Historic House Museums in Massachusetts

We try to keep this list of historic house museums for Massachusetts current, but it is best to check directly with the museums for their hours and other information. If you know of a historic house museum in Massachusetts that should be listed here, please use our submission form to let us know about it.

Amesbury

The Mary Baker Eddy Historical House

Originally the Squire Bagley house, it was home to Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, from 1868-70.

Open Sat 10-3 May-October and by appointment. • 277 Main St. • (617) 278-9000

John Greenleaf Whittier Home

The author and abolitionist lived in the home 1836-92. The house remains almost unchanged and contains original furnishings.

Open Tue-Sat 10-4, May-Oct; by appt rest of the year • 86 Friend St. • (978) 388-1337

Amherst

Amherst History Museum

Housed in the circa 1750 Strong House, the Amherst History Museum offers guided tours detailing the vibrant history of the Town of Amherst and the residents who have lived in the Strong House.

Open May - Nov, Wed- Sat 12-4 • 67 Amity Street • (413) 256-0678

The Emily Dickinson Museum

The Museum consists of two historic houses in the center of Amherst, Massachusetts, closely associated with the poet Emily Dickinson and members of her family during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Homestead was the birthplace and home of the poet Emily Dickinson. The Evergreens, next door, was home to her brother Austin, his wife Susan, and their three children.

See their web site for hours • 280 Main St. • (413) 542-8161

Arlington

Jason Russell House & George Albert Smith History Museum

Scene of a fierce battle on April 19, 1775, the house contains 18th century furniture and artifacts.

Open Sat-Sun 1-4 mid Apr-Oct • 7 Jason St. • (781) 648-4300

Jefferson Cutter House

The restored 1832 home features displays of area history.

Open daily 12-4 • US 3, SR 2A & SR 60 • (617) 541-0595

Ashley Falls

Colonel John Ashley House

The oldest dwelling in Befkshire County, the 1735 home is furnished in period.

Open Wed-Sun, 1-5, late Jun to Labor Day; Sat-Sun 1-5 late May to Jun and Labor Day to mid Oct • .75 mi W. SR 7A on Cooper Hill Rd. • (413) 229-8600

Beverly

Balch House

The 1636 frame house was occupied by the Balch family until 1914 and is furnished in period.

Open Wed-Sat 10-4, Sun 1-4, May 14-Oct 18 • 448 Cabot St. • (978) 922-1186

Cabot House

Built by John Cabot in 1781, the home is furnished in period.

Open Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat 10-4, Wed 1-9 • 117 Cabot St. • (978) 922-1186

John Hale House

Built in 1694 by the first minister of Beverly, the period rooms contain witchcraft artifacts and English wallpapers from the 17th-19th centuries.

Closed for renovation • 39 Hale St. • (508) 922-1186

Long Hill

The summer estate of Mr. & Mrs. Ellery Sedgwick, who built it in 1921 and modeled it after a Charleston home of the early 1800s. The partially furnished home is open by appt.

Call for appt. • 572 Essex St. • (978) 921-1944

Boston

Gibson House Museum

The 1859 brownstone is furnished in the Victorian style.

Guided Tours Wed-Sun at 1:00, 2:00, & 3:00 PM • 137 Beacon St. • (617) 267-6338

Harrison Gray Otis House

The 1796 home was designed for Otis, a lawyer and Boston's 3rd mayor. It is not the headquarters of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities.

Open Wed-Sun 11-4:30 • 141 Cambridge St. • (617) 227-3956

Nichols House Museum

The Federal style house preserves the Nichols' 16th-19th century furnishings. The house reflects the wealth and priviledge of Boston's upper class residences on Beacon Hill.

Open Tue-Sat, 12-5, May-Oct; Thu-Sat, 12-5, Feb-Apr & Nov-Dec • 55 Mt. Vernon St. • (617) 227-6993

Paul Revere House

Built around 1680, it is the oldest house in downtown Boston. The restored home, which Paul Revere owned 1770-1800, contains 17th & 18th century furnishings and Revere memorabilia.

