guides

130+ Day Trips and Road Trips for Families in New England

All within 2-3 hours of Lowell!

By Barbara Evangelista, Publisher October 20, 2023

Here’s a list of family-friendly day trips in New England that will keep the kids entertained all year long! There’s so much to see and do in Massachusetts and our neighboring states of New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut, and lots of fun destinations can be reached in 2 hours or less!

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Enjoy the Beach

Gloucester

Salisbury Beach, Salisbury MA

Crane Beach, Ipswich MA

Seacoast NH Beaches (Hampton Beach)


A Day at the Museum

Battleship Cove, Fall River MA

Discovery Museum, Acton MA 

Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst MA  

Heritage Museum and Gardens, Sandwich MA 

New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford MA

New England Pirate Museum, Salem MA  

Peabody Essex Museum, Salem MA

Salem Witch Museum, Salem MA 

Wenham Museum, Wenham MA 

Children’s Museum of NH, Dover NH

McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Concord NH 

Seacoast Science Center, Rye NH 

SEE Science Center, Manchester NH 

Providence Children’s Museum, Providence RI  

Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum, Rocky Hill, CT 

Imagine Nation Museum, Bristol CT  


Get Outdoors!

MA State Parks

NH State Parks

ME State Parks

VT State Parks

RI State Parks

CT State Parks


Amusement Parks

Edaville Family Theme Park, Carver MA 

Six Flags New England, Agawam MA

Canobie Lake Park, Salem NH

Clark’s Trading Post, Lincoln NH

Mel’s Funway Park, Litchfield NH

Santa’s Village, Jefferson NH

Storyland, Glen NH

Lake Compounce, Bristol CT 

Quassy Amusement Park, Middlebury CT 

Funtown Splashtown USA, Saco ME


Water Parks

Breezy Picnic Grounds and Waterslides, Douglas MA 

Water Park of New England, Danvers MA

Great Wolf Lodge, Fitchburg MA 

Hurricane Harbor Water Park, Agawam MA 

Water Wizz, East Wareham MA 

Castaway Island Water Park at Canobie Lake Park, Salem NH

Candia Springs Adventure Park, Candia NH 

Water Country, Portsmouth NH  

Whale’s Tale Waterpark, Lincoln NH  

Lake Compounce Crocodile Cove, Bristol CT 

Quassy Beach and Saturation Station, Middlebury CT 


Animals & Wild Things

The Butterfly Place, Westford MA 

Buttonwood Park Zoo, New Bedford MA 

Capron Park Zoo, Attleboro MA 

Davis Farmland, Sterling MA

EcoTarium, Worcester MA

Franklin Park Zoo, Boston MA 

Look Park, Florence MA 

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens, Deerfield MA

New England Aquarium, Boston MA 

Southwick’s Zoo, Mendon MA 

Stone Zoo, Stoneham MA 

The Zoo in Forest Park, Springfield MA 

Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence RI 

York’s Wild Kingdom, York Beach ME 


Destination Cities/Towns

Boston MA

Deerfield MA 

Gloucester and Rockport MA

Newburyport MA

Salem MA

Portsmouth NH

Weirs Beach NH

Mystic CT

Kennebunkport, York & Ogunquit ME

Block Island RI

Newport RI


Make History Come Alive

Freedom Trail, Boston MA 

Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield MA 

Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell MA 

Minute Man National Historical Park, Lincoln MA 

Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge MA 

Pioneer Village, Salem MA 

Plimouth Plantation, Plymouth MA 

Canterbury Shaker Village, Canterbury NH 

Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth NH 


Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Edaville Family Theme Park, Carver MA  

Larz Anderson Auto Museum, Brookline MA

Conway Scenic Railroad, North Conway Village, NH

Hobo Railroad, Lincoln NH

Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad, Weirs Beach NH

Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, Essex CT 

Railroad Museum of New England, Thomaston CT 

New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks CT 

Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport ME


Gardens

deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln MA 

Garden in the Woods, Framingham MA 

Green Animals Topiary Gardens, Portsmouth RI 

Tower Hill Botanical Garden, Boylston MA 


Farms & Orchards

See our Fall Farm Guide for local orchards, pumpkin patches and corn mazes

Belkin Family Lookout Farm, Natick MA 

Berlin Farms, Berlin MA 

Gore Place, Waltham MA 

Great Brook Farm State Park, Carlisle MA 

Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm and Wildlife Sanctuary, Lincoln MA 

Smolak Farms, Andover MA  

Charmingfare Farm, Candia NH 

Applecrest Farm Orchards, Hampton Falls NH 


Outdoor Adventures (ziplining, alpine slide, treetop canopy)

Berkshire East Mountain Resort, Charlemont MA 

Jiminy Peak, Hancock MA 

RambleWild Adventure Park, Lanesborough MA 

TreeTop Adventures, Canton MA 

Boundless Adventures, Berlin MA 

Zoar Outdoor, Charlemont MA 

Gunstock Adventure Park, Gilford NH 

Alpine Adventures Zipline Canopy Tours, Lincoln NH 

Attitash Mountain Resort, Bartlett NH 

Bretton Woods Canopy Tour, Bretton Woods NH

Cranmore Mountain Resort, North Conway Village, NH

Loon Mountain Resort, Lincoln NH

Take Flight! Aerial Adventure Course and Zip Tour, Kittery ME 


Cruises & Maritime Adventures

Boston Harbor Cruises 

Whale Watches and Deep Sea Fishing, Gloucester MA

Isles of Shoals Ferry, Portsmouth NH 

Lake Winnipesaukee boat cruises 


Click on the map below to access our interactive Google Map that shows 130+ Day Trips and Road Trips, all within 2-3 hours (some much less) from Lowell MA!





Lowell Macaroni Kid is a free weekly newsletter and website focused on fun family events and information in the greater Lowell area.
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