14 Best Things to Do in Hanover (MA)

15 Best Things to Do in Hanover (MA)

Founded about 300 years ago, this south coast city has an ancient center built by one of the city's first European families.

Now a museum owned by the Hanover Historical Society, the Stetson House (ca. 1700) paints a fascinating picture of city life in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Hanover's southern border is on the Indian River, which then becomes the North River at its confluence with Heringbroke.

In the 18th, 19th, and part of the 20th centuries, these banks were filled with factories producing everything from munitions to nails to reclaimed rubber.

Now, much of the riverfront is open to the public as the Hanover Greenway Trail. You can hike through beautiful stands of hardwood forests with faded traces of industry, stopping at rocky outcrops for stunning views.

1. Hanover Center Historic District

City Center Since its founding in the 1720s, downtown Hanover has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1996.

Rather than being a crowded city, it is made up of 40 acres of imposing public and municipal buildings, and centuries-old residences.

The oldest is the Stetson House (more on that later), which was likely built by the grandson of Hanover's first European settlers.

The first Greek Revival church (1863) stands on the site of the city's first meetinghouse, from 1727. There are also the Great City Hall, built in the Italianate style in 1863, and the Georgian-style Curtis Free Library from 1907.

2. Luddam’s Ford Park

For centuries, the Indian Head River was the power source for a variety of industries, from blacksmithing to mills to large rubber works.

Established in 1873, the latter was the largest factory of its kind in the United States, producing reclaimed rubber.

On the Hanover side of the river, the local conservation commission manages 22 acres at the mill site.

The land has a human history dating back, and served as a ford along the Old Bay Road between Plymouth and Boston, named after 17th-century leader James Lydham.

The park is one of the intersections along the Indian Head River, and is connected to the Hanover Branch Railroad, which takes you to the Hanson/Hanover City Line.

3. Starland Sportsplex & Fun Park

For a family day out, Starland Sportsplex & Fun Park combines New England's largest sports complex with nine indoor and outdoor attractions, plus an arcade containing nearly 40 games.

The Sportsplex offers facilities for basketball, soccer/futsal, volleyball, pickleball, lacrosse, baseball/softball/waffleball, and flag football.

As for the theme park, it includes laser tag, miniature golf, go-karts, bumper cars, a climbing wall, batting cages, an XD dark ride, and a EuroBungy trampoline.

There are two places to eat and drink, with a take-away counter for pizza, burgers and more, and an upstairs café serving freshly roasted bagels and coffee.

4. Stetson House

The Hanover Historical Society preserves this fine colonial residence in the Hanover Center Historic District.

The Stetson House was built in the late 18th century for Samuel Stetson (1673-1760) and remained in the Stetson family until the 1870s.

Much earlier, it is believed that the meetings that led to the founding of the Hanover Company took place in the house. Another fascinating detail about this two-and-a-half-story building is that it was briefly used for religious services after the town church burned down in the 19th century.

The Historical Society has created a variety of exhibits with rooms dedicated to maritime, agricultural, industrial and military history. You can go for a ride on a Saturday afternoon, and get many insights into the life and customs of the Stetsons.

5. Forge Pond Park

This wonderful public park combines championship-ready sports fields with large expanses of woodland for passive recreation. Forge Pond Park contains three fenced baseball fields, three softball fields and three multi-use fields.

They are located around a spacious grassy area, all complete with a pavilion with picnic tables and a concession stand that is open during events.

The impressive sports facilities include state-of-the-art equipment, including solar-powered and remote-controlled scoreboards.

If you visit Forge Pond Park on a typical day, you can spend hours exploring more than four miles of paved and dirt trails through the forest.

These connect to the Hanover Greenway Adventure Trail along the drinking water and Indian Head rivers. At the time we wrote this article, the National Fireworks property, which would normally be part of this network, was closed due to an unexpired law.

6. Hanover Farmers Market

When we compiled this list, the city's farmers market had only been in operation for a few years. However, it was already a large operation, with more than 30 vendors in busy weeks.

As always, the freshest fruits and vegetables come straight from area farms, but grass-fed beef, honey, cut flowers, salsa, cheese, fresh bread and baked goods, coffee, homemade sauces and shaved ice are also available.

Other vendors include artisans selling home decor, jewelry, candles, pet accessories and organic cosmetics, while local organizations also have booths. The market is held at Hanover High School on the third Sunday of the month, from May to November.

7. Indian Head River Trails

The two-mile linear stretch of property on the Hanover side of the Indian Head River is maintained by the city Conservation Commission and is part of the Hanover Greenway Trail.

The Indian Head River Trail stays close to the water's edge, occasionally giving you stunning views from some of the dramatic cliffs along its banks.

Probably the easiest route is Luddam’s Ford Park, the main route is provided by the Hanover Branch Railway, with small spurs to help you find the bank.

West of Luddam’s Ford Park you'll find the remains of the Waterman Tuck Factory, dating back to 1830, on a site with an industrial history dating back to the late 18th century.

8. Wildlands Trust – Tucker Preserve

If you're interested in learning more about the centuries of industrial history on the Indian Head River, you can head to Pembroke, where the Wildlands Trust maintains a large tract of land.

Long reclaimed from a hardwood forest of elm, ash, oak, birch and walnut, the property was once owned by the Klap Rubber Company.

Framing ancient stone walls speaks of the land's distant agricultural past, and there are interpretive signs detailing everything from old mills and fisheries to the river's Native American history.

There is a particularly beautiful spot near the back border of the reserve, where the river runs through a gorge and the site of an old dam.

9. Boston Bowl

Whether you're a competitive player or just looking for an activity with friends or family, Boston Bowl is part of our newest street and local series.

What's notable about the setup here is that you can choose between ten-pin bowling and candle bowling, which is a regional style with long, narrow pins and a short ball.

There are discounts all week, including Monday-Friday, from 9am-5pm, when games cost less than $6 at the time of writing.

The Boston Bowl Lounge is also reasonably priced, filled with vintage recovery machines, while DW Brewpub serves up plenty of comfort foods, including pizza with handmade dough and fresh toppings.

10. Herring Run Historical Park, Pembroke

In the southeast corner of Hanover, the Indian Head River merges with the North River. This waterway is especially important for herring and their large migration each spring.

Around April, thousands of herring swim up the North River and then into the Herring Brook, 12 miles from the spawning grounds at Oldham Pond and Furness Pond in the nearby town of Pembroke.

A great place to view this stunning landscape is Herring Run Historic Park. The channel here is particularly shallow and narrow, making it easy to spot the fish, which are about a foot long and silvery blue in color.

11. Crossroads Cafe & Deli

It has been listed as one of the best breakfast spots in Massachusetts by the likes of The Boston Globe and Crossroads Cafe and Deli at the intersection of Routes 53 and 139 in Hanover.

In a cozy, country-style setting, you can choose from a wide range of breakfast and brunch dishes, including omelettes, quiches baked fresh every day, and make your own sandwiches with cold cuts from Boar's Head.

The house special sandwich is especially popular during the holiday season in Plymouth County, and is filled with oven-roasted turkey and homemade stuffing.

12. Hanover Branch Rail Trail (Rockland Rail Trail)

The approximately eight-mile-long Hanover Branch Railroad was built in the mid-19th century, connecting Hanover Four Corners (southeast of the city) to the Old Colony Railroad in North Plymouth.

The line is primarily used to transport goods between several large organizations, and its creation goes to E.Y. Perry, who ran a technology factory in South Hanover.

You can walk along the railroad where it follows the Indianhead River (Indianhead Trails), but just west of Hanover the right-of-way has been converted into a paved railroad track.

It extends the width of Rockland and also cuts through parts of North Abington, for a total of about three miles. The eastbound track is located just off Market Street, on the Hanover/Rockland city line.

13. Hanover Day

Every June, the Hannover Cultural Council organizes two days of fun, culture, family fun and great food in Silvesterfeld.

Things start off on Fridays with the carnival and food trucks, and then on Saturdays you have a lot of things going on from morning to night.

In short, there's a juried art show, a vendor and craft fair, and live music all day long with a battle of the bands. Children will enjoy all kinds of games and rubber toys, while the carnival continues throughout Saturday.

There's a road race and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament for the competitive spirit, and the entire event culminates in a massive fireworks display.

14. New England Holiday Craft Spectacular

For more than two decades, the Starland Sportsplex in Hanover has been hosting an amazing craft fair the first weekend in December.

The New England Holiday Craft Spectacular is huge, featuring nearly 200 juried crafters and artisans.

For a small cross-section of what to expect - tapestries, quilts, candles, handmade jewelry, decorative pages, oil paintings, watercolors, wreaths, baskets, sashes, mosaics, metal crafts, pottery - there is far more than we can list here.

You can sample and purchase a variety of specialty food products, from fudge to honey, hotdogs, jams, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and dips.

15 Best Things to Do in Duxbury (MA)

Duxbury is an upscale community on the South Shore, a town that made a name for itself at the end of the Age of Sail in the early 1800s.

Duxbury has a wonderful public beach park located on a long crescent of sand that extends into Cape Cod Bay for six miles.

Beyond the coast, the sheltered waters of Duxbury Bay proved ideal for shipbuilding, and at the end of the 18th century shipyards here developed from schooners to three-masted ships.

These ships brought unprecedented riches to local merchants, and you can see that wealth two centuries later in the Old Shipbuilding Company Historic District along Washington Street.

The majority of housing in the area is Federal-style, and there is a history of rapid construction. This was caused by a temporary crisis after the Embargo Act of 1807, when the city's skilled lumbermen were hired for a time to work on houses rather than on ships.

1. Duxbury Beach Park

Duxbury Beach, a six-mile-long stretch of Cape Cod Bay, is one of the most beautiful and accessible beaches in Massachusetts.

The beach lies partly in Marshfield, Duxbury and Plymouth, and is connected to Powder Point in Duxbury by a wooden bridge, first built in 1892 and rebuilt in the same style in the 1980s.

The bridge is the best way to get to Lifeguard Beach Park if you have a parking sticker, and if you're a day visitor you can head north through Marshfield.

The beach is always well kept, and with warm water in summer, the beach is particularly beautiful at low tide when there is a large pile of sand, shallow water and fewer rocks.

For dining, there's Blackman's Restaurant, which serves New England seafood classics like fish and chips, clam strips, scallops, and lobster rolls.

