Things To Do In Rockland

In 1949, the USS Salem began its 10-year career patrolling the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. A flagship of the 6th Fleet during the Cold War era, it served as a “Lady of Diplomacy,” using its massive canons to impress ambassadors, not to fire on enemies. The ship also made headlines in 1953 when it harbored refugees from Greece following a massive earthquake.

Today permanently docked in Quincy Fore River Shipyard, the Salem is one of the last preserved naval heavy cruisers in the world. Three quarters of the ship is used to honor the history of those who served, with features including a Navy SEALs exhibit, the USS Newport News Memorial Room, and a US Navy Cruiser Sailor Memorial. In addition to memories, the Salem also hosts birthday parties and overnight adventures filled with simulated battles and real-life survival instruction. If they listen closely, visitors might even hear some of the spooky sounds that earned the ship a feature on the SyFy channel’s Ghost Hunters in 2009.

A love of the deep sea and adventure was instilled in Captain Jeff DePersia at a young age, when his charter-fishermen relatives would take him out on trips across New England waters. Captain Jeff continued to fish throughout his life, gradually gaining a reputation as one of the most successful fishers of cod and tuna on the Cape and catching the eye of reporters from the Republican Herald. Today, the US Coast Guard–licensed captain shares his fishing expertise with others, captaining fishing charters across Stellwagen Bank and surrounding waters. Upon the sturdy docks of the captain's classic 35-foot T Jason Downeast boat, Jeff and his crew encounter an abundance of water dwellers, including tuna, striped bass, and occasionally Jimmy Hoffa in his secret submarine.

Film buffs across six states stare wide-eyed at large cinema screens, losing themselves in first-run Hollywood movies and the smell of fresh, buttery kernels within Your Neighborhood Theatre's 17 locations. Though all theaters prioritize comfortable seating, old-fashioned friendly service, and high-stakes preshow trivia slideshows, each location encompasses its own distinct charm, be it through arthouse décor, 3-D screens, or Rhode Island's vintage 1950's drive-in setting.

South Shore Sports Center invites athletic enthusiasts to engage in such sports as soccer, basketball, and lacrosse within its massive sports and entertainment complex. Groups can rent one of the three fields for their ball-based diversions, each featuring all-purpose synthetic surfaces that make them ideal for lacrosse or soccer on the turf fields and basketball or uncomfortable napping on the hard courts. In conjunction with the recreational revelry, the center also hosts birthday parties, clinics, and summer camps geared toward athletic improvement.

South Shore Conservatory is the largest community school for the arts in Massachusetts, offering classes in music, dance and drama, as well as an arts-based preschool and kindergarten. Concerts are open to the public, and its Evenings Under the Stars summer concert series attracts concertgoers throughout Greater Boston.

Back and Body Pilates Studio is helmed by accomplished instructor Mary Kim-Garrity and supported by a staff of Pilates Institute–educated trainers, who nudge students in the direction of galvanized cores, stretched-out flexibility, and ousted aches and pains. During private classes, you'll glean foundational knowledge from the masters on postures and movements. The group sessions are designed with small-class dynamics in mind, allowing participants to reap the motivating benefits of peer fitness while still receiving individual attention and tailored workouts from the teacher. Pick a package of both private and group sessions, or surprise your body with more personal attention by choosing to concentrate on privatized Pilates—either way, bodies will find themselves more supple, more self-aware, and less inclined to hug bears.