Open Daily Apr 15 - Oct 31 9:30 - 5:15; Nov 1 - Apr 14 9:30 - 4:15 pm; Closed on Mon Jan-Mar • 19 North Sq. • (617) 523-2338

The Shirley-Eustis House

The 1747 Palladian house was built for governor William Shirley, and at the turn of the 19th century it was remodelled in the Federal style for former governor William Eustis. Some furnishings are original.

Open Thu-Sun, 12-4, Jue-Sep; Wed & Sun, 12-4, Mar-May and Oct-Dec • 33 Shirley St. • (617) 442-2275

Brookline

Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site

The designer of New York City's Central Park, (as well as San Jose's downtown park, although FLO's design has been lost) worked and lived in this house from 1883 until he retired a decade later. The 2 acre estate reflects his design principle that nature and buildings can exist in harmony.

Currently closed for renovations • 99 Warren St. • (617) 566-1689

John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site

The birthplace of the 35th president has been restored to its 1917 appearance and contains some original furnishings.

Guided tours daily at 10:45, 11:45, 1, 2, 3, & 4, May 10-Oct 30 • 83 Beals St. • (617) 566-7937

Cambridge

Longfellow National Historic Site

This house served as Washington's headquarters from 1775 to 1776 and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's home from 1837 until his death in 1882. Longfellow's books, furniture, and art collection are on display.

Open Wed-Sun 10-4:30, mid-May to Oct 31 • 105 Brattle St. • (617) 876-4491

Canton

Bradley Estate

Once a colonial farmstead known as Cherry Hill Farm, the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate was transformed into an early twentieth-century country estate. In 1902, Dr. Arthur Tracey Cabot hired architect Charles Platt to design a country house, landscaped grounds, and a complex of farm and estate buildings. Platt adorned the setting with manicured lawns, a walled garden, and a brick-edged parterre garden planted with bulbs, annuals, and perennials. Fifteen acres were set aside as open fields and pastures to preserve a part of the property's rural past.

See their web site for tour details • 2468B Washington Street (Route 138) • (781) 821-2977

Centerville

Centerville Historical Society Museum

The 14 room museum is housed in a late Victorian home with modern exhibition wings. Exhibits include a period kitchen, costumes, marine and military artifacts, and decorative arts.

Open Wed-Sun 1:30-4:30, mid-Jun to mid-Oct • 513 Main St. • (508) 775-0331

Chatham

The Old Atwood House Museum

Fully restored, the two story home was built in 1752 for sea captain Joseph C. Atwood. The rooms are furnished in several periods.

Open Tue-Fri 1-4, mid-Jun to Sep 30 • 347 Stage Harbor Rd. • (508) 945-2493

Cohasset

Capt. John Wilson House

Built in 1810, the house has been restored and is furnished in period.

Call for more info • • (781) 383-1434

Concord

Emerson House

Home of Ralph Waldo Emerson from 1835 until his death in 1882. The house contains some original furnishings.

Open Thu-Sat 10-4:30, Sun 2-4:30, mid-Apr to late Oct • 28 Cambridge Turnpike & SR 2A • (978) 369-2236

Old Manse

The Old Manse is situatedÝalong the Concord River and is adjacent to the North Bridge, site of the first organized armed resistance of the Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775. The Reverend William Emerson built this National Historic Landmark c. 1770.

See their web site for hours • 269 Monument Street • (978) 369-3909

Orchard House

Home of Louisa May Alcott and where she wrote "Little Women."

Open Mon-Sat 10-4:30, Sun 1-4:30, Apr-Oct; Mon-Fri 11-3, Sat 10-4:30, Sun 1-4:30, rest of the year • 399 Lexington Rd. • (978) 369-4118

Cummington

William Cullen Bryant Homestead

The poet and editor of the New York Evening Post was born in the home in 1794 and purchased it in 1865 to use as his summer residence.

