Top 5: Historic Spots to Visit in Northwest Massachusetts

The next time you’re in Boston, travel out of the city to these can’t-miss, but sometimes overlooked, historic spots in Northwest Massachusetts.

Gibbett Hill

This landmark in the small town of Groton boasts hidden castle ruins that can be found with a bit of a walk. The Bancroft Castle was a private home in the early 1900s before becoming a sanatorium, and then the Groton Hunt Club. A firecracker accident resulted in the burning of part of the now-abandoned castle, which you can find along a hiking trail supposedly haunted (as the town used the hill for hangings in the 1600s). For more history, stay at the Groton Inn while you’re in town, which claims the title of America’s oldest inn (though its current luxury and modern amenities certainly don’t belie that fact).

Walden Pond

Most have read about Walden Pond at some point, but did you know Walden Pond is a real place, and not just a made-up location from your American Lit textbook? See where Henry David Thoreau lived and worked for a portion of his life, on the banks of the very real Walden Pond, when you visit the preserved site in Concord.

Louisa May Alcott’s House

Another good historic pick for literature fans is Louisa May Alcott’s House. The orchard home was both where Alcott wrote Little Women, and also supposedly the setting within the book. The house is filled with historic items and hosts many tours and events throughout the year.

Minute Man National Historical Park

Plopped right down in the middle of Concord neighborhoods, Minute Man National Historical Park can be a little difficult to find for the average traveler, but is well worth a visit once you locate the entrance and parking among the rows of modern houses. In addition to plenty of walking trails and historical markers and monuments, the highlight of the park is the historic bridge that served as the spot of the first Revolutionary War battle.

The Old Manse

One last, great literary historic site can be found in this area. The Old Manse is a Georgian home that served not one, but two literary greats: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Book a guided tour to learn all about the structure’s life.