What an impressive historical site. This family's home was crucial to the Underground Railroad. It…read morewas pretty fascinating to see how this historical site really believed in abolishing slavery to help those two go into freedom. I didn't realize how important this site is to history but it was really nice to see letters and photographs of that time and about Newton area that nobody really thinks about. It was pretty cool to see all the old fashioned toys and clothes of the time. There is a lot of literature posted on the exhibitions. I really recommend going here.

We planned a field trip to the Jackson Homestead with our homeschool group. We had nearly 30 people…read morebetween the ages of 7 and 50, and everyone enjoyed the visit. The attraction is reasonably priced for individuals visiting at $6 per person. The field trip was also very reasonable for up to 30 children and up to 10 adults. The foyer explains the background of the owners and their involvement with the abolition movement and the underground railroad in the 1800s. The children were able to look at source documents and work in teams to make inferences on the information and draw conclusions. Next, we moved to the lower level which is professionally outfitted with plaques explaining the history and a lot of fantastic artifacts. There were several interactive and "please touch" areas, which all the children (and even the teens enjoyed). There were boxes they could climb into to show what it was like to travel across the ocean as a captured slave, and the interesting story of Henry Box Brown. There was even an excavated well (covered with a grate, of course) that may have been used to hide fugitive slaves. On the main floor, the children were able to explore some of the other areas of the house, like "Newton's Toy Box," information on stained glass, and an extensive time-line of the house and history makers. Upstairs was a small area open to the public (due to their offices being on that floor) that had a flag on display from the civil war era. and envelopes used for propaganda during that time period. There were also pictures of the original rooms and textile samples with information about the dress at the time. The main floor also has a lovely little gift shop with a good variety of souvenirs. The staff was friendly and helpful. A most wonderful trip!

According to local legend, the founder of Middlesex University was traveling through Ireland and…read moresaw Lismore Castle. He was so impressed with the castle that he asked to bring it back with him. The owners denied his request. He then asked for the blueprints, only to be told no again. Not one to be stopped, he had drawings done of the outside of the castle. The Castle in Waltham was constructed based on these drawings. This is now Brandeis University and "The Castle" as it is called, was first used as an administrative space as well as a dining hall. It was used as a dormitory until the building was condemned and later partially torn down to make room for a new building. Some of the benches outside of the dormitory neighboring Usen Castle are made from materials of the demolished structure. The remaining part of Usen Castle is closed to visitors. Only the coffee house inside the castle is open to the public. Still, it's cool to check out the exterior if you're nearby. [Review 15210 overall, 712 of 2021, number 1073 in Massachusetts.]

The website for the memorial says their goal "(was) to create a 9/11 memorial for Newton. Not just…read moreto memorialize the eight people from Newton who died that day, but to commemorate the heroism of the police, the firefighters, and the everyday citizens who reached out to help each other." They sure did a beautiful job of reaching that goal. The memorial, its symbolism, images, and inscriptions are overwhelming. The 9/11 date is represented by huge stone Roman numeral "twins" suggesting the twin towers. There are engraved panels everywhere- on the steps leading to the memorial and on top of the 9/11 numbers themselves. You'll see the chilling chronology of the timeline - the terrorists leave a Newton hotel at 7:00 AM, the North Tower is hit at 8:46, the South Tower is hit at 9:03, the Pentagon is hit at 9:37, the south Tower collapses at 9:58, the Shanksville crash at 10:03, and the North Tower collapses at 10:28. An inscribed pedestal reads "On September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 innocent men, women, and children. The people of Newton, Massachusetts, have established this memorial as a place to remember the neighbors we lost and to honor those who served that day and thereafter". Other inscriptions remember the 400 NYC Public Service workers who were lost trying to save their citizens, the eight citizens with ties to Newton lost that day, and quotes from President Bush, Mayor Warren, and Scottish poet Thomas Campbell. Campbel's words were very moving. "To live in hearts we leave behind Is not to die."

What a beautiful commemoration of those Newton residents who were murdered on September 11, 2001…read more The placement of the memorial in front of the Newton Fire Station Headquarters on Centre St (across the street from the Newton Centre Playground) is perfect. Go see it. This was designed, paid for and built by a group within the community; then gifted to the City. B"H

I cannot believe this place can run in such a rude manner. We have been calling and emailing this…read morehistorical place about some lost AirPods. They have not responded at all. We've searched for them and then got yelled at because we brought a lot of people to search for them. I found out anyone can simply reset them. I am very disgusted because they least they could do is email me or call me and say they have or have not seen them. They will not respond. I am starting to wonder if they found them and choosing to keep them. I do not know!

