90 Great Things to Do in Massachusetts

100 Years Since the Loss of the Titanic

The 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 12, 1912 is approaching, and people who are fascinated with this epic story should plan a visit to the museum of the Titanic Historical Society at 208 Main Street in Indian Orchard. It is hard to imagine any Titanic fact or memento that is not represented here, including many Titanic survivor artifacts donated by the survivors. A good starting point for the visit is the nine-foot Titanic model that dominates the entrance showing in minute detail what the largest ship in the world looked like in 1912. The rest of the White Star family can be seen in an impressive miniature model collection featuring a panorama of the White Star Line, highlighting famous vessels. The museum sells more gifts and books than you can even imagine. Open year-round, daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Phone: 413-543-4770.

Call Me Melville

The great American novel Moby Dick wasn't written on a ship or seashore: it was written in the landlocked Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts, at Herman Melville’s home, Arrowhead, where a snow-covered Mount Greylock stood in for the legendary white whale. The City of Pittsfield and other organizations are celebrating Melville's creative legacy in the Berkshires this summer through Call Me Melville, an out-of-the-box summer-long festival. Among many pieces of the celebration are: Melville-inspired art shows at Ferrin Gallery and the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts; public art installations in downtown Pittsfield, including a park bench that plays readings from Moby Dick to visitors; children and family programs at the Berkshire Athenaeum; a festive luau at Arrowhead in honor of Melville's early travels to the South Pacific; a performance of Moby Dick by the Gare St. Lazare Players of Ireland; a poetry shanty on the grounds of Arrowhead; whaling films at the Berkshire Museum. This summer event is a terrific opportunity to wish this mountainous region of beautiful towns and museums. Event phone: 413-499-9348

Enjoy a Peaceful Visit to the Shakers

Situated on a picturesque expanse of farm, field, and woodland in Pittsfield, Hancock Shaker Village at 1843 West Housatonic Street in Pittsfield is an outdoor living history museum and restored Village of 18 historic buildings, heirloom gardens, 22,000 examples of Shaker furniture, crafts, tools, and clothes that depict daily life at the Shakers’ City of Peace through its 220 years. Hancock Shaker Village will offer five specialty tours this year, including a revamped Behind-the-Scenes Farm Tour during Baby Animals that includes a private narrated hayride with baby animals on board, plus Choose Your Own Shaker Adventure custom tours in which participants choose from a list of more than 30 topics, as well as tours that focus on children, off limits attics and basements, and the Village at twilight. Phone: 800-817-1137.

Experts at Play

Hasbro GameLand, featuring one of the classic good guys of childhood – Mr. Potato Head – is a dynamic new hands-on exhibit for children at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum at 21 Edwards Street in Springfield. The exhibit pays tribute to Springfield entrepreneur Milton Bradley and explores games of memory, chance, speed, imagination, strategy and word play. Brightly colored and decorated with images of familiar board games, the bilingual Hasbro GameLand incorporates interactive elements of some of the iconic games produced by the company, such as an oversized, operable spinner from The Game of Life. In the Word Play section kids can play word search games on a large touch screen. The Coordination Station invites kids to test their balance standing on raised wobbly disks. At the Racing Station children compete as they pedal to raise balls to the top of a large contraption inspired by the game Mouse Trap. Fun, fanciful, and sure to be a hit with children. Milton Bradley knows best! Phone: 800-625-7738.

Flynt Displays Colonial Life in Vivid Detail

At the Flynt Center of Early New England Life at Historic Deerfield in Deerfield, visitors can peer into the daily lives of Colonial Americans through a range of exhibits and a visible storage area known as the Museum’s Attic. Subjects of recent exhibits include the crafting of Early American furniture; early American textiles, costumes, and fiber arts; and engraved powder horns from the French and Indian War and American Revolutionary War. The Museum’s Attic contains fine decorative arts, including important collections of English and Chinese export ceramics. Hours: April 16-November 27, daily, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Winter hours are weekends only. Phone: 413-775-7132.

Folk Artwork Makes Unique, Personal Gifts

Visit the Ten Thousand Villages store at 82 Main Street in Northampton to browse and purchase beautiful folk art, ceramics, textiles, baskets, jewelry, wall hangings and wall art, pillows, rugs, mirrors, vases, incense, candleholders, and furniture handmade by artists in developing parts of the world. Each product reflects the traditions and cultures of its maker. Enjoy the international music, smell the aroma of gourmet coffee, and taste the luxuriously rich chocolate. Your fair trade purchase of handmade jewelry, home decor and gifts helps improve the lives of thousands of artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Phone: 413-582-9338.

Kids Gotta Play

Children's Museum at 444 Dwight Street in Holyoke is a wonderful and fanciful place where children and adults learn together about art, science, and the world around them. Through hands-on exhibits, children discover how the world works, explore new roles for themselves, and learn by doing. Exhibits are designed by education professionals and are hands-on, participatory, exciting, and fun thinking-doing-discovery activities. When you visit, look for the hospital area, including an ambulance; the papermaking factory; the TV Studio and FETCH!Lab; the forklift truck, the cityscape, the theater, and the creation art studio. Open year-round, Wednesdays to Sundays. Phone: 413-536-KIDS.

Kids Love to Explore ‘the Olden Days’

Tucked away in a shaded area of Eastern States Exposition, Storrowtown Village Museum, at 1305 Memorial Avenue in West Springfield is a permanent reminder of New England life in bygone days. The Village is an authentic, recreated village of nine 18th- and 19th-century buildings from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, assembled around a traditional town green. A tour of Storrowton offers an intimate look at Early American living with all the ingredients for a meaningful historic experience. Storytelling and activity programs run throughout the year and include topics like Life at the Lowell Mills, Early American Crafts, Maple Harvest Day, Aunt Helen's Herb Garden Tour, Tales of Haunted New England. A great place for children. Phone: 413-737-2443

Mecca of Antiquing Awaits in the Berkshires

The Berkshire region is home to some of the finest dealers of antiques, art, and collectibles in the United States, and this is nothing new. In 1923, an issue of “Antiques” magazine described dealers in Pittsfield, Williamstown, and Great Barrington, and the number continued to grow. A day of antique hunting could begin at Cupboards & Roses in Sheffield for Swedish painted furniture; Elise Abrams in Great Barrington, overflowing with fine antiques for dining; Charles Flint Antiques in Lenox, with fine art and American and European antiques and Robert W. Wise offering estate and fine jewelry. In Williamstown, Library Art & Antiques sells furniture and accessories from all over the world. See more at the website for Berkshire County Antiques & Art Dealer Association.

