This small museum houses and interprets a collection of historical documents and archives on James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States. Visitors to the museum, for a small fee, can tour exhibits relating to the life and impact of James Monroe. This museum is built upon the site where James Monroe maintained a law office between the years of 1786 and 1789.
Built in 1737, the Royall House and Slave Quarters, now a national historic landmark, was once home to one of the richest New England families and enslaved Africans. It exhibits furnishings, artifacts, and architecture from that period.
The Lyman Estate is located on Lyman Street at the rotary near Bentley University. It was built in 1793. The estate (also known as "The Vale") is a beautiful home designed by Samuel McIntire. It has been remodeled several times over its 150-year history and is now Colonial Revival style.
It takes up 37 acres and has several outbuildings, including a huge greenhouse. Plants maybe purchased from the greenhouse and a small gift shop is also located there. The mansion itself is not open to the public for "drop-in" tours. Group guided tours can be arranged in advance. The house is primarily used for weddings, parties and corporate events.
The Lyman Estate is owned and operated by the non-profit Historic New England organization.
The Buckman Tavern is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue at the Battle Green in Lexington Center. Built around 1710, Buckman Tavern is a historic landmark operated by the Lexington Historical Society. It was famous for being the gathering place for many of the minutemen who would later fight the British on the Lexington Battle Green. It is open for tours on a seasonal basis and also has a gift shop.
Walk through many of the residential streets in the Back Bay and it's clear that the buildings have stood there for a considerable amount of time. The Gibson House, a National Historic Landmark, gives visitors a chance to explore the inside of one of these classic residences, with original possessions dating from the late 18th to the early 20th century. It's a piece of history that's still picture-perfect.
Located just six miles downriver from New Orleans' historic French Quarter, the Chalmette Battlefield, part of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, commemorates the Battle of New Orleans which took place on the site Jan. 8, 1815. In addition to the sprawling battlefield, visitors will find the Chalmette National Cemetery, the 100-foot-high Chalmette Monument and the Malus-Beauregard House.
Parking and public transportation at the Chalmette Battlefield
Free public parking is available at the Chalmette Battlefield. However, no public transportation is available.
Best and worst time to go to the Chalmette Battlefield
One of the best times to visit the Chalmette Battlefield is around the January 8 anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. Reenactments and battlefield lantern tours bring the site to life. Lantern tours sell out, so make reservations early. The worst time to visit is during the peak summer heat in July and August.
Admission to the Chalmette Battlefield
Admission to the Chalmette Battlefield is free. The site's visitor center offers books, music and period reproductions for sale. Reenactments for the Battle of New Orleans in early January are free, although the January lanterns tours require tickets. See the National Park Service website or the St. Bernard Parish tourism site for details.
Must see and do at the Chalmette Battlefield
Daring visitors will want to climb the 100-foot-tall obelisk at the battlefield for commanding views of the surrounding area. A National Park Service ranger is onsite to give a Battle of New Orleans talk Tuesday through Saturday around 2:45 p.m. (coinciding with the Creole Queen docking at the battlefield). The Chalmette National Cemetery has undergone a recent restoration and serves as the final resting place from soldiers from the War of 1812 through the Vietnam War.
Other places to visit near the Chalmette Battlefield
Visitors to the Chalmette Battlefield with a little time and their own transportation should drive through New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood, the site of some of the worst devastation from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Just down St. Bernard Highway from the battlefield is Rocky and Carlo's Restaurant, a Chalmette fixture. And visitors looking for another St. Bernard Parish hidden gem should tour the Los Isleños Heritage & Cultural Society Museum, which tells the story of Canary Islanders who immigrated to St. Bernard Parish in the late 18th century.
Insider tip for visitors to the Chalmette Battlefield
Visitors traveling to the Chalmette Battlefield from the French Quarter may consider taking the Creole Queen paddlewheeler from the New Orleans riverfront down to the battlefield. The ride affords a superb view of St. Louis Cathedral from the Mississippi River.
Author's bio: Frank McCormack is a freelance writer and photographer, family chef, aspiring Italian and fair weather sailor living in New Orleans, La.
Built in 1737, the Hancock-Clarke Parsonage is a historic landmark operated by the Lexington Historical Society. It is one of the several sites the society is responsible for. The Hancock-Clarke House is famously the location where John Hancock and Samuel Adams stayed when Paul Revere arrived on his famous ride to warn them of the British troops on the way to Lexington.
The Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden is one of the first Georgian mansions in America and is now a national historic landmark. It is famous because General William Whipple, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, lived there through the Revolutionary War. It also still boasts the oldest chestnut tree in the state, which you can see in the front garden. Visitors can enjoy a guided one-hour tour. The house has much of the original furniture that was there during the Revolutionary War. It is now owned and operated by The National Society of The Colonial Dames of Americain the State of New Hampshire (NSCDA-NH).
With natural light streaming through the 15th-century English-style stained glass windows, the sanctuary of Old South Church is free and open to the public during the day. Donations are welcome. There's a steady stream of people walking in from off the street to learn more about the history and services, or to sit in one of the pews to pray.
Built in 1875, the church is an important historical structure of Boston. The progressive congregation was founded in 1669.
Every Sunday, services include a morning prayer and communion at 9am and a festival worship at 11am. There's also a healing worship at 10am on the second Sunday of the month, and a jazz worship at 6pm every Thursday. You can download sermon podcasts online, and sign up for the e-newsletter.
Old South Church also provides Christian education programs for children, youth and adults; community outreach and mission trips; a strong music program; and the Old South Preschool, a non-religious preschool for children ages 2 to 5-years-old.
New members are welcome and the congregation is LGBT friendly.
The birthplace of John Fitzgerald Kennedy looks more residential than presidential, but still holds many ties to the country's 35th commander in chief. It's now in the condition in which you would have found it when JFK was born in 1917, thanks to a restoration undertaken by the President's mother after his death. JFK lived in the Brookline house for 10 years before his family moved to New York City.
Founded in 1737, the Old West Church sits on the corner of Cambridge and Staniford streets, set back on a leafy, peaceful lot of land. The current federal-style church was built in 1806.
The church was active for 150 years, even counting Louisa May Alcott among its famous Sunday school pupils. But when the congregation disbanded it escaped demolition and was converted into the West End Library in 1894. The library is now right next door.
Since 1962, it has been a United Methodist Church. Services are held every Sunday at 11 a.m., with prayer beginning at 10 a.m. A community prayer is held every Wednesday at noon.
Old West Church also has an impressive organ and the director of music is the former head of the organ department at the New England Conservatory of Music.
Jackson House is the oldest surviving wood frame house in the state. Built in 1664 by wood worker Richard Jackson on his family’s 25-acre land, it is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Admissions is free for Historic New England members and Portsmouth residents and tours are available.