I got married here, so of course I am going to be somewhat biased about the place…read more As a wedding venue, it was perfect for a smallish wedding of about 90 guests. The grounds were fantastic for everyone to wander around, the foliage and landscaping actually made the need for us to spend half our budget on flowers unnecessary, and the interior was equally gorgeous, with hard wood everything, a grand staircase/foyer that was excellent for dancing and toasts and lots of rooms for a dessert buffet and a large dining area. It is however a historic estate, which means that there are limitations in terms of vendors you can use and decorations (eg, no lit candles indoors) however since we had a late summer wedding, we pretty much stayed outside the entire time so these weren't huge concerns. The event coordinator is -terrifying- but she knows what she is doing. She's very gruff, all business, but really, you're not there to make friends with her, so just smile and nod and everything will go ok. The price wasn't bad for the event, and there is a discount for Waltham residents (which we were not. boo)

We were touring through the area and had time to kill before dinner at a relatives so we decided to…read moresee what Babson's campus looked like. Overall a decent campus but nothing that interesting until we came across this super cool globe. Wow! I had no idea that this existed and was here - OK I am a bit of a fan of globes. Nerd! And it rotated too. Interesting history is explained on some nearby plaques. A great roadside America type stop. Worth a detour.

I was nearby buying new skates, it was a nice day I didn't want to go to the school when it's in…read moresession so I stopped by for a quick walk. Beautiful campus ground . Not much to say but I always check Yelp to see what is around to do and where to eat.

Wonderful place for exploration and run by Historic New England. They offer guided tours for…read morepeople interested in historical houses. It has been used for the set of the newest Little Women movie (grand room and the front porch). Parking is sufficient and they have an extensive greenhouse with plants for sale. Bathrooms are available for visitors. It is also a great place for weddings.

The Lyman Estate is a beautiful historic property in Waltham, MA. Originally built/owned by…read moreTheodore Lyman in the late 1700's, the property is available for functions. The grounds are open to the public during the day, and there is a fee for admission to see the interior of the house. The most unique aspect of the property is the greenhouses, which are the oldest in the US. They house a multitude of different plants including orchids, camellias, & grapes grown from cuttings taken in England in the late 1800's. There is also a sale house where you can purchase houseplants, flowers, herbs, etc. It's worth the time to stop in on a nice afternoon to walk around the property, and especially to see the greenhouses.

A MUST DO! A FREE EVENT & if you come on Sunday parking at the meters is FREE. This is the…read moreBirthplace of Jingles Bells - one of the most famous Christmas songs of all time. There is now a plaque here commemorating this event that's located on 19 High Street in Medford Square in Medford, Massachusetts. This is the spot just outside of Boston where James Lord Pierpont (1822-1893) wrote the popular holiday classic song. The writer was watching the sleigh races that were taking place on Salem Street. In 1850 James was sitting at the Simpson Tavern watching the picturesque scene that inspired him to write the song. You may not know this but Jingle Bells was not the original title of the song it was called "The One Horse Open Sleigh". That's the title that got published in September 1857. The plaque is located in front of Drizik Eyecare just below the giant pair of eyeglasses in the window. It's in a beautiful old brick building with some great architectural detail. Across the street is 2 Salem St. which is different but also a beautiful old brick building with some green patina that houses a Dunkin Donuts & other businesses. Salem Street's sleigh races inspired the song. The song later became known as Jingle Bells & has been sung by thousands of artists from around the world. Bing Crosby's rendition of "Jingle Bells" with the Andrews Sisters from The White Christmas album from 1945 is still one of people's favorite versions. Here's some other artists who have recorded Jingle Bells: Frank Sinatra The Beatles, Dolly Parton, Jimmy Buffett, William Shatner ( Captain Kirk from Star Trek), The Carpenters, Smokey Robinson, The Partridge Family, Gwen Stefanie, Gladys Knight, Michael Buble, Willie Nelson, Dionne Warwick, Chicago, Alvin & The Chipmunks, Eric Clapton, The Wiggles, Alan Jackson, the Disco Group Bonny M, Julie Andrews, John Denver, Etta James, David Haselhoff (Knight Rider), Dean Martin, Michael Bolton. Paul Anka,, Gene Autry, Tony Bennett, The Brady Bunch, Natalie Cole, Bootsy Collins, Fats Domino, Dora the Explorer, Sammy Davis Jr. Brenda Lee, En Vogue, Jose Feliciano, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Gleason, Peggy Lee, Barry Manilow, Michael McDonald, Micky Mouse, The Osmonds, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ray Price, Wilson Pickett, Sesame Street Cast, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Barbara Streisand, James Taylor, The Three Stooges, The Ventures, Bobby Vinton, Lawrence Welk, Andy Williams, Bebe & Cece Winams, Yello, Lady A, Pentatonix & countless others. What a wide variety of singers who are completely different from each other yet all loved this song. & recorded it. The City of Medford MA. was founded in 1630. It's also famous for creating the music of Woodstock located @ The Woodstock Dunkin Donuts 430 Salem St. in Haines Square,Medford MA. it was more recently in the news & pop culture as being the place where Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck filmed the Hysterical Dunkin Donuts commercial for the Super Bowl. The Bennifer Dunkin Donuts is on 7 Commercial St. Medford MA. You can read my individual reviews of each. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