Morgan’s Mansion Hosts Lots of Fun Seasonal Events

Call him a robber baron, but at least J. P. Morgan took care of his kid sister; the mansion built for her in 1893 is a testament to that. Ventfort Hall in Lenox is an imposing Jacobean Revival-style mansion with a history dating back to the grandeur and opulence of the Gilded Age. Despite its brush with demolition in the 1980s, today the mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and declared an official project of “Save America’s Treasures.” Visitors can tour the grand estate, peruse the art gallery, or simply enjoy the architecture. Open daily year round. Phone: 413-637-3206.

Put the Second Amendment to Good Use

A decidedly outdoor sport moves indoors at the Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center , a public shooting facility on Page Boulevard in Springfield, where shooting lanes are available for use by non-members. If you have wondered about the sport of shooting and want to give it a try, this is a place to do it. Smith & Wesson firearms and targets are available at two classrooms and other support facilities. Through the Try-A-Gun offer, any non-licensed person may use a handgun, one box of ammunition, and three targets. The facility also has a historical exhibit that focuses on the development of firearms and the the Connecticut Valley firearms industry. Phone: 800-331-0852.

Sit, Gaze, Rest, Dream

Poet’s Seat Tower in Rocky Mountain Park in Greenfield is an idyllic location for walking, bird-watching or peaceful contemplation. Poet’s Seat Tower was built in 1912 and has a long history of poets being drawn to the spot. The park currently consists of three trails which are extensions of a local and regional trail network. The local trails connect other parks, including Abercrombie Field, Highland Park and Temple Woods designated by red, blue and yellow trail markers. The regional trail, The Pocumtuck, connects Greenfield to the Sugarloaf Mountains in South Deerfield and links with the Blue trail in the Rocky Mountain Park creating a regional link to the south. Phone: 413-772-1553.

Stars Over Springfield

On the first Friday of every month from September though May, the Springfield Science Museum at 21 Edwards Street in Springfield offers public star-gazing for families from its large rooftop telescope. The program is held rain or shine. If it is overcast, a planetarium show will be presented in place of telescope viewing. The Stars Over Springfield observatory program features an introductory slide show on topics such as space exploration, seasonal sights of the night sky, current astronomical research, or an explanation of events such as an eclipse or the appearance of a comet. Presenters and topics vary. The programs are best suited for families with children ages 8 and older, but younger children are also welcome. Time: 7:30 p.m. Phone: 413-263-6800, ext. 318.

Walk With Us in Northampton

WalkingTalkingTours of Northampton offers a variety of fun, informative walking tours of two of New England’s most lovely and sophisticated towns: Northampton and Amherst. The signature tour of Main Street in Northampton includes scenes and stories of the Old Hampshire County Courthouse, Calvin Coolidge, chocolate making, a special lady honored by the Emperor of Japan, and local food samplings. The tour Movies and More uncovers filming locations, and the Hot Chocolate Walk takes visitors on and exploration of six buildings in downtown Northampton. Fun, historic, memorable. Phone: 413-887-7716.

Wisteriahurst House Displays 19th-Century Elegance

Wistariahurst Museum at 238 Cabot Street in Holyoke was the home of silk manufacturer William Skinner and his family. The house has stood as an example of elegance and fine architecture since 1874. The museum features original leather wall coverings, columns, elaborate woodwork and an interesting tale of how two generations perceived and used the house very differently. The museum's permanent collection includes decorative arts; paintings and prints, textiles and a rich manuscript collection of family and local papers. Whether it’s a look back in time at the lives of early 1900’s servants, the impact of the Latino community, or a celebration of the work of local painters and photographers, there is always an array of exhibits that will engage visitors. House tours Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, noon to 4 p.m. Phone: 413-322-5660.

You Like Candles? We Got Candles

This is one of New England's most popular destinations, with lots of fun shopping and holiday spirit. Yankee Candle Village on Routes 5 and 10 in South Deerfield offers a unique shopping, entertainment, and dining experience. Explore the largest selection of Yankee Candle fragrances and styles. Stroll through the Bavarian Christmas Village, Nutcracker Castle, and Home Store. Enjoy fabulous candle, home décor, and holiday shopping. Savor freshly made fudge and other sweet treats in the Fudge Shop. Dip your own candles and watch history brought to life in the Candlemaking Museum. Open daily. Phone: 877-636-7707.

Art’s Dune Tours Are Unbeatable Adventure

For three generations, the family-run Art’s Dune Tours, located at 4 Standish Street in Provincetown, has been taking spellbound visitors on tours of the dunes of the Provincelands, a marvelous, otherworldly place of sky, sea, bending dune grass, and wind-sculpted dunes. On the tours, you will travel through the majestic dunes where your guide points out the dune shacks where famous artists and writers like Eugene O'Neill and Harry Kemp became inspired to create their art. You will also pass the remains of the Peaked Hill Life Saving Station and learn how the brave "life savers" enacted their heroic efforts to save the lives of thousands from the doomed shipwrecks. Access by the public to the dunes is limited, so this is the to see them. Phone: 800-894-1951

Brewery Hums With Hospitality Year-Round

The ancient art of beer making is on display for the curious during brewery tours every Tuesday and Friday at Cape Cod Beer, 1336 Phinney’s Lane in Hyannis. The tour is free, and children are welcome if they are supervised (must be 21 or older to sample). The business opened a new, 15 barrel brewhouse this year, and the staff is going to be proud to show it off. While you are there, taste the company’s signature Beach Blonde ale. For fans of the suds, it’s a great overture to a visit to Cape Cod. Tours are 11 a.m. Tuesdays and 1 p.m. on Saturdays, throughout the entire year. Phone: 508-790-4200.

Brewster Serves Up Unique Shopping

The cheery Lemon Tree Village Shops at 1069 Route 6A in Brewster is a cheery, year-round shopping venue filled with many unusual stores. You can find garden statuary, top-of-the-line cooking implements, locally made arts and crafts, pottery, birding supplies, clothing, gifts, jewelry, and toys. The Village has 13 shops and a café, flower garden, flowing water fountains, and a relaxing atmosphere. The shopping experience here has been described as a "unique representation of artists from all over the United States, Europe, the Far East" and, of course, Cape Cod.