2. Alden House Historic Site

Posted on a plateau above the Bluefish River is the site of the Mayflower cooper John Alden (ca. 1598-1687) and his wife Priscilla (ca. 1602-c? 1685), also Mayflower passengers, raised their ten children. They became respected members of the Plymouth Colony.

The couple is best known for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's fictional poem, The Courtship of Miles Standish (1858).

The Alden family owns the land, which includes the foundations of John and Priscilla's house (c. 1630), and a standing house, probably built by Alden's grandson in the late 18th century.

The grounds, along with the heritage gardens, are open year-round, while guided tours of the remaining house take place on Saturday afternoons, from June to October.

3. Myles Standish Monument State Reservation

Near the site of his corner home in Duxbury, there is a state park and tower dedicated to Miles Standish (c. 1584-1656), military commander of the Plymouth Colony.

It occupies a wonderful location crowned by Captain's Hill, 200 feet above sea level.

The monument, a 116-foot-tall granite tower with a 14-foot statue of Standish, was erected in the late 1890s, when Duxbury began to attract tourism.

You can climb 125 steps to the top of the tower on weekends, starting Memorial Day weekend, for a stunning view of South Beach.

The panorama includes the Blue Hills, Duxbury Beach, Plymouth Harbor and numerous towers and lighthouses. If the tower isn't open when you visit, the hilltop view is still worth the climb.

4. Old Shipbuilder’s Historic District

One way to learn about Duxbury's rich maritime history is to simply drive along Washington Street, occasionally glancing down the side streets.

From Hall's Corner to Powder Point Avenue, the street runs parallel to the beach, surrounded by nearly 200 historic homes, most of which were built in the Federal style between 1780 and 1840.

The prosperity of this era was driven by maritime trade, and wealthy shipbuilders and shipowners built beautiful wooden homes for their prosperity.

A notable example is the Nathaniel Winsor, Jr. House at 479 Washington Street, now owned by the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society (more below).

See also the Charles Drew, Jr. House at 685 Washington Street (1826), the Samuel Delano, Jr. House (1780) at 36 Bloomfield Lane, and the Benjamin Bosworth House (1794) at 310 Washington Street.

5. Island Creek Oysters

The calm, cool, salty waters of Duxbury Bay are ideal for producing world-class oysters.

Interestingly, no one noticed this fact until the 1990s when Skip Bennett, son of a local lobster man, began harvesting oysters here with the help of friends and family.

Today, Island Creek Oysters is one of only a few oyster hatcheries in the Northeast, but also an oyster distributor with nearly 100 farms, an online retail and restaurant business in the Boston area and an international development company.

In the summer, you can visit the farm aboard the Nathaniel Winsor, a 27-foot Carolina skiff that heads straight to the center, and discover what goes into growing oysters, and what makes Island Creek oysters so special.

The experience includes drinks, plenty of first-hand stories, and delicious oysters, including shucking tips so you can open them like a pro.

6. Nathaniel Winsor, Jr. House

The headquarters of the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society is a large Federal-style house built for wealthy shipping merchant Nathaniel Winsor, Jr. and his wife, Hannah Loring Winsor.

Winsor belonged to the third generation of a famous shipbuilding family, and his father began manufacturing sailboats on a large scale after the American Revolution.

Nathaniel Winsor, Jr.'s son later found one of the first clipper lines between Boston and San Francisco. The society acquired the house in 1997, and it is open to the public free of charge from Monday to Friday.

You can see the stately proportions and decoration of the house up close, with columns at the corners and a large portal, with oval fanlights and sidelights.

Nathaniel Winsor Jr., who was famous for carving statues, is believed to have carved at least the interior wood carvings. The building is used by the association for educational programs, special events, and meetings throughout the year.

7. Myles Standish Burial Ground (Old Burial Ground)

In Duxbury, you can visit what is believed to be the oldest preserved cemetery in the country. On a triangular plot of land about 1.5 acres, Miles Standish Cemetery was established around 1638 and is the final resting place for many of the Mayflower Pilgrims, including Miles Standish.

Its possible remains were found in the early 1890s, and a magnificent castle-like monument was built on top, with cannons (thrown in Boston in 1853) at each corner.

The oldest surviving grave in the cemetery is that of Jonathan Alden (died 1697), the youngest child of Mayflower Pilgrims John Alden and Priscilla Mullins Alden.

The second oldest is Ichabod Visual (1637-1700). He is remembered for his role in the merger of the Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Bay colonies in the 1690s, after he traveled to London to apply for a new royal charter for the Plymouth Colony.

8. North Hill Marsh (Eastern Greenbelt)

More than 1,000 acres of Duxbury's interior are captured by the Wetlands District, a patchwork of properties owned by public and private groups, such as the Duxbury Conservation Commission and Massachusetts Audubon.

The good news is that these parcels are connected by an extensive trail system in an ever-changing landscape.

Some of these tracks are very old, especially on the eastern side of the moor, including a section of the Green Harbor Track between Plymouth and Marshfield, which dates back to 1623.

North Hill Marsh is the Moss Audubon Wildlife Refuge on the south edge of the pond, where you can see rare spotted and box turtles at the water's edge, as well as waterfowl such as the masked merganser, herons, black-headed grebes, and the black-ringed crow. Ducks too.

Mass. Audubon also installed nesting boxes around the marsh to support about 100 pairs of tree swallows.

9. Bradford House

Also in the care of the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society is a Federal-style log house built in 1807 by Captain Gershom Bradford.

The residence had interesting beginnings, as Bradford's wife, Sarah Hickling Bradford, oversaw the early stages of construction while her husband was a prisoner of the French.

One of the fascinating things about Bradford House is that it was owned and run by a succession of women in the 19th century.

Meanwhile, Gershom and Sarah's four daughters had prominent careers, in the abolitionist movement, as Civil War nurses, or as artists and amateur botanists.

You'll learn more about the Bradford family on a public tour from June to fall. You'll find volumes of the Bradford family heirloom, correspondence, chronicles, photographs, and other records relating to one of the city's best-documented families.

10. French memories

A Duxbury favorite culinary asset for over three decades, French Memories is an authentic French pastry shop that makes French bread, croissants, tarts, éclairs, macarons, mousses, choux pastry and other exquisite creations.

Co-owner, Philippe Audier, grew up in Paris and comes from a long line of pastry chefs. The store has become a destination for the entire South Coast, offering a large menu of baguette sandwiches, paninis, croissant sandwiches, wraps and quiches, as well as desserts.

Many of these delicious options use imported French ingredients, from cheeses like Bleu d'Auvergne and Brie to cornichons and pâtés.

11. Art Complex Museum

Adjacent to Alden House is the Regional Art Center in a stunning building created in the early 1970s and set in 13 acres of grounds.

The museum, founded by Carl A. Weyerhaeuser (1901-1996) and his wife Edith Greenleaf Weyerhaeuser (1912-2000), an 8,000-strong collection of Shaker furniture, antiques, contemporary art, American paintings, European prints, and more. Known as, and works on paper.

You can visit the space dedicated to contemporary art displays as well as exhibitions drawn from the museum's impressive stock, while the grounds are decorated with works of sculpture.

Brought here from Kyoto in 1975, the Art Complex Museum is a lively venue, with a busy schedule of concerts, lectures, educational programs, demonstrations and tea ceremonies throughout the year.

12. Farfar’s Danish Ice Cream Shop

Another family-owned business staple that should stay on your radar in Duxbury is an ice cream shop that's been open for more than four decades.

Farfar's, which means "father's father" in Danish, is named after patron Walter Simonsen, a Danish immigrant who had a successful career in the frozen dessert industry, developing recipes for HP Hood.

This store has a wider selection of flavors than the usual chain. Blackberries, peanut butter, dark chocolate, and Danish sweet cream make a great base for toppings like mixed nuts and crushed Oreos.

You can make your own sundaes, and the shop also makes ice cream cakes that range from four to eight inches in size.

13. King Caesar House

Ezra Weston II (1772–1842) was Duxbury's greatest shipbuilder and merchant of the 19th century, who inherited the title of King Caesar from his father, Ezra I (d. 1822).

Completed in 1809, her stately Federal-style house remained in the family until the 1880s when the property was sold as a schoolhouse and the house became the schoolmaster's residence.

The Duxbury Rural and Historical Society acquired the property in the 1960s, and decorated the building with antiques and memorabilia depicting Duxbury's shipbuilding days.

On the water here, parts of the old King Caesar Pier can be seen in Bumps State Park, named after Herman Carey Bumps (1862-1943), president of Taft College, whose house was restored in the 1930s and 1940s.

The society offers tours from June through fall, and highlights include Weston's bedroom, counting rooms, and his engine room.

14. Bay Farm Trails

This town-owned land is located on the shore of Kingston Bay adjacent to the Kingston Bay Conservation Area, and is the southern terminus of the Bay Circuit Trail (more below).

Purchased in stages since the 1960s, Bay Farm's agricultural history dates back to 1627.

At 80 acres, with two miles of trails, Gulf Ranch consists of a variety of habitats, including grasslands, hardwood forests, wetlands, salt marshes, beaches, and rocky shorelines including tidal flats. There are also pools.

There is a wonderful stand of cedar trees along the yellow trail, and a sign on the Kingston side indicates the 42nd parallel, which passes through the property.

15. Bay Circuit Trail

The Bay Circuit Trail winds through the Boston suburbs for 230 miles all the way to Plum Island in Newburyport.

The route crosses reserves, parks and protected areas where possible, and passes several sites of cultural and historical interest, such as Minuteman National Park.

From the Bay Farm trailhead, the trail splits into two branches, one via Kingston and Pembroke, the other northwest via Duxbury.

Later in the trip, you'll travel through North Hill Marsh, but also through a series of beautiful listed conservation lands, such as Cranberry Bog, Duxbury Bogs and Ashwood Forest.

15 Best Things to Do in Pembroke (MA)

The city of Pembroke is located on the South Coast, about 25 miles south of Boston, and is located on the boggy North River and a mixture of marshes, streams and large natural ponds.

Each spring, herring migrate into town, from Massachusetts Bay, along the North River, and through these smaller waterways to the spawning grounds of Oldham and Ferns ponds west of town.

It has always been an important event in Pembroke, dating back to pre-colonial times, when the Wampanoag and Massachusetts natives called the area “Matkisset,” meaning “Place of Plenty of Fish.”

You can see the migration in Pembroke around April, but at any time of the year, there is plenty of natural beauty surrounding the city, with towering pine forests, deep hemlock groves, and rare tidal marshes ebb from the sea.

