Summary of Attractions in Hingham
A well-established coastal town on the South Shore, Hingham is situated near the southeastern edge of Boston Harbor and possesses a rich colonial history dating back to 1635.
This heritage is evident in downtown Hingham, where notable sights include the oldest church in continuous operation in the United States and the birthplace of General Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810), a prominent figure in the American Revolutionary War.
Hingham boasts an impressive array of public open spaces, including the scenic areas at World’s End, Bathing Beach, and Bare Cove Park.
This abundance of open areas extends into Hingham’s interior, where Wompatuck State Park and nearby reserves collectively provide 5,000 acres of forests, wetlands, ponds, meadows, and pastures.
1. World’s End
A location of remarkable natural beauty, World’s End is a rugged peninsula situated on a series of glacial drumlins between the Weir River and Hingham Harbor.
This stunning site attracted merchant John Brewer (1818-1893), who constructed his summer residence there in the mid-19th century and subsequently acquired surrounding lands, ultimately becoming the largest property owner in Hingham by the time of his demise.
In 1890, he engaged the renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to develop a subdivision with 163 homes on the property. While the carriage paths were established and still exist today, the project was never realized.
Furthermore, in 1945, World’s End was proposed as a possible site for the United Nations Headquarters. This 251-acre reservation offers breathtaking views of the Boston skyline, Hingham Harbor, and the Weir River.
2. Downtown Hingham
Featuring some of the town’s earliest streets, which extend towards the harbor, downtown Hingham’s upscale center has a history that spans nearly 400 years.
This area is well-suited for pedestrian exploration, presenting numerous intriguing points of interest.
One significant landmark is the Old Ship Church, detailed further below, while the General Benjamin Lincoln House (1715) is notable for being the birthplace of the major general who formally accepted the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781.
The Hingham Historical Society has prepared a custom Google map highlighting essential landmarks, encompassing a variety of themes from 17th-century history to local industry.
Against this historical backdrop, downtown Hingham serves as a contemporary hub teeming with boutiques, galleries, international dining, artistic endeavors, cultural events, and recreational activities.
During the Third Thursday Stroll, a variety of stores remain open late, and the Hingham Historical Society offers complimentary guided walking tours throughout the event.
3. Bathing Beach
Gracing the western shore of Hingham Harbor, this picturesque public park comprises a beach, expansive grassy areas, a bandstand, and seasonal facilities including concessions and restrooms.
In the summer months, timing your visit around high tide allows for an enjoyable sandy experience.
Regardless of the season, the harbor views and vistas of World’s End are captivating, and the Harbor Boardwalk offers historical insights with interpretive signs detailing Hingham’s former mackerel industry.
Bathing Beach also hosts the third-oldest farmers’ market in Massachusetts, which convenes on Saturday mornings from May through mid-November at 96 Otis Street.
4. Loring Hall
In 1936, a historic Greek Revival gathering hall on Main Street in Hingham’s historic center was transformed into a single-screen cinema, a function it continues to serve today.
Loring Hall, established in 1852 by the town, originally functioned as a venue for social meetings, lectures, and other community activities, but had fulfilled its purpose by the 20th century.
Even after nearly 90 years since its conversion, it remains one of the more unique venues to experience a film. Surprisingly, Loring Hall offers mainstream films rather than niche arthouse selections, screening first-run movies in line with other theaters.
The auditorium features a balcony, and the screen, sound system, and seating have all been recently upgraded to modern standards.
5. Old Ship Church
The last remaining 17th-century Puritan meetinghouse in the United States is located at 107 Main Street. Established in 1681, it is recognized as the oldest church still used for worship in North America.
Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960, the Old Ship Church preserves several original meetinghouse fixtures, including a rare christening bowl believed to have accompanied emigrants from Hingham, England, to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Behind the church, you will find the Old Ship Burying Ground, the resting place of many of Hingham’s first settlers, marked by somber headstones.
6. Hingham Heritage Museum (Hingham Historical Society)
The Hingham Historical Society, founded in 1914, oversees a selection of significant historic properties within the town.
The headquarters and Hingham Heritage Museum are situated in the elegant Old Derby Academy, which was constructed in the Federal style in 1818.
Established in 1784, the private Derby Academy is the oldest coeducational institution in the United States and relocated to a new campus in 1960.
On the second floor, the society showcases a rotating collection of exhibits depicting Hingham’s history over the centuries, encompassing mackerel fishing, seafaring, shipbuilding, and manufacturing, particularly in bucket fabrication. The archives are located on the third floor, and the facility also includes a visitor center and museum shop on the ground floor.
7. Bare Cove Park
From 1917 until the early 1970s, a substantial portion of the eastern bank of the Weymouth Back River was home to the Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot, providing jobs for nearly 2,500 civilian and military personnel.
Notably, saxophonist John Coltrane was once stationed in Hingham and performed with the depot’s jazz band. Today, 484 acres are designated as a town-owned park, functioning as a wildlife sanctuary and venue for low-impact recreation.
Bare Cove Park features five miles of paved and wooded trails, offering scenic pathways along the riverside with picturesque views toward the wooded esker on the Weymouth bank.
Visitors can find remnants of the former depot, including wharves and mooring posts along the riverfront, as well as hidden bunkers nestled within the woodlands.
