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Road Trip-Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine







*Due to corona restrictions, please check the websites of the below locations before visiting.


New England has plenty to offer for president enthusiasts and a short distances to cover, which makes it a great part of the country to explore our nation’s history as you won’t be spending considerable time driving from location to location, allowing for more time to take in the scenery and exploring offshoots that spark your interest. Despite the short distances between points of interest you may want to consider a hotel, VRBO or similar to make the trip a little more comfortable, relaxing, and worthwhile rather than rushing through this part of the country. I’ll begin in Boston as it’s a logical city to begin your tour but of course you start your tour wherever you’d like. So why Boston? Well, it’s the location of two president gravesites and John F. Kennedy Museum and Library. Technically, the gravesites are located in Quincy, a suburb of the city, in a crypt at United First Parish Church. Crypt visiting hours are seasonal so please check the website or contact the church. Father and son are interred, along with their wives, in crypt under the vestibule. The crypt, divided into two equally sized rooms, is lighted so picture taking will not be a problem. You can also see some artifacts outside the crypt in the hallway. Total time in this church and crypt will take about 30 minutes. Across the street from the church is Hancock Cemetery, the former resting site of father and son and their wives, and you can still visit the JQ Adams vault in the cemetery. It makes for a great picture with the church in the background. To complete the trip to Quincy, consider visiting the John Adams National Historic Park at Old House and their birthplaces, which are 75 feet apart. Tickets, $15 per person and free for kids under 16, are required and can be purchased at the Visitor Center; parking is available at the Visitor Center. Plan on 3 hours to tour the Adams homestead and birthplaces.

About 15 minutes by car north of Quincy is the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. This is worth the visit and time as you can see a replica of the Oval Office from his time in office, artifacts, and exhibits on the Kennedy Administration. Tickets are $14 per person and kids under 12 are free; tickets can be purchased online. Parking is available. Plan on 2-3 hours for your visit.


*If interested, about 30 minutes west of Boston is Dell Park Cemetery in Natick, where you can visit the gravesite of Henry Wilson, 18th vice-president under President Grant. It’s not an obvious gravesite so you may spend a few minutes looking for it.


If you visit Natick, then you’ll head north for a three-hour drive (if you leave from Boston, reduce drive time by 30 minutes) to Plymouth, Vermont where you’ll stop at Plymouth Notch Cemetery to visit the gravesite of President Coolidge, along with his wife and two sons. It’s an easy find and parking is available. It’s a short visit as there’s not much to the cemetery. His gravesite can be found near the bottom of the hillside cemetery in front of a rock wall. Near the cemetery-one minute by car-is the Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site. You can tour Coolidge’s birthplace and childhood home as well as the village surrounding the site. The site operates seasonally from late May through mid-October but check the website for details. Admission is $8 for a tour of the museum and homestead or $5 for just the museum; kids under 15 are free. Parking is available. Plan on 2-3 hours for your visit.


Two hours southeast from Plymouth is Concord, New Hampshire, site of Old North Cemetery and the gravesite of President Pierce, as well as his wife and three sons (the gravesite inscriptions has two of his three sons). His gravesite is towards the back of the cemetery. Parking is available near the cemetery. In case you have a difficult time locating the cemetery it’s near the Capitol. Plan on spending about 15 minutes. If you want to see more of President Pierce, consider visiting the Franklin Pierce Homestead Historic Site in Hillsborough, about 45 minutes southwest of Concord. He lived in the home from infancy until his marriage in 1834. The fee is $5 and for kids 6-17 it’s $3; kids 5 and under are free. Parking is available. Plan on 1-2 hours for your visit.


At this point, you’ve visited all the major president sites in New England related to men covered above. But if you want to visit one more site, then you’ll head north to Bangor, Maine to see the gravesite of Hannibal Hamlin, 15th vice-president under President Lincoln. If you decide to make the drive, it’ll take between 3.5 and 4 hours depending on the route you take to arrive at Mount Hope Cemetery. Keep in mind Maine is also the home of Acadia National Park, which is only 80 short minutes from Bangor.



Sites of Interest:

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum - https://www.jfklibrary.org

John Adams National Historic Landmark – https://www.nps.gov/adam/planyourvisit/fees.htm

Hancock Cemetery (across the street from the church)

United First Parish Church - https://ufpc.org

Calvin Coolidge Homestead or President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site - https://historicsites.vermont.gov/calvin-coolidge

Mount Hope Cemetery- https://mthopebgr.com


*Chester Arthur Historic Site-there is some debate on this site, so I’ll leave it up to you to decide if it’s worth visiting. https://historicsites.vermont.gov/chester-arthur


Notables To Visit in the States:

John Adams

John Quincy Adams

Calvin Coolidge

Franklin Pierce

Hannibal Hamlin*

Henry Wilson*







 
 
 

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