1. Herring Run Historical Park

On the right side of Herring Brook, this historic park is a prime spot for viewing larval birds during their annual migration to the spawning grounds of Furnace and Oldham ponds.

This scenic spectacle usually takes place in April, and is supported by the Pembroke Herring Fisheries Committee, which works all year round to ensure the racing is snag-free.

At Herring Run Park, the creek can be as shallow as six inches, so once your eyes adjust, it's easy to see foot-long fish on their journeys.

To the south, at the end of Littles Avenue, you can access the Bicentennial Nature Trail, which runs about a half-mile through pine forests and freshwater marshes, past historic stone walls.

2. Wildlands Trust – Willow Brook Farm Preserve

Located upstream from Herring Brook Park, the Wildlands Trust Preserve contains one of the most diverse and interesting inland natural areas in southeastern Massachusetts.

Here at the confluence of the Herring and Pudding Brooks Rivers, you can observe a rare type of freshwater marsh, which is affected by the tides despite being 11 miles from the sea.

Along the three-mile trail system, you'll come to an observation tower with a panoramic view of the Herring Brook Valley.

What will catch your attention in these scenarios is the complete absence of growth in sight. This lack of human encroachment improves water quality in the North River, which supports the annual herring run.

3. Wildlands Trust – Tucker Preserve

Sitting west of Luddam’s Ford Park, you can visit a stunning stretch of the Indian Head River, which we'll talk about in a moment.

As you travel west through the Tucker Reservation, the character of the Indian Head River changes from a quiet reservoir near the dam to a deep gorge.

This wild landscape can be defined by a series of high hills covered in hemlock forest, in the type of landscape most associated with western Massachusetts or New Hampshire.

Across the river are the remains of the 19th-century Waterman Tack Factory, while the lichen-covered stone walls are a reminder of a more distant agricultural history.

4. Pembroke Town Green

The heart of Pembroke For more than 300 years, the green city and surrounding center of Pembroke are set in a large open natural area with mature trees and urban buildings over wide spaces.

The sense of openness comes from a large, central cemetery tumbling to the west. On or near the green you will find City Hall, the Pembroke Public Library, the city recreation department, and a playground for younger children.

There is a bandstand on the green for outdoor events, including concerts in the summer. To the north is the Pembroke Historical Society Museum, which consists of two adjacent one-room schoolhouses, dating from the mid-19th century and moved to the site in 1952 and 1968.

5. Oldham Pond (Pembroke Town Landing)

One destination for the annual herring migration is this 235-acre natural pond that straddles the Pembroke-Hanson line.

At the turn of the 20th century, Oldham Pond became a desirable location for summer homes, and loose rows of lakefront homes line its shores.

Over the past few years, Pembroke has done a lot to revitalize its public beach at Pembroke Town Landing on the East Coast.

New ADA-compliant amenities include restrooms with snack bars, a large expanse of sand to go along with a swimming area with lifeguards on duty until Labor Day in late June.

One reason to swing by Town Landing any time of year is the dreamy sunsets that can be enjoyed along this coast.

6. Luddam’s Ford Park

With a combination of natural splendor and fascinating human history, the park includes two parcels, one on the Pembroke side of the Indian Head River, and the other on the Hanover side to the north.

Pembroke has the larger of the two, consisting of open fields and woodland with a dam that supplied power to the Clapp Rubber Company in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

It was the largest facility of its kind in the United States, and the remains are not difficult to find in the woods from the road.

The fish ladder in the spring is another great place to watch fry heading upriver. If you are patient, you can also see animals such as osprey, mink and fox hunting for fish.

7. Dairy Twist

Originally opened in 1994, this popular ice cream parlor is located at 580 Washington Street (Route 53), and has been run by the same family for over 20 years.

Two things that set Dairy Twist apart are the generous portions and the amazing variety of flavours. At the time of writing, there are more than 60 flavors of hard ice cream alone.

These products range from simple ones like vanilla and chocolate to cotton candy, health bars, cake batter, and sea salt caramel truffles.

There are also a range of limited-time flavours, including a selection of spiced pumpkin flavours. Plus you have a huge list of toppings, sundaes, soft serve flavors, sorbets, frappes, floats, and ice cream pies.

8. Soundcheck Studios

An industrial park in Pembroke is an unlikely site for a world-class training facility and live music venue.

Once you arrive, everything suddenly makes sense, and this intimate and well-appointed venue shines as one of the best places to see a live show on the south coast.

The schedule is packed, with shows at least several nights a week. For a chance to catch touring acts or regional artists, come to open mics on Mondays. There's a well-stocked bar, and all shows are catered by local food trucks.

9. Pembroke Arts Festival

The Pembroke Arts Festival, a fixture of the local cultural calendar since 1968, celebrates many artists and craftspeople from Pembroke and the South Coast.

This three-day event is held in mid-August, and its location is usually the Town Green, but recent editions have also been held at Hobomick Elementary School.

The centerpiece of the festival is the Artists' Competition, with prizes in a long list of categories including oils, pastels/drawing, color photography and more.

There is a Young Artists Show for emerging artists, and you can also shop for something unique at the festival's craft fair.

10. Hidden Hollow Farm

Perhaps the best way to experience the wild Pembroke countryside is by horseback. This can be done through Hidden Hollow Farm, a small private farm with ten horses that maintains about 20 acres of outdoor space and two miles of trails for horseback riding.

There are lessons for all levels, from beginners' learn-to-ride programs to jumping and dressage in specific arenas.

The farm also offers summer camps and birthday parties, but if you want to spend an hour riding a gentle horse through the woods, you can arrange a road trip.

The experience begins with grooming and caring for your horse to get to know it, and then you will be taught the basics before setting out on the trails in the field.

11. Pembroke Friends Meeting House

Something to note at the intersection of Washington Street and Chosette Street is a Quaker church that is over 300 years old.

Now in the care of the Pembroke Historical Society, the oldest elements of the Pembroke Friends Meeting House date from 1706, with extensions in the 19th century.

The church was in use until 1876, when its members started for New Bedford or Sandwich. In the 18th and 19th centuries, many of Pembroke's prominent citizens were Quakers.

The building is rarely open to the public, but you can peek through a window to observe the divided layout, with women sitting in one half and men in the other.

12. Adah F. Hall House

Located at 52 Parker Street near Herring Run Park is a historic First Period home owned by the Pembroke Historical Society.

Set back from the road a long drive away, the Adah F. Hall House, believed to date from the 1680s, has a pleasant setting, with grassy fields interspersed with mature woodland.

The history of the property can be traced back to an early land grant by Miles Standish in the 17th century, the first owner of which was a Quaker who owned a sawmill in Heringbrook.

You can see the interior during the association's open house days, or arrange a guided tour at other times by appointment.

13. Grand Old Fish Fry

As with the herring run, every spring a small festival is held to celebrate the event. The Grand Old Fish Fry Festival is over 40 years old and is traditionally held on the first Sunday in May.

It's a major fundraiser for the Pembroke Historical Society, which helps preserve historic sites like the Pembroke Friends Meeting House and the Ada F. Hall House.

Herring Run Park has a schedule of activities, including duck races, live music, children's activities such as face painting and balloon modeling, and an annual brunch.

Herring was on the menu in the early days, replaced by fish cakes, burgers and hot dogs.

14. Pembroke Country Club

Nestled among towering pine groves, this golf course was first opened in 1973 and has undergone major works in recent years to open up the layout to improve playability.

Pembroke Country Club is known for its four long fairways, five of which are over 420 yards, providing a unique challenge for players of all standards.

In addition to the stadium itself, the adjacent facilities have been renovated, including the pro shop, event rooms and grill, which has some of the best views of the stadium from its courtyard.

If you want to get going before your round, or just want to improve your swing, there is a fully grassed driving range.

15. Bay Circuit Trail

Pembroke is on the southern third of the 230-mile trail that runs through Boston's outer suburbs north from Plum Island in Newburyport to Kingston Bay, just minutes away in Duxbury.

A path that winds along quiet roads and links conservation land and public parks is another way to appreciate Pembroke's rural character.

If you're up for the hike, you can reach the southern end of Bay Farm Conservation Area in just a few hours.

In Pembroke, the trail passes through the Pembroke City Forest, Camp Wembeck, and Tubbs Meadows, crossing two trails through Duxbury that finally meet at the trailhead.

Detailed static and interactive trail maps can be downloaded from the Bay Circuit Trail website and the Town of Pembroke website.

15 Best Things to Do in Fairhaven (MA)

Across the harbor from the old whaling port of New Bedford is Fairhaven, a port city lined with grand turn-of-the-century public buildings.

These landmarks, including the school, city hall, and Millicent Library, were generously donated by industrialist Henry H. Rogers.

He was an executive at Standard Oil Company, which was then the largest oil company in the world.

Creating one of the finest landscapes in New England, many of these buildings still serve their original purpose, and you can see them on a guided or self-guided walking tour.

Your visit to Fairhaven doesn't have to end in the city center, as there is plenty to explore on the beaches, salt marshes and coastal forests along the shores of Buzzards Bay, which are protected as conservation lands or state preserves.

1. Henry H. Rogers Tour

The greatest contribution to Fairhaven's cityscape came from local industrialist Henry H. Rogers (1840-1909), who built a series of palatial projects in his hometown at the turn of the 20th century.

Beginning with the grammar school in 1885, Rogers endowed Fairhaven with a collection of landmarks of rare beauty, all built in the Renaissance style.

Highlights include City Hall (1892), Millicent Library (1893), Unified Memorial Church (1901), and stately Fairhaven High School (1905).

They were all designed by Boston architect Charles Brigham (1841-1925). You can download a self-guided tour, which takes you to these and other Rogers-related sites, and provides some additional background information.

On Thursday mornings, from June to September, there is a guided walking tour that departs from City Hall at 10am.

2. Fort Phoenix State Reservation

Built in 1775, Fort Phoenix guarded the rocky entrance to New Bedford Harbor on the east side, and participated in the first naval engagement of the American Revolutionary War.

The British then destroyed the facility in 1778, and in 1784 it received the name Fort Phoenix after one of several rebuildings.

The five cannons on the parapet are Model 1819 24-pounders, dating from before the Civil War. The nearby preserve has attracted visitors since the 1880s when wagons brought day hikers from New Bedford.

Half a mile of accessible sandy beach, plenty of grassy park space, and a variety of amenities including tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, and a children's playground.