Camelot on Cape Cod

Perhaps nowhere in the world is the presence of the Kennedy mystique felt more palpably than in Hyannis, summer White House during the JFK era. Places to recall the Kennedy period include the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum at 397 Main Street in Hyannis, the inspiring Kennedy Memorial on Ocean Street, and St. Francis Xavier Church on South Street, often known as the Kennedy church. Open year-round except the month of January; check for seasonal hours. Phone: 508-790-3077

Dune and Beach Walks Near Provincetown

Never dismiss the Outer Cape as a romantic winter destination. Provincetown, Truro, and Wellfleet all have a core group of restaurants and bars dishing up warmth and sustenance. You will be looking for both after a vigorous walk onto the Province Lands, north of Provincetown. On a bright winter day, the views are glorious. Start at the Province Lands Visitor Center on Race Point Road, off Route 6. Walking routes can be adjusted for shorter and longer distances, with wonderful views of the Province Lands, Race Point Lighthouse, the Coast Guard Station, and more.

Enchanted Museums & Gardens Tucked Into Sandwich

Heritage Museums & Gardens on Grove Street in the idyllic town of Sandwich defies categorization. Open daily through October 31, the property has beautifully landscaped grounds and gardens. A Shaker round barn on the property houses a stunning display of antique automobiles. An operating hand-carved carousel and many of America's most distinguished artists' works are on exhibit in the Art Museum. Exhibits A nearly new feature is Hidden Hollow, a place for families to play in and explore the natural world. Nestled in a two-acre dry kettle hole, its unique topography offers a stimulating and beautiful outdoor setting for discovery and learning. Children can climb stepping stumps, navigate log balance beams, construct forts, create nature-inspired art, build with blocks, dig in sand, experiment with water, make music, and more. Phone: 508-888-3300.

Farming Is Fun (with Jamaican Music on the Side)

Coonamessett Farm at 277 Hatchville Road in East Falmouth is a farm and research enterprise with a sideline in entertaining and educating the public. On a visit, you can visit with alpacas, goats, sheep; pick your own flowers and vegetables; eat at the Farm Café; attend an off-beat workshop; visit the flea market and the general store. Great for families. Starting in June, there is a Farm Dinner on Friday evenings and a Jamaican Buffet on Wednesday evenings with live Jamaican music (check farm website for schedules). Phone: 508-563-2560

Hands-On Marine Education

Did you know that the largest ecosystem is, in fact, Earth’s oceans? Yet despite this, there is still much to be discovered about this vast wilderness. To learn all – or a lot – about it, plan a visit to Ocean Quest, an interactive boat tour guided by experienced oceanographers. Children and adults alike are invited to climb aboard for an unparalleled experience exploring the Atlantic Ocean. Assist real researchers in gathering information, hauling lobster traps, dragging a plankton net, and using a Discovery Scope to see microorganisms collected from the ocean. This seasonal, two-hour tour, based out of Woods Hole is a great way to unleash the marine biologist in all of us. Summeer cruises conducted mid-June to early September. Phone: 800-376-2326.

Incomparable Mosaic Art

Church of the Transfiguration at 5 Bay View Drive in Orleans is home to the Community of Jesus, a monastic Order that follows the Rule of St. Benedict. The Community welcomes all people to visit every day except Wednesdays. The church, built in 2000, is a modern structure whose centerpiece is a floor and apse lined with magnificent mosaics crafted in Italy. Frescos, stone carvings, glass art, and statuary throughout the church represent biblical images and the story of Christ. Liturgy of the Hours, including Vespers at 5:30 p.m. daily, is sung in Gregorian chant. In the tower are 10 bells rung after Vespers and Sunday services by bell ringers pulling ropes in sequence. The church has a gift shop with books, music, food, and handmade crafts. Guided tours of the church are offered daily except Wednesday at 3 p.m. Phone: 508-255-1094.

It’s a Zoo; It’s an Aquarium = Zooquarium

Since 1969, Zooquarium, at 674 Route 28 in West Yarmouth, has provided a fun-filled family adventure to explore and discover the marvelous creatures that live on Cape Cod, with special programs featuring sea birds of Cape Cod. Exhibits include a petting zoo with farm animals, llamas, goats, and deer; an aquarium where visitors can learn about the environment that surrounds Cape Cod; a tide touch pool with crabs, mussels, sea stars, urchins, clams, and more; an outdoor theater and a Children’s Discovery Center. Hours are seasonal: weekends in winter; daily in summer; daily except Tuesdays in spring and fall. Call for scheduling details. Phone: 508-775-8883.

No Telling What Nautical Oddities You May Find

One of the town’s oldest shops, Marine Specialties at 235 Commercial Street in Provincetown occupies a 1940s trap-fishing shed on the harbor. This nontraditional shop sells army-navy surplus, ship’s salvage, nautical décor, wooden buoys, lobster pots, fishnet, glass bottles, reproduction toys, vintage license plates, sea sponges, and seashells, bulk items for artists’ collages, and 600 different knives. And shoppers can outfit themselves in leather jackets and pants, outrageous hats, vintage prom dresses, feather boas, and other oddities beneath a ceiling hung with old lanterns and a deep sea diving suit. Open year-round but times vary by season. Phone: 508-487-1730.

Old-Time General Store is a Cape Cod Favorite

The Brewster Store on Route 6A in Brewster was built as a church in 1852 and converted to a general store in 1866. It has served residents and visitors to Cape Cod for more than 140 years. The Brewster Store features a broad assortment of merchandise: coffee, pastries and morning newspapers, penny candy, t-shirts and sweatshirts, toys, lamp parts, kitchen gadgets, original Coke in glass bottles, books, greeting cards and many unusual gifts. Put a quarter in the old nickelodeon to hear an old time tune, enjoy the roasted peanuts, or just sit on the benches and watch the world go by. Phone: 508-896-3744.

Sea Gifts, From Scrimshaw to Decoys, and More

Collector’s World at 4100 Route 6 in Eastham is just the place to find semi-silly vacation memorabilia and gifts to take home from a trip to Cape Cod. Among the wonderful stuff at this vast shop of goodies are marine items, lighthouse and ship models, decoys, pewter and brass gifts, steins, toys, scrimshaw, weathervanes, thimbles, animal statuary, Christmas decorations, and much more. Fun, fun, fun for browsing, and gift shopping here won’t break the bank. Open: Summer, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; off-season, call ahead for hours. Phone: 508-255-3616.