8. The Old Ordinary
The Hingham Historical Society preserves this historic tavern, which was gifted in 1920 by writer and philanthropist Wilmon Brewer (1895-1998).
The Old Ordinary was situated on the main stagecoach route from Boston and is named for its role as a venue where travelers could stop for a simple meal and a beverage. Constructed in 1686, the tavern operated for over 150 years.
Adjacent to the tavern is a beautifully landscaped formal garden designed by the Olmsted Firm at the beginning of the 20th century, along with the 17th-century Old Fort House and the Arts and Crafts Annex.
Guided tours and special events are offered mid-June through September, with popular Candlelight Tours taking place in November.
9. Wompatuck State Park
Occupying a significant portion of Hingham’s boundaries, this 3,500-acre public recreation area is an excellent starting point for nature enthusiasts. It features a 250-site campground, 40 miles of forested trails, and an additional 12 miles of safe, non-motorized roads.
A remarkable feature near the campground is Mt Blue Spring, renowned for providing exceptionally pure spring water since its tapping in the mid-19th century.
Similar to Bare Cove Park, a substantial section of this area was part of the Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot, and remnants of former military structures are scattered throughout.
At the northern end, the old Whitney Spur railroad has been repurposed into a rail trail, connecting Wompatuck State Park with an extensive network of paths through neighboring reservations.
10. Stodder’s Neck
Extending into the Weymouth Back River alongside a revitalized waterfront area is a peninsula that previously served as a sand and gravel pit.
Stodder’s Neck has become a favored location for dog walking, particularly since dogs are allowed to roam off-leash and enjoy splashing in the river.
A fence at the point of the peninsula provides reassurance, and the main path encircles the water’s edge. In the center, a sparsely wooded hilltop offers a scenic overlook of the river’s mouth and Boston Harbor.
11. Whitney and Thayer Woods
Spilling over into Cohasset, more than 5,000 acres of Hingham’s interior area are publicly accessible, interconnected by a network of reservations linked to Wompatuck State Park.
The most extensive of these is Whitney and Thayer Woods, maintained by the Trustees of Reservations. Covering nearly 900 acres, this area features woodlands with glacial erratics, streams, and vernal pools, once part of the estate belonging to industrialist Henry Melville Whitney (1839-1923).
Visitors can traverse old carriage paths on foot or by bicycle through hardwood forests and open meadows, leading to some of the region’s most impressive glacial formations.
One group of boulders, referred to as Ode’s Den, is named after a 19th-century hermit who sought shelter under one after losing his home in 1830.
Consider climbing the adjacent Turkey Hill for panoramic views of Cohasset Harbor, while the Milliken Memorial Path, established in the 1920s, boasts stunning rhododendron and azalea blossoms in springtime.
12. Weir River Farm
Adjacent to Whitney and Thayer Woods, this operational farm and nature reserve, also owned by the Trustees of Reservations, was once the summer residence of Boston painter and pastel artist Polly Thayer Starr (1904-2006).
Starr donated Weir River Farm in 1999, allowing visitors to stroll along footpaths that wind through open fields, pastures, and oak and red cedar woods.
Children particularly enjoy observing various animals, including goats, pigs, horses, cows, sheep, and a llama.
The trails on Weir River Farm connect seamlessly with Whitney & Thayer Woods and Wompatuck State Park, offering thousands of acres of continuous open land for exploration.
13. Bare Cove Fire Museum
At the entrance of Bare Cove Park, one will find an engaging museum dedicated to documenting Hingham’s extensive firefighting history.
The Bare Cove Fire Museum, established in 1974, features an impressive collection of historical firefighting equipment.
Visitors can view an array of meticulously preserved fire engines and ladder trucks from 1922, 1924, 1935, and 1939, in addition to a hand engine dating back to the early 20th century.
Exhibits also showcase the restoration process of a 1937 Dodge/Maxim Forest Wagon.
Wall displays recount lesser-known events from the town’s history, such as the Hingham High School fire of 1927.
14. Patriot Cinemas at the Hingham Shipyard
In 2009, the local Patriot Cinemas company, also responsible for running Loring Hall, expanded to open a multiplex at the historical WWII Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard, conveniently located near the ferry docks.
This modern cinema features Colonial-inspired architecture, presenting a clapboard facade, pilasters, and a cupola above the lobby.
Internally, it showcases a contemporary, well-equipped facility with six auditoriums, all furnished with stadium seating. This theater is part of Hingham Launch, a revitalized area that includes new residential streets to the east and a variety of dining options nearby, ideal for date nights and family outings.
15. Derby Street Shops
This elegant outdoor shopping center, which opened in the mid-2000s, is located at the southwestern corner of Hingham and features approximately 65 retail shops and dining establishments.
Derby Street Shops are designed with long, tree-lined sidewalks, showcasing vintage-style streetlamps and storefronts reminiscent of New England seaside towns.
At the time of writing, several retailers within the mall include Allbirds, Sephora, Banana Republic, Barnes & Noble, LOFT, American Eagle, Levi’s, Kohl’s Gap, J. Crew, Apple, and Whole Foods.
Diverse dining options encompass branches of CAVA, Chipotle, Panera, Legal C Bar, and Bertucci’s.
