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The heritage trails in Massachusetts paint vivid pictures of days past. Yet they are also a great way to explore parts of the state you may not otherwise think to visit.

Surprising every step of the way, and perhaps the most famous heritage trail in the state, is the Freedom Trail. Beginning on Boston Common, where hordes of red-clad British troops once trained, the red-brick Freedom Trail connects 16 Boston landmarks. The Black Heritage Trail is also quite popular, as it explores the history of Boston’s 19th-century African-American community. The Salem Heritage Trail is a North Shore favorite: it transports you back to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and the days of sea captains, pirates and noted novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne.