These 9 Towns In Massachusetts Were Ranked Among US Favorites In 2026

Massachusetts packs centuries of history and striking scenery into its small towns. Chatham serves fresh seafood beside its working pier, while Provincetown opens onto beaches and dune trails at the tip of Cape Cod. Gloucester offers seaport history and Hammond Castle Museum, while Stockbridge and Lenox feature grand estates amid the Berkshires. Salem received more than 4 million out-of-market visitors in its 2026 fiscal year, drawing crowds to the Witch House and Salem Maritime National Historical Park. With unforgettable coastlines, storied landmarks, and classic New England charm, these Massachusetts towns earned their place among America’s favorites in 2026.

Lighthouse Beach below Chatham Lighthouse in Chatham, Massachusetts. James Kirkikis / Shutterstock.com. Chatham is among the top places that come to mind when people imagine a peaceful seaside vacation in New England. Located on the elbow of the arm-shaped Cape Cod, this town boasts a couple of cool beaches, including Lighthouse Beach. The beach is one of Chatham’s most scenic stretches, with soft sand, frequent seal sightings, and views of Chatham Lighthouse, where the station dates to 1808 but the present tower dates to 1877 and is not currently open for tours. Beyond the beaches, Chatham is known for being a seafood hotspot, with the Chatham Pier Fish Market offering a wide selection of high-quality seafood, from freshly caught products like wild salmon and oysters to richly prepared New England favorites like clam chowder and lobster rolls. Visitors are invited to shop here or enjoy a delicious seafood serving with views of the pier, fishing boats, and wildlife like seals and seagulls.

Meanwhile, Chatham’s main street is a delight to explore with its adorable local establishments, like Ducks In The Window, where it’s hard not to smile or laugh while browsing through a wide selection of rubber ducks and other cute toys. A short walk from this store is Impudent Oyster, an amazing place to relax with delicious seafood and other culinary delights, ranging from clam chowder to calamari, bang bang shrimp, and plenty more.

The Witch House, once the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, in Salem, Massachusetts. Located on a bay of the Atlantic Ocean, Salem is a historic maritime town known worldwide for one of the most intense events in American history: the infamous Salem Witch Trials. In 1692, several individuals were accused of practicing witchcraft, leading to the execution of 20 people. That event left an indelible mark on the town, and today, visitors troop in to delve into the past by exploring landmarks like the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, which commemorates the victims of the 1692 trials. The Witch House, once home to Judge Jonathan Corwin, is one of the few structures still standing in Salem with direct ties to the trials; built between 1642 and 1675, it remains open for self-guided tours.

Beyond the witch trials, this favorite town is just full of old-world charms, with its ancient structures representing architectural styles of the past, like the House of the Seven Gables, a 1668 mansion representing one of the largest surviving timber-framed mansions in North America. Just strolling through the town is like a journey to the past, especially on Chestnut Street. This historic street boasts a concentration of notable structures, including the 1805 Hamilton Hall, which represents Federal-style architecture and is open for tours and social events like weddings. Salem is also noted for its maritime heritage and features the waterfront Salem Maritime National Historical Park, which encompasses 12 historic structures, including the 1871 Derby Wharf Light Station, and interprets more than 600 years of New England maritime history.

Naumkeag, the Gilded Age estate and gardens in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Image credit: Bob Pool / Shutterstock.com. Stockbridge is tucked deep in Berkshire County, the westernmost county in Massachusetts, where the impressive scenery of the Berkshire Mountains and classic New England architecture made it a US favorite in 2026. Here, visitors are met with a charming main street lined with centuries-old buildings, including the circa-1742 Mission House, a Colonial-era house and museum with a Colonial Revival garden that opens for self-guided visits and seasonal tours. Beyond the architectural allure, Stockbridge is just naturally beautiful and features cool attractions like Berkshire Botanical Garden, where over 3,000 species of plants spread across unique garden spaces, offering an inspiring and scenic outdoor experience. Notably, the garden is also one of the oldest in New England, founded in 1934. The town is also home to Naumkeag, a historic summer retreat reflecting the splendor of the Gilded Age. On the 48-acre property sit terraced gardens, landscaped grounds, meadows, and farmlands, alongside a shingle-style home designed in the 1880s and open for tours. Naumkeag is also known for its annual events, including the famous Naumkeag Pumpkin Show, a month-long festival celebrating the fall season. For art lovers, Stockbridge is home to the Norman Rockwell Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of original Rockwell artworks focused on American illustration art.