Sea Life in the Mudflats Offers a Close-Up Adventure

Cape Cod Museum of Natural History at 869 Main Street in Brewster is a delightful museum for adults and children, but not overwhelming in size. Many exhibits explain the fascinating geology, flora, and animal life of the Cape, and the Salt Marsh Room offers a wonderful vista of the adjoining salt marsh. Downstairs is a small but satisfying aquarium. Just outside the back door is a self-guided walking trail of the marsh. Also, in the summer, naturalists offer guided treks of the marsh known a Mudflat Mania. A great way to see the fecund life of the salt marsh up close. Open year-round; seasonal hours. Phone: 508-896-3867

Summer Theater at The Top of Its Game

Take a 19th century Cape meetinghouse, an extraordinary history, and more than 80 seasons of top-notch professional theater, and it’s easy to see why the Cape Playhouse, at 820 Route 6A in Dennis Village, is one of the most famous summer theaters in the country. Known as “America’s Oldest Professional Summer Theater,” the Cape Playhouse combines the best Broadway comedies, musicals, mysteries, and dramas with unforgettable performances from the nation’s finest actors — from legends such as Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, and Lana Turner to some of today’s most beloved film, stage and television stars. On the schedule for the 2012 are “Hound of the Baskervilles,” “As Bees in Honey Drown,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Legally Blonde – The Musical,” “Kiss Me Kate,” and “Nunsense.” Phone: 877-385-3911.

Summertime Escapism

Remember when times were good, gas was cheap, and summertime meant hanging out with your friends at the drive-in? Okay, me neither, but at the Wellfleet Drive-In at 51 State Highway, Route 6, in Wellfleet it’s not hard to imagine the innocence of that bygone era. From the nearly ancient film projectors to the sleek chrome of the snack bar and even the sign on Route 6, not much has changed here since the theater was built in 1957. Tickets are cheaper than today’s multiplex rates, admission always includes a double feature and, as if that weren’t enough, the outdoor theater also has a playground that opens up before the show and during intermission in case the kids are having trouble sitting still. It is truly an experience in both cinema and nostalgia, all without leaving the front (or back) seat of your car. Open mid-May through early October. Phone: 508-349-7176.

Art Packs a Punch at WAM

The Worcester Art Museum at 55 Salisbury Street in Worcester, is acclaimed for the quality of its collections. European and North American painting, prints, photographs and drawings; Asian art, Greek and Roman sculpture and mosaics and Contemporary art. The collection is organized geographically except for Western prints, drawings and all photographs which are organized by medium and Contemporary Art which is defined as the international art of the past ten years in all media. Forthcoming exhibits include In Search of Julien Hudson: Free Artist of Color, through March 2012, and Flora in Winter, through January 2012. Lots of ongoing activities include children’s art experiences, tours, talks. A café and museum shop provide a place to rest and refresh and a place to find mementos of your visit. Open Wednesdays through Sundays, but hours vary. Phone: 508-799-4406.

Candles, and Yet More Candles

Move over, Yankee Candle. A new candle emporium has entered the neighborhood. Kringle Candle, at 220 South Street (Route 5) Bernardston founded by the son of one of the founders of Yankee Candle, is offering a new player in the destination candle shopping experience. Kringle produces all-white candles – intended to blend with any décor – in a range of fragrances. Many candles are offered in reusable bowls or jars that can serve later duty. Related products include air fresheners, apothecary jars, floating candles, crystal pillars, kitchen canisters and spice jars, tea lights, votives, and potpourri. The property has a Farm Table Restaurant and a Christmas Barn, ensuring a full day of shopping fun for candle fiends. For more adventure, spend a day trolling between Kringle Candle and Yankee Candle, just a few miles down Route 5. Open daily, with extended hours for the holidays. Phone: 413-648-3077

Central Mass is Johnny Appleseed Country

Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman in 1774 in Leominster, Massachusetts, was a pioneer nurseryman who introduced apples to large parts of the Midwest. Today’s Johnny Appleseed Trail in north-central Massachusetts runs along Route 2 between the Freedom Trail and the Mohawk Trail, or from about Turner’s Falls at the western end to Lancaster at the eastern end. The warm-weather months are a perfect time to explore this region of farms, orchards, and beautiful small towns. Start if you can at the Johnny Appleseed Visitor Center on Route 2 West in Lancaster. It’s chock-full of helpful brochures and locally made crafts, books, jams and jellies, gifts and souvenirs. Detailed information is plentiful at the visitor center or its website. Phone: 978-534-2302.

Chalk Transformed by Artists

Whether you are looking for chalkware rabbits, Santas or other holiday collections, Vaillancourt Folk Art has been recognized around the nation for its detailed, hand-painted figurines, ornaments, and other collectibles. Vaillancourt Folk Art, at 9 Main Street in Sutton, is the original company to produce Chalkware figurines using antique chocolate molds. Available around the country in department stores, museum stores, catalogs and small mom-and-pop shops, Vaillancourt Folk Art creates that special gift that will be handed down for generations. Phone: 508-476-3601.

Early American Dinner Cooked on an Open Fire

The Salem Cross Inn at 260 West Main Street in West Brookfield hosts a series of 1700s-style feasts, prepared on the open hearth of their fieldstone fireplace. Relax by the fire or lend a hand as dinner is prepared in Colonial style. Stir the chowder as it bubbles in our cast iron cauldron. See your prime rib, roasted "to a turn" over the only known Roasting Jack still operating in America. Or, while dinner cooks, browse the extensive collection of Colonial and Federal period American antiques. The menu includes savories, New England chowder, prime rib, rolls and muffins, roasted potatoes, spinach pie, squash, apple pie. Fish entrée available during Lent. Dates in 2012: January 8, 15, 21, 22, 29; February 4-5, 10-12, 18-19, 25-26; March 3-4, 10-11, 17, 31; April 1, 7, 14-15, 21, 22, 28. Phone: 508-867-2345

Follow That Dinosaur!

Where is the best place in the world to find dinosaur tracks? In the Connecticut River Valley, according to the owners and operators of Nash Dinosaur Track Site and Rock Shop at 594 Amherst Road in South Hadley. The tracks in this quarry were discovered in 1933 and the land was bought in 1939 by Carlton S. Nash. Since that time the land has produced thousands of dinosaur tracks that have been sold to museums and private individuals all over the world. The site is one mile from where the first dinosaur tracks in the Connecticut River Valley were found in 1802 by a farmer named Pliny Moody. Visitors can enjoy a walk in the quarry to see where the dinosaur tracks are excavated, then tour the rock shop. The quarry is open from April 1 until the first snow fall of the season. Phone: 413-467-9566.

