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Conwy Suspension Bridge
Conwy Suspension Bridge
The blue spruce on the right symbolizes the spirit of John Denver.
John Denver Sanctuary
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Inside Sacré-Coeur Hospital lies an unassuming lab that peers into the mysteries of our sleeping minds.
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Team Kwe's 2024 sculpture “Wenabozho and Dadibaajimad Journey on the River of Souls,” illustrating a traditional Ojibwe story of two figures—Wenabozho and his brother Dadibaajimad—on an otherworldly journey.
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The sophisticated club sandwich combines ham, pineapple, bacon, peanut butter, and avocado.
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All United States Massachusetts

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Massachusetts

540 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Massachusetts

Updated October 17, 2024

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Cities

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Boston
The world's only Kronosaurus skeleton.
Cambridge
Salem Witch House
Salem
Museum of Modern Renaissance
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Bancroft Tower
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Hull
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  74. Worcester
  75. Yarmouth
Attractions
Food & Drink
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Unusual Attractions in Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts

Mapparium Globe

An enormous, inside-out glass globe built in 1935.
Salem Witch House

Salem, Massachusetts

The Witch House of Salem

The only structure left with direct ties to the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692.
Forest Hills Cemetery

Boston, Massachusetts

Forest Hills Cemetery

A beautiful Victorian-era cemetery, complete with a miniature village.
Brattle Book Shop.

Boston, Massachusetts

Brattle Book Shop

One of the oldest used bookstores in the U.S. has been selling antiquarian treasures since 1825.
Bodega

Boston, Massachusetts

Bodega

This upscale streetwear store is hidden behind a fake Snapple machine in the back of a deli.

Boston, Massachusetts

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (The Gardner)

Two thousand artifacts from around the world collected by one woman who loved to travel.

Boston, Massachusetts

Caffe Vittoria

The oldest Italian café in Boston, this spot also serves as a veritable museum of vintage coffee ephemera.

Boston, Massachusetts

Edgar Allan Poe Square

The Boston square dedicated to the dark poet who was born nearby.
See All 540 Things To Do in Massachusetts

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts

Caffe Vittoria

The oldest Italian café in Boston, this spot also serves as a veritable museum of vintage coffee ephemera.

Boston, Massachusetts

Empire Garden Restaurant

Dim sum, served in a grand old theater.
Plaque

Boston, Massachusetts

Great Boston Molasses Flood Plaque

The site of one of the strangest disasters in history—a wave of deadly molasses traveling at 35 mph.
The Frederick Law Olmsted designed Emerald Necklace at The Fenway Victory Gardens.

Boston, Massachusetts

Fenway Victory Gardens

One of the last remaining World War II Victory Gardens in the U.S. is quietly growing across from Fenway Park.
See all 32 Places to Eat in Massachusetts
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

12 Places in Massachusetts Where Literature Comes to Life

Massachusetts is a lit-lover's paradise. From landscapes that have moved writers to wax poetic about beans to story-inspired sculpture parks and shops stacked with volumes new and old, the Bay State would also be aptly named the Book State. Here are 12 places to celebrate writers or the places that inspired them.

View Itinerary

Explore Massachusetts

Architecture 58
History 53
History & Culture 49
Museums 45
Statues 35
Homes 35
Architectural Oddities 33
Monuments 32
Houses 30
Cemeteries 27
Memorials 26
Literature 26
Unique Restaurants & Bars 9
Places To Stay 5

Massachusetts Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Avatar image for TheDiscoveryService
    TheDiscoveryService
    70
  2. Avatar image for JWOcker
    JWOcker
    30
  3. Avatar image for kensears37
    kensears37
    22
  4. Avatar image for kastoory
    kastoory
    16
  5. Avatar image for bakedinthehole
    bakedinthehole
    10

Places Edited

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    TheDiscoveryService
    88
  2. Avatar image for Rachel
    Rachel
    76
  3. Avatar image for e1savage
    e1savage
    53
  4. Avatar image for Collector of Experiences
    Collector of Experiences
    34
  5. M
    Martin
    34

Places Visited

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    Runmahr
    241
  2. M
    marissad92
    229
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    toasty8676
    224
  4. Avatar image for MazelTovCocktail
    MazelTovCocktail
    222
  5. F
    fnc122431
    174

Recent Massachusetts Activity

  • O

    owen 792ffb48

    has been to Boston's First Street

  • O

    owen 792ffb48

    has been to Faneuil Hall

  • H

    hacker908

    has been to Stanza dei Sigari - Cigar Bar and Memorabilia

  • D

    diffendale

    has been to Restroom Works of Art

  • S

    sandyr3612

    has been to North End Street Utensils

Stories About Massachusetts

Podcast: Boston’s Blue Hill

This iconic hill offers more than just stunning views—it offers a peek back into the history of weather reporting.
by The Podcast Team
February 19, 2024

Podcast: Gunnar Schonbeck Exhibit

More than 200 unconventional instruments are on display at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
by The Podcast Team
July 10, 2023
On Tuckernuck Island, the American giant millipede is in danger of losing its head. Scientists don't know what is responsible for the unprecedented number of decapitations.

The Mystery of the Headless Millipedes

Every summer, hundreds of millipedes are murdered on one small Massachusetts island.
by William von Herff
May 26, 2023
Trays at the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine’s Metabolic Kitchen are prepared for an employee taste-testing panel.

Food Innovations That Came from War

Thank Uncle Sam for Cheetos, air fryers, and other modern mainstays.
by Diana Hubbell
May 12, 2023
A Close Combat Assault Ration, which provides calorie-dense nutrition and is shelf stable for years.

Feeding Armies Throughout History

From Sparta to the Mongol Empire, soldiers needed fuel for the fight.
by Diana Hubbell
May 12, 2023
The packaging laboratory where researchers design and test ways to transport and store rations in a wide variety of environments.

The Evolution of American Military Food

What would George Washington's spruce beer-chugging troops have thought about today's cheesecake rations?
by Diana Hubbell
May 12, 2023
At the high-tech military food center colloquially known as Natick Lab, R&D achievements include a vacuum microwave-dried cheeseburger (center top) and other shelf-stable meals.

How to Feed an Army

Go behind the scenes at the Massachusetts military lab engineering the fuel of the future.
by Diana Hubbell
May 12, 2023
Digitizing gravestones from the colonial era preserves them for future study and makes them more accessible, but it also raises questions about how to study this period of American history.

Burial Hill's Historic Gravestones Are Coming to Your Screen

Digitizing markers at the Massachusetts cemetery makes them more accessible.
by Anya Gruber
May 8, 2023

Lists Featuring Massachusetts

View to Marshall Street from Creek Square.

The 11 Most Interesting Places to Visit Near Faneuil Hall

11

Including AHAC Headquarters, Faneuil Hall Weathervane, and Creek Square

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