Race Point Beach and its lighthouse in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Provincetown is one of Massachusetts’ beloved coastal towns where beaches, maritime history, and outdoor adventures combine to offer memorable experiences. Located on Cape Cod, visitors here get to enjoy Race Point Beach, a spectacular shore featuring sand dunes, a lighthouse, and opportunities to watch seals and catch breathtaking sunsets. Herring Cove Beach is another of the town’s cool beaches, and perhaps the most popular. This beach features calmer waves that make it ideal for swimming, plus it is known for its gorgeous sunsets and tide pools. Both beaches are within Cape Cod National Seashore, which also contains the Province Lands Bike Trail, a challenging 5.45-mile loop through pine forests, dunes, and low-lying cranberry bogs. The national seashore also boasts several trails, from the 1.4-mile Dune Shacks Trail that leads up and down sandy hills with ocean scenery to the Beech Forest Trail, a mile-long loop winding through a forested dune ecosystem with bird-watching opportunities. For history buffs, Provincetown offers several notable historic attractions, including Pilgrims’ First Landing Park, which commemorates the Mayflower Pilgrims’ first landing in the New World in 1620.

Victorian gingerbread cottages in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Located on the famed Martha’s Vineyard, Oak Bluffs is a unique town known for its waterfront allure, African American heritage, and architectural appeal, being home to a large collection of Gingerbread Cottages. Numbering over 300, these Victorian homes date to the 1800s and were established as part of a religious camp for Methodist worshippers. Today, visitors can explore the cottages from public roads and walkways throughout the 34-acre Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association grounds, commonly called the Campground. Meanwhile, Oak Bluffs offers several coastal attractions, including Inkwell Beach, a sandy stretch near downtown popular for swimming and seaside walks. Elsewhere, Joseph Sylvia State Beach is another cool oceanfront spot in town and a haven for relaxation, with two miles of sandy shore and shallow, calm waters that make it excellent for swimming and paddling. For lighthouse lovers, Oak Bluffs is home to East Chop Lighthouse, a historic cast-iron beacon on Telegraph Hill that opens for seasonal visits and overlooks Vineyard Sound. For families, Oak Bluffs is home to the Flying Horses Carousel, notable as the nation’s oldest operating platform carousel, dating to 1876 and still offering exciting rides.

Hammond Castle in the Magnolia village of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Gloucester sits on Massachusetts’ North Shore, where it is known as America’s oldest seaport, with a maritime history dating to 1623 when it was first settled and established as a fishing and shipbuilding hub. Today, visitors are invited to delve into that history at Maritime Gloucester, the town’s working waterfront featuring maritime exhibits, harbor views, and hands-on experiences. In this maritime museum, visitors will be met with America’s oldest marine railway, historic wooden boats, a marine science education center, and an aquarium featuring local marine species. Beyond the maritime heritage, Gloucester is home to a long list of attractions that keep people visiting every year, including unique beaches like Wingaersheek Beach, a 0.6-mile stretch with powdery sand, large rock formations, and calm, crystal-clear, and shallow waters. This beach is perfect for swimming and safe for families with children. Meanwhile, Gloucester’s history arguably remains its best appeal, especially through unusual historic attractions such as Hammond Castle Museum. Built in the 1920s, this medieval-style museum is an architectural masterpiece and boasts an extensive collection of inventions and remote control pioneer John Hays Hammond Jr. The exhibits encompass science, history, and art; the castle hosts theatrical performances and offers tours to explore the museum and learn about its history and inhabitants.