3. Visitors Center & Historical Society Museum

The impressive Fairhaven High School contains a preserved old school building dating back to 1798. Built in the Federal style, the building became Fairhaven Academy after the city incorporated in 1812.

For most of the 19th century, the building had multiple purposes, as a place of education, but also to host religious services on the upper floor as well as town meetings and other civic events.

The Visitor Center is open from June to September (except Wednesdays and Sundays) and is a helpful first port of call in Fairhaven, with maps and brochures about the town's attractions and events.

The local historical society has a comprehensive and regularly updated display of local artifacts, covering topics such as Fort Phoenix, the whaling trade, and Henry H. Rogers.

4. Phoenix Bike Trail

You can see much of Fairhaven, from its leafy downtown to its forests, agriculture and salt marshes, without using a car.

The Phoenix Bike Trail passes through the city, east to west, for 4.5 miles, including a 1.7-mile stretch that heads south along the Sconticut Neck Peninsula.

This is the old track of the long-abandoned railway line, which runs parallel to Route 6. The wide, paved path is ideal for cyclists, walkers and runners and showcases the full diversity of accommodation in the city.

At the east end, after passing through Nasketucket Bay State Reserve, the trail merges with the Mattapoisett Railroad Trail on the city line.

5. Riverside Cemetery

In the mid-19th century, when the former Fairhaven Cemetery became too small for the city's growing population, a new cemetery was built along the Acushnet River.

The founder was Warren Delano, Jr. (1809-1898), Roosevelt's grandfather, who purchased and gifted 14 acres to the city. You can visit the Delano Mausoleum, where 20 family members are buried, including William Jr.

Completed in 1859, this imposing monument was designed by Richard Morris Hunt (1827-1895), a prominent architect of the time.

The Henry H. Rogers Mausoleum is slightly larger, while the George F. Meacham (1831-1917), erected in 1868, commemorates the fallen soldiers and sailors at Fairhaven.

6. Unitarian Memorial Church

One of the finest churches in the area, the Unitarian Monument dates from 1901 and has a Gothic design inspired by the English Perpendicular Gothic style of the 15th and 16th centuries.

The exterior is composed of local granite and decoratively carved Indiana limestone, with extensive marble and limestone carvings inside.

Rogers hired dozens of Italian craftsmen for this work, as well as 45 other Bavarian woodcarvers for the magnificent pews, choir screen, organ cases, and pulpit.

Other fine details include the organ itself, stained glass windows, bronze doors to the sanctuary, a covered baptismal font, and a tower that stands 165 feet tall and can be seen for miles. Visit the church website for a tour.

7. Millennium Library

Among these projects that Rogers has funded since the turn of the 20th century is the magnificent Library Building, which was dedicated in 1893. The building was named after Henry's daughter Millicent, who died of heart failure in 1890 at just 17 years old.

Combining Italian Renaissance and Romanesque Revival architecture, Millicent's Library is noted for its red roof, theatrical terra cotta moldings, and a large stained glass window depicting Millicent as a muse. It was presented and produced by Clayton and Bell in London.

When Twain visited the library after the dedication of Fairhaven City Hall in 1894, he was full of praise. Among the rich collections are artifacts related to Nakahama Manjiro (1827-1898), one of the first Japanese people to live in America.

He chose to come to Fairhaven in 1841, after being rescued from a shipwreck off the uninhabited island of Torishima by whaler William H. Whitfield.

8. Fairhaven Town Hall

Across Center Street from Millicent Library is another landmark, given to the city by Rogers and designed by Brigham.

Like the United Memorial Church, Fairhaven Town Hall (1892) features a Revival design combining Romanesque and Gothic elements.

The Town Hall still houses a number of municipal offices, and was initially home to a post office, a police station and three prison cells. Outside, the eye-catching feature is the clock tower, topped with a croquet roof.

The interior is filled with stained glass, oak paneling and solid brass fittings, and there is a magnificent hall on the second floor.

It continues to host events, welcoming Rogers' friend Mark Twain, who took the stage at the dedication in 1894.

9. West Island State Reservation

Fairhaven's windswept West Island, secluded in Buzzards Bay, seems remote, but it's only 15 minutes from downtown.

The eastern half of the island is protected by a state reserve, consisting of rocky beaches, secluded coves, forests and wild salt marshes, criss-crossed by nearly two miles of hiking trails through the rugged landscape.

On the island's less exposed south coast is Fairhaven City Beach, which is staffed by lifeguards from late June through Labor Day.

In the past it was possible for residents and non-residents to purchase a day ticket at the gate here.

But the year we wrote this article, you had to go to the Board of Public Works downtown and get a permit for the entire season. This situation may change by the time of your visit.

10. Nasketucket Bay State Reservation

The recommended route for anyone making their way along the Phoenix Bike Trail is the more than 200 acres of coastal pine forests, rocky beaches, grasslands, and salt marshes lining Naskatuck Bay.

The land was set aside for development before the reserve was established, and the trails follow paved paths and house passes.

The preserve is also surrounded by conservation lands such as Shaw Farm and Carvalho Farm, adding hundreds of acres of protected nature for you to explore.

On the water, you can scan the rocky coastline and look out over Naskatuck Bay with its many small islands, and beyond to West Island and Buzzards Bay.

11. Fairhaven Hurricane Barrier

The densely populated beaches of Fairhaven and New Bedford are protected by a barrier built in the 1960s at the mouth of the Actonite River.

The structure, which includes thousands of feet of earth-filled embankment stretching across the harbor and along the shoreline, cost $18.6 million. Hurricanes in 1938 and 1954 caused catastrophic flooding.

The bulkhead has a maximum height of 20 feet, and has a 150-foot opening for marine traffic. For the public, the paved path above the barrier is a favorite fishing spot. There is also a dramatic view of New Bedford Harbor, made even more beautiful if you visit at sunset.

12. Little Bay Conservation Area

One way to see Fairhaven's coast and picturesque interior is to visit one of the many estates owned by gated communities here and there.

A stunning location that is also very accessible is this stretch of marshy land at the mouth of the Neskitik River. Here Little Bay feeds into Nascatuck Bay, a rich shellfish habitat that supports birds such as egrets and herons.

The 1.7-mile extension of the Phoenix Bike Trail straddles the western border of the 70-acre conservation area, for great views of both bays. The view is even better if you go to the end of the pier that runs over Little Bay.

13. Shipyard Farm Trails

Head to Sconticut Neck to spend some time in this patch of protected coastal land at the transition between farmland and salt marsh.

The best time to visit the shipyard is early in the day, when you can watch the sunrise over Nasketak Bay and West Island.

Covering just 50 acres, the reserve includes rustic hayfield, woodland and salt marshes, with interesting traces of settlement such as cellar holes and centuries-old stone walls.

You can see deer and rabbits on the dry land, while osprey, gulls and crabs are often seen on the beach.

14. Huttleston Marketplace

This large seasonal market is located in the Visitor Center and Museum grounds next to Fairhaven High School.

From late May to September, Huttleston Marketplace is a fantastic weekly event with local produce, prepared foods and arts and crafts.

On a weekday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be 80 vendors selling locally grown produce, honey, eggs, pastries, antiques, home decor, used books, pottery, jewelry, wood, and will sell crafts, candles, clothing, artisan soaps and more. . Tons more.

As a rule, all crafts must be handmade, and the market is held every week, rain or shine.

15. Fairhaven Farmers Market

If you're in town on a Sunday during the summer, there's another farmers market at a farm located at 151 Alden Road.

This company focuses on groceries rather than crafts, and is a private operation that includes a group of farms and businesses located in or near the city.

You can usually expect fresh seasonal produce, grass-fed meat, fresh scallops straight off the boat, raw honey, eggs, breads, muffins, scones, homemade lemonade, and more. There is parking on the premises, and the market provides free space for non-profit groups.

15 Best Things to Do in Lunenburg (MA)

East of Fitchburg in Worcester County, Lunenburg is a town of 12,000 with a distinctly rural feel and large tracts of preserved land to explore.

Founded in 1728, the city remained largely untouched by the Industrial Revolution until the 20th century, relying on agriculture.

In case you're wondering about the name, Lunenburg comes from Brunswick-Lüneburg, the German principality of King George II (1683-1760), who was in power when the city was founded.

Wilm Park is one of the oldest trolley parks in New England, and was a popular day out in Lunenburg from the late 1800s until 2000.

Cherished relics from that time can be found at the Drawbridge Puppet Theatre, which presents shows every weekend.

1. Lunenburg Historic District

On the National Register of Historic Places since 1988, the old administrative center of Lunenburg is 300 years old.

The historic district is located on high ground, includes a small triangular area, and is particularly interesting because three of its most important buildings date from before 1850.

Besides the Methodist Church (1844) and Collegiate Church (1835), you'll find the Greek Revival Town Hall, which you can tell was also a former (Unitarian) church, built in 1841. It was converted in 1867.

Many of Lunenburg's oldest buildings are located nearby, such as the Stillman-Stone House (1730) and Cushing House (1724). There is a beautiful bandstand in the common area that hosts weekly outdoor concerts usually in July.

2. Drawbridge Puppet Theater

This beloved local institution traces its roots back to Wallum Park (1893-2000), an old amusement park located on the shores of Lake Wallum in Lunenburg.

Entertainment director Paul Lecuyer (d. 2012) created his own puppets for the shows in the park, and these puppets were popular with children and adults alike.

He founded the Drawbridge Puppet Theater in 1991 with musician Jeff Koslick, and the group moved to an eccentric permanent home on Massachusetts Avenue in 2005.

There are live shows every weekend featuring hand-crafted puppets, props and backdrops, with a production list of around twenty shows.

The theater also presents traveling shows, organizes puppetry workshops and caters children's birthday parties.

3. Lane Conservation Area and Town Forest

What's special about Lunenburg is that the rural part of the city is open to the public.

This is especially true to the north of the city, where there are a host of protected monuments that allow you to walk for miles and see little sign of civilisation.

The Lynn Conservation Area and Big and Little Town Forest Lands touch the town line with Townsend west and northwest of Lake Hickory Hills.

Starting at the parking lot on Holman Street, you can ride a 4.2-mile loop through the forest, crossing the Molps Brook on your way. If you're feeling adventurous, there will be plenty of off-beat trails you can explore during your trip.

4. Fitchburg Art Museum (FAM)

Minutes away in Fitchburg is a regional art museum founded in 1925. One of the first benefactors of the Fitchburg Museum of Art was the painter and avid collector Eleanor Norcross (1854-1923), who was born and died in Fitchburg but lived most of her life in Paris. .

