Marblehead is a scenic coastal town in the North Shore region of Massachusetts. This town of 20k has mostly retained its 18th century layout and is the perfect place to explore "old" New England. Additionally, many tourists skip Marblehead for the much more popular Salem, so you're likely to have a more personal experience here.

Swampscott with a population of 15k in 2020 is right next door.

Understand

View of Marblehead Harbor and Abbot Hall from Lighthouse Point.

Marblehead has over 200 homes and buildings that predate the Revolutionary War. Not only does Marblehead have beautiful historic houses, they also have smaller homes as well as the amazing mansions on the neck. These mansions were once summer homes and converted into full-time homes overtime. It is a well-known yachting resort.

Get in

Marblehead is an historic, seacoast town easily reached by car (40 minutes from Boston), by boat, or by Boston’s MBTA.

Originally settled in 1629, Marblehead is a beautiful town on the North Shore of Massachusetts. What sets this town apart from others in the area is that it is surrounded mostly by water and offers an almost nostalgic view of New England as one might imagine it ought to be. Marblehead offers an array of beautiful beaches as well as amazing views of the ocean, and a beautiful small town. A few different parts make up this small town. The main parts of the town, are "Old Town", which is the historic part of Marblehead that to this day has homes that were built when the town was first settled. Another part of town, is the "downtown" are which has become a little more urbanized overtime. They have many shops as well as stores like CVS. The last part of the town is Marblehead Neck. Marblehead Neck was once an Island, until the down decided to build a causeway to connect it to the rest of the town. Known for its amazing mansions and yacht clubs, the Neck is truly the prettiest part of the town. Marblehead has a website that offers the history and various links for what you can do in the town, http://www.marblehead.org/.

Get around

To get around the town, there are a couple different options:

1) MBTA Bus

There are two different bus routes you can take:

1. 441
2. 442

There are major bus stops in most parts of the town, for more information on schedules visit:

• MBTA. 
• The local trolley. The local trolley runs from Old Town throughout the town and around the neck, and runs on the weekends. The pick up area is in front of the Old Town Hall 

Bus service can be infrequent at times, so a car can be helpful.

See

• 1 Fort Sewall. Front St. (Rt. 114). (updated Jan 2022)
• 2 Frost Folk Art Museum, 170 Washington St, ☏ +1 781-631-1768. 
• 3 G.A.R. & Civil War Museum, ☏ +1 781-631-1768. Open Memorial Day, July 4th, and Christmas Walk or by appointment. 
• 4 Jeremiah Lee Mansion, 161 Washington Street, ☏ +1 781-631-1768. 
• 5 King Hooper Mansion, 8 Hooper St, ☏ +1 781-631-2608. Tu-Sa, noon–4PM; Su 1–5PM. 
• 6 Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St. 

Do

• 1 Atlantic Charters, 13 Drumlin Road, ☏ +1 781-639-0055. Sailing charters, lessons, rentals. 
• 2 Devereux Beach, 99 Ocean Ave. 24 hours daily. (updated Jun 2022)

Buy

Dozens of imaginative, family-owned boutiques & galleries along with scores of antique, gift and specialty shops dot the walkable town.

• 1 SHE, 86 Washington St, ☏ +1 781-639-9800. This store is very cute and set in the heart of Old Town. They carry various women's clothing lines such as Free People and JBrand Jeans. You will definitely find something to add to your wardrobe. 

Eat

Maddie's Sail Loft, State Street

• 1 The Barnacle, 141 Front Street, ☏ +1 781-631-4236. on the harbor. Seafood restaurant, lunch and dinner. 

Drink

• 1 Three Cod Tavern, 141 Pleasant St, ☏ +1 781 639-3263. This restaurant offers grab food at an affordable price, and it great for families. It also has a bar that is separate from the restaurant that is great for watching your favorite Boston sports teams. 
• 2 Cafe Vesuvius, 18 Bessom St, ☏ +1 781 639-8120. A great, family owned, Italian pizza shop. They serve amazing sandwiches and salads. What is great is that all of their entrees are named after the Greek gods. Affordable too! 
• 3 Marblehead House of Pizza, 7 Atlantic Ave. A part of history in Marblehead. Everyone can remember getting house of pizza since they were born. Great pizza and amazing service, you are going to want more right after you finish! 
• 4 F.L. Woods, 76 Washington St. This is a great store that is located in Old Town Marblehead. It truly catches the towns love for sailing and anything to do nautical. This company was the first to create a clothing line using the original color "Marblehead Green", which was originally used to paint the bottom of boats. 

Sleep

Over 30 romantic inn's and B&Bs offer a respite from the frenzy of city life.

• 1 The Seagull Inn Bed & Breakfast, 106 Harbor Ave. (Marblehead Neck), ☏ +1 781-631-1893. Check-in: 2pm, check-out: 11:30am. On beautiful Marblehead Neck just steps from ocean and harbor, this old New England inn has been restored with cherry floors, Shaker furniture, and original paintings. Comfortable and private guest suites, expandable for families. Water views from porch, dining room, some suites. Beautiful gardens. Kayaks and bikes free for guests. Beaches nearby. All rooms have private baths, TV/VCR/DVD, phone and refrigerator. $140 - $250. 

Go next

Routes through Marblehead

Danvers ← Salem ←	W  E	→ END
Reading ← Lynn ←	W  E	→ END