Open Fri-Sun 1-5, last weekend in Jun to Labor Day; Sat-Sun 1-5, Labor Day to Columbus Day • 1.5 miles south of SR 9 on SR 112 • (413) 634-2244

Dedham

Fairbanks House

Built in 1636, the house is one of the oldest timber frame houses in the nation. It was at one time the home of Charles W. Fairbanks, Theodore Roosevelt's vice president. The home is still owned by the Fairbanks family and is furnished with family heirlooms.

Open Tue-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5, May-Oct • 511 East St. & Eastern Ave. • (781) 326-1170

Deerfield

Historic Deerfield

The complex contains 14 historic homes.

Open daily 9:30-4:30 • The Street • (413) 774-5581

Duxbury

Alden House

Some interesting features of this 1653 building are the powdered clam and oyster shell ceiling in the "great" room, the cambered panels in the "best" room and the gunstock beams found in the chambers.

The hours are 10 - 5 Mon - Sat and 12 - 5 on Sun. Open Mid-May to Mid-Oct. • 105 Alden St. • (781) 934-9092

Charles Drew, Jr. House

The Drew House, home of the Society's Wentworth Research Library, was built in 1826 for shipbuilder Charles Drew, Jr.ÝÝ Donated in 1916, it was the first building restored by the Rural Society.

Wednesdays 9 a.m. to Noon • 685 Washington Street • (781) 934-6106

Gershom Bradford House

Built in 1808 by shipmaster Gershom Bradford, the house belonged to four generations of seafaring Bradfords before the last generation gave it to the Society in 1968. The Bradford family, out of respect for the Captain, changed almost nothing in the house.Ý It was donated to the Society with original furnishings, decor and personal objects.Ý A facinating time capsule, the house allows the visitor to glimpse the home of a successful Duxbury mariner much as he left it in 1844.

Open Mid Jun thru Aug, Sun 1-4 • Address • (781) 934-6106

King Caesar House

Built in 1808-09 for shipping magnate Ezra Weston II and is an example of Federal architecture. Two front parlors feature French wallpaper.

Open Mid Jun thru Aug, Wed-Sun 1-4; Sep, Sat-Sun 1-4 • 120 King Caesar Rd. • (781) 934-6106

Nathaniel Winsor, Jr. House

Headquarters for the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society. Nathaniel Winsor, Jr., a carver of figureheads by trade, inherited a thriving mercantile enterprise from his father.Ý The Winsor family built at least 40 sailing vessels in Duxbury including several large brigs which traded in ports around the world.Ý

Open Mon-Fri 9-3 • 479 Washington Street • (781) 934-6106

Eastham

The Swift-Daley House

Built in 1741, the home features 8 furnished rooms, clothing and artifacts from the Colonial to Victorian periods.

Open Mon-Fri 1-4, Jul-Aug • On US 6 • (508) 240-1247

Essex

Cogswell's Grant

Restored c. 1730 farmhouse.

Open Wed-Sun 11-4, Jun to mid-Octday through Sunday • Spring St. • (978) 768-3632

Falmouth

Falmouth Historical Society Museum

Two restored houses contain period rooms, paintings, glass, china and a whaling exhibit.

Open Mon-Fri 2-5, Jun 15-Sep 15 • Palmer Ave @ Village Green • (508) 548-4857

Highfield Hall

Highfield Hall is an 1878 Cape Cod summer mansion that has undergone a multi-million restoration and is now being used as a community cultural center.

See their web site for hours • 56 Highfield Drive • (508) 495-1878

Gloucester

Beauport

The 40 room house overlooks the harbor and contains 18th and 19th century American and European decorative arts and furnishings.

Open Mon-Fri 10-4, mid-May to mid-Sep; Mon-Fri 10-4, Sat-Sun 1-4, mid-Sept to Oct 15 • 75 Eastern Point Blvd. • (978) 283-0800

Cape Ann Historical Museum

The furnished home of Capt. Elias Davis is part of the museum.

Open Tue-Sat 10-5, Mar-Jan • 27 Pleasant St. • (978) 283-0455

Hammond Castle Museum

Built by inventor Dr. John Hay Hammond from 1926 to 1929, the medieval style castle contains furniture and artifacts from Europe.

