Discover the Outdoors, Art, History and Culture of the Bay State with a Bus Rental in Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, Six Flags New England (Agawam, MA 01001) reigns supreme among all amusement parks, with more than 100 rides, attractions and shows. It also houses a water park, Hurricane Harbor, which is one of the best in the area. If you want a more traditional feel, visit Salem Willows Park (Salem, MA 01970), where you can walk down the seaside promenade as you rest from the rides and arcade games. You can also go on a harbor cruise here.

For a hair raising time, check out Witch's Woods Haunted Hayride & Halloween Screampark (Westford, MA 01886) where you go on a hayride where you get chased by zombies, battle with ghouls and get scared by witches.

Massachusetts is one of the few places where you could go to see the best artworks there is. Check out the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA 02115) one of the largest museums in the country with close to half a million impressive artworks on display. Or you could go to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (North Adams, MA 01247) where you could find the best new art in the country. Or you could visit the more intimate Worcester Art Museum (Worcester, MA 01609) and Fitchburg Art Museum (Fitchburg, MA 01420). Or perhaps you would be interested in some of the most atrocious works of art displayed at the Museum of Bad Art (Dedham, MA 02026). Other art museums you could go to:

• Cyrus Dallin Art Museum (Arlington, MA 02474)
• Harvard Art Museums (Cambridge, MA 02138)
• Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, MA 02210)
• International Poster Gallery (Boston, MA 02116)
• Mead Art Museum at Amherst College (Amherst, MA 01002)
• MIT Museum (Cambridge, MA 02139)
• Norman Rockwell Museum (Stockbridge, MA 01262)
• Peabody Essex Museum (Salem, MA 01970)
• Springfield Museums (Springfield, MA 01103)
• The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (Amherst, MA 01002)
• Vaillancourt Folk Art (Sutton, MA 01590)

Cultural districts. Massachusetts is also divided into several cultural districts. Each district has several attractions such as museums, galleries, cafes, shows and even open artist studios for you to enjoy. Check out these different cultural districts:

Greater Boston:

• Central Square, Cambridge
• Fenway Cultural District
• Natick Center Cultural District

North Of Boston/Greater Merrimack Valley:

• Concord Center Cultural District
• Essex Cultural District
• Gloucester's Rocky Neck
• Harbortown Cultural District, Gloucester
• Lowell's Canal Way Cultural District
• Lynn's Central Exchange
• Rockport Cultural District

Cape Cod & The Islands:

• Glasstown Cultural District
• Hyarts Cultural District

Western Massachusetts:

• Cottage Street Cultural District, Easthampton
• Shelburne Falls Cultural District
• Upstreet Cultural District, Pittsfield

Sculpture. Huge sculptures are the main draw at the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park (Lincoln, MA 01773).

Music. Lovers of rock and roll, jazz and everything in between would love Massachusetts. You can catch the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Boston, MA 02115), probably the world's best orchestra, at Symphony Hall (Springfield, MA 01103). Opera lovers would love the Boston Lyric Opera (Boston, MA 02111), while there are a lot of venues for jazz aficionados all over the state.

Films. Massachusetts is a major film production hub and it is host to a few major film festivals. Be sure to catch the Arlington International Film Festival, Boston Film Festival, Roxbury International Film Festival, Boston International Film Festival, Massachusetts Independent Film Festival and Provincetown International Film Festival.

Dance. From modern dance to classical ballet, you could watch a top notch performance in Massachusetts!

On top of these film festivals, Massachusetts is also home to the country's longest running dance festival, Jacob's Pillow (Becket, MA 01223). Check out the Boston Ballet (Boston, MA 02116) especially when they hold the Nutcracker during holiday season. You should also visit Albany Berkshire Ballet (Pittsfield, MA 01201) and the Sanders Theater (Cambridge, MA 02138).

