Unique Day Trips from Boston

A state with as much history as Massachusetts is sure to have some unique, spooky, and

even haunted locations for anyone curious at heart. Here are a few of my favorite stops throughout Massachusetts that are easily accessible from Boston. Be sure to bookmark this page for fall so you can plan a trip of your own to this historic state!

Want to plan a trip to Boston but don't know where to start? Check out my First Timer's Guide to Boston, MA for a little inspiration. Then, head to my homepage and sign up for my emails. You'll be sent a guidebook and day-by-day itinerary for spending the perfect week in the Bay State.

Salem, MA

First on our list is a given, but always worth noting. Salem is only about 40 minutes north of Boston and easily accessible. So accessible in fact that you can get there from Boston via car, train, taxi, or ferry!

Salem is, of course, the home of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. There are several museums outlining the hysteria and homicide that took place that fateful year, such as the Salem Witch Museum, the Witch House, the Witch Dungeon Museum and more.

Since the days of unjustified hangings, Salem has become a haven for the curious and odd of society. It turns into a full blown "Halloweentown" during the month of October with street performers and events celebrating all things Samhain. There's even a Vampire Ball held annually at the Hawthorne Hotel attracting "bloodsuckers" from all over the world to this historic town. It also happens to be the home of several filming locations from Disney's Hocus Pocus.

There's really no place like Salem to get into the spooky spirit. For a full guide to exploring Salem, click here.

Pine Grove Cemetery, Truro, MA

For those of us who find ourselves fascinated by true crime, Pine Grove Cemetery in Truro, MA may be the perfect spot for you to check out this spooky season. In the 1960's, Truro found itself victim of a heinous serial killer, Tony Costa. Also known as Tony Chop Chop Costa, this killer was known for dismembering his victims' bodies in the far side of the Pine Grove Cemetery. Visiting the cemetery may be somber enough even without the dark history as it quite off the beaten path of Cape Cod.

If you visit, be sure to take a minute to reflect on the 1969 killings. Tony Costa was convicted of two murders, but believed to have been the perpetrator in several more. His known victims are Patricia Walsh and Mary Anne Wysocki, two school teachers from Providence, RI. For more information on this case, I highly recommend listing to Morbid Podcast's episode series covering the crimes.

While you're in the area be sure to explore other parts of the Cape as well. We loved going up to historic Provincetown where we enjoyed the shops and waterfront restaurants.

Lizzie Borden House, Fall River, MA

Many of us have heard the old nursery rhyme, "Lizzie Borden took an ax and gave her mother 40 whacks. When he saw what she had done, she gave her father 41." You'll learn at the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA that this is not entirely true. Yes, her father and step-mother were murdered in their family home with an ax. However, Lizzie was fully acquitted of the crime. To this day we do not know who committed these crimes in 1892. You can tour the home where the murders occurred and decide for yourself what you think happened all those years ago.

If you're truly brave, you can even stay the night at the Borden house and sleep in one of the infamous rooms. Are you brave enough? (I sure wasn't!)

While you're in Fall River, you can also stop by the Oak Grove Cemetery to see the grave of Lizbeth (the name Lizzie formally changed hers to after the murders), and the Borden family plot. Visiting her grave has become so popular that the cemetery has painted arrows on the ground guiding visitors to her final resting place.

Ponyhenge, Lincoln, MA

While the rest of the locations listed have extensive histories, Ponyhenge is a much newer and less understood phenomenon. It has only been around since 2010 when a lone rocking horse showed up in a field on the side of the road in Lincoln, MA. Since then, several other horses have shown up in the field and have made their way into different patterns throughout the years. Few know how or why the ponies ended up where they are now, but it sure is fun to speculate!

Massachusetts is at the top of the list of the places to visit during Halloween season. But, if you're like me, you can appreciate these unique (dare I say, spooky?) locations at anytime of the year.

If you're planning your first (or even 10th) trip to Boston, be sure to check out my First Timer's Guide to Boston, MA for some travel inspiration.

Happy hauntings... I mean travels!