Handcrafted Beer, Bottled in the Bay State

The founders of Wachusett Brewery, at 175 State Road East in Westminster, ditched careers in engineering and biology to found the Wachusett Brewing Co. in 1993. Wachusett Country Ale was introduced the following year. Tours of the brewery are offered Wednesday to Saturday starting at noon. Your tour guide will give you a brief history of the brewery and walk you through the operation. Children are welcome, but may not taste beer. The tour and the tasting last for about 1 hour, and tastings are limited to two 2-ounce samples. Phone: 978-874-9965.

Icons, the Old, Russian Way

Enjoy beautiful artwork and learn about the religious traditions of old Russia at the Museum of Russian Icons at 203 Union Street in Clinton. The collection includes more than 400 Russian icons and is one of the largest private collections outside Russia. The collection spans six centuries, and includes important historical paintings dating from the earliest periods of icon writing to the present. Collections include images of St. George and the Dragon, St. Paraskeva, Christ the Pantocrator, Elijah, St. Nicholas, and John the Baptist. Open daily except Mondays. The museum fills a 150-year-old former mill building. Phone: 978-598-5000.

Tower Hill Botanic Garden

Courtyard Is Home to
Tower Hill’s Winter Garden

Tower Hill Botanic Garden, at 11 French Drive in Boylston is opening a new Winter Garden, situated in a semi-enclosed courtyard reminiscent of an Italian villa. Protected from wind and extreme temperatures, the Winter Garden is a showcase for plants that are at their best during the winter months, featuring exquisite bark, structures, berries, or evergreen needles. An intricate water feature in the center of the courtyard, Domitian’s Pool, is designed to function in winter. The Limonaia or Lemon House has a cathedral-like interior of the Limonaia. This room expands the display of non-hardy plants. The Limonaia will house the garden’s collection of camellias and citrus plants. Open year-round, daily, except major holidays. Phone: 508-869-6111.

All the Action of the Original Tea Party

We’ve all been hearing a lot about tea parties in recent years. Now, you can get close to the original, when the new Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum opens June 25, 2012, at Congress Street Bridge in Boston. Come relive that historic night in the Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773, when American Colonists took matters into their own hands to oppose British rule. The museum will feature extensive interactive exhibits, two reenactment rooms with actors dressed in period clothing, a Tea Party Ship shop, and a Tea & Tavern Room. Other highlights include the Robinson Half Chest, one of only two known tea chests still in existence from the Boston Tea Party in 1773. There will be two ship replicas, the Eleanor & the Beaver, with the Dartmouth to follow in 2013. A new Visitor Information Center is a few feet away on the Boston HarborWalk. Phone: 617-592-0422.

All the World Loves the Irish … Especially in Boston

Boston, MA

The Irish Heritage Trail is a series of landmarks of Irish-American artists and heroes from the 1700s to the present in Massachusetts. It is a great walking lesson in history, for descendants of the Emerald Isle and anyone else interested in the formation of our country. The trail is divided into three sections: 20 sites in downtown Boston and Back Bay covering over three miles and 51 other landmarks in Boston neighborhoods, cities, and towns throughout the state. Greater Boston sites on the trail include the Rose Kennedy Garden, Boston City Hall, Boston Irish Famine Memorial, Old Granary Burying Grounds, Massachusetts State House, Soldiers & Sailors Memorial, Boston Massacre Memorial, Boston Public Library, Fenway Park, USS Constitution, Bunker Hill Monument and Museum, Bunker Hill Catholic Cemetery, Deer Island Irish Graveyard, Castle Island, JFK Presidential Library & Museum, Holy Cross Cathedral, Hibernian Hall, and many more. Phone: 617-696-9880

An Atlas, From the Inside

The Mapparium at the Mary Baker Eddy Library at 200 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston is a stunning achievement in art and architecture. Walk through this 3-story stained-glass globe, for a unique look at how ideas have the power to inspire individuals and change the world. Since 1935, more than 10 million people have traversed the thirty-foot glass bridge that spans the Mapparium, taking visitors to a unique spot: the middle of the world. The Mapparium’s three-dimensional perspective of the world of 1935 is enhanced by A World of Ideas, an original presentation that features a rich orchestration of words, music, and LED lights. Open daily except Monday. Mapparium is accessible only by guided tour. Phone: 617-450-7000.

Antique Cars Make a Classy Fashion Statement

Larz Anderson Auto Museum at 15 Newton Street in Brookline celebrates the American automobile’s contribution to the international motoring community. At age 75, the museum calls itself the home of America’s oldest car collection. The exhibit features a look back at the last 80 years, highlighting some of Detroit’s most elegant designs and amazing technological breakthroughs. Cadillac, Nash, Studebaker, Buick, design sketches, period fashion provided by Lasell College, and design concepts will shape a journey through almost a century of style and innovation from some of America’s premier automotive manufacturers. Hours: Tuesday through Sunday. Phone: 617-522-6547.

Art in the Ivy Tower

Enjoy a peaceful, contemplative walk in the heart of the Boston College campus at 140 Commonwealth Avenue in Chestnut Hill near Newton and be sure to wander through the McMullen Museum. McMullen is justly proud of it permanent collection and its changing exhibitions from all periods and cultures of the history of art. The museum is free and open to the public and free parking is available. Phone: 617-552-8587

Artful Cinema at the Coolidge

People who love movies: do yourselves a favor and get out of those multiplexes that look and feel like a walk through the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. New England has a healthy scattering of proudly small, independent movie theaters that show new releases along with independent films, shorts, and other cinematic art that doesn’t necessarily include exploding helicopter scenes. The Coolidge Corner Theatre at 290 Harvard Street in Brookline was redesigned as an Art Deco movie palace in 1933 and has never closed its doors to the public since then. One of the top 10 American art houses, the Coolidge presents the finest international, documentary, animated, and independent film selections and series. Phone: 617-734-2500.

Astonishing Nature Lessons

There is always something interesting to see and learn at the Harvard Museum of Natural History on Oxford Street in Cambridge. Classes and lectures for kids and adults on many fascinating subjects – from the source for our food to nature drawing -- are ongoing. Permanent exhibits include the Great Mammal Hall, Evolution, Arthropods: Creatures that Rule, The Glass Flowers, The Zoological Galleries, the Mineralogical and Geological Gallery. Phone: 617-495-3045

Beautiful Butterflies, Year Round

Experience a living exhibit filled with blooming plants and free-flying butterflies in the Butterfly Garden at the Museum of Science at 1 Science Park in Boston. Many wonderful species can be seen up close in a warm, quiet environment. Entrance to the Butterfly Garden is limited to a certain number of people at one time to allow all visitors to enjoy the space comfortably. Open year-round. Phone: 617-723-2500.