See their web site for hours • 80 Hesperus Ave. • (978) 283-2080

Sargent House Museum

The Georgian style home was built in 1782 for Judith Sargent Murray and it is furnished in period.

Open Sat-Mon 12-4, Jun - Columbus Day • 49 Middle St. • (978) 281-2432

Grafton

Willard House and Clock Museum

Said to be the oldest house in Grafton, this 1718 saltbox has been restored. It includes the birthplace and original clock shop where the Willard brothers, Benjamin, Simon, Ephraim and Aaron, made their shelf, regulator and tall case clocks.

Open Tue-Sat 10-4, Sun 1-5 • 11 Willard St. • (508) 839-3500

Hadley

Porter-Phelps-Huntington Historic House Museum

The 1752 Georgian style house, unchanged structurally since 1799, contains the belongings of seven generations of the original owner's extended family.

Open Sat-Wed 1-4:30, May 15 - Oct 15; by appt. rest of the year • 130 River Dr. • (413) 584-4699

Haverhill

Haverhill Historical Society

The museum features the 1710 John Ward House, the 1815 Duncan House, and the 1850 Daniel Hunkin shoe shop.

Open Tue-Sun, 10-5 • 240 Water St. • (978) 374-4626

Whittier Birthplace

This 1688 house is the birthplace and boyhood home of poet John Greenleaf Whittier. The house has some original furniture.

See their web site for hours • I-495 exit 52, then east 1 mile on SR 110 • (978) 373-3979

Holyoke

Wistariahurst Museum

Wistariahurst was the Holyoke home of the Skinner family between 1875 and 1959. Much of the house seen today, reflects the tastes and styles of Belle Skinner, the second to last child of William and Sarah Skinner. Miss Skinner inherited the house in 1908 and immediatley began to make many changes to the house. By the time of her death in 1928, Belle had changed the house to reflect the revival style architecture of the Beaux Arts movement.

Open Wed, Sat & Sun 1-5, Apr-Oct; 12-4 Nov-Mar • 238 Cabot Street • (413) 534-2216

Ipswich

Castle Hill

Centuries before becoming a grand summer estate owned by one of America's wealthiest families, Castle Hill was well known by Native Americans who called the area Agawam, referring to its rich fishery. John Winthrop, Jr., son of the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, lay claim to Castle Hill in 1637. For more than two centuries, a succession of owners farmed the land.

See their web site for hours • Argilla Road • 978-356-4351

Greenwood Farm

The design, construction, materials, and craftsmanship of this late First Period (1694) house represent the unique style of the era. Recent archaeological investigations revealed a rare survival of an eighteenth-century milk room or dairy inside the house. In the 1640s, Robert Paine Sr. received a land grant from the Town of Ipswich for the Paine Farm. There he began a 250-year-old tradition of raising cattle, harvesting salt hay, and fishing

See their web site for hours • Jeffrey's Neck Road • 978-356-4351

Heard House Museum

The 1795 museum houses Chinese artifacts and furniture, American furnishings, antique carriages, and a collection of A.W. Dow paintings and prints.

Open Wed-Sat 10-4, Sun 1-4, May 1 - Oct 15 • 54 S. Main St. • (978) 356-2811

John Wipple House Museum

Built around 1655, the museum contains 17th & 18th century furnishings and decorative arts.

Open Wed-Sat 10-4, Sun 1-4, May 1 - Oct 15 • 1 S. Village Green • (978) 356-2811

Jamaica Plain

Loring- Greenough House

Built as a country estate and farmstead by Commodore Joshua Loring in 1760, the Loring Home served during the American Revolution as a commissary, hospital and headquarters for Colonial Troops. It was the family home for four generations of the David Stoddard Greenough family from 1780 until its conversion by the Jamaica Plain Tuesday Club to a historic house museum in 1926.

