New England Travel

These 10 New England destinations are ‘full of holiday charm,’ according to ThePioneerWoman.com

A Hallmark movie was even filmed in one of the towns.

The Griswold Inn in Essex, Conn., featured in "Christmas at Pemberley Manor." Connecticut Office of Tourism

By Kristi Palma

1 minute to read

New England is bursting with holiday cheer: The region is home to 10 of the 40 best Christmas towns across America , and they’re “full of holiday charm,” according to ThePioneerWoman.com.

Massachusetts boasts the most top Christmas towns in the region, according to the website, which named Boston, Nantucket, and Stockbridge to the list. Other New England spots that made the cut include Burlington and Woodstock in Vermont; Essex and Mystic in Connecticut; Newport, R.I.; Portsmouth, N.H., and Kennebunkport, Maine.

The scenic cobblestone streets and brick buildings in Boston’s Beacon Hill are “the perfect place for endless Christmas strolls,” the website wrote. Nantucket hosts an annual Christmas stroll along Main Street. And Stockbridge recreates Norman Rockwell’s famous painting “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas (Home for Christmas).”

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In Vermont, Church Street Marketplace in Burlington “is ablaze with 250,000 lights,” and in Woodstock, guests can visit Billings Farm for Victorian era-inspired festivities.  

Newport’s famous Gilded Age mansions offer “grand holiday displays that will make you feel like you’re living in the lap of luxury,” according to the website. Meanwhile, in Portsmouth, N.H., guests enjoy a “Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth.” Over in Kennebunkport, Maine, Santa arrives by lobster boat each holiday season during the town’s “Christmas Prelude.” 

In Connecticut, Olde Mystick Village in Mystic will “transport you to 1720 where you can enjoy holiday bites, shopping, and lots of holiday cheer,” according to the site. And, finally, visitors can step into a holiday movie in Essex, where scenes from “Christmas at Pemberley Manor” were filmed at the historic Griswold Inn. 

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View the entire list of 40 best Christmas towns across America that are full of holiday charm.

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Kristi Palma

Travel writer

 

Kristi Palma is the travel writer for Boston.com, focusing on the six New England states. She covers airlines, hotels, and things to do across Boston and New England. She is the author of the award-winning Scenic Six, a weekly travel newsletter.

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