Boston By … Segway??!

You know you’ve wanted to try out a Segway. And you also should know that a visit to Boston or Cambridge in balmy weather is the ideal time for it. Quick, get in touch with Boston By Segway at 420 Commercial Street, Boston. These adventurous urban tour professionals can take you on a Segway-driven tour of Boston or Cambridge, for an hour or a day – whatever appeals. Cruise around the city on this two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle; it's fun, eco-friendly, and, really, who hasn't been wanting to ride on one of those things? Phone: 866-611-9838.

Charles Hayden Planetarium Re-Opens
at Museum of Science

After $9 million transformation, the Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Boston Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, re-opened February 2011. The planetarium introduces a new generation of arts and entertainment experiences. The museum will premiere Undiscovered Worlds: The Search Beyond Our Sun, an astronomy show that explores exoplanets — planets outside our solar system. The museum also is creating Cosmic Light, a long-term exhibit where visitors can touch a 30,000-year-old meteorite, view a gallery of color images that offer a spectacular window on the universe, and take a walking tour of the planets in our solar system. Information: 617-723-2500.

Charles River Is a Natural Host
for Your Visit to Cambridge

Here’s a twist on one way to tour the beautiful and historic city of Cambridge: on a riverboat trolling the Charles River, the physical center and soul of the city itself. The Charles Riverboat Company offers a variety of sightseeing tours and sunset cruises on the Charles River and Boston Harbor. Take a thrilling tour of Boston and Cambridge by way of the Charles River, or kick back on a relaxing sunset cruise. Cruises depart daily from the CambridgeSide Galleria, 100 Cambridgeside Place, conveniently accessible to public transportation out of Lechmere and Kendall stations. Phone: 617-621-3001.

Chocolate With a Long Heritage

Taza Chocolate at 561 Windsor Street in Somerville was founded in 2006 out of a desire to combine the Mesoamerican tradition of chocolate with a modern, high-quality product manufactured in a socially responsible way. Now, this bean-to-bar chocolate factory near Union Square hosts tours of the factory. During your tour you will be able to sample chocolate, learn about cocoa beans and see the amazing machinery used to make traditional stone ground chocolate in this artisan operation. Tours are approximately 45 minutes with a limit of 18 people per tour. Interesting, fun, tasty, inspiring. Tours are Wednesdays at 4 p.m.; Thursdays at 2 and 4 p.m.; Fridays at noon, 2, and 4 p.m.; weekends are 10 a.m., noon, 2 and 4 p.m. Phone: 617-623-0804.

Courtyard of Floral Art

The art of landscape has always been central to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on The Fenway in Boston. The museum's interior courtyard is an astonishing work of art, combining plants, sculpture, and architectural elements. The interplay between the courtyard and the museum galleries offers visitors a fresh view of the courtyard from almost every room. The central courtyard is regularly transformed with new plants and colors in nine dramatic seasonal displays, including the beloved hanging nasturtiums display each April, a spectacular assortment of hydrangeas and bellflowers during the summer, and the Chrysanthemums in the Court Japanese-inspired installation each fall. Phone: 617-566-1401.

High Style in Shopping

Located in the historic Back Bay, at 100 Huntington Avenue in Boston, Copley Place is a distinctive shopping destination with 75 stores including Neiman Marcus, Barneys New York, Tiffany & Co., Jimmy Choo, Intimacy, Tourneau, Salvatore Ferragamo, Porsche Design, David Yurman, and more. A lovely and sophisticated mixed-use complex, Copley Place includes two levels of shopping, restaurants, office buildings, parking spaces, The Westin Hotel and The Boston Marriott Copley Place. Especially fun during holidays.

History of Innovation

Located on the banks of the Charles River in the historic 1814 Boston Manufacturing Company textile mill, Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation at 154 Moody Street in Waltham is America’s first factory. Hands-on exhibits feature American innovation and invention from 1812 to modern day. Exhibits feature the Boston Manufacturing Company, The Orient Bicycle and Metz Automobile, the Waltham Watch Factory and more. Museum topics include textile history, watches and clocks, steam power, and marvelous machines. A favorite exhibit is Steampunk Form & Function, showing works of artists spanning all areas of the retro-futuristic movement. Open year-round, Thursdays through Sundays. Phone: 781-893-5410.

Hop a Ferry to the Islands. That Is, Boston Harbor Islands

Boston Harbor Islands, a national park on a cluster of islands that is just a short ferry trip from the heart of Boston, is quiet place to relax, explore, camp, swim, fish or picnic. The park includes 34 islands within Boston Harbor. This is a place where you can walk through a Civil War-era fort, explore tide pools, climb a historic lighthouse, hike lush trails and salt marshes, camp under the stars, or relax while fishing, picnicking or swimming. Ranger-narrated Discovery Cruises and Sunset Cruises are offered all summer. Just think: an urban vacation with a time-out to ramble in nature just a ferry-hop away. Most people arrive at the Boston Harbor Islands via a brief ferry ride from Long Wharf-North in Boston. The ferry system gets you to the islands (and home again) quickly and easily. Phone: 617-223-8666.

More Light for Art Lovers

The wonderful and already-revered Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum at 280 The Fenway in Boston has a dramatic, new light-filled wing! The addition, by architect Renzo Piano, includes a three-story gallery for contemporary art exhibitions, an intimate performance hall, and a visitor orientation area. For the first time, visitors can walk through the museum's greenhouses to see plants that are being prepared for the famous courtyard displays in the original 1902 building. The museum's collections reflect Isabella Stewart Gardner's extensive European travels: paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, and decorative arts, including works by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Degas, and Manet. Phone: 617-566-1401 or 617-278-5156.

Pups of the Sea

The New England Aquarium on Central Wharf in Boston is now home to a new Marine Mammal Center. The naturally lit, open-air exhibit gives visitors a front-row seat to see Northern fur seals in action. The exhibit features interactive panels that let you touch fur seal teeth and see an underwater image the same way a seal does. The entire experience centers on the expanded Northern fur seal pool, where you can witness these graceful animals in action. The enclosure gives these sleek animals plenty of room to gallop and swim and offers a shallow pool for midsummer lounging and speedy surface skimming. Thanks to the tiered seating, seal fans can get a good view of all these behaviors. Arf! Phone: 617-973-5200.