Open Sun 12-2, Sat 10-12 • 12 South Street • (617) 524-3158

Lenox

The Mount

The 1902 estate of Edith Wharton, the first woman novelist to win the Pulitzer Prize. The estate includes lawns, woodlands, and formal gardens.

Open Tue-Sun 10-2, May 27-Sep 3; Fri-Sun 10-2, Sep 8-Oct 22 • Plunkett St. • (413) 637-1899

Lexington

Lexington Historical Society Houses

Two taverns and the 1698 Hancock-Clarke House are open. The house is the site where Samuel Adams and John Hancock heard news of the British advance from Paul Revere.

Open Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5, Apr-Oct • 36 Hancock St. • (781) 862-1703

Lincoln

Codman House

This was the summer home of the Codman House for over 200 years. As it was expanded several times, it shows influences from many styles including Georgian, Federal, Victorian, and Colonial Revival. The grounds include a perenial garden and a formal Italianate garden.

Open Wed-Sun 12-5, Jun - Oct 15 • Codman Rd. • (781) 259-8843

Lowell

Whistler House Museum

Built in 1823, the home was the 1834 birthplace of artist James Abbott McNeil Whistler. The museum contains a collection of 19th & 20th century American art.

Open Wed-Sat 11-4, Sun 1-4, Mar-Dec; also tue 11-4, Jun-Aug • 243 Worthen St. • (978) 452-7641

Lynn

Lynn Historical Society and Museum

The 19th century home has four period rooms and decorative arts from Lynn homes.

Open Mon-Sat 1-4 • 125 Green St. • (781) 592-2465

Mary Baker Eddy Home

The home contains period furnishings and articles relating to the founder of the Church or Christ, Scientist.

The house is temporarily closed to the public. • 12 Broad St. • (781) 593-5634

Marblehead

Jeremiah Lee Mansion

The 1768 home features rare original English wallpapers and early 18th and 19th century furnishings and paintings.

Open Mon-Fri 10-4, Sat-Sun 1-4, May 15 - Columbus Day • 161 Washington St. • (781) 631-1768

King Hooper Mansion

The 1728 mansion houses artworks.

Open Mon-Sat 10-4, Sun 1-5 • 8 Hooper St. • (781) 631-2608

Marshfield

Historic Winslow House

The 1699 mansion has never been modernized.

Open Wed-Sun 10-4 • Webster & Careswell Sts. • (781) 837-5753

Martha's Vineyard

Vincent House

Considered the oldest house on the island, the unfurnished 1672 residence contains most of its original woodwork, brickword, glass and hardware.

Open Mon-Fri 10-2, late Jun to late Aug • Main & Church Sts. • (508) 627-8619

Medford

Royal House

Built in 1637, and rebuilt in 1732-37, the home is furnished in period.

Open Tue-Thu & Sat-Sun 2-5, May - Sep • George & Main Sts. • (617) 396-9032

Milton

Forbes House Museum

House built in 1833 with renovations done in 1870's. Excellant China Trade collection.

Open Tue-Thu, Sun 1-4 • 215 Adams Street • (617) 696-1815

Suffolk Resolves House

The Suffolk Resolves House is the headquarters of the Milton Historical Society and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its significance in colonial history.

See website for hours • 1370 Canton Avenue • (617) 333-9700

Monterey

The Bidwell House

A 1750 Georgian saltbox on 190 acres of woodlands.

Open Tue-Sun 11-4, Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day weekend; by appt. rest of the year • Art School Rd. • (413) 528-6888

Nantucket Island

Nantucket Historical Association

The association maintains 11 properties. Separate admissions are charged, but a combination pass is available.

Open daily 10-5, mid-Jun to Labor Day; 11-3 May 1 to mid-Jun and Labor Day to Oct 31 • • (508) 228-1894

New Bedford

Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum

The 28 room Greek Revival mansion was designed by Richard Upjohn for William Rotch Jr. Built in 1834, the house and formal gardens were owned by three prominent New Bedford families from 1834 to 1981.

