2025 Massachusetts Travel Guide | Hotels, Dining & Attractions

From the Berkshires to the Cape, the best places to visit in Massachusetts offer something for every kind of traveler. Whether you’re chasing the perfect burger, craving a dreamy farm dinner, or checking into a boutique hotel full of charm, this curated guide—handpicked by Yankee editors—highlights the most exciting destinations to explore in 2025. Think creative cocktail bars, award-winning pie shops, historic inns, buzzing flea markets, and so much more. No matter your travel style, you’ll find unforgettable experiences waiting across the Bay State.

Best Places to Visit in Massachusetts | 2025 Editors’ Picks

2025 Best Massachusetts Hotels

Best Boutique Hotel: The Coach House, Salem

A “Witch you were here” sign welcomes you to Instagrammable privacy at this upscale property. You’ll find history in the bones of the house, with luxury in details such as chandeliers, decorative fireplaces, and Frette sheets and linens. The 11 rooms and suites include a concierge service—a must with self-check-in (aka no front desk). It’s an easy walk to Pioneer Village and Forest River Park (an ideal spot from which to watch the moon rise).

Best Island Retreat: The Edgartown Collection, Martha’s Vineyard

Comprising five stylishly updated historic inns, this 69-room boutique property offers walkable access to the many enticing restaurants and boutiques of Edgartown, on the east side of Martha’s Vineyard. Inviting amenities abound, including sunny porches and patios, waffle robes, and Lather bath products; a thoughtfully curated breakfast and afternoon snacks also come with your stay.

Best Refreshed Lodging: The Trail in Adams, Adams

Count on a blissfully restful night when you tuck yourself into one of these nine artist-decorated rooms with en suite baths; maybe you’ll even drift off in the unique “floating” bed suspended from the ceiling in the Beau & Joe room. This semi-urban retreat was reopened in 2023 by Yina Moore, founder and director of the nearby Adams Theater. She kept the bold colors and playful patterns of the former Topia Inn while modernizing the common spaces. You’ll appreciate the emphasis on “green living,” too, with easy access to a rail trail, on-site EV charger, independently ventilated rooms, and organic linens, towels, and toiletries.

2025 Best Massachusetts Dining

Best Burger: The Bistro Box, Great Barrington

Run by two graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, this cheerful, seasonal window-service spot nestled beneath towering pines is no ordinary burger joint. Foodies come from miles away to dig into the signature Box Burger crowned with tomato-bacon jam, sharp cheddar, and garlic aioli, along with sides of Parmesan-truffle fries and crispy veggie spring rolls. Indulgent shakes and sundaes feature artisan ice cream from Hadley’s Maple Valley Creamery. Watch for creative daily specials, and come early on weekends and sunny days to beat the crowds.

Best Clam Shack: Straight Wharf Fish, Nantucket

After a nationally publicized two-year legal fight with prominent billionaires who own wharf houses nearby, this stylish, laid-back clam shack finally opened last summer. The food is simple but fantastic (no surprise—it’s overseen by Gabriel Frasca, chef-owner of the renowned Straight Wharf Restaurant next door). Pair the clam roll with pickled lettuce and tartar sauce with hand-cut onion rings and a crisp organic white wine from Crete. Harbor views and a warm white-oak interior make the scene more chic than shack.

Best Creative Cocktails: Steel & Wire, Worcester

Named for and adorned with photos that honor Worcester’s rich industrial history, this intimate space blends the warm welcome of a neighborhood bar with the inventive cocktail program of a hip lounge. Talented mixologists will pour you anything from a classic martini to a thoroughly modern Fiery Passion (with jalapeño tequila, Aperol, passion fruit, and lime). Enjoy your sips while nibbling on hummus and charcuterie or—if it’s trivia night—testing your wits against those of your fellow patrons.

Best Farm Dinners: Chatham Bars Inn Farm, Brewster

Farm-to-table cuisine has been a Chatham Bars Inn hallmark since the resort’s inception … in 1914. These days, New England’s ultimate dining-at-the-farm experience takes place 20 minutes north, in the fields where the resort cultivates its own bounty of vibrant, peak-flavored produce. Seated at communal tables, sharing a Wednesday evening’s four-course feast, you’ll feel nourished by both the earth that feeds you and the festive company of your new friends.

Best Open Kitchen: Heirloom Lodge, West Stockbridge

Counter seats overlooking the action are a hot ticket at this newcomer, and that’s not solely because chef-owner Matt Straus was a theater kid at Skidmore. The renowned sommelier, chef, and restaurateur who founded San Francisco’s Heirloom Café has new “props” to play with at his first East Coast venture: namely, ultra-fresh local ingredients, assembled with the eye of a sculptor who chisels away the unnecessary. Even rotisserie chicken for two feels like a revelation in a space that is somehow totally 1797 and totally today.

Best Pies: Petsi Pies, Somerville

It’s hard to choose a favorite from this venerable bakery, which is beloved for both sweet and savory creations. But you can’t go wrong with a slice of apple crumb or, available in autumn, sweet potato–pecan. Or feed the whole family with the hearty bacon-leek-Gruyère pie. Founded in 2003 by talented baker Renee “Petsi” McLeod, this sunny spot near Porter Square is now helmed by Jill Remby, who carries on McLeod’s tradition of excellence in decadence.

Best Romantic Restaurant: The Red Inn, Provincetown

One of the most enchanting spots on the Outer Cape to celebrate a special occasion, this rambling 1805 house in Provincetown’s peaceful West End presents a seasonally changing menu of exquisite contemporary New England fare, with an emphasis on seafood. The lobster salad and local diver scallops with a citrus beurre blanc are among the stars. For brunch, book a table on the covered deck overlooking Provincetown Harbor. There are also eight overnight accommodations with sleek furnishings.

