15 Best Things to Do in Medfield (MA)

In the MetroWest area, Medfield is roughly equivalent to Boston, Providence and Worcester, all of which can be reached in about 45 minutes.

The town was first settled by Europeans in the 1640s, and the Peak House on the main street is a fine example of early period architecture, which has recently become a heritage center of the town.

For more than a century since 1801, Medfield's largest employer has been the second-largest straw hat maker in the United States, and you can learn more at the local historical society during the summer.

Another great thing about the city is its enormous natural scenery. Thousands of acres are cared for by conservation organizations such as the Trustees of Reservations, and you can hike to the banks of the Charles River, or survey a large swath of Greater Boston from Nunn Hill.

1. Medfield State Hospital

The most prominent site in Medfield is the 300-acre campus of the old Medfield State Hospital.

Founded in 1892 as Medfield Insane Asylum, the facility took shape as a beautiful, college-like campus over the next 20 years.

By the 21st century, the hospital had become too expensive to operate, and it was purchased by the City of Medfield in the early 2000s.

With its abandoned turn-of-the-century architecture (although it is closed to the public), it is a charming place to explore on foot.

It's easy to see why so many Hollywood productions have chosen the place as a filming location, including Scorsese's Shutter Island in 2008.

Today, Medfield has big plans for the campus, and the Belforge Center for the Arts hosts a packed program of outdoor events on the central green in the summer.

2. Noon Hill

Middlefield has a rare abundance of scenic spots, and this 370-foot mountain is located in a 200-acre preserve in the woods along the Charles River.

Noon Hill is an element of the city-owned patchwork of preserves and protected areas, and you'll peak on trails lined with forests of pine, hemlock, birch and beech, along with wildflowers on the forest floor in spring and summer.

At the top, you'll be amazed by the southern views of Walpole, Norfolk, Foxboro, and Gillette Stadium — home of the New England Patriots — rising above the tree line.

3. Medfield Center

Downtown Medfield is protected as a historic district, and the city has a few listings on the National Register of Historic Places.

Furthermore, Medfield Center is a leafy and lively center of the city, with a good range of places to eat and drink, along with local institutions such as the Medfield Historical Society and Zulu Gallery - Arts Centre.

Among the must-see buildings are the 1872 City Hall, the First Baptist Church (1822) and the First Unitarian Universalist Parish Church, which dates from 1789 and stands on the site of Middlefield's first meeting house since 1660.

Of interest nearby is the studio where the famous landscape painter George Inness (1825-1894) worked in the 1860s, located at 406 Main Street and now a private residence.

4. Peak House

Since 2019, this historic First Period home located at 347 Main St. has been transformed. To Medfield Heritage Centre.

The first upper house was built in 1651 but burned down during King Philip's War (1675-1676). The current building is actually a beerhouse that was adjacent to the built house, dating back to 1711.

Notable details include an unusually steep roof and leaded glass panels that were manufactured in England more than 300 years ago.

The Peak House is open on Saturdays in the summer and hosts self-guided tours and interactive displays. When we compiled this article, there were plans to plant a colonial-style botanical garden on the grounds.

5. Medfield Historical Society

The city's Historical Society, founded in 1891, is headquartered in a small Georgian building located behind the library at 6 Pleasant Street. Dating from 1922, it is a former bank building, purchased by the city in 1968.

If you want to learn more about Medfield's story, you can come on the first and third Saturday of the month.

The Medfield Historical Society has extensive collections covering various aspects of the city's past, including the straw hat industry, which fueled the local economy for more than 150 years.

There are a variety of medical artifacts, century-old tools and instruments, and preserved 19th-century maps relating to Medfield State Hospital.

6. Zullo Gallery – Center for the Arts

A cultural center in downtown Medfield, Zulu Gallery is a volunteer-led, non-profit arts organization in operation since 1988.

The center has since hosted nearly 200 art exhibitions, featuring works by members of such prominent groups as The Boston Printmakers, the New England Watercolor Society, and the Copley Society of Boston.

It is also a venue for educational programmes, featuring classes for all ages and levels, as well as live performances. The exhibition season begins in September with an annual show open to all artists.

7. Rocky Woods

The Craigie Granite Hills in north-east Medfield have been left undeveloped and are protected by a few conservancy trustees.

The largest is Rocky Woods, which spans nearly 500 acres and features rocky ridges, mesas, ponds, dramatic outcroppings, a former mine site, rock caves, and ravines.