Stop in for a Walk Through Sam's Place

Here’s what you might not know: Samuel Adams (1722-1802), cousin to John Adams, was a Bostonian, statesman, patriot, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Here’s what you know: some people Boston make a fine beer named in honor of Sam. If you are connoisseur of fine beers and great cities, make a visit to the Sam Adams Brewery on Germania Street in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston. Taste the special malts used to brew Samuel Adams beers and smell the Hallertau and Tettnang hops. The brewery conducts tours and tastings daily except Sundays, and also has a neat gift shop. Open year-round. Phone: 617-368-5256

Toad Jumps

Toad is a small but super-friendly music club right across the street from Porter Square on the red line in Cambridge. Live music wails almost every night, and there is no cover charge. Bands mostly play Americana and roots rock, bluegrass and rock fusion, funky blues and jazz, and straight-up rock ‘n’ roll. People dance to the music and the band members love it. Don't go at night and expect to carry on a conversation; the music can get loud. Beer varieties are wide and exotic or at least out-of-the mainstream beers can show up at any time.

We Call It “Mem Drive”

Every Sunday from late April to mid-November, Memorial Drive in Cambridge (known as “Mem Drive” to local people), is closed to motor traffic between Western Avenue and Mount Auburn Street. People turn out on bikes, inline skates, and running shoes, pushing strollers and walking dogs. This normally busy road has spectacular views of the Charles River, and strolling down the middle of it on a sunny Sunday is like having the world by the tail. When you are done, go grab lunch in Harvard Square.

From Beer to Wine to Spirits
Cisco Brewers Covers the Map

A day trip through the lovely country side of Nantucket can get a spirited boost with a stop at the family -operated Cisco Brewers, Nantucket Vineyard, and Triple Eight Distillery . In addition to its flagship product, Triple Eight Vodka, the distillery produces Triple Eight Orange Vodka, Hurricane Rum, Gale Force Gin and Notch (“not scotch”) single malt whiskey. Combining old world techniques with state of the art technology, the vineyard’s wine selections include delicious vintages that you won't find anywhere else. The owners encourage visitors to their operation, at 5 and 7 Bartlett Farm Road. Open daily, with tours by appointment. Phone: 508-325-5929.

Glass as Art

Martha’s Vineyard Glassworks at 683 State Road in West Tisbury was founded in 1992 as a studio where glassblowers could develop their skills, create glasswork, and build a life around glassblowing. Now, it is also a retail store and gallery, where visitors can watch the process of glass blowing and purchase unique glass artwork to keep. Open daily April to December and weekends January to April. If you want to watch glass blowing be sure to call ahead before visiting. Glass blowing is inactive at least one day a week during a routine glass cooking day. Phone: 508-693-6026.

Let Us Go on a Quest

The Trustees of the Reservations, which maintains and operates many wonderful historic properties in Massachusetts, is helping parents to get the kids outdoors on cool explorations through its new Quest Detective game. Start by finding the Quest maps at each of the properties or download and print them yourself. At the end of each Quest, you’ll find a hidden box with a stamp for your Quest Detective booklet. Quest Detective booklets are available at the 12 sites. Check out these awesome quests around Massachusetts:
Griffin's Perch Quest on the Crane Estate in Ipswich; Pinnacle Quest at Appleton Farms in Hamilton; Hermit's Haven Quest and Sweetbay Swamp Quest at Ravenswood Park in Gloucester; Over the Bridge & Through the Years at Bird Park in Walpole; Eleanor's Quest at the Bradley Estate in Canton; East Over Quest at the East Over Reservation in Rochester; Menemsha Hills Quest on Martha's Vineyard; Downtown Holyoke Quest at Holyoke; Bart's Cobble Quest in Sheffield; and Mission House Mohican Quest in Stockbridge.

Mission: To Surprise and Delight

Nantucket Bookworks at 25 Broad Street in Nantucket, declares that its mission is “surprise and delight visitors.” This is a full-service, general interest bookstore selling new books, with a small selection of out-of-print Nantucket titles. There is an extensive children's room, card room, young adult section, and Nantucket Book section. Also, you never know what kind of eclectic sidelines might wind up in the store. The store sells and accepts ABA gift cards, good for use at more than 200 participating independent bookstores across the country. Open daily, year-round. Hours vary seasonally. Phone: 508-228-4000

Ahoy, Whales

Experts at the Whale Center of New England on Harbor Loop in Gloucester study whales who live in the waters off the Massachusetts coast, especially Stellwagen Bank and Jeffreys Ledge, and conduct field research their vessel Mysticete. The center also has a Visitors Center where whale lovers can learn about these marine mammals through extensive exhibits. Visitors will come away with a new appreciation for marine mammals and the threats that they face in the world today. The Visitors Center is open year-round, but days and hours vary through the seasons. Phone: 978-281-6351.

Come and Greet the New
Shalin Liu Performance Center

Rockport Music, host of the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, has a new home starting in June 2010. The new Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport will include an intimate concert hall, with a balcony and seating for 325 people with a spectacular two-story window at the rear of the stage, giving audiences a full view of the Atlantic Ocean. Audiences will be welcome to the center for musical programs as well as a film series, simulcasts of Metropolitan Opera performances, lectures by well-known authors, cabaret performances, and civic gatherings. Keep in touch with this new performance venue for a future of wonderful entertainment in a beautiful coastal community. Phone: 978-546-7391.

Daily Objects Reveal Their Secrets
at Textile History Museum

From spinning wheels to airplanes and power looms to baseballs, history really comes alive at the American Textile History Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, at 491 Dutton Street in Lowell. In the main exhibition, Textile Revolution: An Exploration through Space and Time, visitors can spin, weave, design, and recycle through an interactive experience that explores how textiles affect our lives. Watch how baseballs are made from wool, weave on a hand loom, and try on a glove designed for the NASA space program. Rotating special exhibitions exploring fascinating topics through textiles, from the glamour and grace of 1930s fashion to the stories of Vietnam vets. Open year-round, Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed on holidays. Phone: 978-441-0400.

Get Ghostly in Salem

Salem Historical Tours, based at 191 Essex Street in Salem, is host of the nightly Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tour and other tours that entertain and inform visitors to this historic town. A variety of tours appeal to interests of all kinds of visitors. They include the new Spirits of Salem Pub Crawl, which visits several of Salem’s most spirited taverns; Cemetery 101, which explores an early burying ground; Salem Witchcraft Walk, describing the infamous Salem Witch Trials; Supernatural Salem, a new ghost tour; and Secrets of Salem, which explores the macabre history of the Witch City. Great storytellers, historical integrity, and an unrivaled reputation make the Salem Historic Tours a great companion to explore Salem. Phone: 978-745-0666.