Open Tue-Sat 10-4, Sun 1-4 • 396 County St. • (508) 997-1401

Newbury

Coffin House

The structure, which contains the family's furnishings, began as a simple dwelling built in the post-medieval style. Tristam Coffin and his family lived, cooked and slept in two or possibly three rooms; their possessions were few. About 1700, the house was more than doubled in size to provide living space for a married son and his family.

Open Sat-Sun 11-4, Jun to mid-Oct • 14 High Road • (978) 462-2634

Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm

From the moment it was built near the end of the 17th century, this manor house has been the subject of folklore and legend. Its imposing size and costly construction -- stone and brick in a region where wood was the customary material for houses -- made it exceptional.

Open Thu-Sun 11-5, Jun to mid-Oct • 5 Little's Lane • (978) 462-2634

Newton

Jackson Homestead

A Federal style farmhouse built in 1809 with furnishings from the early 19th century. During the Civil War, the house was a station on the underground railroad.

Open Mon-Thu 1-5, Sun 2-5, Sep-Jun; Mon-Thu 1-4 rest of the year • 527 Washington St. • (617) 796-1450

North Andover

Stevens-Coolidge Place

Formerly known as Ashdale Farm, the Stevens-Coolidge Place was the summer home of John Gardner Coolidge and Helen Stevens Coolidge from 1914 to 1962. Mr. Coolidge, a descendant of Thomas Jefferson and nephew of Isabella Stewart Gardner, was a diplomat. Helen Coolidge devoted herself to preserving and improving Ashdale Farm, which her family had first acquired in 1729 and subsequently farmed for six generations. With her husband's support, she transformed the farm into an elegant agricultural estate that exemplified the gracious country living enjoyed then by wealthy Bostonians.

See their web site for hours • Andover Street • (978) 682-3580

North Oxford

Clara Barton Birthplace

The 1821 birthplace of the founder of the American Red Cross. Several rooms are furnished in period.

Open Wed-Sun 11-5, Apr-Oct; by appt. rest of the year • 68 Clara Barton Rd. • (508) 987-5375

North Swansea

Martin House Farm

A 1728 farmhouse and other 18th century buildings exhibit English cottage furniture.

Open Wed-Sun 12-4, May-Oct • 22 Stoney Hill Rd. • (508) 379-0376

Pittsfield

Arrowhead

In 1851, Herman Melville complete "Moby Dick" while living in the house.

Open daily 10-5, Memorial Day to Labor Day; Fri-Mon 10-5 day after Labor Day to Oct 31; by appt. rest of the year • Holmes Rd. • (413) 442-1793

Plymouth

Hedge House

Federal style house built in 1809 with period furnishings.

Closed for restoration • 126 Water St. • (508) 746-0012

Howland House

The Jabez Howland House is the only existing house in Plymouth where Pilgrims actually lived. The original 17th century two-story timber framed house consisted of the porch, hall and hall chamber. John Howland and his wife, Elizabeth Tilley Howland spent their winters here with their son Jabez and his family.

Open daily 10-4:30 Memorial Day Weekend to Columbus Day; 10-3 Thanksgiving Day Weekend • 33 Sandwich St. • (508) 746-9590

Sparrow House

Probably the oldest house in Plymouth, it was built in 1640.

Open Thu-Tue 10-5 Memorial Day weekend to Dec 24 • 42 Summer St. • (508) 747-1240

The Spooner House

Built in 1747, the house was owned by members of the Spooner family 1763 to 1954.

Open Thu-Sun 10-4:30, Jul-Aug; Thu-Sat 10-4:30, Jun & Sep 1 - Oct 13 • 27 North St. • (508) 746-0012

Quincy

Adams National Historic Site

The site includes a visitor center, The Old House, the John Adams Birthplace, and the John Quincy Adams Birthplace.

Open daily 9-5 mid-Jun to mid-Sep; Mon-Sat 9-5, Sun 1-5, Apr 19 to mid-Jun and mid-Sep to Nov 10 • 1250 Hancock St. • (617)770-1175

Josiah Quincy House

Built in 1770 by the prominent merchant and patriot, the house contains furniture and memorabilia from several generations of Quincy descendants. The house has period wall paneling and fireplaces with English tile surrounds.

