This summer, the world is coming to Massachusetts. With 2026 FIFA World Cup matches scheduled at Gillette Stadium, visitors from across the globe will arrive in Boston and Foxborough to cheer on their teams, celebrate the beautiful game, and experience a little of New England along the way. For those traveling from afar — or for locals looking to make the most of the moment — it is also a wonderful opportunity to explore the historic landscapes, coastal views, woodlands, farms, gardens, and cultural places that make this region so distinctive. Thanks to The Trustees of Reservations, Massachusetts is home to 120 special places that protect the state’s natural, cultural, and historic heritage. And for National Trust for Scotland members, this moment is a reminder of something even bigger: heritage connects us across borders. Through the International National Trusts Organisation, National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA membership opens the door to a world of extraordinary places cared for by kindred organizations around the globe.

Heritage close to the action

For those staying in Boston during World Cup festivities, The Trustees have highlighted several easy day trips that are accessible by public transportation. At World’s End in Hingham, visitors can walk more than four miles of carriage paths and footpaths across coastal drumlins, with views of the Weir River, Hingham Harbor, and the Boston skyline. Designed in part by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the site offers a peaceful escape from the city — close enough for an afternoon visit, but expansive enough to feel worlds away.

Other Boston-area Trustees destinations include Governor Hutchinson’s Field in Milton, with views of the Neponset River marshes and Boston Harbor; City Natives in Mattapan, a native plant nursery and horticultural learning center; Weir River Farm in Hingham, one of the last working farms in the area; and Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, a grand seaside estate with designed gardens, natural areas, and the iconic Great House. For fans staying closer to Gillette Stadium, The Trustees’ Foxborough guide offers several nearby options within a short drive. Moose Hill Farm in Sharon features trails, hayfields, pastures, and views toward Great Blue Hill and the Boston skyline. Francis William Bird Park in Walpole offers meandering paths, open lawns, ponds, and stone bridges. Signal Hill in Canton, Rocky Woods in Medfield, and the Governor Oliver Ames Estate in Easton all offer opportunities to step away from the crowds and experience the region’s layered landscape and history.

A global network of special places

The connection between World Cup travel and heritage travel is not just local. It is international. The National Trust for Scotland recently highlighted several places around the world cared for by fellow heritage organizations, including Villa Gregoriana in Italy, Ammersoyen Castle in the Netherlands, and World’s View in Zimbabwe, to name a few. Each place tells a different story. Some preserve dramatic landscapes. Others protect architecture, wildlife, gardens, archaeology, or the memory of communities who shaped the land around them. Together, they reflect a shared belief: special places matter, and they need care. For members and supporters of the National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA, that idea is at the heart of what we do. Whether your love of heritage begins with a castle in Aberdeenshire, a battlefield in the Highlands, a coastline in Massachusetts, or a garden halfway around the world, the work is connected.

Scotland, Massachusetts, and the world

NTSUSA exists to help Americans support the National Trust for Scotland’s work to protect and share Scotland’s irreplaceable places. But that mission is also part of a wider global movement. Across the world, National Trusts and heritage organizations are caring for places that hold stories of art, architecture, nature, migration, conflict, innovation, memory, and community. These places are not static. They are living landscapes and buildings that continue to welcome visitors, inspire curiosity, and connect people to the past in ways that feel deeply present. The World Cup brings people together through sport. Heritage does something similar. It reminds us that places can hold identity, pride, belonging, and shared experience — sometimes all at once, and occasionally with fewer penalty kicks.

Plan your own heritage adventure

If you are visiting Massachusetts for the World Cup, consider adding a Trustees property to your itinerary. If you are an NTSUSA member planning future travels, take a closer look at the global network of INTO places your membership may help you explore. Before visiting any site, be sure to check the host organization’s website for current opening hours, admission information, and member access details. Whether you are cheering from the stands in Foxborough, walking the paths at World’s End, or dreaming of your next trip to Scotland, this is a perfect season to celebrate the places that bring us together.