Lyman Brings the Outdoors Indoors

Lyman Estate Greenhouses on Lyman Street in Waltham provide a flowery paradise year-round. The Lyman Estate Greenhouses are among the oldest surviving greenhouses in the United States. The complex consists of an 1804 grape house, 1820 camellia house, 1840 orchid house, and a 1930 sales greenhouse. At any time of year a visit to these picturesque greenhouses is a treat. Rare orchids covered with exotic flowers bloom throughout the year. The horticultural staff offers advice and assistance. The greenhouse specializes in orchids, exotic house plants, citrus fruits, camellias, and herbs. The gift shop sells historical gardening books, brass sundials, sachets, orchid accessories, pottery, rustic twig furniture, and more. Open year-round, but days vary by season. Guided tours on first Wednesdays. Consult greenhouses’s website. Phone: 781-891-1985.

Shop Salem

Among other qualities, Salem is a very walkable city, with museums, attractions, dining and really fun shopping. Fun fashions, furniture, gifts, gemstones, cookbooks and cycles, and, of course, magic paraphernalia, are easy to find in the Witch City. Store listings start with Angelica of the Angels, offering channeling, medium, psychic, Tarot, gifts, books, incense, and energy healing to The Urbane Cyclist, with provisions for your cycling needs.

An Extraordinary Garden Experience

Seven Arrows Farm in Attleboro, Massachusetts is not your typical farm. Now in its 31st year, the farm is the product of owners/growers Judy and Michel’s mutual passion for plants, gardening, and all things green. Here you can stroll through the gardens and the uncommon plant nursery, find a remedy or a gift at the farm’s extensive herb shop, visit with the chickens and goats, seek counsel from one of the farm’s knowledgeable staff members, or simply relax with a book from the farm’s library in the sunny tea room. Hours: Open year-round; call for spring and summer hours. Phone: 508-399-7860.

Animals in a Peaceful Refuge

Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary at 37 Eddy Street in Norton is a nonprofit stay-for-life animal reserve established to care for abused and abandoned farm and exotic animals. Visitors can take a tour the farm, meet the animals who live there, and enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of the season. Winslow Farm also offers a nature trail, full playground, birthday parties, perennial garden, and many activities throughout the year, like the October Festival, Sheep Shearing, Easter Egg Hunt, Green Sprouts, Renaissance Faire, Yuletide Festival, and Arts and Craft Faire. Open daily except Tuesdays, year-round. Phone: 508-285-6451.

Chill Cannot Penetrate This Knitwear

Visitors to Fall River, especially during the cold seasons, would be wise to visit the Knitting Mills Factory Outlet Store on Quarry Street for fantastic savings on sweaters, knitwear, and blankets. This is a true factory outlet, selling only what is made by the company. The hundred of thousands of sweaters made here have commanded the attention of customers from all over the country. Prices are 50 percent to 70 percent off retail. Wow! Phone: 508-678-1383

City That Lit the World

New Bedford was the mid-19th century’s preeminent whaling port and for a time the richest city in the world. At the New Bedford Whaling Park and Museum on 33 William Street – which part of the U.S. Park Service – visitors can explore that fascinating era by strolling cobblestone streets and by touring the world’s largest whaling museum, a merchant’s home, a whalemen's chapel, and a 19th-century schooner. The park is actually a neighborhood consisting of several buildings: visitor centers for the park and the waterfront, a whaling museum, a church, and a historic house with gardens. Most facilities open year-round, with some seasonal variations in hours. Phone: 508-996-4095

Hall of Fame at Patriot Place

The Hall at Patriot Place in Foxboro is open to all football fans. Try your skill at kicking or converting a field goal. See how high can you jump compared to Devin McCourty. Is your reaction time as quick as that of NFL players? How hard is it to make an official’s call on the field? Listen to Coach Belichick explain the strategies behind each play. Learn if you have what it takes to score a touchdown. Finish with a special visit to see the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophies and World Championship rings from 2001, 2003 and 2004. The Hall is open daily, but it closes occasionally for private functions. It is typically closed before and during a Patriots home game, but it re-opens after 1 p.m. home games. Hours vary seasonally. Phone: 508-6989-4800.

Old Country Store Brings Back
Era of the Nickelodeon

Step back in time with a visit to the Old Country Store & Emporium on Otis Street in Mansfield. Many of the household goods that our grandparents knew are here in the rambling wooden buildings. The West Mansfield Fire Barn next door now houses the Firehouse Candle Shop. The Emporium houses a restored soda fountain and apothecary shop. The sound of the three restored nickelodeons brings back memories of an earlier time. The Barn contains stuffed bears, pictures, linens, braided rugs, jelly cupboards and occasional furniture, hutches and lighting fixtures and gifts galore. Open daily. Phone: 508-339-8128.

Out in the Woods, in Sight of Boston

For a romantic walk in a leafy woods, visit World’s End in Hingham, a nature preserve tucked into the end of a curve of shoreline that sweeps southeast from Boston. Rolling hills and rocky shorelines offer views of the Boston skyline, while tree-lined carriage paths make delightful walking trails. The 251-acre landscape includes rocky shores, broad hillsides, and open fields bracketed by woodlands. The property is ideal for walking, picnicking, jogging, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, or simply enjoying the outdoors. It is managed by the admirable Trustees of the Reservations, and open to the public for walking year-round.

Zeiterion Brings Great Theater
to Southern Massachusetts

For lively, dynamic, creative entertainment of all stripes, stay tuned to the Zeiterion Theatre on Purchase Street in New Bedford. This historic performing arts center is located in a restored 1923 vaudeville house, and its programs include summer musicals, comedy, great American music, dance, special events, and family fun. The 2012 season includes Peter Frampton, Hugh Masekela, The Temptations, Joffrey Ballet Company, St. Patrick’s Celtic Sojourn, Natalia Zukerman, Doo Wop 7, Skippyjon Jones, and the shows “Pinkalicious: The Musical,” “Spamalot,” and more. Check the theater’s website for schedules. Phone: 508-997-5664.

Berkshires/Pioneer Valley/Mohawk Trail	Cape Cod	Central Massachusetts/Sturbridge
Greater Boston and Cambridge	Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket	North of Boston/Merrimack Valley
South of Boston/Plymouth

MASSACHUSETTS

Fun and unusual things to do in every corner of Massachusetts