Quincy (Massachusetts)

Quincy is in Massachusetts. Quincy was the birthplace of presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams. United States Declaration of Independence signer and first Massachusetts governor John Hancock was also born here. Quincy produced the first commercial railroad in the country in order to transport the granite from its quarries to Boston for use in many buildings there. Quincy's shipbuilding history started with sailing ships in the 1800s and continued with battleships at the Fore River Shipyard. Howard Johnson's and Dunkin Donuts restaurants were also started here.

Abigail and John Quincy Adams

Get in

By air

• Logan International Airport (BOS), in Boston.

By train

• Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA or "T"), Phone: [phone], . Quincy has both subway and communter rail connections to Boston and some other South Shore towns.

By bus

• Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA or "T"), Phone: [phone], . Quincy has a number of bus routes as well.

By car

Interstate 93 runs south from Boston through Quincy.

Get around

Quincy is primarily residential, although the area around Quincy center is becoming increasingly urban. You can reach much of the city by bus, but most things worth seeing are within walking distance of an MBTA (redline) station.

See

• 🌍 Adams National Historical Park, 1250 Hancock St, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Historic homes: Apr 19 through Nov 10. Daily 9AM-5PM; Visitor Center is open during the Winter Season: Tu-F 10AM-4PM. Tours include the Old House and the Birthplaces. To see the historic homes, you must join a tour. The last tour leaves at 3:15PM. Site orientation is also available here, along with exhibits, a bookstore and the site's only public restrooms. The 14 acre (56,600 m²) park is comprised of the Birthplaces of John and John Quincy Adams, the Old House and the United First Parish Church. Reservations are required for groups of 8 or more, however, there is no group rate. You can also see the "Adam's Mansion," home of US President John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams, within a short walking distance of the Quincy Center MBTA (redline) station. $15, under 16 free. (updated Jun 2018)
• 🌍 USS Salem & the U.S. Naval Shipbuilding Museum, 739 Washington St, ☎ [phone]. The USS Salem is a 716 foot long US Navy Heavy Cruiser Gunship and is the worlds only example of that class of ship. The Salem was among the most advanced war ships of her day and served until 1959. She is now permanently moored at the place of her birth, the former Fore River Shipyard in historic Quincy, MA. The ship is also home to the US Naval Shipbuilding museum and has on display thousands of items relating to Naval history and shipbuilding. Summer daily 10AM-5PM; Winter Sa,Su 10AM-4PM. General Admission $5, children under 4 free, Active Duty Military free. Group guided tours are available with a reservation.  

The Adams Pew inside the United First Parish Church

• 🌍 Hancock Cemetery, 1305 Hancock St (Adjacent to City Hall). Graves of the Adams and Quincy families and John Hancock's father. Interesting graveyard art. Free.  
• Quincy Historical Society, 8 Adams St, ☎ [phone]. M-F 9AM-4PM, Sa Noon-4PM. Excellent overview of Quincy history in lovely stone building built on the site of Hancock's birth. $3. 
• 🌍 Dorothy Quincy Homestead, 39 Butler Rd. May-mid Oct. M-F 9AM-1PM.  
• Josiah Quincy House, 20 Muirhead St, ☎ [phone] ext 256. Seasonal. Tours on the hour. $4. 
• Thomas Crane Public Library, 40 Washington St, ☎ [phone]. M-Th 9AM-9PM, Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 1PM-5PM. Free. 
• 🌍 United First Parish Church, 1306 Hancock St (across from City Hall), ☎ [phone].  

Do

• Boston Harbor Islands State Park, Phone: [phone], . Take a ferry (703 Washington St., Phone: [phone], ) out to George's Island and water shuttles to visit any of five other islands in Boston Harbor. Ranger-led activities, events, narrations, or just swim, picnic, camp or fish.
• Bars, Quincy, especially along and around Hancock Street in Quincy Center, has a large number of bars. They are generally filled with locals from Quincy and surrounding areas. Popular bars include The Stadium and The Commonwealth. Unlike Boston, though, Quincy bars close at 1 AM.
• Quincy Quarries, The Quincy Quarries have supplied granite to Boston and buildings around the world with the tell-tale 'fingers' and bluish color. Now, they are empty and great places to hike or take a walk during the day. Some areas are filled with color by generations of teenagers' graffiti, others are used for rockclimbing, and you can walk down the United States' oldest railroad, an ox-drawn train to transport granite to the harbor for transportation to Boston or further.

