Boston To New York Road Trip

Stretching over 230 miles (370 km), a Boston to New York street journey is a comparatively quick journey that sees travellers go via a number of New England states, resembling Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, earlier than ending epically within the coronary heart of Manhattan. The quickest route takes 3 hr 50 min (215.0 mi) driving alongside the I-90 W, however with so many pretty cities and historic sights to discover, you’ll get pleasure from taking a slower journey. 

From charming colonial cities to cities dwelling to probably the most prestigious universities on the earth to the witch trials of Salem and the birthplace of two US presidents in Quincy, there’s a lot to soak up and expertise between these two influential cities. Here’s what to see on a Boston to New York street journey. 

20 Places To Visit On A Boston to New York Road Trip

Around Boston

1- Freedom Trail, Massachusetts

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile-long (4 km) walkable vacationer attraction that connects 16 of Boston’s greatest historic landmarks for guests to study.

Whisking you thru greater than 250 years of historical past, Boston created the path in 1951 to rejoice and protect town’s most iconic buildings and establishments.

The path recounts Boston’s wealthy historical past from the American Revolution to at this time via numerous historic church buildings, museums, parks and even a ship.

Over 4 million individuals hike the Freedom Trail yearly, making it one in all Boston’s greatest free-to-do actions.

2- Harvard University, Massachusetts

Established by John Harvard, a Puritan clergyman, in 1636, Harvard University is a personal Ivy League analysis college world-renowned for its academia and one of the crucial prestigious faculties on the earth.

Harvard’s 10 colleges are unfold out throughout three distinct campuses all through Boston correct, with the primary campus being in Cambridge, simply north of Downtown Boston.

Harvard’s 209-acre (85 ha) Cambridge campus options a number of spectacular landmarks to see, together with Harvard Square, University Hall and Memorial Hall, making it a captivating street journey vacation spot to cease at earlier than persevering with your journey to New York.

Harvard University is in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

3- Salem, Massachusetts

Before heading south, it’s price taking a brief detour to the north to go to Salem. 

Salem, Massachusetts, was positioned firmly on the proverbial map when it grew to become floor zero for the notorious Salem Witch Trials of the late 1600s.

Mass hysteria broke out among the many English colonists within the space when a number of inhabitants had been accused of witchcraft, resulting in the execution of 19 adults and kids rumoured to be witches.

The tragic occasion without end formed Salem’s tradition, with many vacationers visiting Salem yearly to be taught extra in regards to the trails and the occasions that led as much as them.

Today, Salem is a classy vacationer vacation spot with numerous sights, such because the Peabody Essex Museum and the Salem Witch Trials Memorial.

For a go to like no different, cease by this sleepy city simply north of Boston throughout Halloween, when Salem’s autumn colors and spooky historical past mix to create a magical environment.

Salem is 25 miles (40 km) from Boston and about 40 minute by street. 

Also learn:

Route 1 – The Coast Route

4- Quincy, Massachusetts

South of Downtown Boston, Quincy is a small Massachusetts coastal metropolis well-known for being the birthplace of former US Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams.

Quincy was additionally the birthplace of John Hancock, the primary particular person to signal the Declaration of Independence, and was the place America’s first business railroad and Dunkin’ Donuts retailer had been established.

A metropolis of many firsts, Quincy is a significant historic city that’s wonderful to cease at as you go additional south in direction of Plymouth and Rhode Island.

Quincy is 11.6 miles (19 km) from Boston and round a 25-minute drive.

5- Plimoth Patuxet, Massachusetts

A residing museum, the Plimoth Patuxet in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is a big historic website that recounts the tales of the area’s English Pilgrims and the native Patuxet People.

The venue options a number of necessary landmarks and sights for guests and historical past buffs to see, together with the Mayflower II, a reconstructed Seventeenth-Century English Village, and a Patuxet Homesite.

A must-visit place in Massachusetts to higher perceive the area’s wealthy previous, the Plimoth Patuxet is a captivating place to plan a history-packed street journey cease.

Plimoth Patuxet is 34 miles (55 km) from Quincy and a couple of 40-minute drive. 

6- Providence, Rhode Island

Home to quite a few public parks, a vibrant performing arts scene and a number of other fascinating museums, Providence is among the many most influential cities in New England.

Providence offers street trippers with a wholesome steadiness of previous and new to expertise throughout numerous historic and modern sights, such because the John Brown House Museum, the annual WaterFire competition, and the primary campus of Brown University.

Providence is 57 miles (92 km) from Plimoth Patuxet and a couple of 1hr 10 min drive. 

Recommended tour: Downcity Providence Food Tour

7- International Tennis Hall of Fame, Rhode Island

Established in 1986, this former run-down on line casino turned tennis museum honours the most important tennis stars all through the historical past of this standard world sport.

Several legendary tennis gamers are inductees of the tennis corridor of fame, together with Andre Agassi, Arthur Ashe, Rod Laver and Martina Hingis, with notable former gamers added yearly.

Tennis-inspired artwork and interactive shows honouring the historical past of tennis are simply among the cool and distinctive issues to see on the museum, now a National Historic Landmark.

An ideal vacation spot for a day street journey pit cease, the museum will maintain even those that aren’t sports activities followers entertained, with the venue being one of many premier sightseeing factors in Newport.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame is 34 miles (55 km) from Providence and a 50-minute drive. 

8- Cliff Walk and The Breakers, Rhode Island

One of the most effective strolling spots on the East Coast, the Cliff Walk in Newport is a must-visit in the event you get pleasure from relaxed strolls alongside the ocean.

With many splendid mansions lining the stroll, strollers get to view among the most spectacular properties within the nation regardless of many failed makes an attempt by their homeowners to dam the trail to the general public.

The Breakers is a kind of flashy mansions lining the Cliff Walk and one in all Rhode Island’s most well-known historic mansions.

Built by Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1895 for his instant household, this beautiful 70-room Italian Renaissance-style manor is a National Historic Landmark and a spot that guests must see to consider.

You can simply go to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, go to The Breakers and do the Cliff Walk in sooner or later, making this a part of Rhode Island an ideal place to cease between Boston and New York.

Recommended: Scenic Newport, RI Self-Driving Audio Tour.

9- Mystic, Connecticut

Mystic is your typical Connecticut coastal metropolis, full with romantic seashores, charming streets, and a wealthy maritime previous in Connecticut’s southeast nook close to the Rhode Island state border.

The metropolis was first established within the Seventeenth century and has stood on the centre of the Northeast’s shipbuilding trade, with over 600 ships inbuilt Mystic all through town’s historical past.

While Mystic is not an necessary shipbuilding website, the trendy metropolis is dwelling to quite a few family-friendly sights and landmarks such because the Mystic Aquarium, the Olde Mistick Village and the Mystic Seaport.

Rich in New England historical past and tradition, Mystic is a captivating coastal paradise you’ll love exploring when road-tripping between Boston and New York.

Mystic is 50 miles (80 km) from the Cliff Walk and a 1 hr 10-minute drive. 

Recommended: Mystic Seaport Museum Adventure.

10- Yale University, Connecticut

Classy, subtle, and the ying to Harvard’s yang, Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, is a personal Ivy League analysis college and one of many world’s most prestigious. 

Yale was established in 1701 by the Connecticut Colony’s Congregationalist clergy and is the third-oldest larger schooling establishment within the United States.

Many Nobel Prize winners and presidents have rolled via the doorways of Yale.

The college’s stunning tree-lined campus makes it a historic and scenic vacation spot as you go via peaceable Connecticut.

Yale University is a Connecticut landmark 56 miles (90 km) from Mystic and a 1-hour drive. From Yale, it’s a 1.5-hour drive to Central Park. 

Route 2 – Inland Detour

An inland detour from Boston to Northampton to Springfield and Hartford is one other route that may get you to New York. Here are some highlights. 

11- Northampton, Massachusetts

Known all through New England for its educational and inventive prowess, Northampton is a quaint little metropolis in western Massachusetts inside two hours of Downtown Boston.

Northampton is usually thought to be America’s most various mid-sized metropolis as a consequence of Northampton’s repute as a beacon for counterculture actions.

Quirky for some and forward-thinking for others, Northampton provides many sights and landmarks catering to guests of all pursuits and backgrounds.

The Smith College Museum of Art, the scenic Norwottuck Rail Trail and the historic Academy of Music Theatre are simply a few of Northampton’s many desirable issues to do, so make sure to plan a go to to this distinctive New England vacation spot.

Northampton is 104 miles (167 km) from Boston and a couple of 2-hour drive. 

12- Hartford, Connecticut

The capital of Connecticut and the self-proclaimed ‘Insurance Capital of the World’, Hartford is a captivating metropolis conveniently located roughly midway between Boston and New York City.

Home to many scenic public parks, historic landmarks and distinctive cultural establishments, Hartford is a beautiful metropolis to plan a go to with one thing for everybody to do.

Hartford is filled with cool sights, from the historic Mark Twain House & Museum to the grandiose Connecticut State Capitol.

Hartford is 45 miles (73 km) from Northampton and fewer than a 1-hour drive. 

13- Litchfield, Connecticut

Settled by Europeans within the early 18th century, Litchfield has retained its typical New England 1700s really feel.

Known initially as Bantam, the city has a number of sights and landmarks price seeing, together with Connecticut’s largest pure lake.

You is perhaps stunned to be taught that the picturesque city was a weapons depot throughout the Revolutionary War.

History, tradition and nature in and round Litchfield make it a preferred street journey stopping level in Connecticut and an ideal place to spend a day or two.

Litchfield is 32 miles (52 km) from Hartford and about 45 minutes of driving. 

