Share All sharing options for: 12 quaint Massachusetts towns to visit this summer

Each is within a three hours’ drive of downtown Boston; several are reachable via train and bus too

Share All sharing options for: 12 quaint Massachusetts towns to visit this summer

This story is part of a group of stories called All things urban recreation, from reinventing the sidewalk to innovations in children's playground design.

Here are a dozen exceptionally charming towns and small cities in Massachusetts that are each within a three-hour drive of downtown Boston.

Several are within a similar timeframe by train or bus, too.

These 12 are not only beautiful to look at and perfect to enjoy in warmer weather arrives; they also include some hidden cultural and gastronomic gems.

A brief sampling: The world's largest collection of Norman Rockwell art; a repository of more than one million volumes of Yiddish film and literature; the Western Hemisphere's only Trappist brewery; and a museum dedicated to Emily Dickinson.

One final note: As you'll see, we didn't include towns on Martha's Vineyard or Cape Cod. Everyone goes there and there's already plenty of info available.

Also check out: Boston’s best beaches, mapped; Lighthouses near Boston that you can visit, mapped; and the Curbed Boston Pocket Guide: Summer 2018