Beach

• 🌍 Wollaston Beach, ☎ [phone]. Quincy Shore Drive. Nice 2.5-mile-long beach with lifeguards, free parking, and a bathhouse with public restrooms. Although swimming is officially safe and allowed, many residents don't as before environmental legislation in the 1970s the harbor was generally putrid—a reputation persisting despite a very different harbor today.  
• Black's Creek, Blacks Creek, along Wollaston Beach, is a very scenic marshland and creek. There are some paths through it, though few are maintained. However there are paths along it opposite the paths along the beach making for a fantastic walk up the beach and back along the marsh. Nestled into Blacks Creek is "Kincade Island", a peninsula into the creek with a children's playground and benches, and is entered by crossing a short wooden bridge.
• 🌍 Quincy Shores Reservation, ☎ [phone]. Quincy Shore Drive. Popular jogging and bicycling trail and beach.  
• Nickerson Beach, 120 Dorchester St, ☎ [phone]. Free parking 

Buy

Eat

• The Fours, 15 Cottage Ave. Quincy, MA 02169. Sports themed bar and restaurant with good food and decent beer. $$ 
• Gennaro's, 12 Blanchard Rd. Delicious Italian food in North End style but with a large menu and terrific price per portion (though upfront price seems $$). Portions are humongous, a large easily feeding two people, and side salads are very inexpensive. $ 
• Grumpy White's, 211 Sea St. A local restaurant and bar with American style food. 
• Newcomb Farms, 93 Beale St. Wollaston - DOwn home good food, at a reasonable price$ 
• La Paloma, 195 Newport Av, ☎ [phone]. Lunch, dinner. Good Mexican food. $$ 
• Inn at Bay Pointe, 64 Washington Ct, ☎ [phone]. Dine waterfront on the Town River. $$ 
• Captain Fishbones, 332 Victory Rd, ☎ [phone]. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch. Dine outside along the boardwalk at the marina. $-$$ 
• Classic India, 1585 Hancock St, ☎ [phone]. Lunch and dinner. $$ 
• Webster's Eatery, 25 Scammel St, ☎ [phone]. So. Quincy. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Specializes in Middle Eastern delicasies $ 
• Falafel King, 1504 Hancock St, ☎ [phone]. Middle Eastern food. $$ 

Drink

• The Four's, 15 Cottage Ave, ☎ [phone]. Claims to be named #1 Sports Bar in America by Sports Illustrated. 
• The Half-Door, 1514-1516 Hancock St, ☎ [phone]. One of the primary drinking establishments of young white-hatted locals known as "yah-doods" and their female counterparts. Comfortable, frequently features cover bands and Irish balladeers. 

Sleep

• Marriott Boston Quincy, 1000 Marriott Dr, ☎ [phone]. Tucked away on the Boston South Shore, the Boston Marriott Quincy Hotel offers easy access to Boston, Plymouth and Cape Cod. 
• Presidents City Inn, 845 Hancock St, ☎ [phone]. 36 rooms. $79. 
• Best Western Adams Inn, 29 Hancock St, toll-free: [phone]. $116-$150. 

Go next

The many attractions of Boston and Plymouth are only a short train ride away. Cape Cod or the North Shore are good day trips, too.

Routes through Quincy

Boston ← Milton ←	N  S	→ Braintree → Canton
Ends at ← Boston ←	N  S	→ Weymouth → Plymouth
END ←	N  S	→ Braintree → Kingston
Downtown Boston ← Dorchester ←	N  S	→ Braintree → END
END ← Boston ←	NW  SE	→ Weymouth → Scituate
END ← Boston ←	NW  SE	→ Randolph → Lakeville
END ← Boston ←	NW  SE	→ Braintree → Halifax