1. Mass MoCa
Explore the largest contemporary art
museum in the U.S. to see renowned
works by Sol LeWitt, Laurie Anderson,
James Turrell, and more, plus catch
concerts and other live performances.
Head back to the hotel via Mount
Greylock for some spectacular fall
foliage, then through Great Barrington
for great antiquing.
413-662-2111
1040 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA
massmoca.org |
2. Yiddish Book Center
The world’s first Yiddish museum is
home to extensive exhibits on Yiddish
and Jewish culture, as well as a million recovered Yiddish books that offer
a window on the past thousand years
of Jewish history, a precursor of
modern Jewish writing in other
languages, and a springboard for
new creativity.
413-256-4900
1021 West St, Amherst, MA
yiddishbookcenter.org |
3. The Big E
This multi-state fair is like no other
in the U.S.! Live music, arts & crafts
vendors, farmers market, agriculture
displays, Storrowtown Village living
history museum, competitions, plus
the Dingle Peninsula Showcase,
highlighting some of Ireland’s finest handcrafted products, make for a
fun-filled day! Runs the last two
weeks of September.
413-737-2443
1305 Memorial Ave, West Springfield, MA
thebige.com |
4. Tougas Family Farm
Make a day of it on the farm! Pick
your own apples and pumpkins,
visit the barnyard, indulge in an
apple cider donut (a fall staple in
New England!) or other goodie
from the farm store, play on the playground, and take a wagon ride
around the orchard.
508-393-6406
234 Ball St, Northborough, MA
tougasfamilyfarm.com |
5. Roger Williams Park
Explore this beautiful zoo, park,
carousel, and botanical garden
during the day, and the 6,000
carved pumpkins in their
Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular
at night during the month of Oct.
401-785-3510
1000 Elmwood Ave, Providence, RI
rwpzoo.org |
6. Salem
From the Salem Witch Museum
cataloging the Witch Trials of 1692,
to Real Pirates, a museum of pirate
history, to The House of the Seven
Gables, New England’s oldest
wooden mansion featured in the
book by Nathaniel Hawthorne, to
the Peabody Essex Museum, the
oldest continually operated museum
in the country full of American art,
fashion and design, Salem is a
mecca for those who love legends
and history!
978-744-1692
19 1/2 N Washington Sq, Salem, MA
salemwitchmuseum.com
978-259-1717
285 Derby St, Salem, MA
realpiratessalem.com
978-744-0991
115 Derby St, Salem, MA
7gables.org
978-745-9500
161 Essex St, Salem, MA
pem.org |
7. Launch
Weather a little rainy? Let the
kids bounce, swing, and jump
the day away at Launch, offering
laser tag, a ninja course, zipline,
trampoline courts, launch pad,
battle pit, basketball, slackline,
arcade, and indoor playground.
781-255-5867
2 California Ave, Framingham, MA
launchtrampolinepark.com |
8. New England Patriots Game
An American football fan? Take in a Patriots game at Gillette Stadium
and see how passionate Pats fans
are about the team that’s tied for
the most Super Bowl wins in NFL
history. You can also visit The
Patriots Hall of Fame, an interactive
museum of football history.
800-543-1776
1 Patriot Pl, Foxborough, MA
patriots.com |
9. Plimoth Patuxet Museums
Explore two living history museums:
the Patuxet Homesite, a re-creation
of a Native American Wampanoag
village with dwellings, gardens,
artifacts, and demonstrations by
descendants of the area’s first
inhabitants; and Plimoth, a 17th c.
English village where costumed
interpreters re-create the experience
of living in early colonial America.
Visit the reproduction Mayflower,
documenting the Pilgrims’ voyage,
and Plymouth Rock, where they landed.
508-746-1622
137 Warren Ave, Plymouth, MA
plimoth.org |
10. Plainridge Park Casino
The state’s only gaming casino
and live harness-racing track
(Apr-Nov). An incredibly exciting
and friendly entertainment
experience with over 1,200 slots,
from traditional to cutting edge
games, live entertainment,
and fine dining.
508-576-4500
301 Washington St, Plainville, MA
plainridgeparkcasino.com |
11. Sudbury River
Kayak, paddleboard, or hike
along the scenic Sudbury
River, starting at the Carol
Getchell Trailhead and
heading north to Heard
Pond, a location lush with
vegetation and excellent
for birding. The river
basin’s unique geography
and geological formations
provide a landscape bursting
with wildlife.
56 Little Farms Rd, Framingham
sudbury-assabet-concord.org |
12. Cochituate State Park
Rent a kayak, canoe, pedal boat,
paddleboard, or sailboat to take
out on the lake, swim, fish, wander
the hiking trails, or enjoy a meal
at one of the picnic areas of this
beautiful park. The Cochituate
Rail Trail is a 4 mile trail that
runs along the edge of the lake,
connecting downtown Natick to
the Natick Mall.
508-653-9641
43 Commonwealth Rd, Natick
mass.gov/locations/cochituate-state-park |
13. Dacey Field Disc Golf
Try your hand at a round of
disc golf on this highly-rated
18-hole course with a babbling
brook running through it.
508-520-4904
700 Lincoln St, Franklin
franklinma.gov |
14. PiNZ Bowl
With 16 bowling lanes, laser tag,
axe throwing, virtual reality games,
and arcade, PiNZ offers something
for everyone!
508-473-6611
110 S Main St, Milford
pinzbowl.com |
15. Marlborough Downtown Village Cultural District
This District is the “cultural heart”
of the city—an architecturally
attractive, ethnically diverse, and
inviting area easily accessible by
bus, car, bike, and foot. The many
steeples and spires of City Hall and
area churches create a skyline
visually unaltered since 1905. The Marlborough Historical Society’s
unique “Museum in the Streets”
self-guided walking tour features
24 panels of archived photographs
and info about the city’s history.
The Cultural District is home to
the annual Brazil Fest, Food Truck
& Arts Festival, Greek Festival, Marlborough Classic Car Show,
a summer concert series, and New England’s largest Labor Day parade
and Bed Race. Be sure to check out
the District’s painted electrical boxes
and other public art.
visit-marlborough.com |
16. MetroWest Rail Trails
Rail trails are abandoned railway
beds transformed into outdoor
recreation paths that are often
handicap-accessible. Popping up
all over Massachusetts with over
53 miles in MetroWest alone,
they offer easy biking and walking
for all ages and mobility levels,
and give wonderful opportunities
to view wildlife in bogs, wetlands,
ponds, and woods. You can view
all of the trails at Traillink.com.
Many run through charming
New England towns, giving you
the opportunity to combine a
pleasant hike to view fall foliage
with a wander through delightful
boutiques and a tasty meal. |
