A part of neighboring Chelmsford till in 1729, Westford is a city of 25,000 now not a long way southwest of Lowell.
Westford Academy (1794), one of the most oldest society colleges in america, used to be the place Paul Look up to despatched his son, and the untouched development now properties the native ancient community’s museum.
The The town Familiar is a old fashioned slice of Unused England, edged by way of 18th and Nineteenth-century structure, together with an ancient church that has discovered a unutilized goal as an arts middle.
Westford additionally sticks out for its masses of acres of town-owned herbal range, controlled by way of the Westford Conservation Consider, which seems later a labyrinthine community of society trails working to all corners of town.
1. The Butterfly Park
At this instructional enchantment within the a long way north of Westford you’ll follow masses of butterflies aviation freely in a singular indoor abode.
The Butterfly Park has species local to Unused England, along side a bunch of tropical species from everywhere in the global.
Those are independent to fly across the Atrium, a massive greenhouse abode with stunning plants and a relentless temperature of 80-85 levels.
Hold your smartphone able or convey a digital camera for some bright photos. You’ll additionally rise to hurry on butterflies’ past cycles by the use of static reveals and an enlightening 15-minute video.
2. Westford The town Familiar
The center of Westford for some 300 years, Westford The town Familiar remains to be integral to native past.
A triangular grassy range, the regular is framed by way of stunning structure, together with the Italianate Westford The town Corridor (1875), the Federal-style First Parish Church (1794), the lavish J. V. Fletcher Library (1895), and the Worn Congregational Church (1829), now the Parish Heart for the Arts.
There are so many occasions on or close the regular within the hotter months, just like the Westford Farmers’ Marketplace, akin by way of on the The Roudenbush Family Heart, and the First Parish’s Strawberry ‘N’ Arts Competition each and every June.
At the north facet, reverse the The town Corridor, you’ll get onto the Tom Paul Path, maintained by way of the Westford Conservation Consider and meandering throughout the city for two.5 miles.
3. Westford Museum
Some other of the stately structures by way of the The town Familiar is the Federal-style Westford Academy, finished in 1794.
This used to be house to the academy, one of the most oldest society elevated colleges within the nation, till 1796, when the varsity relocated to what’s now the Roudenbush Family Heart.
The Westford Historic Community moved right here within the Nineteen Seventies later a recovery, and the museum radiances a bright at the lavish historical past of town.
The community’s collections are so massive that just one 5th will also be displayed at any life. On the life writing, there have been riveting shows about home past in Westford, town’s ancient textile trade, granite quarrying, prehistoric Local American archeology and the Westford Knight (extra after).
4. Kimball Farm
Now with 4 places in Massachusetts and Unused Hampshire, the Kimball Farm ice cream emblem used to be based in Westford in 1939, and the feature has develop into a pervasive enchantment, stuffed with a laugh actions.
The development that also properties the ice cream arise dates again to 1908, as a dairy barn when the Kimball relations used to be nonetheless within the wholesale milk trade.
The whole thing modified within the Thirties when Jack and Clara Kimball got a freezer and grew to become their woodshed into an ice cream parlor. Nowadays, Westford’s Kimball Farm is many stuff rolled into one. In fact, you’ve were given 50 flavors of home made ice cream to make a choice from, however there’s additionally a Grill & Seafood Shack, a Nation Pack & Cafe, and what can absolute best be described as a miniature theme ground.
Sights come with small golfing, tone & putt, a using territory, batting cages, bumper automobiles, bumper boats, a flora and fauna demonstration segment, a zipline, an arcade and an segment for youngsters to pluck pony rides.
5. Nashoba Valley Ski Section
Within the south of Westford there’s a small-ish ski mountain that first opened in 1964. With 17 trails and a vertical too much of 240 ft, it is a admirable park for everybody as much as intermediate skiers to be told and create their talents.
When you’re simply establishing out, the sequence of rope tows within the rookies’ segment proceed briefly, moment additional up the slope there’s a ground ground, and the Sundance Run for freestyle snowboarding.
A distant front ends up in the tubing ground, which has 18 lanes served by way of two rope tows and a conveyor, all accompanied by way of a distant hotel and eating place.
6. Bruce Freeman Rail Path
To walk with the Westford Conservation Consider’s community of trails there’s a long-distance rail path chopping around the southeastern nook of Westford at the right-of-way of the worn Framingham and Lowell Sequence of the Unused York, Unused Haven and Hartford Railroad.
That is the ever-growing Bruce Freeman Rail Path, which has opened in levels since 2009, and can sooner or later run often for just about 25 miles from Lowell to Framingham.
Westford and neighboring Chelmsford are at the category finished within the first section, and there’s a parking quantity on Direction 27, later to Butter Brook Golfing Membership.
From right here you’ll progress or cycle north into Lowell, or head south within the path of Sudbury the place the path will attach with the Lump Central Rail Path.
7. Bobby’s Ranch
In pastoral nation-state south of the Nashoba Valley Ski Section, Bobby’s Ranch is a path using middle, based in 1972. At that life “Bobby”, the landlord, used to be 16 years worn, and the ranch used to be established as a summer season activity.
By contrast to alternative equestrian facilities focussed on boarding and coaching, guided western path rides are the principle supply of commercial at Bobby’s Ranch.
It’s a good suggestion to park a reservation a number of days in journey, and kids must be no less than 9 years worn and 48” to journey at the path (one particular person consistent with horse).