Theater. Massachusetts is home to wonderful theaters and theatrical events. Visit Cape Cod in the summer and enjoy the performances at Cape Playhouse (Dennis, MA 02638), the country's oldest professional theater. Then there's the American Repertory Theatre (Cambridge, MA 02138) and Huntington Theater (Boston, MA 02115), where you could watch the classics and the best comedies. Massachusetts also has the Williamstown Theater Festival (Williamstown, MA 01267), where you could catch big Hollywood stars on stage, or the Gloucester Stage Company (Gloucester, MA 01930) for some of the best up and coming playwrights. If you love Shakespeare, there is Shakespeare and Company (Lenox, MA 01240) for you. Last but not least, Barrington Stage Company (Pittsfield, MA 01201) gives you award winning performances and the best musicals out there.

Open Studios. Probably one of the most one-of-a-kind experience is to go to an open studio where you could meet young artists in their own studios and watch them work. There are several Open Studios to choose from, such as the Arlington Center for the Arts: Open Studios (Arlington, MA 02474), Allston Arts District: Annual Open Studios (Allston, MA 02134), East Boston Arts Walk & Open Studios and Cambridge Citywide Open Studios.

Foodies find that Massachusetts is as close as it gets to heaven on earth. This is because you can get your fill here no matter what you are craving for: seafood, pizza and even international fare.

Check out Mezze Bistro & Bar (Williamstown, MA 01267), where you could get the freshest ingredients because the area's local farms supply them with all the ingredients that they need. Or if you want a real farm-to-table dining experience, check out Sonoma (Princeton, MA 01541). Other restaurants you should try out include:

• AKA Bistro (Lincoln, MA 01773)
• Alma Nova (Hingham, MA 02043)
• Black Cat Tavern (Hyannis, MA 02601)
• CK Shanghai (Wellesley, MA 02481)
• CRU (Nantucket, MA 02554)
• Franklin Cape Ann (Gloucester, MA 01930)
• Marconi Beach BBQ and Seafood (Wellfleet, MA 02667)
• Salem Cross Inn (West Brookfield, MA 01585)

And oh, do not forget the dessert! The state is known for mouthwatering desserts such as the Boston Cream Pie and home-made ice cream. Check out the following places:

• Finale Desserterie & Bakery (Cambridge, MA 02138)
• Flour Bakery & Cafe (Cambridge, MA 02139)
• French Memories (Duxbury, MA 02332)
• Gone Chocolate (Osterville, MA 02655)
• Hi-Rise Bread Co. (Cambridge, MA 02138)
• Picco (Boston, MA 02116)
• Sweet Dessert Bar (Worcester, MA 01604)
• The Bristol Lounge (Boston, MA 02116)

You can also combine sightseeing with food by taking the Russian Food Tour or the Boston Pizza Tour. Or be sure to check out the different Restaurant Weeks when you get to eat at the best restaurants at a very deep discount.

Now that you know where to eat, how about some shopping options as well? Massachusetts is a great place to find unique treasures in even more unique shops. Check out Haberdash Vintage (Worcester, MA 01604), the first mobile vintage store here, or you could find some antiques in any one of the many stores in Essex. You also have the World's Only Curious George Store (Cambridge, MA 02138) and the Yankee Candle Village (South Deerfield, MA 01373). You should also not miss Faneuil Hall Marketplace (Boston, MA 02109), where you get items from more than 140 shops, watch street performers and eat in one of the area's restaurants.

Or you can shop down the state's most enchanting shopping street, Newbury Street.

Then there are the malls:

• CambridgeSide Galleria (Cambridge, MA 02141)
• Copley Place (Boston, MA 02116)
• Legacy Place (Dedham, MA 02026)
• Natick Mall (Natick, MA 01760)
• The Shops at the Prudential Center (Boston, MA 02199)
• The Square One Mall (Saugus, MA 01906)

Or shop at the following outlets:

• Lee Premium Outlets (Lee, MA 01238)
• The Northeast Knitting Mills Factory Outlet (Fall River, MA 02723)
• Wrentham Village Premium Outlets (Wrentham, MA 02093)

When visiting Massachusetts, you do not have to worry about where to play golf. There is always a number of golf courses where you can tee off. Do check out the Taconic Golf Club (Williamstown, MA 01267), where you can play amidst rolling hills, or perhaps the Farm Neck Golf Club (Oak Bluffs, MA 02557), where you can play with a view of the sea. You can get a bit of a challenge with two award winners at Stow Acres Country Club (Stow, MA 01775) and Easton Country Club (South Easton, MA 02375). You could also play at Granite Links Golf Club (Quincy, MA 02169) or Pinehills Golf Club (Plymouth, MA 02360), which was designed by Rees Jones and Nicklaus Design. There are also noteworthy golf courses in the Berkshires and Cape Cod.