See their web site for hours • 20 Muirhead St. • (617) 227-3957

The Quincy Homestead

The childhood home of Dorothy Quincy was built in 1686.

See their web site for hours • 34 Butler Rd. • (617) 472-3190

Rockport

The Old Castle

Small saltbox house built in 1715.

Open daily 2-5, Jul - Labor Day; by appt. May-Jun and Labor Day to Oct 31 • Curtis & Granite Sts. • (978) 546-9533

Salem

House of the Seven Gables Historic Site

The house was the inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel. On the grounds are the 1682 Hathaway House, the 1658 Retire Beckett House, Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1804 birthplace, and period gardens.

Open daily 9-6 Jul-Oct; dailly 10-4:30 Apr-Jun & Nov-Dec; Mon-Sat 10-4:30, Sun 12-4:30 rest of the year • 54 Turner St. • (978) 744-0991

Peabody Essex Museum

The complex includes 30 galleries, a research library and 11 historic houses.

Open Mon-Sat 10-5 (also Thu 5-8), Sun 12-5, Memorial Day - Oct 31; Tue-Sat 10-5 (also Thu 5-8), Sun 12-5, rest of the year • East India Sq. • (800) 745-4054 or (508) 745-9500

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

The Iron Works House dates from the 17th century and contains early American furnishings and exhibits.

Guided tours daily 9:45, 11:15, 2:15 & 3:45, Apr-Oct; self guiding tours 9-4 rest of the year • 244 Central St. • (781) 233-0050

Sandwich

Hoxie House

This classic saltbox was presumably built around 1637 and is most likely the oldest house on Cape Cod. It was the home of the town's second minister, Rev. John Smith, his wife, Susanna, and their 13 children. It is named for Abraham Hoxie, a Sandwich whaling captain who bought it in the 1850s. Remarkably, its occupants lived without electricity, plumbing or central heat until the early 1950s. In the late 1950s, the town purchased the Hoxie House and restored it to its current late-17th-century condition.

Open daily 10-5 Jun to mid-Oct • on Water St. • (508) 888-1173

Thornton W. Burgess Museum

The museum is housed in the 1756 Eldred House and contains a large collection of Burgess' writings.

Open Mon-Sat 10-4, Sun 1-4 • 4 Water St. • (508) 888-6870

Wing Fort House

Built in 1641, the house was occupied continuously by members of the Wing family until it became a museum in 1942. Seven rooms have original 17th century antiques.

Open Mon-Fri 10-4, Jun 15-Sep 30 • 69 Spring Hill Rd. • (508) 833-1540

Scituate

Cudworth House, Barn & Cattle Pound

The 1797 house contains period furniture, photographs, books, maps and genealogies of Scituate settlers.

Open Wed-Sat 2-5, Jul-Aug • First Parish Rd. • (781) 545-1083

Mann Farmhouse and Historical Museum

This restored farmhouse is furnished with 18th century antiques.

Grounds open daily 9-5, guided tours daily 1-5 in Jun • Stockbridge Rd. & Greenfield Ln. • (781) 545-1083

Stockbridge

Chesterwood

The studio and summer residence of sculptor Daniel Chester French is where he fashioned the statue of Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Open daily 10-5, May-Oct • off SR183, 1 mile south of SR 102 • (413) 298-3579

Merwin House, Tranquility

Built around 1825 and enlarged at the end of the century, the house has a collection of European and American furniture and decorative arts.

Call between Jun 1 and Oct 15 for reservations • 14 Main St. • (617) 227-3956

Mission House

The home of missionary John Seargeant was built in 1735. A collection of early American furniture and Indian artifacts is displayed.

Opendaily 10-4, Memorial Day Weekend to Columbus Day • Main St. • (413) 298-3239

Naumkeag

The summer estate of Joseph Choate, the ambassador to Britain from 1899 to 1905. Designed by noted architect Stanford White, the house contains original furnishings and an extensive collection of Chinese export porcelain. The grounds were landscaped by Fletcher Steel in a series of formal gardens, including fountain steps, a rose garden, an evergreen walk, and a Chinese garden.

