AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! 5 STARS! How would you like to picnic on the grounds of a Castle for FREE!…read moreThis is one of the Secret Hidden Gems of America that most people have never heard of or been to before. 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 1880's in the town of Wellesley MA. We have landed at this beautiful Castle that is in the middle of the center of Wellesley's business district. Well it looks like a castle but it's really Wellesley City Hall. I don't know about you but my city hall looks nothing like a Castle. LOL! Wellesley is a very affluent town & their city hall is a Castle. You can visit the park here for FREE & THE Parking is FREE as well. If they run out of spots there's metered parking on the perimeter & adjacent streets too. Near the front entrance there is a War Memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Armed Services. The grounds of Hunnewell Park are filled with green grass, trees, a stream, a bridge & a pond. There's wildlife that resides here including white swans & geese. There are benches & picnic tables scattered throughout the property. What a picturesque & relaxing setting to Picnic or kick back & read. It feels like you are at a nature retreat rather than a park. It's great to take a photo here with the Castle & send it to your family & friends & say " Sorry I can't talk to you peasants now, I'm picnicking at a Castle". LOL! They will hate you forever until you tell them it's Free & you'll take them with you next time. The stone government building is a prime example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture along with a bit of French Chateau. It was built between 1881 & 1886 & designed by Shaw & Hunnewell. It was funded by & built on donated land by H. H. Hunnewell. The building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There's also something special here for the medical community that they will really like. There are 2 Doctor memorial plaques placed on large stones. The first one is for DR W*T G MORTON who lived here. He gave the world Ether for Surgery. The second plaque is for DR. JOSEPH E. MURRAY who in 1954 performed the first successful Human Organ Transplant. He was also a 1990 Nobel Prize Winner & resided in the town. Since you are in the area be sure to check out the Babson Globe another Freebie. It's the 2nd largest rotating globe in the world. And you can get something great to eat right across the street @ Tutto Italiano. They serve great Meatball Subs & get a side of their Delicious Homemade red roasted peppers too. They also have authentic Italian red sauce to go. 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!

I spend a lot of time at Hunnewell Park. It is close to my home and although it used to offer a…read morelot more natural settings it has unfortunately become one giant athletic complex. Lights and sounds can be experienced almost every night now. We used to see and hear many more wild animals and experience it as a natural corridor. Alas, now it is only filled up with athletic equipment, stray plastic water bottles and other human trash.

One of - okay THE - nicest playground I've been to so far…read more It is always clean. There are plenty of benches for weary caregivers to rest while the kids run around and burn off that endless supply of energy. There are two play structures, both with slides and an array of climbing structures separated by a fence. One side for tots and one for older kids. There's a substantial set of swings (6 total - one for all ages). The playground is adjacent to a set of large baseball fields, tennis and basketball courts. There is no parking lot but I've never had trouble finding an on street space on beautiful LaGrange street. Its proximity to the plenty of shops and restaurants along Centre Street lend to making the visit to the playground a multi-purpose outing. I know how much effort it took to get the kids loaded up and out the door - so let's make the most of it! While it can get busy, it's never been so overwhelmingly crowded that my introverted personality couldn't handle it. I've always been very comfortable with the amount of kids and guardians. This is our favorite playground in the city so far, it has become our regular spot.

Great playground in West Roxbury that includes a baseball field, basketball courts and a field that…read moreyou can play soccer or even see some and entertainment my provided by DCR. I recently went there to see you too cover band called The Joshua Tree. It was very very exciting and end it hosted anybody he wanted to go there for free.

As an outsider from the DC area, I'm not sure this place is as good as it gets...perhaps for this…read morearea, but regardless it's a great place to take the kids. My son, sharing the same name, especially loved the place. There is room for improvement though. He kept me on my toes because there are several places that seemed a little dangerous including trip and fall hazards all around the perimeter of the park. The other kids and parents there seemed pretty nice. One thing that I love about the park playgrounds we visited was the fact that it seems like some people leave their toys behind for other kids to play with. Sure they might be missing a wheel or other piece, but to a kid, it's good as new! I love Bostonians!