14- Culinary Institute of America, New York

Situated in Hyde Park and overlooking the scenic Hudson River, the Culinary Institute of America is a culinary faculty specialising in educating baking, culinary and pastry arts.

Foodies will love stopping right here to see the place many well-known cooks have perfected their commerce on the CIA since its founding in 1946.

The faculty was the primary culinary arts school in America at its founding.

It additionally has a scenic campus and is dwelling to 4 eating places serving meals made by the establishment’s college students. 

The Culinary Institute of America is at 1946 Campus Dr, Hyde Park, NY 12538, 54 miles (87 km) from Litchfield and round 1 hr 16 minutes on the street. 

15- Storm King Art Center, New York

The Storm King Art Center is an open-air museum in upstate New York with grounds unfold over 500 acres (202 ha).

Featuring ever-changing reveals and shows, the centre was shaped in 1960 to guard the scenic forests, hills and meadows of the Storm King Mountains.

Conveniently situated simply an hour’s drive north of Manhattan, the centre is known for its unbelievable artwork exhibitions, which frequently function work and sculptures from the collections of artwork galleries worldwide.

The centre’s gorgeous landscapes completely compliments the artwork shows, making it a highly-rated and globally recognised cultural establishment that’s all the time an ideal vacation spot to cease at on any Boston to New York street journey.

The Storm King Art Center is at 1 Museum Rd, New Windsor, NY, 27 miles from Hyde Park and a couple of 42-minute drive. 

16- US Military Academy at West Point, New York

Most individuals comprehend it as ‘West Point’, and its declare to fame is it’s the oldest service academy within the USA. 

Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1802, the academy educates cadets who plan on enlisting within the navy after their time at West Point.

The academy is a devoted National Historic Landmark.

Situated in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley, West Point’s gorgeous Norma-style structure, fascinating historical past, and cultural significance make the academy a preferred vacationer attraction.

There’s a customer’s centre and the oldest navy museum in America for guests to be taught extra about navy historical past. 

US Military Academy at West Point is at 606 Thayer Rd, West Point, NY. It’s 10 miles (16km) from the Storm King Art Center.  

17- Kykuit Estate, New York

The Kykuit Estate, or the John D. Rockefeller Estate, is an impressive 250-acre (101 ha) property constructed for the Rockefeller household, one in all America’s most influential households, in 1913.

Featuring over 40 rooms, the property is a devoted National Historic Landmark and is open to the general public for excursions.

About 25 miles (40 km) north of New York City, the property is straightforward to succeed in and is likely one of the most gorgeous historic landmarks within the Hudson Valley.

Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate is 28 miles (45 km) from Westpoint at 381 N Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591. The driving time from Westpoint is about 40 minutes. 

18- Sleepy Hollow, New York

In New York’s Westchester County on the banks of the Hudson River, Sleepy Hollow, as soon as often called North Tarrytown, was the setting for the eerie 1820 quick story by Washington Irving titled “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”.

The city’s title was formally modified to Sleepy Hollow in 1996 to rejoice the novel that put the city on the map.

Today, Modern-day Sleepy Hollow treats guests to a laundry listing of enjoyable and distinctive issues to do, starting from the Old Dutch Church, which impressed Irving’s story ‘Headless Horseman’, to the scenic Rockefeller State Park Preserve and its gorgeous wildlife.

New York

19- Central Park, New York

The world-famous Central Park was established in 1858 to offer a quickly rising New York City with a much-needed leisure space to retreat to.

Originally supposed to carry a slice of the countryside to busy Manhattan, Central Park nonetheless offers metropolis slickers with expansive greenery to get pleasure from away from the noisy and overcrowded streets of the Big Apple.

More than 42 million individuals cease by the park yearly, making it probably the most visited public park within the USA, and wandering across the park is likely one of the prime issues to do in New York.

Meticulously designed by notable public park planners Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, Central Park is dwelling to a number of wonderful issues to get pleasure from and serves as the proper place to finish your once-in-a-lifetime street journey via America’s Northeast nook.

Treat your self to a Standard Central Park Horse Carriage Ride (Long Loop – 45 Minutes)

20- Empire State Building, New York

A real icon of the Big Apple’s world-famous skyline, the 102-story Art Deco-style Empire State Building is a hovering American landmark that took only one yr to complete.

Officially opened to the general public in 1931, the construction held the title of the world’s tallest constructing for practically 4 a long time when the World Trade Center eclipsed it in 1970.

The Empire State Building is in Midtown, Manhattan, and attracts over 4 million guests yearly because of its excessive remark decks and illustration in popular culture.

Not solely is that this iconic skyscraper one in all New York City’s must-visit landmarks, however its pioneering design and top-notch vantage factors make it a very unmissable street journey attraction to cease by as you close to the top of your Boston to New York journey.

The Empire State Building is 30 miles (48 km) from Sleepy Hollow. Driving time will rely on visitors circumstances. Skip the road and guide your entry ticket right here.