Join us on this walk through Lynn Woods to Stone Tower and Dungeon Rock. Lynn Woods Reservation is the second largest municipal park in the greater Boston area. This 2,200 acre forest reserve consists of ponds, wetlands, streams, deciduous/evergreen forest and rocky ledge. The ponds provide the drinking water for the residents of Lynn and surrounding communities. Wildlife abounds in the forest. More than an aquifer, wildlife preserve, wilderness experience, Lynn Woods is a unique adventure. www.flw.org

Lynn's annual downtown arts festival features live music, art activities for kids and more than 40 arts and craft vendors. This family friendly event has something for everyone. In addition "The Portrait Show" will open to the public from 2-4pm on Saturday, September 25 in the LynnArts Galleries adjacent to the Festival. www.lynnarts.org

Guided tours of one of America's largest & most opulent homes just before independence, surviving nearly intact. Built in 1768 for Colonel Jeremiah Lee, one of America's wealthiest men. Superlative features: a wide staircase embellished with unique mahogany paneling, intricate woodwork carving, and twist-turned balusters; hand-painted original wallpapers that are the only 18th c. English scenic murals on paper still in place and one of only two sets surviving in the world; and a block-printed pattern on the third floor that is the only 18th c. English wallpaper with Chinese motifs still in its original home. 18 rooms on 3 floors. www.marbleheadmuseum.org

Take this opportunity to see the Marblehead Civil War Museum in Marblehead's Old Town House built in 1727. View a DVD about Marblehead's contributions and connections to the Civil War narrated by Anthony Silva of WBZ Radio (available for purchase). Stay for an early dinner at downtown restaurants or on the harbor front, a short walk down Washington St. or State St. www.marbleheadmuseum.org

Delightful and engaging paintings of life in Marblehead and at sea in times past, painted in the 1920s by J.O.J. Frost of Marblehead when he was in his 70s, following the death of his beloved wife Anna. Dramatic scenes of a great September gale that destroyed half the town's fleet in 1846 and brought an end to fishing as the town's principal industry. Wooden models of fish drying on racks (called flakes) and of North Atlantic seabirds called hagdons, now long vanished. At the top of the stairs is a wonderful wooden codfish silhouette painted with a festive townscape. www.marbleheadmuseum.org

A walking tour of the sites in Marblehead relating to the town's heroes of the early American Revolution. Hear about their daring actions and unsung risks that helped our nation win its independence, including Colonel Jeremiah Lee's secret role in helping to secure weapons from Europe, which caused his death. Learn about conditions in the field and on the home-front, and how and why Marblehead's experience was different from Salem's after the war. Tour begins at the 1768 Lee Mansion and proceeds up Washington St. to Abbot Hall, through the downtown area, and ends at Glover's home. www.marbleheadtours.com

Enjoy a relaxing day in Massachusetts' smallest town, just over a mile square. See the national award-winning exhibition, "Nahant on the Rocks." Have fun with the silent auction, raffles and shop with local crafters. Refreshments available. Find out why Nahant is called "the Pearl of Essex." www.nahanthistory.org

Situated on historic East Point in Nahant, Northeastern University's Marine Science Center (MSC) is an internationally recognized institution of research and higher education. Here, the MSC's faculty and staff deliver world-class graduate and undergraduate programs to students, as well as outreach programs to area schools and community groups. Visitors to the MSC's Open House experience the area's dramatic and pristine rocky shore environment, as well as the opportunity to visit teaching facilities and research laboratories. Hands-on marine science activities and touch tanks will be available, as well as demonstrations, presentations, and the chance to explore the footpaths on East Point. www.marinescience.neu.edu

Main Street, Peabody. Come see works of artists from Montserrat College of Art and the Peabody Arts Association in various storefronts along Main Street. The guided tour will be led by George Peabody House Curator Merritt Kirkpatrick. The artists will be on hand to discuss their creations. We will meet on the front steps of City Hall.  Event capacity: 25. www.peabodymuseums.org

Don't miss this behind-the-scenes tour of the historic Sutton-Peirson House, a Gothic Revival cottage built in 1847 and acquired by the Peabody Historical Society in 2009. In danger of being demolished, the house was moved by the Society from Aborn Street in Peabody to nearby Washington Street, and restoration is currently under way. Examine up close the elements of the Gothic Revival style including original trims, moldings, wallpapers, and finishes. Limited availability. 7 people per tour. RESERVATIONS required. Call 978-531-0805 or email phs_m@juno.com to reserve a spot by Wednesday, Sept. 15.  Event capacity: 7. www.peabodyhistorical.org

Keep your eyes open. Join PEM educators on a walk through the Ropes Mansion Gardens. Look high and low, and see if you can spy some of nature's varied shapes and repeating patterns. Make a sun-print pattern with natural materials to take home. (Garden walk is rain or shine, art activities are weather-dependent.)  Event capacity: 30. www.pem.org

Guided tour of the Peabody Essex Museum's exhibit,"The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City." Never before seen by the public, the contents of an Emperor's private retreat deep within the Forbidden City will be revealed for the first time. See objects of ceremony and leisure - murals, paintings, furniture, jades, and more.   Event capacity: 30. www.pem.org