Perfect day for a cemetary stroll. Very peaceful with some graves dating to the 1800s. The tower is…read morerather impressive. Would love to see it's twin in Ireland some day.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! A FREE EVENT & FREE PARKING! This is one of the Secret Hidden Gems of…read moreAmerica that most people have never heard of or been to before, If you love Castles, Towers & the Fairytale Rapunzel or the Disney movie Tangled then you'll be excited about our journey today. It's Time to jump into The TimeMobile & scour the Earth & take you to places from a different time that you won't believe still exist. We have set the dial to the 1890's in the town of Milford MA about an hour outside of Boston. We've landed at this Beautiful Irish Round Tower that conjures up images from a bygone era. The Tower looks like it has been plucked from medieval times from thousands of miles across the Pond in Ireland. IT IS BEAUTIFUL! Father Patrick Cuddihy envisioned an Irish Round Tower as the centerpiece of a new cemetery when the land was purchased in 1890 for the Catholics of Saint Mary's Parish in Milford. Travelers from all over the globe spend thousands of dollars & travel to Ireland to see The Irish Round Towers. There is one Irish Tower in particular called The Devenish round tower & is located in County Fermanagh on an island located on Lower Lough Erne Lake. The Round Irish Tower in Milford is almost an exact replica with the same look, design & height as the The Devenish Tower in Ireland. It is made out of Granite from the Milford quarry. It stands tall over the graves of thousands of Irish immigrants who were buried in the cemetery. They are laid to rest in an Irish setting that mimics the architecture & land of Ireland. You might wonder why did Fr. Cuddihy build this tower? The answer can be found in his obituary "It may be folly - yet when you and I have passed away, the Irish in America will make a pilgrimage to the Irish Round Tower at Milford." Now although it was very popular in its day this has now fallen completely under the radar. Now just about everyone has heard of the German Fairy Tale Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm, but have no idea that a Rapunzel like Tower even exists here in America. The Milford Round Tower was the only one of its kind in the whole USA for decades & only a few Irish Towers in the whole world even exist outside of Ireland. In 2003 The Tower at Castleton Lyons Farm was built in Kentucky to be an exact replica of the round tower at the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary Ireland. So now there are 2 Irish Round Towers in the US. The Milford one is well over a hundred years older than the one in Kentucky. It represents a unique granite architectural wonder that pays tribute to Father Cuddihy vision of an Irish Tower in America without going overseas. The 1978 East German stamps of Rapunzel look just like the Devenish Tower in Ireland & the one in Milford MA. I have posted the stamp pictures for you to see too. Just so you know the door to the Tower is locked so you can't venture to the top! In addition, behind the Irish round tower there is a small pond & benches with pine trees in the background that makes a peaceful place to pray, meditate & explore the grounds. On the other side there is a mysterious cave like structure that resembles a catacomb. Across the street there is a public park and free parking. You really wouldn't expect to see an Irish Round Tower or a Rapunzel Tower at a cemetery, but that's where it is - a True Hidden Gem. To make it really worth your trip in the area check out The Moon Tree a tree that went to the Moon & The Largest Rosary Beads in the World both in Holliston. All of these are Freebies as well. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

Covered Bridge Lane is a new subdivision in the Town of Wayland. The developers cutesy idea, to…read morehelp sell his development of over priced over sized cookie cutter houses on postage stamp lots, was to build a covered bridge over the stream which would help promote the "semi rural" feel of the town. Knowing that "semi rural" was the buzz word that would make town officials swoon. The developers then put up "private way" signs, discouraging riff raff like me from driving over this bridge and taking photos. I'm guessing my tax dollars pay for plowing and other road maintenance. As far as covered bridges go, this one is 100% new and modern. But was tastefully done so it kinda looks like it has been around forever. I'm trying to remember when it was built. My guess is it's around 5 years old. So 2012.