People in Massachusetts are hardcore sports fans, and they can be very passionate in rooting for the Sox, Pats, B's and Celtics. This is the reason why sports venues such as Fenway Park (Boston, MA 02215), TD Bank Garden (Boston, MA 02215), Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA 02035) and the handful of collegiate sports venues such as Harvard Stadium (Allston, MA 02134) and Agganis Arena at Boston University (Boston, MA 02215) always enjoy brisk business when a game is held.

Massachusetts also has a rich history and you can still see it when you visit the history museums, the Civil War sites, war memorials or go on a heritage trail.

War memorials. The state has been sending its men and women to all the major wars that the US has fought. As such, there are a big number of war memorials dotting the state.

Check out the USS Massachusetts (Fall River, MA 02720), where you could find the official state memorial to all of its residents killed in service during World War II; the Massachusetts Korean War Memorial (Worcester, MA 01608); or the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Worcester, MA 01605). These are just three of the hundreds of war memorials here!

Historic sites. The state has a variety of national parks that help showcase the history of the state. Check out the:

• Blackstone River Valley Heritage Corridor (Whitinsville, MA 01588)
• Cape Cod National Seashore (Eastham, MA 02642)
• Salem Maritime National Historical Site (Salem, MA 01970)
• Springfield Armory National Historic Site (Springfield, MA 01105)
• The Lowell National Historical Park (Lowell, MA 01852)
• The Minute Man National Historical Park (Concord, MA 01742)

Civil War. The state is currently celebrating the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, and there is no better way to celebrate than to revisit Civil War history when you are here. Check out Civil War Boston and its selection of walking tours for you to enjoy.

History Museums. If you want to experience history for yourself, then go to the state's various history museums. Visit:

• Battle of Bunker Hill (Charlestown, MA 02115)
• John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum (Hyannis, MA 02601)
• New Bedford Whaling Museum (New Bedford, MA 02740)
• Salem Witch Museum (North, Salem, MA 01970)

If you are really serious about getting to a history museum, check with the New England Museum Association (Arlington, MA 02476) to get a list of close to 500 museums and historic sites that are most accessible to you.

Lighthouses. Lighthouses represent a lot of history and is a remembrance of the state's nautical past. Some of the best lighthouses in the area include:

• Boston Light (Boston, MA 02110), the oldest in America
• Brant Point Light (Nantucket, MA 02554), the second oldest lighthouse in America
• Highland Light (Truro, MA 02666), the first lighthouse you would see if you sail by ship from Europe
• Race Point Light (Provincetown, MA 02657), where you could stay overnight

Heritage trails. We admit that just looking at individual sites will not really give you a clear picture of a particular place's significance to history, the wars or whatever it represents. Good thing that in Massachusetts, you can actually go on a heritage trail to help you explore the historically and culturally important sites in the state. Go on the Freedom Trail where you begin in Boston Common and go through 16 landmarks in the city. There is also the Black Heritage Trail (Boston, MA 02114) and the Salem Heritage Trail (Salem, MA 01970).

Outdoor activities abound in the state, so much so that you could plan for an outdoor vacation that could last you a week!

You should include Massachusetts' state parks and forest in your itinerary. These are the best ways to view nature and relax at the same time. The state has one of the biggest state park systems, covering more than 450,000 acres of parks, freeways, forests and historical sites.

Beaches are very big in Massachusetts and there are several top ranking beaches that you can visit. For example, you can bring the whole family to Coast Guard Beach (Eastham, MA 02642), Revere Beach (Revere, MA 02151), Walden Pond State Reservation (Concord, MA 01742), Chatham Lighthouse Beach (South Chatham, MA 02659), Clammers Beach (Essex, MA 01929) or Madaket Beach (Nantucket, MA 02554), where you could do anything, from swimming, to building sandcastles, to clamming and even watching seals.