The building was one of the first major projects by Massachusetts architect Marie Almy (1883-1967), and subsequent additions created a complex of four interconnected buildings.

Highlights of the collection include African art, American photography, and ancient Egyptian art, while there is an important annual survey show featuring recent works by artists from throughout New England.

5. Lanni Orchards

In the same family since 1963, this local Lunenburg farm is unusual for having a farm that is open all year round.

And when summer comes, you can visit Lanni Orchards to pick your own fruits, including strawberries, raspberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, pears, blackberries, apples, and pumpkins.

The farm also grows many vegetables, from cabbage to bananas, which are available fresh in the store.

There is also a bakery that makes cider cakes, twists, cupcakes, and a variety of pies to order. On weekends, you can bring your kids to burn off some energy at Playland, which features a straw pyramid, a jumping pillow, and all sorts of other farm-style fun.

6. Lunenburg Historical Society

A good time to be in Lunenburg's historic district is on Wednesday mornings (or Sunday afternoons in summer), when you can delve into the city's past at the local historical society.

The collections are numerous, but a point of particular interest is Whalom Park, the trolley park on Whalom Lake that has brought visitors to Lunenburg for more than a century.

There is a range of historical photographs, and you can learn about a range of topics, from 19th century mills to the natural history of the town, local clubs and organisations, and the turbulent days of King George's War (1744-1748).

7. Cowdrey Nature Center

Hickory Hills is another attractive city-owned conservation property southeast of the lake, with a network of trails along Melps Brook.

Starting from the parking lot along Massachusetts Avenue, you'll step into 300 acres of woods, wetlands, and open fields.

The terrain is flat, so it's a good place for families with young children, and you have a good chance of seeing muskie or beavers along the creek.

A great time to visit Cowdrey Nature Center is late in the day, when the sun sparkles off the river and freshwater marshes. As always, it's a good idea to take precautions against biting insects.

8. Lakeview Driving Range

This golf center near Whalom Lake in Lunenburg was first opened in 1951, and has been owned and operated by the same family since 1971.

The main attraction is the 250-yard driving range, which offers both artificial and grass turf, multiple targets, a putting green and a sand trap.

For families and anyone who wants to make use of their private space, there is also an 18-hole miniature golf course, featuring more than 300 shrubs, shrubs and trees, as well as beautiful gardens with canals, ponds and waterfalls.

A recent addition is the three-unit putting range, which is different from a cage because you'll be hitting balls into the open field, which is over 300 yards long.

9. Lunenburg Farmers’ Market

If you're in historic downtown Lunenburg on a summer Sunday, there's a farmers market on the lawn of the Ritter Memorial Library building.

The market is held on Sunday mornings from June to October, and is attended by a large number of local farms selling fresh fruits and vegetables, pasture-raised meats, breads, sweets, honey, syrups, jams and lots to sell.

There is also a large selection of craft vendors, offering a range of handmade candles, jewelry, pottery, crochet/knitted items, carved wood, and home decor.

10. Cherry Hill ice cream

An offshoot of Cherry Hill Farm, which is over 100 years old, this prized seasonal ice cream stand first opened in the 1990s.

Now part of a small chain with a second location in Townsend, Cherry Hill Ice Cream is often cited as one of the best in the Boston area.

Part of the fun of this place is its location, perched on a green hillside on a quiet Leominster Road.

From Blackberry Oreo to Brownie Mix, Graham Crunch, S'mores, and Coconut Cheesecake Brownie, the menu features a variety of unique flavors.

You can choose from smoothies, drinks and frozen yogurt flavors, as well as new vegan and sugar-free flavours.

11. Dick’s Market Gardens

Located on Historic Northfield Road, Lanni Gardens is another nearby farm that grows a wealth of fruits and vegetables.

At more than 260 acres, Dick's Market Gardens has been in business since 1944 and is a staple of more than a dozen area farmers markets.

In season, the farm stand sells an ever-changing variety of produce, from cucumbers to corn, along with greenhouse-grown plants and flowers.

Almost everything sold in the store comes straight from the farm, and even the honey is extracted from beehives in the garden.

12. Settlers Crossing Golf Course

The interesting thing about this 9 hole golf course in Lunenburg is that it runs through Northfield Road.

In the first half of the 18th century, this was the six-mile route that worshipers traveled from Fitchburg to the meetinghouse at Lunenburg before it became a town of its own. Hence the name of the settlers' crossing.

The course is a pleasant one, facing Wachusett Mountain to the southwest and the Monadunks to the northwest, with tree-lined fairways and stone walls when it was all farmland.

Also worth noting is the clubhouse, an early period farmhouse built at the end of the 18th century.

13. Jeffrey’s Antique Co-Op Mall

If your idea of fun is searching for one-of-a-kind antiques, there is a large multi-dealer mall here in Lunenburg.

Housed in a spacious building arranged in elegant aisles, Jeffrey's Antique Co-Op Mall houses up to 150 vendors.

You'll find furniture, fine art, pottery, lighting, cookware, historic housewares, jewelry, dolls, games, antique signs, antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, tools, contemporary crafts, and more. You can browse.

Merchandise inventory changes quickly, so there are always new finds.

14. Pearl Hill State Park

To go with all this protected land north of Lunenburg, there is a large area of publicly owned parks and forests, mostly in Townsend, but also intermingled in Ashby.

Including Burleigh Hill State Park and the adjacent Willard Brook State Forest, you'll have more than 3,000 acres of forest to explore.

Located just north of Trapp Falls, it has stunning natural beauty, and there are three campgrounds to choose from. Pearl Hill alone has more than 50 sites, all under a majestic pine canopy and along a five-acre pool and adjacent beach area.

15. Robbs Hill Conservation Area

A short distance from the northeastern shore of Shirley Lake is another attractive place to visit.

The town-owned Robbs Hill Conservation Area has parking areas along Robbs Hill Road to the south and Bridge Street to the north, providing access to winding forest trails, the southern portions of which include extensive areas of wetlands. There are parts of the walkway. Property

What you like about Rob's Hill is that the trails connect to the adjacent conservation land to the east, which spans several hundred acres in the neighboring town of Shirley.

15 Best Things to Do in Weston (MA)

Weston is a western residential suburb of Boston, known for its rural character, with more than 2,000 acres set aside as conservation land and public parks.

The city's urban center developed in the 18th century on the Boston Post Road, where businesses served travelers.

One of them, the Golden Ball Tavern, has been preserved as a museum, while the Josiah Smith Tavern is being converted into a restaurant at the time of writing.

Weston is on both the Bay Circuit Trail, which circles Boston's outer suburbs, and part of the Mass Central Rail Trail, which runs adjacent to Wayland.

In the Weston countryside, you can go cross-country skiing on the Weston Ski Trail, visit an educational farm, climb the scenic slopes of a former ski resort, and hike the pristine beaches of Weston Reservoir.

1. Golden Ball Tavern Museum

Located on Boston Post Road, near Weston's town centre, this Georgian hotel was built in 1768 and remained under the same family for the next two centuries.

The Golden Ball Tavern's most compelling period was its first decade, as hotel keeper Captain Isaac Jones was a loyalist, before finally supporting the revolutionary cause when war broke out.

By then, the hotel had been opened to British soldiers spying around Weston, and as a result the hotel was raided by local patriots after the Boston Tea Party in 1773.

The building was restored in the 1970s and contains several collections, most of which belong to the Jones family. You can go on the free Second Sunday Open House tours to see the preserved interiors and learn more about the hotel's 18th-century history.

2. Spellman Museum

Weston is home to Regis College, a private Catholic university founded in 1927 that had an enrollment of 2,000 when we wrote this article.

In the late 1950s, the Archbishop of New York, Francis Spelman (1889-1967), donated his extraordinary collection of stamps and other photographic objects to the museum, and the Spellman Museum opened to the public in 1960.

The museum's extensive collection has expanded since then, including collections for figures such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Matthew Ridgway, and composer Jascha Heifetz.

The museum's display cabinets are filled with stamps from around the world, dating back to the 19th century, with exhibits documenting mail as a means of communication and communication.

3. Cat Rock Park

This city-owned landmark is 130 acres of woods, fields and wetlands, one of the highest elevations in the city.

Cat Rock Hill was the site of a ski area from the 1950s to the 1970s, and is believed to have been named after bobcats, which were once abundant in the area.

The summit is located in the southwest corner of the park, while to the north is an 80-acre field, formerly farmland that became a deer and quail hunting site in the 1950s.

It is adjacent to the beautiful Hobbs Pond, which was also closed in the 1950s for trout fishing. With 8.8 miles of trails, Cat Rock Park is a popular spot for dog walkers.

4. Town Green District

The oval green space at the intersection of Boston Post Road, School Street and Church Street has been the civic and religious center of Weston for more than 300 years. Postcard locations of the city can also be seen from here.

The largest is the distinctive First Parish, built of fieldstone in the Gothic Revival style in 1888, but dating from the late 17th century.

Nearby, next to the beautiful old Public Library building (1899), is Josiah Smith's gabled-roofed tavern, an important stagecoach stop on the Boston Post Road for nearly a century after its construction in 1757.

5. Rose Art Museum

Brandeis University's campus is located just across I-95 from Weston, and is worth a visit above all for its impressive art museum.

Founded in 1961, the Rose Art Museum maintains one of the region's largest collections of contemporary and modern art at more than 9,000 objects.

It includes works by Picasso, Warhol, Mona Hatoum, Yayoi Kisama, Gauguin, Matisse, and Roy Lichtenstein.

The museum is also known for its large temporary exhibitions, and when we compiled this list there were shows by Peter Sachs and Frida Kahlo, as well as permanent installations by Chris Burden (outside) and Mark Dion.

6. Mass Central Rail Trail

A massive trail project is being built between Northampton and Boston, converting old tracks of the Massachusetts Central Railroad into a multi-use trail extending more than 100 miles.

As we went to the press, the central railway was a set of intermittent sections, one of which crossed the whole of Weston and was paved.

It is roughly parallel to the Boston Post Road, running north through Weston Town Green, and will soon form part of a continuous 25-mile stretch from Berlin to Waltham.

To access the trail, you have parking areas on Church Street, Townhouse Road, and Concord Road, and you can travel west to Wayland Center, or bike through the stunning Jericho City Forest in Weston.

