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| (Courtesy Adams National Historical Park) |
The father/son presidential dynasty duo helped to shape America's political identity. Adams was a leading Revolutionary War figure and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and son John Quincy was an author of the Monroe Doctrine. Tours of the Adams National Historical Park include the houses where each man was born. Among the artifacts on display: a King James Bible given to John Quincy by the Amistad slaves as thanks for defending their case. 135 Adams St., 617/770-1175, nps.gov/adam, $5.
LOUISA MAY ALCOTT, Concord, Mass.
At various times, The Wayside—now part of Minute Man National Historical Park—was home to three great U.S. writers: Louisa May Alcott (who lived there for several years as a teenager; her family called it Hillside), Nathaniel Hawthorne (famous for The Scarlet Letter; he changed the home's name to The Wayside), and Margaret Sidney (author of the Five Little Peppers books for children, which were immensely popular around the turn of the last century). The visitors center has exhibits on all three. 455 Lexington Rd., 978/369-6993, nps.gov/mima, $5.
CLARA BARTON, North Oxford, Mass.
"The Angel of the Battlefield" treated thousands of injured soldiers and secured much-needed medical supplies during the Civil War and helped with humanitarian relief efforts during the Franco-Prussian War in Europe. These experiences led her to found the American Red Cross in 1881. The Clara Barton Birthplace Museum collection includes a Civil War field desk made for her by her brother. 68 Clara Barton Rd., 508/987-5375, clarabartonbirthplace.org, $6.
EMILY DICKINSON, Amherst, Mass.
Only a handful of the nearly 2,000 poems Dickinson wrote were published in her lifetime-and they were probably printed without her consent. Two tours are available at the Emily Dickinson Museum. The first explores the Homestead, where the reclusive poet was born and lived almost her entire life (in her bedroom there's an 1850s writing desk similar to the one she used). A longer one also visits The Evergreens next door, home of her brother and his family. Both tours end with a poetry reading under an oak tree. 280 Main St., 413/542-8161, emilydickinsonmuseum.org, from $6.
JAMES MCNEILL WHISTLER, Lowell, Mass.
One of the most distinguished artists of the 19th century, James McNeill Whistler was renowned for his paintings and etchings as well as for his extravagant living and famous friends like Oscar Wilde. His birthplace—a simple clapboard house built in 1823—is now home to the Whistler House Museum of Art, which also exhibits works by Arshile Gorky, John Singer Sargent, and William Morris Hunt. The Whistler Room (also the room in which the artist was born in 1834) holds several original etchings and palettes. 243 Worthen St., 978/452-7641, whistlerhouse.org, $5.