Adventure seekers come to Massachusetts for the outdoor fun that they could get here. You could go to Skydive Pepperell (Pepperell, MA 01463), where you can learn how to jump out of planes and freefall or you could ride a hot air balloon at Balloon School of Massachusetts (Brimfield, MA 01010)! But if you are afraid of heights, you could hike with some of the cutest llamas at Pinetum Farm Llama Hikes (Granby, MA 01033). You can always find something that would pump up your adrenaline with the state's six diverse regions in all four seasons!

Other stuff you could do and where best to do it:

Biking. Biking not only gives you a work out but it also gives you a great way to see the state. Some trails you can mix biking and sightseeing are Cape Cod Rail Trail (Dennis, MA 02660), Minuteman Bikeway (MA 02420), Norwottuck Rail Trail (MA 01035), and Ashuwillticook Rail Trail (Lanesborough, MA 01201). These Pioneer Valley trails are also great to try:

• Canalside Trail Bike Path (Turners Falls, MA 01376)
• Manhan Rail Trail (Easthampton, MA 01027)
• Quabbin Reservoir (Rutland, MA 01543)

Camping. The state has a great collection of state owned and privately owned campgrounds. Check out:

• Massasoit State Park (East Taunton, MA 02718)
• Dunes' Edge Campground (Provincetown, MA 02657)
• Pearl Hill State Park (West Townsend, MA 01474)
• Ellis Haven Family Campground (Plymouth, MA 02360)
• Salisbury Beach State Reservation (Salisbury, MA 01952)

Fishing. Catch both saltwater and freshwater fish with more than 500 ponds, rivers, streams and lakes as well as the waters in and around the cape and Islands.

Hiking. Great hiking trails you could explore include the Appalachian Trail (Pittsfield, MA 01237), Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (South Wellfleet, MA 02663), Purgatory Chasm (Sutton, MA 01590), Monument Mountain (Great Barrington, MA 01230), Swift River Reservation (Petersham, MA 01366), and Mt. Washington State Forest (MA 01258). If you would love to see a wide array of plants while hiking, go to Garden in the Woods (Framingham, MA 01701), or hike through Weir Hill Reservation (North Andover, MA 01845) for some family fun in the forest.

Snow. Snowboarding and skiing are two of the biggest winter activities in Masachussetts. Head to Canterbury Farm (Becket, MA 01223), Wachusett Mountain Ski Area (Princeton, MA 01541), Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort (Hancock, MA 01237) and Nashoba Valley Ski Area (Westford, MA 01886).

Water sports. The Bay State certainly has a lot of water fun in store for you. Check out Zoar Outdoor (Charlemont, MA 01339), or go kayaking with Essex River Basin Adventures (Essex, MA 01929) or go canoeing with South Bridge Boat House (Concord, MA 01742). You can also check out Cape Code Parasail and Jet Ski Gold Coast (South Yarmouth, MA 02664).

Massachusetts is also a great place to see whales up close. Contact these providers: Captain John Whale Watching and Deep Sea Fishing (Plymouth, MA 02360), Capt. Bill and Sons Whale Watch (Gloucester, MA 01930), and Boston's Best Cruises Whale Watch (Boston, MA 02110).

The state also gives you a chance to get up close to animals with its fine zoos and aquariums. Be sure to visit the dinosaur, African and eco-center halls of the Springfield Science Museum (Springfield, MA 01103) or Southwick's Zoo (Mendon, MA 01756), which is the largest zoo in New England. If you are in Boston, you can just go to the Franklin Park Zoo (Boston, MA 02121).

There is also a touch tank at the Berkshire Museum in Western Massachusetts (Pittsfield, MA 01201) while the New England Aquarium (Boston, MA 02110) has around 2,000 species of exotic fish, sea turtles and sharks all in one tank. They also have penguins living on the premises!

Lastly, you should check out Stone Zoo (Stoneham, MA 02180) and Zooquarium (West Yarmouth, MA 02673) for more animal fun!