Once we made this checklist, society rides had been $50 on weekdays, and $60 on weekends, and it’s worthwhile to store a personal path journey for $100.
8. Drew Farm
On a scenic hillside, this family-owned farm in Westford welcomes the society in past due summer season and fall for pick-your-own apples.
Able from early September, Drew Farm produces seven other apple sorts, from McIntosh to Evercrisp, the closing being able from mid-October.
There’s apple cider at this life of occasion, and the farm bakes its personal apple cider donuts, moment you’re independent to pluck a picnic and benefit from the perspectives of the foliage.
From October you’ll additionally come for pumpkins, and Drew Farm is understood for its Pumpkin Sunny on Halloween evening, lights masses of jack-o-lanterns all through the orchard. Previous within the occasion the farm sells a wide array of putting baskets and bedding vegetation.
9. Parish Heart for the Arts (PCA)
A ravishing ocular at the southern nook of the The town Familiar is the worn Congregational Church (1829), which received its flow look in 1896.
This development served as a church till the mid-Twentieth century, and used to be transformed into range for the humanities later being bought by way of the Westford Historic Community.
The ability has an exhilarating program of live shows and alternative nation arts occasions, generally June thru September.
There’s additionally a gallery on the PCA, providing a show off for established pros and gifted amateurs thru a rotating Artist of the Hour program.
10. Stony Brook Conservation Land
This valuable parcel of Westford Conservation Consider land is the previous East Boston Camps, bought by way of town in 2005. Those 286 acres are hemmed by way of the 2 watercourses, Keyes Brook within the east and Stony Brook within the west.
Mountain climbing right here you’ll stumble upon steep, glacially-formed eskers, cloaked in jungle that harbors lavish migratory and resident birdlife, from nesting admirable horned owls to scarlet tanagers.
In spring and fall the brooks draw in a variety of migratory birds, like pintails, mergansers, and timber and ring-neck geese.
The path alongside Stony Brook, with its marvelous wildflowers in spring and summer season, is the one one to stick evident throughout the camp season in July and August. In other places, within the reservation’s northwest nook is a work of rail path alongside an worn trolley order.
11. Nashoba Brook Flora and fauna Sanctuary
On the right way to the Nashoba Valley Ski Section is a wooded feature maintained by way of the Massachusetts Audubon Community.
One of the issues going for this flora and fauna sanctuary is that it’s contiguous with Westford’s Richard Emmet Conservation Land, so this will also be the establishing level for a longer progress in additional than 500 acres of nature.
There are greater than 4 miles of trails weaving thru white pine-oak jungle, and into damper disciplines together with a vernal lake that bursts into past each and every spring, a wetland abode and a bathroom.
The longest path is the Alan Emmet Loop, well-known you generation ancient stone partitions and a Cave Rock, an remarkable frigid erratic.
12. Superb Brook Farm Shape Ground
A tiny approach generation Westford’s southeast nook is a 900+ acre environment idleness segment house to a operating dairy farm.
You’ll come to Superb Brook Farm for a excursion on weekends, Might thru October, and children will love ocular the barnyard animals, together with cows, rooster, sheep and goats.
The seasonal ice cream arise is evident at this life of occasion, with a large collection of flavors and sorbets.
Out within the ground are akin to twenty miles of trails, bringing you to remarkable Local American websites and remnants of colonial agreement within the mode of Seventeenth-century cellar holes. Within the iciness months the paths are groomed for cross-country snowboarding.
13. One Ban Amusing
Absolute best for birthday events or a high-energy day trip, One Ban Amusing is a middle for more youthful youngsters that’s full of points of interest and actions.
The indoor place right here has 3 tales of tunnels and tubes, a number of slides, a 40-foot rock wall and a distant segment for tots.
Children can jump and topple on the Nashoba Gymnastics Academy, with Olympic apparatus together with bars, rings, a topple monitor and a full-size trampoline, along side a foam pit and zipline.
In the end, the lake plaza is designed particularly for youngsters, and has slides and interactive play games options.
14. Westford Knight
At 17 Reserve Boulevard, a cut progress from the The town Familiar, there’s an enchanting interest, classified with an interpretive signal and plaque.
That is the Westford Knight, a frigid boulder with abnormal patterns that experience impressed some fanciful explanations.
Generation there’s now tiny query that those are herbal markings, within the Nineteenth century they had been considered a Local American petroglyph, moment a newer concept has posited that that is the epitaph for a Medieval knight, who made it to the Unused Global within the 14th century.
To honor this interpretation there’s a recumbent brass determine of a knight later to the rock.
15. Butter Brook Golfing Membership
Sitting within the rolling hills within the south of Westford is a semi-private championship golfing path, designed by way of architect Mark Mungeam and opened in 2004.
The environment may just rarely be prettier, with sweeping perspectives, towering stands of mature white pine and the ubiquitous Butter Brook, which flows throughout the center of this terrain.
There are 4 units of tees, suiting avid gamers of all requirements, and this monitor is 6,800 yards from the ideas. You’ll wish to pluck the path’s rolling topography under consideration while you choose your pictures, however those herbal options can play games for your merit.
The sixth fairway for example has a massive hillock that can arrange a great method perspective should you catch the slope valid.
The place to stick: Best Hotels in Westford, Massachusetts (MA)