2025 Best Massachusetts Attractions

Best Art Gallery: Salmon Falls Gallery, Shelburne Falls

Master glass artist Josh Simpson, the proprietor of this airy gallery overlooking the Deerfield River, has earned international acclaim for his dazzling “Megaplanet” glass orbs, which are displayed at the Corning Museum of Glass and other illustrious institutions. Here you can browse his pieces, including many smaller and more affordable items like tumblers, vases, and pendants. But you’ll also find gorgeous works by more than 90 artists, including leather wallets, fiber wall art, and hand-forged jewelry.

Best Author’s Home: Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, Concord

When you tour the house where Louisa May Alcott both penned and set her seminal novel, Little Women, you’ll feel as though the author and her sisters might pop back through the turquoise front door at any moment. The collection of family possessions is remarkably intact, as is the spirit that has propelled her semi-autobiographical story through time and around the world. As Lexington and Concord mark 250 years since the outbreak of the Revolution, you’ll also be entering a structure that housed father-and-son militiamen and that has witnessed history since 1650. How lucky we are Louisa’s dad ignored neighborly advice to tear it down.

Best Family Attraction: Heritage Museums & Gardens, Sandwich

The top draws at this eclectic cultural campus are its nationally significant collections—ranging from American folk art to vintage automobiles—and its 100 acres of lovingly tended gardens. Stroll among seasonal blooms like hydrangeas and rhododendrons, or take in contemporary outdoor sculpture along winding paths. Guests can round out their visit with refreshments from the on-site Lilly’s Café, or detour to The Adventure Park (separate admission required) for high-flying fun in the form of roughly 80 treetop challenges featuring ropes courses, ladders, and ziplines through the forest canopy.

Best Family-Friendly Museum: EcoTarium, Worcester

Celebrating its 200th anniversary this year, the EcoTarium (originally called the Worcester Lyceum of Natural History) is a fun-filled destination for families with school-age kids. You’ll find live animal exhibits, interactive science experiments, a planetarium, and outdoor play areas designed to connect children with nature. A 12-minute open-air train ride is a multigenerational favorite. To honor the attraction’s bicentennial, a stunning new courtyard mural features hundreds of individual tiles painted by local families and community members.

Best Flea Market: Brimfield Antique Flea Market, Brimfield

Everyone from the most ardent collector to the occasional bargain hunter flocks to this thrice-annual mega rummage sale that’s been going strong since 1959. Thousands of dealers sprawl along a mile of U.S. Route 20, and treasures of all kinds await: Depression glass, vintage signs, patchwork quilts, elegant Shaker tables, plus myriad collectibles, from the trendy to esoteric. Each iteration of the market runs Tuesday through Sunday: May 13–18, July 8–13, and September 2–7 this year.

Best Historic Site: Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell

Thanks to its auspicious setting on the Merrimack River, Lowell became the nation’s earliest planned textile factory town and, by the mid-19th century, its preeminent industrial center. Composed of several refurbished and unaltered buildings, this 142-acre park interprets the city’s rise, subsequent decline, and ongoing revitalization. Highlights include the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, the Pawtucket Dam and Gatehouse, a park devoted to native son Jack Kerouac, guided boat tours, and vintage trolley rides.

Best Island Rides: NanTukTuk, Nantucket

This clever pedicab service was started in 2023 by Michael Gormley, an enterprising young man from New Hampshire who lived in Sri Lanka for 10 months. The ubiquitous tuk-tuks there, and the fact that his grandmother couldn’t negotiate the cobblestones of downtown Nantucket, gave Gormley the idea to start the company. He’s expanded his pickup territory and added more bright-red tricycle cabs to his fleet. It’s huge not to deal with Nantucket parking (and the name is very fun to say).

Best Live Music Venue: The Cut, Gloucester

Pop, rock, and country acts—including Alisan Porter, American Authors, and Los Lobos—have performed in this industrial-chic club since it opened in downtown Gloucester in January 2024. Shows take place mostly on weekends and range from tribute bands and DJ sets to open-mic comedy and stand-up acts.

Best Museum Gift Shop: Ox & Yoke Mercantile, Sturbridge

For timeless kitchen items like iron trivets, redware pottery, and hand-formed tin bakeware, shop the Ox & Yoke Mercantile at Old Sturbridge Village, where those Village-made crafts are beautifully displayed for sale, alongside an array of on-theme gifts. Need a 19th-century-style dress? They’ve got you. You can visit this destination shop without purchasing admission to the museum, or hit up the online store to have handcrafted items shipped to you or to loved ones near and far. Every purchase helps sustain this living-history museum and its myriad educational programs.

Best New Performance Venue: Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow, Becket

Dance enthusiasts will greet this new performance space with open arms, as the 220-acre campus of Jacob’s Pillow has felt the absence of the original theater, lost to fire in 2020. Twice as big, with seating for up to 230 people, the design balances technological innovation with connecting the “magic box” to the land: It can be completely darkened for video and live streams, or fully opened to the outdoors. Undoubtedly, it will impact the future of dance around the world. An opening celebration runs July 6–12, followed by the world premiere of Andrew Schneider’s HERE.

Honorees were selected by Yankee editors with contributions from Meg Lukens Noonan, a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award–winning freelance writer and Nantucket devotee; and Andrew Collins, a travel writer based part-time in New Hampshire and author of numerous guidebooks, including Ultimate Road Trips USA & Canada.

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