7. Bay Circuit Trail

Weston is located on a 230-mile trail that passes through the greater Boston area and uses a mix of preserved lands, parks, and quiet country roads.

The town is also at an interesting part of the route where it briefly splits into two arms, Sudbury to the west and Weston to the east.

While hiking in Weston, you'll pass through the beautiful Jericho City Forest, which consists of 550 acres of woods, open fields, and wetlands.

To the north lies the Ogilvie City Forest, where wetlands and vernal pools intertwine with dramatic rock ledges. From there you'll enter Mass Audubon's Drumlin Ranch, one of the highest points in Greater Boston.

8. Weston Friendly Society of the Performing Arts

Weston claims to be the second oldest community theater in the country, having been founded in 1885.

It began as a forum for members of the First Parish Unitarian Church to hold group readings of poetry, classic books, and Bible passages.

The society has evolved into a theater company open to all, presenting a season of cabaret-style shows. It takes place in the magnificent old hall of Weston Town Hall, built in 1917 in the Georgian Revival style.

Final season selections include A Chorus Line, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Beauty and the Beast, Annie, and Sweet Charity.

9. Weston Reservoir

One of the best places for a quiet hike in Weston is on the shores of this reservoir, which was built in the late 1900s as part of Boston's evolving water supply system.

Weston Reservoir has served as a reserve distribution reservoir since the 1960s, and is still managed by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

As it is MWRA land there are restrictions on what you can do, but on the western side at Ash St. This is a beautiful place to take a walk in the surrounding coniferous forests.

Along the south shore runs the Weston Canal Route, which follows a grass-covered aquifer that has connected the reservoir to Framingham's Sudbury Reservoir since 1903.

10. Weston Ski Track

Established in 1974, just southeast of the city, this cross-country area is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

The Weston Ski Track has snowmaking facilities with a 2.5 km groomed ski area, as well as a further 13 km of groomed runs that rely on natural snowfall.

Group and private rentals and lessons are available throughout the season, which runs from mid-December to mid-March. In the warmer months, Weston Ski Track becomes the Leo J. Martin Public Golf Course, one of two public courses in Massachusetts.

11. Land’s Sake Farm

The Case family first moved to Weston in 1863 and established a large estate near the center.

Beginning with the Marion case in the early 1900s, the land has a history of experimental agriculture, and from the 1940s until recently was the site of Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum Nursery.

Meanwhile, the Case family mansion became the offices of the local public school district. In 1985, the city purchased 40 acres of land from Harvard University to create a working city farm to provide educational programs for children and adults.

Regular visitors can wander the farm stands, where they sell organic fruits and vegetables harvested from the farm, as well as local goods, from honey and maple syrup to handicrafts.

12. Norumbega Tower

Harvard scholar Eben Norton Horsford (1818-1893), best known for developing double-acting baking powder, was also fascinated by the concept of Viking settlements in New England despite the lack of archaeological evidence.

The Eastern Algonquian word, Norambega - generally believed to mean the New England coastal region - was thought to come from norveja, meaning Norway.

In 1889, on what is believed to be the site of a Scandinavian castle and town, he built a 38-foot stone tower, topped by a spiral staircase.

The view of the Charles River to the east is best in winter when the creeping trees are bare.

13. Weston Art & Innovation Center

Also on the city green is the building that formerly served as the city's public library. Built in 1899, this Romanesque Renaissance building was home to the library until 1996 when it moved to a modern building.

The old library has since been used for temporary city offices, recreation offices, and entertainment programs before reopening in 2021 as the Weston Arts and Innovation Center.

The center, a branch of the public library, serves as a studio and space for makers, while hosting a variety of cultural events, showcasing everything from fine arts to floral design, culinary arts, pottery and textiles. It offers lessons in a wide range of skills.

14. Weston Public Library (WPL)

Founded in 1857, the city's public library was located in a room in Weston's old city hall before moving to the old library building.

WPL deserves special mention because it has the highest circulation rate per capita of any library in the state today, with approximately 6,700 items checked out each week.

Thanks to the work of the Friends of the Westin Public Library, among other causes, this library has become a vibrant community resource.

The organization helps fund the library's history room, but also presents exhibitions by local artists, and organizes regular live performances in the community room.

15. Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary.

Near Lincoln, Massachusetts is the headquarters of the Audubon Society. A retreat since the 1950s, Drumlin Farm combines a working farm with extensive woodland, crossed by the Bay Circuit Trail.

Kids will have a great time seeing the farm animals, including goats, cows, chickens, sheep and pigs, but you'll also learn about sustainable farming practices and pick up seasonal produce from the farm stand.

There are four miles of trails, extending through the wilderness portions of the refuge, to the summit of Snowy Drumlin, one of the highest points in Greater Boston.

15 Best Things to Do in East Bridgewater (MA)

The East Bridgewater community in Plymouth County has many of the hallmarks of a southeastern Massachusetts town, including cranberry bogs and dairy and fruit farms.

In 1649, Sachem Rock in East Bridgewater was a meeting point between the Plymouth Colony and the Wampanoag settlers of Sachem Massachusetts.

The land surrounding this granite outcropping is owned by the city, and there are historical markers describing this important event in European settlement in southeastern Massachusetts.

Among the residential neighborhoods, East Bridgewater and surrounding towns have many farms open to the public for fruit farms, pony rides, homemade ice cream, and all kinds of seasonal activities.

1. Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area

More than 2,000 acres of public lands east of town are maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.

What you'll encounter at Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area is a rich aquatic environment, consisting of a network of ponds, reservoirs, Atlantic white pine and red maple swamps, and former cranberry bogs.

All of this is an oasis for birdlife, especially osprey, wood ducks and Virginia jays, while the grounds are home to a colony of night herons.

In the highlands, you can wander through a forest of pine, oak and birch, while the marked main trail is part of the 230-mile Bay Circuit Trail.

2. C. N. Smith Farm

Starting out as a potato farm in the 1920s, C. N. Smith Farm has become a U-Peak destination for miles around, growing more than 90 acres of fruit and vegetable crops.

Your season starts in June with strawberries, and then you have blueberries, peaches, apples, and pumpkins.

The farm opens its doors in early April, where you can visit the garden center for vegetable plants, annuals, fruit trees, perennials and other gardening supplies.

The farm pavilion is open from April to December and features the farm's own preserves, honey and fresh and hard cider, while there is also a dedicated donut barn for cider donuts.

Whenever you visit, you will also be able to see farm animals, including goats, chickens, rabbits and horses.

3. Sachem Rock Farm

You can't underestimate the historical significance of this 30-acre property on the Settuck River owned by the city of East Bridgewater.

Sachem Rock, a granite outcrop at the highest point of the plantation, was important to the Wampanoag people, at the meeting point of two ancient land trails, and along an important canoe route on the Satucket River.

It was at this very place in 1649 that a meeting took place between the Wampanoag Sachem Massasut and the English settlers of the Plymouth Colony, among them Miles Standish.

At this meeting, the colonists purchased rights to much of the interior of the South Shore, from Brockton to Bridgewater.

The house on the farm, which includes 19th-century outbuildings, is newer than it looks, having been built in the late 1920s after its predecessor burned down in 1926.

4. Satucket River Frontage

The Bay Circuit Trail winds its way east to west through East Bridgewater, running along mostly quiet sidewalks but also passing through a few city-owned protected areas.

The largest is on the Stockett River, where you can walk about ¾ mile through tranquil riverine forests, with occasional views of the cranberry bogs on neighboring properties.

There are a number of spurs along the Satucket River Frontage as well as small wooden bridges, and there are a few scenic spots along the river where you can sit on a bench and enjoy the peace for a minute.

5. Ashland Farm Dairy

One of the joys of rural Massachusetts is ice cream, as there are dairy farms and independent ice cream shops in every town.

That's the case in East Bridgewater, where Ashland Farm Dairy offers a large menu of hard ice cream, including sugar-free and dairy-free varieties.

But the star here is the soft serve, which comes in coffee, vanilla, chocolate, and vanilla/chocolate flavors, plus flavor options from tropical orange to watermelon.

You can choose any hard or soft ice cream flavor to make a frappe, while soft-serve McFlurry-style twisters are a real specialty, with toppings like Reese's Pieces, Snickers, Oreos and cookie dough.

6. Pony Town Parties

Ford Farm in East Bridgewater has been family-owned for more than a century, and in 2016 began offering a wide range of equestrian services.

These activities include pony rentals, pony-themed parties for kids at the Party Barn, including pony rides and craft activities. But there is no need for a special occasion to see the model.

You can book private tours of the nearby Bridge Pond Wildlife Management Area, which can include picnics or sunset cruises when the scenery is magical.

7. East Bridgewater Cinemas

East Bridgewater has a first-run movie theater, which has a different feel than the larger theater chains. In the Carriage Crossing Mall, East Bridgewater Cinemas is a five-screen complex owned by the smaller South Shore Cinemas chain.

The first thing you'll notice is that the prices are very low, with tickets costing $8 for participants, and just $6.50 all day on Tuesdays.

Despite the prices, you still get more personal service, better sound and picture quality, along with stadium seating for clearer views.

8. East Bridgewater Common Historic District

East Bridgewater's original downtown is located adjacent to Central Street, a short drive southeast of the business district. In true New England style, the historic district has a charming bit of commonality, described in 1721.

The triangular space features a charming bandstand, and is lined with historic residences and public buildings dating back to the early 18th century.

The main landmark is the first parish church, which was built in 1794 and acquired a Greek Revival appearance in the mid-19th century.

To the west, the Old Cemetery contains burials dating back more than 300 years, and is located opposite the Town Hall. Built in the 1850s, this Italianate mansion was once the home of Aaron Hobart (1787-1858), a US representative in the 1820s.

9. West Bridgewater Country Club

Along the Medina River, this popular public golf course is located just a few miles from the center of East Bridgewater.

The 18th hole at West Bridgewater Country Club presents a challenge for even the most accomplished golfers, with many things to consider.

The lower front is open, with wind and water hazards on each hole. The course then takes on a completely different feel on the back nine, with winding fairways through narrow fairways through the woods.

Precision and smart choices are crucial, but even if you have a tough game, you will be pleased with the level of care, curved turf, fairways and greens.

10. Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream

Just a few minutes off Route 18 in Whitman is another popular ice cream stand waiting to be discovered.

The Peaceful Meadows dairy farm dates back to the 1920s, and the ice cream has been such a hit that there is a second stand in Plymouth. For one thing, Whitman's headquarters is a beautiful place, with an old silo, and fertile fields lined with cows.