Hidden on the roof of the Hawthorne Hotel is an exact replica of a cabin from the Salem vessel Taria Topan. For over three centuries this cozy cabin has served as the headquarters of Salem's oldest organization, the Salem Marine Society. Join us for a very rare visit to the Salem Marine Society. Learn why this unique site has its own story to tell, and how it has been connected to the Hawthorne Hotel for over 80 years.   Event capacity: 15. www.hawthornehotel.com

Join Susan Edwards, Salem State University archivist, on a tour focusing on the history and architecture of this institution of higher learning. Beginning first as a Normal School, the university has historic connections to the public school movement of the mid-to-late 19th century, spear-headed by Horace Mann, Nathaniel Hawthorne's brother-in-law. After exploring the campus, head toward the Forest River with Margherita Desy and learn about the history of the Salem Lead Mills and the naturally occurring lead found in the area.   Event capacity: 60. www.historicsalem.org

Spend your lunch hour touring the Gedney House, a stunning example of a Colonial American house, estimated to have been constructed circa 1665. The house is significant for its structural carpentry and for surviving early paint and decorative finishes. Take a peek into one of Salem's architectural and historic gems that rarely opens it's doors to the public.   Event capacity: 15. www.historicnewengland.org/visit/homes/gedney.htm

The Cat Cove Marine Laboratory is operated by Salem State College to promote the sustainable use of aquatic resources on the North Shore and elsewhere. Instruction, outreach and research activities are pursued by Laboratory staff. Fish, clams and other "critters" are spawned and reared as part of instructional, restoration and enhancement efforts. Participants will observe aquatic life and will learn how these organisms are used to understand and manage aquatic resources.   Event capacity: 20. www.salemstate.edu/academics/schools/1028.php

Join the anniversary celebration with special garden tours at the Salem Athenaeum, Historic New England's Phillips House, and the House of the Seven Gables. Staff will be on hand to tell you about the history of each celebrating property. It's a great opportunity to celebrate Salem's history and enjoy a wonderful walk. This is a family friendly activity with a scavenger hunt, raffles, and fun at each site. www.historicnewengland.org

Join Salem Sound Coastwatch for a "walk and talk" at Old Creek Marsh, a beautiful salt marsh located at the edge of Salem State's Central Campus. As we walk around the marsh on a paved and hard packed path, we'll talk about the marsh plants, fish, birds, and more, that live in this marsh--which is part of the Forest River Estuary. We'll explore the role of the marsh in our local ecosystem, the history of the marsh--which has been restored from an industrial dumping ground, and data that is being collected to measure the health of the marsh. www.salemsound.org

See Salem as one of the city's most famous authors saw it! Join Mrs. Sophia Hawthorne for a tour of the Salem that she and her husband Nathaniel Hawthorne knew. This 90 minute tour will take you to places where the Hawthornes lived, worked, and wrote about.  Event capacity: 40. www.nps.gov/sama

17th century home of Witchcraft Trials Judge Jonathan Corwin. The last building in Salem with direct ties to the tragic events of 1692. Historic House museum offering guided and self-guided tours. This year we are featuring 17th century remedy recipes with some very shocking ingredients.   Event capacity: 40. www.witchhouse.info

It's 1770 at the Derby House! The Ladies of Refined Taste will be visiting Mr. and Mrs. Derby in the gardens behind the Derby House for an afternoon of genteel entertainment, 18th century style. Drop in to meet some of the best-dressed people in colonial Massachusetts! www.nps.gov/sama

Tour Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site with a focus on the archeological finds of the 17th century iron works industrial site and the resulting reconstruction. Learn about the remaining unsolved mysteries!  Event capacity: 40. www.nps.gov/sair

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer, Founder, and Leader of Christian Science, stayed in this home from 1865-1866. In February 1866 she was severely injured from a fall on an icy sidewalk. She was brought back to her room here and turned to her Bible for inspiration and healing. After reading an account of one of Jesus' healings she found herself suddenly well. This experience led to her discovery of Christian Science. www.longyear.org

Tour the Sir John Humphrey House, built in 1637 for Humphrey, Deputy Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony. Now a museum the house has many fascinating details, such as original floorboards, a secret passageway, and a birthing room. Not just an historic house, the Humphrey House is home to an archive of memorabilia and historic photos, documents and artifacts from many different periods of Swampscott's history. The house is now the home of the Swampscott Historical Society. Open Saturday, September 25 from 1 to 4.  Event capacity: 30.

This beautifully restored Georgian Revival Mansion was built in 1889 by the architect James Kelley for Professor Elihu Thomson. Brought to Lynn by shoe manufacturers to electrify the factories, Thomson was a renowned inventor and scientist who partnered with Thomas Edison to form General Electric. At the center of the Olmsted Historic District, the building is now Swampscott's Town Hall, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Open Friday, September 24, 12-2.  Event capacity: 30. www.town.swampscott.ma.us