Massachusetts
Boston
Eastham
Harvard
Nantucket
Truro
West Tisbury
About Massachusetts
The commonwealth started with only the second permanent English settlement in North America, Plymouth, but its capitol, Boston, quickly grew to be a center of commerce and thought in the early colonial times.
HI-USA Local Council for Massachusetts
Origin of State Name: named for the indiginous people, the Massachusett
Area: 10555 sq mi
Population: 6,497,967
More Information
Today, Massachusetts is home to premier beaches, rich history, and famous urban sites – as well as several Hostelling International hostel locations, including Dudley, Harvard, Boston, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Eastham-Mid-Cape, and Truro. Massachusetts highlights close to HI hostels include Old Sturbridge Village, a recreated 1830s rural town, which happens to be the largest outdoor living history museum in the northeast and close to the Dudley hostel. Visitors of the Harvard hostel can explore Thoreau's Walden Pond one-room cabin and trails, or swim, sail, canoe, or ice skate on Harvard's Bare Hill Pond. Boston, is home to countless historic sites, including the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail, which leads visitors to 16 locations that tell the story of the American Revolution firsthand, including the Paul Revere House, Bunker Hill Monument, and several museums. Other popular Boston destinations include Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, and Newbury Street, known for its upscale shopping. The islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are both popular summer destinations and hold several annual events, including the popular Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Fair, held every August, and Nantucket's Daffodil Festival, which runs from early April to mid May. Eastham-Mid-Cape is the gateway to the Cape Cod National Seashore, while Truro, known for its unspoiled, breathtaking beaches, is located near Provincetown, one of the oldest art colonies in the U.S.