There are over twenty flavors of hard ice cream to choose from, all made daily on the farm.

As a pointer, bananas and blackberries are highly recommended, and you can also make your own sundae, with any flavor and choice of sauces and toppings, from hot fudge to marshmallow.

11. C&C Reading Farm

In season you can visit the farm just five minutes from the center of East Bridgewater. C&C Reading Farm uses both traditional and organic methods and has a wonderful farm stand that is well worth a visit.

Here you can find fresh local produce, pasture-raised meats, fresh seafood, eggs, baked goods such as cider cakes, and a wide range of specialty items, most of which are locally sourced.

In addition to offering pre-picked fruit, the farm also welcomes you to pick your own strawberries (around June), raspberries (July) and pumpkins (September and October), with fruit available throughout the summer. Flowers are available. Month.

12. Lipinski’s Farm Stand

Lipinski Farm, located on the East Bridgewater/Hanson line, has been owned by the same family since 1932 and the third generation has been working the land for more than 30 years.

Open since May, this is a cute little farm on Franklin Street, set in a lush landscape, with greenhouses and vegetable fields in the background.

During the season, you can stop here to view plants and flowers as well as fresh produce from strawberries to zucchini, tomatoes, corn and squash.

13. East Bridgewater Christmas Parade

On the first Saturday in December, rain or shine, a parade takes place through downtown, around the Town Common and then ends at the Junior/Senior High School.

The event always has a huge turnout, with many local services, clubs, teams, businesses and other organizations taking to the streets.

You'll see bands, fairy floats, a variety of vehicles, and dancers, all decorated or dressed according to an annual theme.

The parade starts at 10 a.m., and the high school has family fun all day long, including visits with Santa, a craft fair, pony rides, and performances by the school's bands and choirs.

14. ChiliChowda Fest

Every September, the East Bridgewater Commercial Club also organizes this annual celebration that has been on the local calendar for 30 years.

ChiliChowda Fest is a ticketed event, limited to persons aged 21 and over. As the name suggests, the festival is a culinary journey, with many contestants showcasing their chili or chowder. Awards are given to the best and runner-up in each category.

We recommend arriving early to get your share of samples, and there is live music throughout the afternoon as well as a bike competition.

15. East Bridgewater Commercial Club Summer Fest

The Commercial Club has a schedule of booked events throughout the year, most of which are open to the public.

Another thing to consider is Summerfest, which takes place at the end of June and brings an afternoon of live music to the club's spacious grounds.

When we compiled this list, the headliner was blues musician James Montgomery. There are hours of great live entertainment as well as a full suite bar, great food, and a host of other vendors and raffle tables.

15 Best Things to Do in Whitman (MA)

The city east of Brockton is only seven square miles, the smallest in Massachusetts by area.

Known for its shoemaking trade in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Whitman got its name from a local philanthropist in the 1880s, shortly after it was incorporated as a town.

Dairy farming has also been a way of life in Whitman for centuries. One farm, Peaceful Meadows, got into the ice cream business in the 1960s and has had a strong presence for more than 60 years.

On the subject of sweets, Whitman's Tollhouse is the birthplace of the cookie, invented by Ruth Wakefield at the Tollhouse Inn in the 1930s, who struck a mutually beneficial deal with Nestlé that resulted in the recipe being published on its packaging.

1. Whitman Center

At the intersection of Washington Street and Southern Avenue, and a few blocks north, south and east, Whitman has a small downtown area.

There is the imposing City Hall building, built in the late 20th century in the Colonial Revival style. Behind it is Whitman Park, where many of the city's outdoor events are held in the summer.

The streets have a small but strong roster of cafés, bars and restaurants, some of which have been around for decades, such as Millie's Lunch (established 1971), and The Venus Cafe (1964).

2. Whitman Town Park

A prominent local citizen, Augustus Whitman (1821-1880), for whom the city is named, donated 14 acres of land in 1880 for a public park.

The famous landscape architecture firm Olmsted Brothers provided the design, which was completed in the early 1900s.

Many elements of his plans are still here, including the bandstand, wading pool, large drinking fountain, and tennis court now used for basketball.

The company was called back in the 1930s to improve drainage and update the design to accommodate the Civil War Memorial, which was erected here in 1908.

The trails here wind through towering oak and pine trees, and amenities include a large picnic area, a pond with several waterfalls, and the best children's playground in the city.

3. Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream

On the map for decades, this ice cream-focused farm in Whitman remains open year-round. Peaceful Meadows' dairy farm dates back to the 1920s and has been serving up homemade ice cream since the stand opened in 1962.

Every part of the process, from developing new flavors to chopping and freezing, is done on site. Along with nearly 25 flavours, there's a selection of ice creams (including some you can make your own), shakes, ice cream cakes and frappes.

Besides ice cream, almost everything is made locally, from waffle cones to sodas, cakes and cookies. The store also sells fresh milk, homemade pancakes, and seasonal dairy products such as eggnog.

4. Hobart Pond

One of the nice things about Whitman Center is that Whitman Park is just one element of a larger piece of public green space. It includes sporting facilities at Memorial Field to the north, but also includes the picture-perfect conservation land at Hobart Pond.

Here you have a great place to get in your car and explore without going out of the city center. An uninterrupted paved path called the Boulevard runs along the south edge of the pond.

Between Essex Street and South Avenue, it winds through evergreen trees and a line of benches for a third of a mile.

Hobart Pond is man-made, and has been here since the 17th century, with a water-powered mill on Southern Avenue.

It began as a sawmill, became a mill by the 1730s, and an iron foundry and munitions factory by the end of the 18th century.

5. Old Colony Brewing

With a selection of quality craft beers on tap, Whitman Center is a pocket-sized craft brewery worth keeping on your radar.

Typically open on weekends, Old Colony Brewing (OCB) was founded in 2013 by four Whitman residents and recently moved to a downtown business district.

There's a dense list of drinks available, headlined by seasonal beers like Moneyline (IPA), Whitman Wheat, OCB Hard Seltzer (multiple flavours), Hoppy Patriot (IPA), Poolside American Wheat Ale, and Snow Day Spiced Porter. There he writes. and pumpkin L.

There's always something going on, from seasonal events to running clubs, music bingo and sports evenings.

6. Whitman's Day

When we prepared this list, Whitman had recently launched a summer celebration held on Saturdays in June in Whitman Park.

By supporting the Whitman Food Pantry, Whitman Day has a schedule full of fun and free activities for all ages. First, there is a live music program of five or more shows, with additional performances on the bandstand.

You have a dog parade, an art tent, and a variety of food options, as well as demonstrations of everything from dance to yoga to robotics.

For kids, the best part might be the Touch a Truck event, where they can get behind local service vehicles, including fire and police, as well as a tactical rescue truck.

7. Ames Nowell State Park

Just a few miles from Whitman, this 700-acre state park dates back to the 17th century.

Among the many traces of human habitation are an extensive network of stone walls, a pair of quarries from the 17th and 18th centuries AD, and two wagon bridges.

The biggest influence on the landscape at Ames Nowell State Park was wealthy lawyer Edwin Holmes, who in the 1920s dammed Beaver Brook to create Cleveland Pond, in an attempt to establish a bird sanctuary here.

Today it is a fishing and hiking destination, with miles of trails along the pond and through the forest, complete with a picnic area.

8. The Venus Cafe

Bar pizza has been a South Shore staple for decades, but it really became popular when we wrote this article.

With a thin, biscuit-like crust, these personal pies are usually baked in the 10th round? Fry until the cheese has a nice crust. Easily missed in an unassuming building located at 47 South Ave., The Venus Cafe has been located downtown since 1964.

Along with traditional toppings like pepperoni, sausage, onions, mushrooms and bacon, you can also find sweet pizza here with the likes of blueberry, apple cinnamon and Oreo.

9. Donald Flaherty Trail

Along Auburn Street, near the intersection with Washington Street, you can take a short nature hike on this untrodden trail.

Just a mile round trip, the Donald Flaherty Trail is advertised by a large wooden bush sign and is easy to miss.

On an old wagon track, the trail follows a bridge with wetlands flowing out of Meadow Brook. If you go quietly, you have a good chance of seeing plenty of birdlife in the wetlands, as great blue herons are often seen here.

There are several small spurs leading onto the main road, one of which takes you west to St James's Cemetery.

10. Strawberry Valley Golf Course

Abington has a popular 9-hole public course within walking distance of Whitman, owned by the Town of Abington and dating back to 1965.

If you're looking for a forgiving course, geared toward new players, or just looking to improve your iron game, this municipal course ticks most of the boxes.

The level of care is consistently appreciated, and the greens are meticulous. Because it's a public space, the pristine landscape becomes a winter wonderland after the snow falls, perfect for skiing and cross-country skiing.

11. Carousel Family Fun Center

For two decades at the Whitman Theater, the main attraction at the Carousel Family Fun Center has been the indoor skating rink.

At its best, it's a throwback to '80s arenas, with giant wooden decks, disco lights, and star prints on the walls.

The center offers lessons for all ages at basic, intermediate and advanced levels. Wednesday is family night, and there are seasonal events throughout the year.

Also check the calendar for adult nights, which are soundtracked by a mix of soul, disco, R&B, house and reggae.

12. Toll House Inn Site

In Whitman, the parking lot between Wendy's and Walgreens is the place to go for an unexpected piece of recent history.

An adjacent sign and plaque mark the location of the toll building, which stood here from 1817 until it burned down in 1984.

The inn was made famous by its owner, Ruth Wakefield (1903-1977), who developed a recipe for chocolate chip cookies in the 1930s, using butter dough and Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate.

The cookies were a huge success, and Wakefield struck a deal with Andrew Nestle, allowing the company to print his cookie recipe on packages of semi-sweet chocolate in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate.

13. 10th District Brewing Company

Beer lovers will be happy to know that there are two craft breweries waiting for you in the Whitman area.

Founded in 2014 by two childhood friends, 10th District Brewing Company is located just five minutes from Upington and adds to the growing number of restaurants and bars in the area.

The taproom here has a minimalist interior with a sunny patio and a large window behind the taps in the brewery itself.

There are more than a dozen beers on tap at any given time, with simple, style-based names like Extra Special Bitter, India Pale Ale, American Pale Ale, Vanilla Porter, Triple, and Double IPA.

