I have a few in mind:

Bisbee, AZ
Viginia City, NV
Bandera, TX

24 comments
  1. It’s a bit of a tough question because one person’s quaint town with lots of personality is another person’s absolute tourist trap. I guess I could suggest Solvang CA, Leadville CO, Joseph OR, New Hope PA, Taos NM, Leavenworth WA, and Holland MI, off the top of my head, as towns that are kind of like the ones you name. Certainly there are others!

  2. Lambertville NJ and New Hope, PA two extremely quaint, unique towns right across the river from each other.

  3. If you’re driving from one tourist trap to another, say Wisconsin Dells to House on the Rock in Dodgeville, stop in Reedsburg. It’s a real-life Mayberry.

  4. In my neck of the woods:

    Stowe and Woodstock, Vt.

    Although the US is so big, that I really think that “must see” should be defined regionally. I wouldn’t call a town in Vermont a “must-see” if a person is taking a trip to California.

    Niagara-on-the-Lake gets an honorable mention, because it’s in Canada, but very close to the US border.

  5. New England does quaint really well.

    Newburyport, Nantucket, Newport, Northampton, Montpelier, Brattleboro, Bath, Mystic Conn, Peterborough NH, Plymouth Mass, Provincetown.

    There’s so many more, but what’s great is there’s about 50 great towns — you can leave one and be at another in 30 minutes.

  6. Osage Beach/ Lake Ozark, Missouri I’ve always enjoyed

    Also Wall Drug South Dakota, and Deadwood South Dakota.

  7. In New England, there’s Bar Harbor, Ogunquit, Portsmouth, Salem, Concord MA, Provincetown, Stockbridge, Mystic, Newport, Northampton, Storrs.

  8. For New Mexico there’s Taos, Santa Fe, and Silver City. If you’re a Texan and homesick there’s also Red River and Ruidoso.

  9. Columbia state park in California is a town turned into a museum like Jamestown Virginia. It is fun and educational but California has many tourist spots to visit, so it might not make the cut.

  10. Washington, CT is apparently the town Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls was based off of. Can’t get much more quaint than that.

    I’ll also put a vote in for:

    Portsmouth, NH

    Stonington, CT

    Kennett Square, PA

  11. Mackinac Island, Michigan (not to be confused with Mackinaw City, Michigan). There are no cars allowed on the island. You walk, bike, or take a horse and buggy everywhere. It’s like visiting the 1890s.

    Put-in-Bay, Ohio is the Great Lakes version of Key West.

  12. Winthrop Maine! I helped my cousin move there a couple years ago in the middle of April and it was very pretty there. It has that small New England town feel but it is only something Luke 20 mins from Augusta which is the capital of Maine.

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