History

Beverly Commons Walking Tour

Learn about the area once called the "witches' woods" while enjoying forrested greenery in Beverly Massachusetts.

Beverly Commons, once part of a colonial-era common land, was known as Sheep Pasture. This area holds great stories of the past. Join us for a walk into history as we explore this wooded area and discover the stories hidden inside including that of an early 20th century immigrant settlement and the tale of Witches Woods. We will also discuss the general uses of common land in the city including that of pasturing and military training grounds. Tour is 2 miles.

When: 
Saturday, August 9, 2025 2-3:30pm
Location: 
Beverly Commons Conservation Area
Beverly
Hike
History
Walk

Marine Society Outings on the Schooner FAME

Schooner Fame's Marine Society Outings are designed for children ages 8-14 out of Salem Massachusetts

Marine Society Outings are designed for children ages 8-14. Each outing is five hours on the water, 9:00-2:00, usually with a stop at the islands to swim off the boat (swimming is optional). Participants raise and trim the sails, learn knots, steer the boat, and play silly camp games. We accept 16 kids per session. Cost is $85. For Salem residents the cost is just $55, thanks to the Marine Society! In the event of bad weather, Outings may be postponed to the next day, or cancelled, in which case you will receive a refund.

When: 
Wednesday, August 6, 2025 9am-2pm
Location: 
Schooner Fame
Salem
Tour
History
Sailing
Maritime
Schooner
Sail

Salem Maritime Festival

Celebrate 400+ Years of Maritime History at Derby Wharf in Salem Massachusetts!

Join us for the annual Salem Maritime Festival on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at Salem Maritime National Historical Park on Derby Street. This event is free and open to the public. Salem Maritime Festival will feature a cardboard boat race, free tours and programs at historic buildings and the Friendship of Salem, food trucks and lawn games.

When: 
Saturday, August 9, 2025 11am-4:30pm
Location: 
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Salem
Exploration
Demonstration
Presentation
Festival
History
Discovery
Live Music
Maritime
Heritage
Salem Heritage Days

Olde Fashioned Sunday

Find out what "In the old days..." really means in at Olde Fashioned Sunday!

Olde Fashioned Sunday in Downtown Newburyport will be a great day to remember the beginnings of our Yankee Homecoming celebrations. Come enjoy some “new” events to help make future memories for the current younger generations as the past has given some of us the “good ole’ days” to remember.

When: 
Sunday, July 27, 2025 10am-3:30pm
Location: 
Bartlet Mall
Newburyport
Food
Parade
Outdoor Activity
Live Performance
Live Animals
History
Fishing
Games
Boat Ride
Kiddie Railroad
Pet Show
Ponies
Newburyport Yankee Homecoming

Olde Ipswich Days

Olde Ipswich Days brings art, crafts, food and music to the S. Village Green in Ipswich Massachusetts!

On the last weekend of July, artisans and fine craftsfolk from all over New England will show and sell their work on the South Village Green in Ipswich, MA. Olde Ipswich Days is a favorite for all to meet and greet old friends and new, browse the booths and do some early holiday shopping, or make some timely indulgences. The fair features the works of more than 60 artists and crafters. Look for sterling, gold, or beaded jewelry, unusual photography, woodwork, knitted textiles, dried flowers and grapevines, cut or stained glass, tapestry, a variety of pottery, and paintings in all mediums, toys, and handmade soaps, and hot dogs and refreshments.

When: 
Friday, July 25 - Saturday, July 26, 2025 10am-5pm
Sunday, July 27, 2025 10am-4pm
Location: 
South Village Green Ipswich
Ipswich
Fair
Festival
History
Art
Crafts

Patton Homestead Military Service Day

Come experience miltary history and family fun at the Patton Homestead in Hamilton Massachusetts

This year’s timing will be historically significant. Our country will be celebrating the 250th  Anniversary of the American Revolution 1775-2025 as well as the birthday of the United States Army. This will be the last year of our country’s National Commemoration of the Vietnam War as we dedicate a heartfelt “Welcome home and thank you.” 

When: 
Saturday, July 19, 2025 10am-4pm
Location: 
Patton Homestead
Hamilton
Film
Outdoor Activity
Military
Reenactment
Trucks
Touch a Truck
Demonstration
Living History
History

Historic Dogtown: A Walk Back in Time

Hike the trails of Dogtown in Gloucester Massachusetts with Cape Ann Museum

On Cape Ann, the name “Dogtown” conjures up many things — vast woodlands and trails; stone walls and cellar holes; tales of witches and widows; an ill-fated bullfighter; pastures, picnics and blueberries; a sea of rocks. Dogtown is all of these things and more. But first, it is a place where proud people once lived and worked, at the center of Gloucester, for nearly 150 years – until it became “Dogtown” and died out.

