Welcome to Bean Town! Explore the city known for its baked beans, cream pie, and a certain famous tea party. Walk down Newbury Street’s upscale boutiques and outdoor cafés and past million dollar Victorian brownstones in Boston’s historic Back Bay neighborhood. Continue on to Beacon Hill, with its narrow streets, brick sidewalks and desirable living; it is also the site of Massachusetts’ state government. From there, stroll through Boston’s Public Garden, the first public botanical garden in the United States, to see its famous swan boats, diverse collection of plants and flowers and impressive statues.

The British are coming! Learn about Paul Revere and his impact on American history as your knowledgeable guide unfolds the events of that fateful night of April 18, 1775, when troops retreated to Boston from the battle at Old North Bridge in Concord. It was at the Lexington Battle Green, on the morning of April 19 that "the first blood was spilt in the dispute with Great Britain." This quote comes directly from George Washington's diary, from an entry about the victorious day when 77 minutemen faced off against 700 British regulars—and won.

Salem, site of the first colony in Massachusetts, is remembered more for the fantastic events that occurred in 1692, when local girls accused three women of witchcraft. The accusations spread, and in one year nineteen women and one man were executed as witches. Theories about the reasons behind the witch hunt abound -- tension over traditional Puritan values conflicting with new commercial interests, fear of recent smallpox outbreaks and Indian attacks manifesting itself, even hallucinogenic fungus growing in the town's rye -- but not conclusive answer has been found. Explore the history, theories, and myths with your local step on guide. Want a more chilling witch experience? Visit the House of the Seven Gables, made famous in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short novel. In his version, the spooky, rambling house was cursed when bought unfairly from a witch. Even if you ignore the ghost stories, the house offers a great inside look at the oldest surviving 17th-century wooden mansion in New England.

With Ben Franklin (or one of his 18th century contemporaries) as your guide, you’ll experience a true chapter of American history in the very places that shaped the nation that we are today. With 16 nationally significant historic sites along the 2.5 mile red-brick walking trail, you’ll gain a tremendous insight into the important role that Boston played in the American Revolution. From the USS Constitution, to the Bunker Hill monument, the Old South Meeting House, King’s Chapel, and all the way to the Boston Common, you’ll stroll back in time into one of Boston’s—and the nation’s—most cherished pieces of history.

Rock on. Tradition maintains that the Pilgrims first landed at Plymouth Rock south of present-day Boston, and the Plimoth Patuxet authentically recreates the life of these Pilgrims and the native Wampanoag people they encountered. All buildings, clothing, and other implements in the Pilgrim Village and Wampanoag Homesite are constructed using traditional methods, and role-playing costumed staff members are happy to demonstrate how everything was used in 1627 New England.

Enjoy a classic Thanksgiving dinner buffet at the Plimoth Plantation.

Take a trip to the Boston Navy Yard to see “Old Ironsides”, the wooden navy ship that was named by President George Washington and is now the oldest commissioned navy vessel still afloat. The ship and her crew today are now dedicated to promoting understanding of the Navy’s role in war and peace. When available, participate in a historical demonstration aboard the ship to learn about what it takes to keep Old Ironsides in working order.