Open Tue-Sun & Mon holidays 10-4:15, Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day; closed Tue following Mon holiday • Prospect Hill • (413) 298-3239

Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge

The museum is housed in a one story white clapboard building, and a 19th century Gothic Revival mansion and an 1859 carriage barn are also on the grounds.

Open daily 10-5, May-Oct; Mon-Fri 11-4, Sat-Sun and holidays 10-5, rest of the year • I-90 exit 2, 7 miles west on SR102, then .5 miles south on SR183 • (413) 298-4100

Stoughton

Mary Baker Eddy Historic House

Mrs. Eddy lived with the Wentworth family in this house from 1868 to 1870. Here she continued her deep study of the Bible while writing, and teaching Christian Science to others.

By appointment • 133 Central Street • (617) 278-9000

Sturbridge

Old Sturbridge Village

This recreated New England village of the 1830s features more than 40 restored buildings moved from various parts of New England.

Open daily 9:30-5, May - last weekend in Oct; daily Oct-Dec 9:30-4 • on SR 20 • (508) 347-3362

Swampscott

The Mary Baker Eddy Historic House

While living in the home in 1866, Mrs. Eddy experienced the healing that led her to discover Christian Science.

Open Wed-Sat 10-4, Sun 2-5, May-Oct; Nov-Apr by appt. • 23 Paradise Rd. • (781) 599-1853

Topsfield

Parson Capen House

Considered one of the best examples of Colonial architecture, the 1683 home is furnished in period.

Open Wed, Fri & Sun 1-4:30, mid-Jun to mid-Sep • 1 Howlett St. • (978) 887-3998

Tyringham

Santarella/Gingerbread House

The studio of sculptor Sir Henry Kitson features a roof that is an 80 ton sculpture of a thatched roof.

Open daily 10-5, Memorial Day-Columbus Day • Tyringham Rd. • (413) 243-2819

Waltham

Gore Place

Built in 1806 for Gov. Christopher Gore, the mansion is one of the oldest examples of Federal domestic architecture in New England. Featured are 22 rooms furnished in period and 40 acres of park.

See their web site for hours • 52 Gore St. • (781) 894-2798

Wenham

Wenham Museum

The 1660 Claflin-Richards house is furnished in period and is noteworthy for its late Elizabethan construction. Displays include costumes, quilts, dolls, dollhouses and toys.

Open Mon-Fri 11-4, Sat 1-4, Sun 2-5 • 132 Main St. • (978) 468-2377

West Springfield

Josiah Day House

Built in 1754, it was occupied by the Day family until 1902. It is thought to be the oldest saltbox house in the nation.

Open by appt. • 70 Park Street • (413) 734-8322

Storrowton Village Museum

Seven New England buildings were dismantled, moved and reassembled on the grounds, including a mansion and a farmhouse.

Open Tue-Sat 11-3, Jun 15 - Labor Day; by appt. rest of the year • 1 mile west of US 5 on SR 147 • (413) 787-0136

Weymouth

Abigail Adams Birthplace

Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams, was born in the house Nov. 11, 1744.

Open July 1 - Labor Day Thurs-Sun 1-4; May - Oct By appt • 180 Norton Street • (781) 335-4205

Worcester

Salisbury Mansion

Built in 1722 by businessman and philanthropist Stephen Salisbury, the mansion has been restored to its 1830s appearance.

Open Thu 1-8:30, Fri-Sat 1-4 • Lancaster & Institute Rds. • (508) 753-8278

Yarmoth Port

Winslow Crocker House

The house of a wealthy 18th-century trader and land speculator, Winslow Crocker, was moved to its present location. Considering that Cape Cod in the 18th century was a region of small farms and fishing ports, the Winslow Crocker House is surprisingly elaborate, with rich paneling in every room.

Open first Sat of the month, Jun to Oct • 250 Route 6A • (617) 227-3957