When: 
Sunday, June 1, 2025 10am-Noon
Location: 
Dogtown
Gloucester
Walk
Hike
History
Museum

Garden Tours at Stevens Coolidge Estate

Come enjoy the fantastic flower display in the gardens at the Trustees of Reservations Stevens-Coolidge Place in North Andover!

Enter a world of early 20th-century country elegance and contemporary garden design all in bloom at Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens. These expansive manicured gardens boast both plentiful European-inspired flower beds as designed in the 1920s, as well as newly installed gardens featuring current-day trends and varieties. Discover the intricate 300-year-old history of this Trustees property through a guided tour with a knowledgeable Trustees guide.

When: 
Sundays, June 15 and July 27, 2025 at Noon
Location: 
Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens
North Andover
Trustees of Reservations
Garden
Tour
Flowers
Historic House
History

Guided Tour | When Granite Was King!

Find out the story behind the history of granite quarrying at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Massachusetts!

Halibut Point State Park is also a granite quarry with a history that goes back billions of years! Over one hundred years ago, the Rockport Granite Company quarried granite stone here. Learn about the buildings, bridges, and breakwaters built to last. Touch tools of the trade. Find out how they moved these large, heavy stone pieces and how they “paved” dirt streets in our new Nation’s growing cities—and around the world! For all ages.

When: 
Saturdays, May 24 & 31, 2025 11am-12:30pm
Saturdays in June, 2025 10-11am
Location: 
Halibut Point State Park
Rockport
Exploration
Discovery
Geology
History
Walk
Hike
Tour

Pages

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
Where: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
7:00 am to 7:00 pm
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Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point
Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
Where: Halibut Point State Park
7:00 am to 6:00 pm
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Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
Where: Pingree School
8:00 am to 6:00 pm
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Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour
Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
Where: Downtown Salem
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Crescent Farm Corn Maze
Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
Where: Crescent Farm
9:00 am to 9:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Step Inside the Historic Custom House
Take in the views of this prominent building where Nathaniel Hawthorne once worked and the U.S. Custom Service operated. This Custom House was built in 1819 and housed offices for the officers of the U.S. Customs Service, as well as an attached warehouse, the Public Stores, used for the storage of...
Where: Salem Maritime National Historic Site
9:30 am to 4:30 pm
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Discover the Highest Point on the Essex Seacoast!
Take a Trails & Sails hike to the top of Powow Hill in Amesbury Massachusetts!
Come join Amesbury Trails for a guided hikeup Powow Hill, at the summit of the highest peak on the Essex County Seacoast! This narrated hike will include the historical background of the area and descriptions of the features and landscapes encountered along the hike. Enjoy exploring a variety of...
Where: Lake Gardner
10:00 am
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Sing & Dance with the Music Man
Sing & Dance with the Music Man Brian Doser in Hamilton visit Massachusetts
Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...
Where: Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham
10:00 am to 10:45 am
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Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
Where: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
11:00 am
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Step Aboard the Friendship of Salem

Permission to come aboard the Friendship of Salem is granted at Derby Wharf in Salem Massachusetts!
Explore the FRIENDSHIP OF SALEM, a replica tall ship based on a 1796 Salem vessel at Salem Maritime National Historic Site.
Where: Salem Maritime National Historic Site
1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
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Saugus Iron Works Tours
Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
Where: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
2:00 pm
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The Backyard Growcery
Join Backyard Growers at Burnham's Field in Gloucester Massachusetts for a weekly Farmer's Market
Stop by Gloucester’s new weekly farmers market, the Backyard Growcery, managed by Backyard Growers. The Backyard Growcery is located at Burnham's Field, an urban park near Gloucester’s thriving waterfront, and features small-scale North Shore farmers, bakers, a seafood vendor, an artisanal pizza...
Where: Burnham's Field
2:30 pm to 6:30 pm
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Topsfield HomeGrown Market
Come to Topsfield Massachusetts Common for a homegrown market on the Wednesdays through July
The mission of the HomeGrown Market is to provide the Topsfield community with a series of family-friendly events that emphasize supporting local and offer the opportunity for Topsfield and surrounding North Shore farmers, gardeners, artisans, creators, performers, musicians, nonprofits, young...
Where: Topsfield Town Common
4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
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Stargazing at Mendel Observatory
Mendel Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night
The Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night (weather permitting) starting at dusk or 7:30 pm, whichever is later.  When special astronomical events of interest occur (total lunar eclipses, etc.) the Obs
Where: Mendel Observatory at Merrimack College
7:00 pm
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Paddle Around Historic Rockport Harbor
Paddle around Rockport Massachusetts Harbor for FREE as part of Trails and Sails
Come join North Shore Adventures and Outdoor Center for some fun on the water! No experience necessary. Depart from our private beach in one of our safe, stable kayaks or paddle boards and paddle around the historic Rockport Harbor for 30 mins. See lobster boats, Motif #1, the Rockport Break water...
Where: Downtown Rockport
10:30 pm
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Trails & Sails
Explore the North Shore with over 150 Free Events in Essex National Heritage Area's Trails & Sails celebration in Massachusetts.
Essex National Heritage Area sites will offer over 150 free family fun events from September 14-29, 2024 for the annual celebration of TRAILS & SAILS. Discover special places in your backyard and be guided through unique landscapes on land and sea, explore historic properties, and take in...
7:00 am to 10:00 pm
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Saturday, September 27

