15 Best Things to Do in Lunenburg (MA)

East of Fitchburg in Worcester County, Lunenburg is a town of 12,000 with a distinctly rural feel and large tracts of preserved land to explore.

Founded in 1728, the city remained largely untouched by the Industrial Revolution until the 20th century, relying on agriculture.

In case you're wondering about the name, Lunenburg comes from Brunswick-Lüneburg, the German principality of King George II (1683-1760), who was in power when the city was founded.

Wilm Park is one of the oldest trolley parks in New England, and was a popular day out in Lunenburg from the late 1800s until 2000.

Cherished relics from that time can be found at the Drawbridge Puppet Theatre, which presents shows every weekend.

1. Lunenburg Historic District

On the National Register of Historic Places since 1988, the old administrative center of Lunenburg is 300 years old.

The historic district is located on high ground, includes a small triangular area, and is particularly interesting because three of its most important buildings date from before 1850.

Besides the Methodist Church (1844) and Collegiate Church (1835), you'll find the Greek Revival Town Hall, which you can tell was also a former (Unitarian) church, built in 1841. It was converted in 1867.

Many of Lunenburg's oldest buildings are located nearby, such as the Stillman-Stone House (1730) and Cushing House (1724). There is a beautiful bandstand in the common area that hosts weekly outdoor concerts usually in July.

2. Drawbridge Puppet Theater

This beloved local institution traces its roots back to Wallum Park (1893-2000), an old amusement park located on the shores of Lake Wallum in Lunenburg.

Entertainment director Paul Lecuyer (d. 2012) created his own puppets for the shows in the park, and these puppets were popular with children and adults alike.

He founded the Drawbridge Puppet Theater in 1991 with musician Jeff Koslick, and the group moved to an eccentric permanent home on Massachusetts Avenue in 2005.

There are live shows every weekend featuring hand-crafted puppets, props and backdrops, with a production list of around twenty shows.

The theater also presents traveling shows, organizes puppetry workshops and caters children's birthday parties.

3. Lane Conservation Area and Town Forest

What's special about Lunenburg is that the rural part of the city is open to the public.

This is especially true to the north of the city, where there are a host of protected monuments that allow you to walk for miles and see little sign of civilisation.

The Lynn Conservation Area and Big and Little Town Forest Lands touch the town line with Townsend west and northwest of Lake Hickory Hills.

Starting at the parking lot on Holman Street, you can ride a 4.2-mile loop through the forest, crossing the Molps Brook on your way. If you're feeling adventurous, there will be plenty of off-beat trails you can explore during your trip.

4. Fitchburg Art Museum (FAM)

Minutes away in Fitchburg is a regional art museum founded in 1925. One of the first benefactors of the Fitchburg Museum of Art was the painter and avid collector Eleanor Norcross (1854-1923), who was born and died in Fitchburg but lived most of her life in Paris. .

The building was one of the first major projects by Massachusetts architect Marie Almy (1883-1967), and subsequent additions created a complex of four interconnected buildings.

Highlights of the collection include African art, American photography, and ancient Egyptian art, while there is an important annual survey show featuring recent works by artists from throughout New England.

5. Lanni Orchards

In the same family since 1963, this local Lunenburg farm is unusual for having a farm that is open all year round.

And when summer comes, you can visit Lanni Orchards to pick your own fruits, including strawberries, raspberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, pears, blackberries, apples, and pumpkins.

The farm also grows many vegetables, from cabbage to bananas, which are available fresh in the store.

There is also a bakery that makes cider cakes, twists, cupcakes, and a variety of pies to order. On weekends, you can bring your kids to burn off some energy at Playland, which features a straw pyramid, a jumping pillow, and all sorts of other farm-style fun.

6. Lunenburg Historical Society

A good time to be in Lunenburg's historic district is on Wednesday mornings (or Sunday afternoons in summer), when you can delve into the city's past at the local historical society.

The collections are numerous, but a point of particular interest is Whalom Park, the trolley park on Whalom Lake that has brought visitors to Lunenburg for more than a century.

There is a range of historical photographs, and you can learn about a range of topics, from 19th century mills to the natural history of the town, local clubs and organisations, and the turbulent days of King George's War (1744-1748).

7. Cowdrey Nature Center

Hickory Hills is another attractive city-owned conservation property southeast of the lake, with a network of trails along Melps Brook.

Starting from the parking lot along Massachusetts Avenue, you'll step into 300 acres of woods, wetlands, and open fields.

The terrain is flat, so it's a good place for families with young children, and you have a good chance of seeing muskie or beavers along the creek.