The Minute Man statue and the Old North Bridge at Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Massachusetts. Image credit Jay Yuan via Shutterstock. Concord makes the cut as one of America’s favorite destinations with an incredibly rich history. For starters, it was in this area in 1775 that the opening shot of the American Revolutionary War was fired in the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Today, Concord, alongside Lincoln and Lexington, hosts the Minute Man National Historical Park, which preserves several structures and sites related to the war, notably the Old North Bridge, which is believed to be the actual spot of the shot, later immortalized as the “shot heard round the world.” Outside Minute Man, several attractions also stand as evidence of the town’s rich history, including the Concord Museum. Founded in 1886, this museum features tens of thousands of objects that bring the town’s past to life, from original objects dating to the Revolutionary War era to historical clothing and artifacts related to renowned author Henry David Thoreau. Additionally, Concord includes part of Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, which protects more than 3,800 acres across the Concord and Sudbury river valleys, about 85 percent of them freshwater wetlands. Several trails are within the refuge for hiking, including the Dike Trail, which stretches two miles through woodlands, grasslands, and wetlands, with opportunities to see migratory waterfowl, beavers, and white-tailed deer, among other wildlife.

Newburyport’s historic downtown, including State Street and Market Square, with the Merrimack River in the background. Newburyport sits where the Merrimack River meets the Atlantic, and stands out as a US favorite due to its strong maritime heritage and historic downtown full of varying architectural styles. By the mid 1700s, this town had become an established seaport and a major center of New England shipbuilding, with nearly 500 ships built between 1725 and 1790. Today, the Custom House Maritime Museum preserves and interprets that history. Located in a 1830s Classical Revival building, the museum features maritime art, model ships, navigational artifacts, and other historical materials highlighting the region’s seafaring heritage. Newburyport’s downtown is a delight to explore, with streets such as State Street featuring historic buildings like the 1746 Dalton House and leading toward Waterfront Park, where visitors will find public art, seating, lawns, and a riverfront boardwalk. And speaking of parks, Newburyport has a couple, including Maudslay State Park, a riverside spot perfect for hiking, biking, and picnicking amidst historic gardens, meadows, and pine trees. For more outdoor recreation, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is just outside town, setting the stage for hiking, biking, fishing, and paddling amidst diverse habitats full of birds and other wildlife. The refuge also boasts an expansive beach where one can relax and watch birds.

The Mount, the country home of the writer Edith Wharton in Lenox, Massachusetts. Image credit: Heidi Besen / Shutterstock.com Lenox is a charming town in the Berkshires that attracts people with natural scenery, architecture, history, and premium entertainment. For starters, the town is home to the Ventfort Hall Mansion & Gilded Age Museum, one of the most majestic structures in New England. It was built in the 1890s in the Jacobean Revival style and is open for tours to explore its rooms and learn more about the Gilded Age. Equally impressive is The Mount, Edith Wharton Cultural Center, which features a majestic 1902 mansion and colorful gardens open to the public year-round. But perhaps even more exciting, Lenox is home to Tanglewood, one of America’s beloved venues serving as home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Year-round, this venue hosts a wide variety of music events, covering classical music, jazz, and contemporary music. It is also just a cool place to picnic with impressive mountain scenery, attend open workshops, and stroll. And speaking of natural views, Mass Audubon Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary is a magical place in town, perfect for nature walks with surreal scenery. The refuge boasts seven miles of trails winding through lush woodlands, wetlands, meadows, and along a pond and mountain, with opportunities to see birds and other wildlife, alongside panoramic views of the entire area from the summit of Lenox Mountain.

Across all of these towns, history shines bright, with some, like Concord, taking things even further with museums and landmarks preserving artifacts dating back hundreds of years to the American Revolutionary War. Architecture is also part of the allure in these towns, with varying styles highlighted across their streets, ranging from Classical Revival in places like Newburyport to Federal-style in Salem. Meanwhile, in Lenox, the allure of the Gilded Age shines brightly alongside classical and contemporary music and the scenery of the Berkshire Mountains. With memorable landscapes, landmark architecture, and attractions worth traveling for, these towns earned their place among US favorites in 2026.