A notable peak here is Cedar Hill, which you can scale for miles of views across the forest.

If you're up for an adventure, you can hike the Mine Hill Loop, which circles the 420-foot-tall Mine Hill Ridge. Rocky Woods has 15 campsites available on weekends and holidays between Memorial Day and Columbus Day weekends.

8. Vine Lake Cemetery

The only public burial in Medfield dates back to 1651. This makes Vine Lake Cemetery a one-of-a-kind outdoor museum, with a full colonial burial ground, a sprawling 19th-century-style country cemetery, and a modern cemetery. In the 20th century.

The oldest marker with a clear date dates back to 1661, and if you're curious, you can trace the graves of some Medfield notables, including artist John Austen Sands Monks (1849-1917).

The Medfield Historical Society has published a free mobile app to help you make the most of this wonderful place.

9. Rocky Narrows

When the parcel of land on the Charles River was turned over to the Trustees of the Reservations by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. in 1897, it became the Trustees' first reservation.

Rocky Narrows is a stunning site, with 50-foot-tall rock walls dating back to the Ice Age 650 million years ago.

Over 270 acres, this long trail system takes you through conifer and hardwood forests on steep slopes.

You can hike to two great vantage points at Rocky Narrows Overlook, and at King Philip's Overlook in Sherborn Town Forest, where you can catch a glimpse of Medfield and Millis.

10. 7th Wave Brewing

Located in an industrial area west of Medfield, this unusual craft brewery is open Friday through Sunday.

As a member of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston, 7th Wave Brewing Company has the distinction of being one of the few breweries in New England that uses solar energy.

The featured beers here are IPAs like Adventures in Denkins, WHDEJA VU and Lunar Sunrise, but when we put this list together there were a variety of other brews available, including Pilsner, Lager, Porter, Stout and Fruted Sour.

The brewery also makes its own wood-fired pizza, traditional Neapolitan style, made with two-day-aged Baja, for a soft, chewy crust.

11. Gazebo Players of Medfield

Founded in 2001, this theater group began when an aspiring actor found a director working on a production plan for a Tennessee Williams play in the unlikely setting of King Philip on the Charles River.

For more than 20 years since then, Gazebo Players of Medfield have presented summer performances of Shakespeare's plays in nearby communities like Medfield and Walpole.

Over the years, the local venue has been Medfield State Hospital, and recent productions include A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, All's Well That Ends Well, Hamlet and Julius Caesar.

12. Fork Factory Brook Reservation

The Trustees of the Reserve Estate in northeast Medfield takes its name from a thriving pitchfork mill established here in the 19th century.

At just over 130 acres, Fork Factory Brook Reservation features a variety of landscapes, including tall forests, wetlands and Long Acre Farm meadows, with an agricultural history dating back more than three centuries.

The most attractive on these 1.5 miles of trails is the site of the old Pitchfork Factory, where the foundations are still clearly visible.

13. Shattuck Reservation

The preserve's trustees also manage this stretch of forest on the Charles River adjacent to Noon Hill Reserve.

There is an extension of the path via Causeway St. Which connects the two properties. It's hard to know today, but by the 20th century, this riverside landscape had been cleared for pasture, as evidenced by stone walls dating back at least 200 years.

The reserve consists of mixed oak and pine forests in the upper areas, with red maple swamp and wet grasslands in the lower areas.

14. Medfield Rhododendron Reservation

This is a noteworthy detour near Nunhill, where the trustees of the small reservations on Woodridge Road maintain a rare stand of Great Laurel or Rose Bay Rhododendrons.

This species is abundant in the southern Appalachian Mountains, is one of only three species of rhododendron native to North America, and is almost non-existent in New England.

This decline is due in part to overpopulation in the early 1900s, when the plant became popular in gardens. Rhododendrons are kept by fencing to keep deer out, and usually flower from mid-July.

15. Summer Sounds Festival

The Belforge Arts Center is responsible for numerous public arts events throughout the year, from concerts to live comedy, poetry readings, children's entertainment, dance, drama and seasonal festivals.

One thing to note in the diary is the Summer Sounds Festival, held on the grounds of Medfield State Hospital at the end of June.

The all-day event is a showcase of local talent across genres. The festival is free, though registration is encouraged, while food trucks and beverage vendors will be on hand.