A great time to visit Cowdrey Nature Center is late in the day, when the sun sparkles off the river and freshwater marshes. As always, it's a good idea to take precautions against biting insects.

8. Lakeview Driving Range

This golf center near Whalom Lake in Lunenburg was first opened in 1951, and has been owned and operated by the same family since 1971.

The main attraction is the 250-yard driving range, which offers both artificial and grass turf, multiple targets, a putting green and a sand trap.

For families and anyone who wants to make use of their private space, there is also an 18-hole miniature golf course, featuring more than 300 shrubs, shrubs and trees, as well as beautiful gardens with canals, ponds and waterfalls.

A recent addition is the three-unit putting range, which is different from a cage because you'll be hitting balls into the open field, which is over 300 yards long.

9. Lunenburg Farmers’ Market

If you're in historic downtown Lunenburg on a summer Sunday, there's a farmers market on the lawn of the Ritter Memorial Library building.

The market is held on Sunday mornings from June to October, and is attended by a large number of local farms selling fresh fruits and vegetables, pasture-raised meats, breads, sweets, honey, syrups, jams and lots to sell.

There is also a large selection of craft vendors, offering a range of handmade candles, jewelry, pottery, crochet/knitted items, carved wood, and home decor.

10. Cherry Hill ice cream

An offshoot of Cherry Hill Farm, which is over 100 years old, this prized seasonal ice cream stand first opened in the 1990s.

Now part of a small chain with a second location in Townsend, Cherry Hill Ice Cream is often cited as one of the best in the Boston area.

Part of the fun of this place is its location, perched on a green hillside on a quiet Leominster Road.

From Blackberry Oreo to Brownie Mix, Graham Crunch, S'mores, and Coconut Cheesecake Brownie, the menu features a variety of unique flavors.

You can choose from smoothies, drinks and frozen yogurt flavors, as well as new vegan and sugar-free flavours.

11. Dick’s Market Gardens

Located on Historic Northfield Road, Lanni Gardens is another nearby farm that grows a wealth of fruits and vegetables.

At more than 260 acres, Dick's Market Gardens has been in business since 1944 and is a staple of more than a dozen area farmers markets.

In season, the farm stand sells an ever-changing variety of produce, from cucumbers to corn, along with greenhouse-grown plants and flowers.

Almost everything sold in the store comes straight from the farm, and even the honey is extracted from beehives in the garden.

12. Settlers Crossing Golf Course

The interesting thing about this 9 hole golf course in Lunenburg is that it runs through Northfield Road.

In the first half of the 18th century, this was the six-mile route that worshipers traveled from Fitchburg to the meetinghouse at Lunenburg before it became a town of its own. Hence the name of the settlers' crossing.

The course is a pleasant one, facing Wachusett Mountain to the southwest and the Monadunks to the northwest, with tree-lined fairways and stone walls when it was all farmland.

Also worth noting is the clubhouse, an early period farmhouse built at the end of the 18th century.

13. Jeffrey’s Antique Co-Op Mall

If your idea of fun is searching for one-of-a-kind antiques, there is a large multi-dealer mall here in Lunenburg.

Housed in a spacious building arranged in elegant aisles, Jeffrey's Antique Co-Op Mall houses up to 150 vendors.

You'll find furniture, fine art, pottery, lighting, cookware, historic housewares, jewelry, dolls, games, antique signs, antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, tools, contemporary crafts, and more. You can browse.

Merchandise inventory changes quickly, so there are always new finds.

14. Pearl Hill State Park

To go with all this protected land north of Lunenburg, there is a large area of publicly owned parks and forests, mostly in Townsend, but also intermingled in Ashby.

Including Burleigh Hill State Park and the adjacent Willard Brook State Forest, you'll have more than 3,000 acres of forest to explore.

Located just north of Trapp Falls, it has stunning natural beauty, and there are three campgrounds to choose from. Pearl Hill alone has more than 50 sites, all under a majestic pine canopy and along a five-acre pool and adjacent beach area.

15. Robbs Hill Conservation Area

A short distance from the northeastern shore of Shirley Lake is another attractive place to visit.

The town-owned Robbs Hill Conservation Area has parking areas along Robbs Hill Road to the south and Bridge Street to the north, providing access to winding forest trails, the southern portions of which include extensive areas of wetlands. There are parts of the walkway. Property

What you like about Rob's Hill is that the trails connect to the adjacent conservation land to the east, which spans several hundred acres in the neighboring town of Shirley.