14. East Bridgewater Cinemas

South Shore Cinemas operates two movie theaters near South Weymouth, just two miles from Whitman in East Bridgewater.

Originally opened in 1991 and passing through several owners, this multi-screen theater is located in the Carriage Crossing shopping center, and is a refreshing change from the larger theater chains.

The difference is most noticeable in the personal service provided by the staff, and in ticket prices and concessions, which are half of what you would expect to pay elsewhere.

You still get the latest Hollywood releases, with excellent picture and sound quality and comfortable seating.

15. Summer concert series

Perhaps the best way to spend a summer evening in Whitman is to attend a free concert sponsored by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

These activities are held on Thursdays from June through mid-July at the gazebo in Whitman Park, and you may bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket.

Concerts start at 6:00 p.m., and each show features a new style, from oldies to country, soul, rock, funk, folk, and even performances by the Defenders Drum and Bugle Corps. .

An additional parade is held on Saturdays in late June with Whitman Day celebrations.

15 Best Things to Do in Clinton (MA)

This lively town north-east of Worcester was founded in the mid-19th century by two carpet-making brothers.

Half a century later, the landscape under Clinton changed forever when the Nashua River was dammed to create the 7-square-mile Wachusett Reservoir, the largest of its kind in the world at the time.

You can walk along the deck here for a great view, while the panoramic walkway over the dam is open to the public twice a year.

Since 2010, Clinton's population has increased by 15%, and the downtown area has a real sense of vitality, with exciting restaurants and shops, vibrant community events, as well as the arts at the Museum of Russian Icons. It is the best destination.

1. Museum of Russian Icons

In the southwest corner of Clinton Central Park is a first-class museum dedicated to Russian Orthodox icons.

Lincoln (1932-2021), a Clinton-based visual artist, built up a large collection of icons after first purchasing them in 1989 at a Moscow market.

It now amounts to more than 1,000 objects, ranging from the mid-fifteenth century to the present day, and appears in chronological and thematic order.

Perhaps the most important exhibits are the magnificent Royal Doors, designed in the 17th century to serve as an entrance to the high altar in the church.

The Russian Icon Museum hosts temporary exhibitions as well as touring shows drawn from its rich collections, and is home to the Center for Icon Studies.

2. Downtown Clinton

Clinton's sudden population growth since the early 2010s has helped provide the city with a central business district.

Much of Main Street has also benefited from a multi-million dollar revitalization project, renovating the sidewalks in 2021.

International cafes and restaurants, as well as businesses like Sunrise Boutique, have been around for decades.

You'll find The Vegan Nest Cafe, (54 High Street), Coffeelands (50 High Street), Taqueria El Amigo (1 High Street), Clinton Bar & Grill (27 High Street), and Olive (72 High Street). u), Simple Man are Salon & Grill (119 High St.), Thai Time (180 Church St.), to name a few.

Downton Clinton is also an American Historic District, filled with 19th-century commercial architecture, much of it in the Italianate style.

3. Central Park

Bringing together downtown Clinton is a park created in the early 1850s when city co-founder Horatio N. Bigelow donated four acres.

In the center is the beautiful Foster Fountain, gifted to Clinton in 1890 by wealthy resident John R. Kennedy. Foster, who owned a chain of clothing stores throughout New England.

Now the fountain here is actually a replica, cast using the original patterns in the late 1990s after it was destroyed in the 1938 New England Hurricane.

Central Park houses historical relics from the Spanish-American War and the Civil War, is a great place to stroll on a sunny day, and is the setting for community events like Clinton’s Olde Home Day in September.

4. Wachusett Dam and Wachusett Reservoir

You can't talk about Clinton without mentioning the enormous reservoir that opens to the southwest.

When completed in 1905, it was the largest public water supply reservoir in the world, at 7 square miles, and remains the second largest in Massachusetts.

The dam that blocked the river was also the largest gravity dam in the world and is still considered the largest hand-dug dam on the planet.

Since the reservoir remains essential to Boston's water supply, recreation is restricted, although the majority of the beach is open for lounging from April to November.

In Clinton you can head out along the Dyke Path, which runs along the top of the North Dyke for some stunning views, especially in the early morning.

There's also a beautiful spot at the foot of the dam off the St. River, with a fountain and grassy areas where you can enjoy a view along the Nashua River.

Twice a year, on the Sunday of Mother's Day weekend and the Sunday of Columbus Day, DCR also opens the walkway along the top of Wachusett Dam to visitors, and it's worth checking out if you're in town.

5. Clinton Historical Society

At the turn of the twentieth century, textile industrialist Francis T. Holder built this magnificent building in the heart of the city in honor of his parents.

The Holder Memorial Building was intended to be the headquarters of the Clinton Historical Society, which officially moved here in 1905.

The association conducts guided tours of this large building on Saturday mornings, or in conjunction with the association's programs and events.

There's plenty to discover inside, including artifacts and supplies from Clinton-era carpet making, hand presses, and a wide array of Civil War artifacts.

Everywhere are reminders of the wealth generated by Clinton's textile industry, along with decorative arts including Masonic ceramics, portraits, and sculpture.

6. Clinton Train Tunnel

When the Wachustus Reservoir was built at the turn of the 20th century, it required rerouting the Massachusetts Central Railroad at Clinton.

It included some major projects, including a bridge over the Nashua River below the dam and a 1,110-foot tunnel on the east bank.

The line was abandoned in 1958, and while the bridge was decommissioned a few decades later, the tunnel still exists, and is expected to become one of the 104 miles of Central Railway tracks within a few years.

Damp and forbidding, the tunnel was a local curiosity for decades, particularly among former researchers. At the time of writing, the building has been temporarily closed to preserve the railway track.

7. The Strand Theatre

When we compiled this list, the Strand Theatre had been permanently closed for a year or more due to the Covid outbreak.

This historic venue opened in 1924 as a vaudeville house and movie theater, and shined as a downtown entertainment venue until its closure in the 1970s.

After a period of dormancy, the cinema reopened in the 1990s as a combined movie theater and barbecue restaurant, with small tables with seating, a menu of American comfort foods, and a variety of beers and wines.

The Strand Theatre has been such a pillar of local life in Clinton that it's hard to imagine it won't reopen once the pandemic is under control.

8. New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill

Built on a snowy hill on the east bank of the Wachusett Reservoir, this pioneering botanical garden is the headquarters of the Worcester County Horticultural Society (1840), the third oldest of its kind in the United States.

Located just ten minutes from central Clinton, the New England Botanical Garden on Tower Hill features themed gardens, structures, and plant collections.

Along with the Stoddard Education and Visitor Center, there is an orange and lemonade greenhouse and a 14,000-square-foot conservatory.

Elsewhere, you will come across beautiful spaces and plantings such as the Cottage Garden, the Secret Garden, Pliny's Alley, the Vegetable Garden, the Wildlife Garden and the Regular Garden in the Italian Renaissance style, to name but a few, and the names are listed.

The Harrington Apple Orchard is exceptional, with 238 trees growing 119 heritage varieties of pre-20th century apples.

9. Davis Farmland

Dating back seven generations and nearly 180 years, Davies Farm has been open for a family day out since the early 1990s.

For children up to 7 years old, the Davis Farmland region is known for its large collection of heritage and endangered local breeds, from Poetou donkeys to highland cattle.

There are plenty of attractions just for kids, from giant slides to dinosaur fossils, innovative play structures and a giant splash pad that looks like an entire water park.

Classic seasonal farm activities are also available at the property, like fall apple picking, where you can also experience the Davis Mega Maze.

10. Bolton Orchards

At Bolton you will find a working farm with a wide range of fruit and vegetables, including 25 varieties of apples.

Bolton Orchards has had a farm stand since 1945 and, like the farm, has expanded significantly over time.

You can shop here for exceptionally fresh produce as the season comes, and there's a harvest schedule to let you know what's ready before you arrive.

The farm stand also has prepared deli foods like soup and homemade pizza, as well as a bakery that makes desserts like cider donuts, an ice cream stand, and locally roasted coffee at Red Barn Coffee. There are also shelves full of premiums. Specialty items are locally sourced.

11. Rauscher Farm

In 2008, the city acquired this diverse, 60-acre piece of nature on the north shore of Clamshell Pond.

The documented history of the site can be traced back to the mid-17th century, and there was a working farm there for generations before the town was purchased.

Habitats range from open water in conch beds to wetlands, forests, fenced grasslands and grasslands.

In summer, the meadows are important for ground-nesting birds as well as butterflies and bees, and there is a wonderful variety of wild flowers throughout the season.

12. Fuller Field

Organized baseball has been played at this location near the Nashua River at 560 High Street since at least 1878. This makes Fuller Field the world's oldest football stadium in continuous use, according to Guinness World Records.

One of the stars in the early days was future Hall of Fame player Tim Keefe (1857–1933), who played for the Clinton Baseball Club early in his career.

Local historian AJ Bastarache discovered the actual age of the stadium after looking at an old oilcloth survey map. Besides this venerable diamond, there is a small baseball field and a soccer field with bleachers.

13. Dexter Drumlin Reservation

This small preserve, located five minutes from Clinton, includes unusual terrain created by the retreat of glaciers at the end of the last ice age.

At 311 feet above sea level, the spoon-shaped Dexter Drumlin is a fine example of its kind, commanding stunning views of Lancaster to the east and northeast.

The property is owned by the Trustees of the Preserves and has a tributary to the Nashua River that forms a wet meadow on the west side.

You can reach the summit along a mile of winding footpaths, and come winter the slopes are perfect for skiing.

14. Clinton’s Olde Home Day

Old House Day, held in Central Park, is an annual observance that began in 1995 to commemorate Clinton's 150th birthday.

This event usually takes place on the second weekend in September and includes activities, games and entertainment for all visitors.

One of the most interesting scenes is bed racing, where teams push a bed on wheels down the road, while one of the passengers wears a helmet.

The schedule features live music, outdoor film screenings, drag, street performers, local food vendors, and artisans from all over New England.

15. Summer Sidewalk Fest

In August, Clinton celebrates its thriving city with an afternoon of entertainment, commerce and food.

Dating back over 50 years, this event has a different theme each year, and has its roots in the days of sidewalk sales that took over the entire downtown area.

The Summer Sidewalk Fest is a more modest event, but still a great showcase for the many thriving independent businesses downtown.

High Street is closed to street traffic, and you'll find concessions at several stores, as well as food trucks, live music, entertainment for the view, and craft beer from Clinton Sterling Street Brewery.