Special Interest Trails
The Freedom Trail (Greater Boston)
Tel: 617-357-8300
www.thefreedomtrail.org Black Heritage Trail (Greater Boston)
Tel: 617-725-0022
www.afroammuseum.org Salem Heritage Trail (North of Boston)
Tel: 978-744-3663
www.salem.org
Area
8,257 square miles
Area Codes
413, 508, 617, 781, 978
Capital City
Boston
Climate
Massachusetts experiences a varying climate throughout the seasons, with the coastal areas slightly cooler than inland. Average seasonal temperatures range from 70-90°F in the summer to 50-70°F in the fall. Winter temperatures are cooler, usually staying around the freezing mark or lower. The average annual rainfall is between 40 and 50 inches.
Historical Dates
1620 – Arrival of Pilgrims on the Mayflower
1639 – Royal charter granted to the Massachusetts Bay Company
1775 – Revolutionary War begins at Lexington & Concord with “the shot heard round the world”
1788 – Sixth state to adopt the U.S. Constitution
Major Industries
Early industrial economy included woolen goods, cotton textiles, boot & shoe industry, leather and tanning, and machinery. Today’s industries, however, include biotechnology and biomedicine, farming, paper printing and publishing, marine sciences, polymer technology and, of course, tourism.
Official State Name
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Population
Approximately 6.5 million
State Parks
107
Tax Information
Massachusetts levies a statewide sales tax of 5%. Gasoline is taxed at 10%.
Towns
Massachusetts is made up of 49 cities and 302 towns.
Famous People
Massachusetts is the birthplace of many well-recognized names in the worlds of sports, science, politics, the arts and general celebrity. Among the long list are…
• Louisa May Alcott, author, Boston
• Emily Dickinson, poet, Amherst
• Theodore Geisel “Dr. Seuss”, author, Springfield
• Norman Rockwell, painter, Sturbridge
• Paul Revere, patriot, Boston
• Edgar Allan Poe, poet, Boston
• Alexander Graham Bell, inventor, Salem
• John Adams, 2nd U.S. President, Quincy
• John Quincy Adams, 6th U.S. President, Braintree
• John F. Kennedy, 35th U.S President, Brookline
• George H. W. Bush, president, Milton
• Barbara Walters, journalist, Boston
• Ben Afflect, actor, Cambridge
• Matt Damon, actor, Cambridge
• Jack Lemmon, actor, Boston
• Jay Leno, television personality, Andover
• Rocky Marciano, boxer, Brockton
Massachusetts Fast Facts
• The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in Plymouth in 1621.
• Harvard was the first American university, founded in Newtowne (now Cambridge) in 1636.
• The first American lighthouse was built in Boston Harbor in 1716.
• The first battle of the Revolution was fought in Lexington and Concord in 1775.
• Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized rubber in Woburn in 1839.
• Elias Howe invented the sewing machine in Boston in 1845.
• Louis Prang printed the first American Christmas card in Boston in 1875.
• Basketball was invented in Springfield and played for the first time there in 1891.
• Volleyball was invented in Holyoke and played for the first time there in 1895.
• Boston was home to the first subway system in America, opened in 1898.
Professional Spectator Sports
Boston Bruins
Tel: 617-624-BEAR
www.bostonbruins.com Boston Celtics
Tel: 617-523-3030
www.celtics.com New England Patriots
Tel: 1-800-543-1776
www.patriots.com Boston Red Sox
Tel: 617-482-4SOX
www.redsox.com
Visitor Information Centers
Route 3
Plymouth, exit 5 Interstate-90
Charlton, westbound & eastbound Interstate-95
Mansfield, northbound, b/w exits 5 & 6
Salisbury, southbound Interstate-195
Swansea, eastbound, b/w exits 2 & 3 Interstate-495
Chelmsford, northbound, b/w exits 32 & 33 Tourism information is also available throughout the state at local tourism centers and privately operated venues. For more information contact the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism at
1-800-227-MASS or visit www.massvacation.com.
Helpful Contacts
For expert advice on how to plan your tour to Massachusetts, or to order additional planning and promotional materials, we invite you to contact the state directly. Experienced travel professionals are standing by to help you with your plans! Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism
Contact: Dagny Ashley
Dagny.Ashley@state.ma.us
10 Park Plaza, Suite 4510, Boston, MA 02116
Tel: 617-973-8511
Toll Free: 1-800-227-MASS
Fax: 617-973-8525 www.massvacation.com Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Tel: 617-222-5000
www.mbta.com Massachusetts Highway Department
Tel: 617-973-7800
www.mhd.state.ma.us Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation
(State Parks & Walking Trails)
Tel: 617-626-1250
www.massparks.org Massachusetts Turnpike Authority
Tel: 617-248-2800
www.massturnpike.com
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Tel: 617-727-3668
www.massculturalcouncil.org Massachusetts Historical Commission
Tel: 617-727-8470
www.state.ma.us/sec/mhc/mhcidx.htm Massachusetts Farm Visits, Farmers’ Markets & Fairs
Tel: 617-626-1700
www.mass.gov/massgrown
Regional Tourism Councils
Greater Boston CVB
Tel: 617-536-4100 / 1-888-SEE-BOSTON
www.BostonUSA.com North of Boston CVB
Tel: 978-977-7760 / 1-800-742-5306
www.northofboston.org Greater Merrimack Valley CVB
Tel: 978-459-6150 / 1-800-443-3332
www.merrimackvalley.org Southeastern Massachusetts CVB
(Formerly Bristol County CVB)
Tel: 508-997-1250 / 1-800-288-6263
www.bristol-county.org Plymouth County CVB
Tel: 508-747-0100 / 1-800-231-1620
www.SeePlymouth.com Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce
Tel: 508-362-3225 / 1-888-33-CAPE-COD
www.capecodchamber.org Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce
Tel: 508-693-0085 / 1-800-505-4815
www.mvy.com Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce
Tel: 508-228-1700
www.nantucketchamber.org Central Massachusetts CVB
Tel: 508-755-7400 / 1-800-231-7557
www.worcester.org Greater Springfield CVB
Tel: 413-787-1548 / 1-800-723-1548
www.valleyvisitor.com Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
Tel: 413-773-5463
www.co.franklin.ma.us Mohawk Trail Association
Tel: 413-743-8127 / 1-866-743-8127
www.mohawktrail.com Discover the Berkshires Visitor Center
Tel: 413-743-4500 / 1-800-237-5747
www.berkshires.org
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