The National Parks in Massachusetts present different experiences at each and every one. All are family friendly and are a great experience for children. These parks can provide a glimpse at our history and can spark an interest in the outdoors as well as help them get off their phones. National Parks are usually thought of as large natural places and landmarks, but it also encompasses historic sites and Massachusetts as plenty of those. Sites about significant people like John Adams and John Quincy Adams, as well as, cultural history, such as the 19th-20th century whaling industry. If you’re an outdoor person, then you can swim, hike, surf, bike, canoe or kayak, take photos, see wildlife and nature up close at our beloved preserved seashore. Find out which 5 National Parks we selected as the best…
#5 Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Established on March 17, 1938, as the first National Historic Site in the United States, Salem Maritime National Historic Site consists of nine acres of land and twelve historic structures along the Salem waterfront, as well as a downtown visitor center. Located in the urban setting of Salem, the park preserves and interprets over 600 years of New England’s maritime history and global connections.
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#4 Boston National Historical Park
Discover how one city could be the Cradle of Liberty, site of the first major battle of American Revolution, and home to many who espoused that freedom can be extended to all.
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#3 Adams National Historical Park
From the sweet little farm at the foot of Penn’s Hill to the gentleman’s country estate at Peace field, Adams National Historical Park is the story of “heroes, statesman, philosophers … and learned women” whose ideas and actions helped to transform thirteen disparate colonies into one united nation.
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#2 New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
“The town itself is perhaps the dearest place to live in, in all New England… nowhere in all America will you find more patrician-like houses, parks and gardens more opulent, than in New Bedford… all these brave houses and flowery gardens came from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. One and all, they were harpooned and dragged up hither from the bottom of the sea.”
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“A man may stand there and put all America behind him” is how Henry David Thoreau described Cape Cod’s Outer Beach that is now protected within the national seashore. Forty miles of pristine sandy beach, marshes, ponds, and uplands support diverse species. Lighthouses, cultural landscapes, and wild cranberry bogs offer a glimpse of Cape Cod’s past and continuing ways of life. Swimming beaches and walking and biking trails beckon today’s visitors.
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Learn More About National Parks
Find out about all 16 of Massachusetts National Parks.
Plan ahead and check the park for alerts before you go – some parts of historic sites and parks may not have fully re-opened or have requirements for visitors.
Online tips for the National Park Service
- Download the NPS App to get more than more than 400 national parks on your device.
- Virtually visit selected National Parks across America.
- Connect on social media to keep up to date.