5 Massachusetts towns that serve up a classic New England summer

Massachusetts is known for many things: its pivotal role in the American revolution, world-class academic institutions, its passionate sports culture, and, of course, the Boston accent. This summer, Boston will be busier than ever, with America’s 250th anniversary on July 4 and the 2026 Fifa World Cup, which will be partially hosted roughly 30 miles south at Gillette Stadium and is expected to draw over 2 million visitors. 

As Boston balloons with tourists, the coastal towns that freckle the state’s north and south shores offer a welcome respite from the crowds. These seaside hamlets are quiet repositories for America’s maritime and revolutionary history, ensuring that you don’t necessarily need to be in the city to soak up this legacy. As an added bonus, most of these towns are easily reachable from downtown Boston via the regional MBTA Commuter Rail system, which is offering free rides every Friday from June through August.  

From centuries-old artists’ colonies and quaint villages that birthed the U.S. Navy to the country’s oldest seaport, these coastal towns are ripe with history, antique stores, and quaint fish shacks serving up classic New England fare like lobster rolls, clam chowder, and baked haddock fillets. Combined with stretches of sandy beaches pocketed with tidal pools and winding main streets bursting with locally owned boutiques and art galleries, they’re the perfect backdrop for a true New England “summah.”

(This historic inn is located where the Revolutionary War began)

Rockport

Teetering at the top of the rugged Cape Ann peninsula an hour north of Boston, the small fishing village of Rockport is a unique blend of art and maritime culture. Surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic Ocean, the town has long been a major lobster fishing community. Its inner harbor is peppered with dozens of lobster boats and lobster traps, a legacy that can be tasted at the Roy Moore Lobster Company, the oldest lobster company in Rockport (founded in 1918). Today, the no-frills seafood shack serves up fresh lobster rolls, stuffed clams, and a rotating raw bar alongside local craft beers and organic natural wines in a small outdoor waterfront setting. For something sweet, check out family-run Ice Cream Store, a miniature vintage-inspired ice cream shack overlooking the harbor that has been scooping classic New England flavors like black raspberry and maple walnut since 1977.

In the late 19th century, the town’s dramatic coastline, bustling harbor, and the unique quality of its light attracted a slew of painters who gradually transformed Rockport into a vibrant artist’s colony, now one of the oldest in the country. So many of these early artists painted a red 1840s fishing shack on Rockport’s harbor that still stands, draped in colorful lobster buoys.

Now known as Motif No.1, it's widely considered to be the most painted building in America. Today, the town is home to the Rockport Art Association and Museum, founded in 1921, and over 30 art galleries, many of which line the main artery known as Bearskin Neck.

Marblehead

This town an hour north of Boston is the purported birthplace of the United States Navy, which will celebrate its 251st birthday on October 13, 2026. In the summer of 1775, General George Washington formed the Continental Navy with Marblehead merchant Colonel John Glover, and together they outfitted local schooner USS Hannah to engage the British Navy. It went on to fight the first seaborne attack of the Revolutionary War. Marblehead is also known for being the "yachting capital of the world," as its deep harbor hosts numerous international races. The most famous is the annual Marblehead Race Week, which has been taking place the last full week of July since 1889.

(The tiny seaside town that played a big role in the birth of the U.S. Navy)

The town is jam-packed with wooden fishing shacks dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, and in the middle of them is the Barnacle Restaurant, a cozy, family-run restaurant overlooking the harbor. Here, the baked haddock au gratin and lobster, served stuffed or steamed, are musts—the current owner is a lobsterman who catches the restaurant's lobsters every morning. Down the street is the 17th-century Fort Sewall (free to visit) that offers sweeping views overlooking the more than 2,000 boats that bob in the town’s harbor. Over on Washington Street, Marblehead’s downtown spine, antique lovers can indulge at Old Town Antiques, home to various nautical items, maps, and historic Marblehead documents dating as far back as the 17th century, and Marblehead Antiques, open since 1975.

Scituate 

Known as the “most Irish town in America,” as nearly half of its residents claim Irish ancestry, the South Shore town of Scituate boasts 21 miles of coastline, including famous beaches like Minot Beach and Peggotty Beach. The Scituate Lighthouse, which teeters over the town’s vibrant harbor, is open to the public and was constructed in 1811, making it the country’s 11th oldest lighthouse.

Between May and October, the town hosts the monthly Scituate Harbor First Fridays, where harbor businesses stay open late and put on special events with musicians, authors, and more. For seafood with a commanding view of the harbor, head to the Mill Wharf, built on the site of a wood mill dating to 1879. It’s known for its raw bar, baked scrod, and New England scallops and clams that have been fried the same way since 1984. 

(Where to eat clam chowder in Boston)

Newburyport

Steeped in a rich naval history of shipbuilders and sea captains, the North Shore town of Newburyport is widely recognized as the birthplace of the U.S. Coast Guard. Founded in 1764, the town is peppered with boxy Federal and Georgian-style mansions built by wealthy 18th-century sea captains who cashed in on Atlantic trade. This heritage can be explored by walking the 3.3-mile-long Clipper Heritage Trail. It’s a self-guided tour that takes you on a 300-year-old history tour of the town’s shipbuilders, sea captains, clam diggers, and comb makers.

The town has more than 200 locally owned restaurants, boutiques, and bookstores, and State Street and Market Square form its social and cultural hub. Quintessential New England candy shop The Candyman makes saltwater taffy and truffles, while seafood joint Starboard Galley is popular for its clam chowder, steamers, and lobster rolls. Newburyport is also the perfect jumping off point to explore the sprawling Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island, located just four miles away. Spanning over 4,600 acres, it’s home to over 300 bird species, coastal dunes, salt marshes, and surf fishing opportunities.

Gloucester

First settled by English colonists in 1623, Gloucester is known as America’s oldest seaport. Far before commercial fishermen were lured to the area with the promise of fresh cod, Indigenous communities were farming the land and catching seafood since the Paleolithic age. Here, the first schooner, a two-masted sailing vessel that revolutionized commercial fishing and transport, was developed in 1713. 

Today, the charming town is also host to a rich artist legacy, which developed in tandem with Rockport’s. Take a walk on the self-guided Rocky Neck Art Trail, which will give you a taste of the town’s maritime and art history. Wingaersheek Beach, located roughly five miles from Gloucester’s center, is beloved by locals. Featuring nearly a mile of tropical-like white sand, it’s known for its massive tidal changes. At low tide, the water recedes for hundreds of yards, exposing soft sandbars and tidal pools ripe for exploring.

(These are New England’s most beautiful garden cemeteries)