297 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Massachusetts - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts

Mapparium

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

42.3455, -71.0868

Added by michelle

Salem Witch House

Salem, Massachusetts

The Witch House of Salem

One of the only structures left with direct ties to the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692.

42.5215, -70.8989

Boston, Massachusetts

Warren Anatomical Museum

Boston medical museum featuring the skull of famous medical case Phineas Gage.

42.3352, -71.1038

Danvers Hospital in 2008.

Danvers, Massachusetts

Danvers State Hospital

Basis for H.P. Lovecraft's horror stories and Batman's Arkham Asylum, now a horrifying condo.

42.5824, -70.9775

Photo by Elizabeth Evans

Boston, Massachusetts

Forest Hills Cemetery

A beautiful Victorian cemetery complete with miniature village.

42.2953, -71.1061

Added by Rachaelannmare

Bodega

Boston, Massachusetts

Bodega

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

42.3455, -71.0865

Added by themakebelieve

Boston, Massachusetts

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (The Gardner)

Two thousand artifacts from around the world collected by one woman with an addiction.

42.3382, -71.0989

Added by Nicholas Jackson

A book describing the man that is also made from.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston Athenaeum Skin Book

A morbid secret lies hidden within the beautiful walls of the Boston Athenaeum.

42.3581, -71.0623

See All 297 Things to Do in Massachusetts See All 297 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Massachusetts

Sugar on Snow

Gastro Obscura

Sugar on Snow

Where maple sap flows, all one needs to make taffy is snow.

Gastro Obscura

Added by rachelrummel

Coffee Gelatin

Gastro Obscura

Coffee Gelatin

Leftover coffee plus Jello equals this vintage dessert.

Gastro Obscura

Added by Anne Ewbank

Canned Bread

Gastro Obscura

Canned Bread

A New England tradition of steaming bread in coffee tins gave rise to this niche snack.

Gastro Obscura

Added by Ike Allen

Birch Beer

Gastro Obscura

Birch Beer

This cousin of root beer has a long history and a surprisingly minty taste.

Gastro Obscura

Added by Anne Ewbank

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lizardlover wants to go to Hammond Castle Museum

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Stories
About Massachusetts

Chef Deon in his restaurant.

How a Caribbean Chef Is Unearthing the Hidden Stories of Martha's Vineyard

Deon Thomas's unique eatery showcases another side of the island.

by Merissa Nathan Gerson

A balloon photo of the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, string clearly visible at left.

Bringing Aerial Photography to the Masses—One Squid Kite at a Time

Public Lab's DIY tools help communities keep tabs on the environment.

Taxidermied frogs spend a day on the lake at Froggyland.

9 of the Strangest and Loveliest Dioramas You'll Ever See

Behold the intricate detail of these exquisite miniature worlds.

"Edgar Allan Poe Square" in the Boston Common, near the place where Poe was born.

10 Places That Rejected Poe in Life But Celebrate Him in Death

Edgar Allan Poe gets the recognition he deserves in the afterlife.

by Molly McBride Jacobson

February 09, 2017

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