This park is great- there's something to do for kids of all ages. There's a tot lot for the little…read moreguys, a bigger play structure for bigger kids, plus a sandbox, swings, and a climbing gym. My 3 year old loves to run from play area to play area. She never gets bored while we're here. There's plenty of shade and plenty of room to run.

It is a very beautiful, well-maintained park I only walked a mile so far, on a pleasant summer…read moreday, but will go back.

Noanet Woodlands is another favorite woodsy area to add to my list (another recent favorite is…read moreanother Trustees property in Andover, the Ward Reservation). The two are somewhat similar with different color coded trails and a trail to reach a summit for the skyline of Boston (I didn't check that out here at Noanet Woodlands for this trip). I enjoyed coming here on the weekend: it was moderately trafficked (which I like so it's not *too* isolated), and easy/moderate trails (I prefer long, ambling hikes). The only thing is that the orange trail I took was a bit confusing/not super clear. The overall system does a good job, but I would be sure to download a map/have AllTrails active to ensure you don't end up in the wrong spot. I fortunately ran into some folks who helped me get back on track, but a heads up that it could get confusing as it did for me. Otherwise, a wonderful shady (important to know on hotter days) set of trails that I would recommend!

Fantastic park for dogs. My dog had a blast running around off-leash and playing with other dogs…read more All the owners were so kind and friendly. The paths are well traversed and packed down even in the snowy winter season. There are about 2 spots by the road and about 10-12 in the lot down the driveway. It was full on a Saturday morning in February.

I have no idea how I missed reviewing this great park, but it is a terrific park hiding in…read moreWellesley next to Mass Bay CC, and since the Beloved Goldendoodle passed away last year I have been bringing a friend's dog here so I can still have my "dog time". Most of the people are friendly, there are nice dogs of all sizes to greet and there is a mix of flat and hilly areas depending on your dog's energy level (and yours). Tip: avoid the pond area, it is pretty swampy!

I was nearby so I decided to check it out I live an hour…read moreaway and had my dog with me It had a few trails one lead to this nice bridge To go down below there is a very long staircase

Stumbled across this park while needing to kill some time. It was more beautiful than expected!…read moreThere are lots of sights to see: bridges, waterfalls, buildings. Paths twist and turn, go up, down and around. It was very fun to explore. I spent about 45 minutes here. It was delightful!

Well, there isn't a mountain here. I went to the "summit". It was a total of 236' of elevation…read moregain. On a 2+ mile walk. And though they have signs directing you to a summit view, the view is of trees. Parking lot is tiny. Maybe holds 10 cars. Yet I probably saw 30 other people while I was out. Considering you hear lots of traffic noise the whole time, you actually feel like you are in the deep wilderness due to the surroundings.

While local lab owners treat this like an off-leash dog park, it is NOT OFF LEASH…read more Why? It is next to a HIGHWAY. You can hear the HIGHWAY the entire time you are walking. If your dog gets spooked, he could end up dead, killing people in the process. The sides that aren't highway are busy roads. Please leash your dog. It's a very busy place, and there are legit and safer off leash parks nearby (Dedham dog park, Rocky Woods in Medfield, Charles River Peninsula in Needham) that are better places to let your dog roam.

I love Larzies. It's so beautiful no matter the time of year. There's a short walking path and…read moregazebo area, a grilling area with picnic tables that's covered with a roof that is perfect for cookouts or just hanging out, a softball field, an auto museum, an outdoor ice skating rink, and stunning skyline views of Boston from the top of the hill. The hill is perfect in the warmer months to have a picnic or toss a frisbee or football with some friends. In the winter, it's the best sledding hill. Truly Larzies has it all, and it's amazing year round.

This park is beautiful. It has a large parking lot . It is dog friendly. It has many acres to…read morego for a long walk with yourself or your dog . It has picnic tables and a grilling area but you need a permit for that from the town of brookline . They have a playground for kids . They have a huge walking area . No public bathrooms .