Rockport Farmers' Market
The Rockport Farmers' Market runs every Saturday at Rockport Music in Downtown Rockport!
The Rockport Farmers Market offers a variety of locally-grown produce, hand-crafted products, baked goods, and live music. It provides a community space to support local farmers and artisans.
Where: Harvey Park - Rockport
9:00 am to 1:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour
Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
Where: Downtown Salem
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Crescent Farm Corn Maze
Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
Where: Crescent Farm
9:00 am to 9:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Carriagetown Car Show
Hundred of Classic Cars will be at the Carriagetown Car Show in downtown Amesbury Massachusetts, a Trails and Sails Event
One of the premier car shows of the summer season, be sure to attend the Carriagetown Car Show where all types of vehicles are parked on the closed streets of downtown Amesbury. Come see antiques, hot rods, custom cars, motorcycles and trucks of all makes and models.
Where: Downtown Amesbury
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
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Maritime Adventure Days
Maritime Adventure Free Days at Custom House Maritime Museum Newburyport Massachusetts
Maritime Adventure Free Days offers families and kids a unique opportunity to explore maritime history through interactive activities, guided tours, and hands-on workshops. A day of fun and discovery at the Custom House Maritime Museum for the family.
Where: Custom House Maritime Museum
9:00 am to 1:00 pm
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Hands on History Day: The American Revolution
Learn about the American Revolution at the Cabot House in Histoirc Beverly Massachusetts
Explore the American Revolution through immersive, hands-on stations highlighting the era’s diverse people and experiences. In the “Molly Pitcher Room,” learn about women’s roles by crafting toilet roll cannons and herbal tea sachets.
Where: Historic Beverly
9:30 am to 4:00 pm
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Step Inside the Historic Custom House
Take in the views of this prominent building where Nathaniel Hawthorne once worked and the U.S. Custom Service operated. This Custom House was built in 1819 and housed offices for the officers of the U.S. Customs Service, as well as an attached warehouse, the Public Stores, used for the storage of...
Where: Salem Maritime National Historic Site
9:30 am to 4:30 pm
♦ Read More →

Marini Farm Corn Maze
The 2025 Marini Farm Corn Maze in Ipswich Massachusetts is themed for The Wizard of Oz
Come to Marini Farm for a fun journey through our corn maze! The Maze Park, corn maze, farm stand, bakery and other attractions provide a great destination for kids birthday parties, school trips, corporate team building, scout outings, and family activities. Marini Farm is located in beautiful...
Where: Marini Farm
10:00 am to 10:00 pm
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Choate Island Day
Choate Island Day with the Trustees of Reservations in Ipswich Massachusetts
Spend a day with the Trustees of Reservations in celebration of Choate Island – the crown jewel of the Crane Wildlife Refuge. Here deer and foxes roam through fields that once housed herds of sheep, and osprey fly over breathtaking views of Essex Bay. The island was first home to indigenous farmers...
Where: Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
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Hospital Point Lighthouse Open House
Take a tour of this historic Beverly landmark thats usually closed to the public as part of Trials and Sails!
One of Beverly's most familiar landmarks, this lighthouse commands a spectacular view of Salem Sound, and 3 other lighthouses. An enduring monument to Beverly's nautical heritage, it is one of 5 Massachusetts lighthouses that still retains its original Fresnel lens.
Where: Hospital Point Lighthouse
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
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