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Massachusetts is known for:
- The landing place of the Mayflower and the Pilgrims
- Stunning fall foliage
- Colonial landmarks
- Harvard University
- The nation’s first library
Popular Tourist Attractions
Popular Tourist Attractions
- Boston Common: Park in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Faneuil Hall: Shopping mall in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Freedom Trail: 2.5-mile-long path through downtown Boston, Massachusetts, that passes by 16 locations of historical significance.
- Harvard Square: City center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- Institute of Contemporary Art Boston: Art museum in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Museum of international art in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Jiminy Peak: Ski resort in Hancock, Massachusetts.
- Martha’s Vineyard: Island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Art museum in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Museum of Science: Science museum in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Basketball hall of fame museum in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- New England Aquarium: Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Peabody Essex Museum: Art museum in Salem, Massachusetts.
- Six Flags New England: Amusement park in Agawam, Massachusetts.
- Tanglewood: Music center in Lenox, Massachusetts.
- USS Constitution: Historic battleship in Charlestown, Massachusetts.
- Wachusett Mountain: Ski resort in Princeton, Massachusetts.
Popular Iconic Massachusetts Foods
Massachusetts is famous for the following foods:
Clam Chowder
Boston Baked Beans
Boston Cream Pie
Fried Clams
Lobster Rolls
Frappes
Fun Facts
- British colonist John Smith named Massachusetts for the Massachusett tribe. The name “Massachusetts” meant “near the great hill.”
- The first lighthouse in the United States was built on Little Brewster Island in the Boston Harbor in 1716.
- Basketball was invented in December 1891 by James Naismith in Springfield.
- Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William Morgan in Holyoke. Volleyball was originally called “Mintonette.”
- Boston Common, established in 1634, is the first public park in the United States.
- The Boston subway, which opened on September 1, 1897, is the first subway system in the United States.
- Boston Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States. Harvard University Library, also in Boston, is the third largest library in the United States.
- The first telephone call in history was made between inventor Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant, Thomas Watson, on March 10, 1876, in Boston. Bell spoke the words, “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you” and Watson heard it from the receiver in the next room.
- Boston Latin School, founded in 1635, is the first public school in the United States. It is also the oldest existing school in the United States.
- In 2003, Massachusetts became the first stage to legalize same-sex marriage.
- In Massachusetts, it is illegal to give alcoholic beverages to a hospital patient, unless directed by a physician.
- The first printed book in the United States was the Bay Psalm Book, first printed in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This page was last updated on July 31, 2022.