library highly recommend checking out if you're in the area.

I love this library a lot. Personal is friendly and helpful. They do their best to do pleasant…read morethings. Recently they organized seeds bank - it was great idea! I hope they do it again in spring.

Before going to Boston we added Good Will Hunting Bench on our itinerary and watched again the…read moremovie released in 1997 starring Robin Williams (amazing performance) and a young Matt Damon (talented). We made it our mission to find the exact bench where they filmed the scene while visiting the Public Garden so we went on a goose chase. It's not easy, but there's lot of info out there so we did find it, bonding with other fellow Angeleno-s who were also visiting and trying to find the bench. We managed to take photos of each other and it was a fun shared experience. We love finding movie locations so we enjoyed tracking another one while in Boston for a landmark film shot in the city!

It's emotional to sit on the Robin williams Matt Damon bench at swan boats Boston such an amazing…read moregifted actor comedian gone too soon and loved so much