Small but mighty! Loved the ambience and selection of collectibles. Great customer service.read more

Made another stop into Barrow Bookstore, one of my favorite bookstores of all time today. Whenever…read moreI stop by Concord, I drop in. As usual, I found an outstanding selection of amazing books at great prices. Where else can you find beautiful hardcover books on the fall of Constantinople, Napoleon, and Led Zeppelin, accompanied by peaceful music, courteous staff, and a beautiful day? It's a pleasure shopping at this place. Kudos.

Great staff and there so much to see. Being able to see some of these innovations in real life,…read morethat I had only previous seen in history books or documentaries was pretty neat. My favorite part was to see some of the belt driven machinery actually work. We had visited the day after a person had come and replaced some of the belts. We were able to see a belt driven (automated) saw cut through a chunk of metal. It was an impromptu demo as we were walking around the the staff member saw us examining this particular piece of equipment (with our eyes of course). And he started it up for us. Again...staff is really enthusiastic and engaging. We also got to see where they do hands on workshops, where kids can design and print things in 3D, which is pretty cool. They had a nice even space as well for smaller weddings/events. Easy parking (pay) in a nearby garage and a easy walk across the bridge/walkway to get to the museum. If this type of history interests you, I would definitely recommend you stopping by. We were there for a couple of hours and throughly enjoyed the staff showing us around. Cute gift shop as well.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've worked over a decade in this area of Waltham and have never…read morerealized this hidden gem of a historical museum existed. The guys working the front desk are super knowledgeable, funny, helpful and nice. One of them was kind enough to give us a brief intro when we first arrived. They can totally geek out on all sorts of interesting facts, which I live to absorb. Still, I wish I had planned it in advance so we could have a formal tour because there's so much to see. Before coming here I had no idea that Massachusetts held such a rich industrial heritage. We spent two hours exploring the two story museum. There were plenty of interactive exhibits (great for the kiddos and adults) and each time we looped around the museum we found something else we missed the first time going through. This place is a haven especially for those who are interested in history and engineering. They had antique bikes, wooden cars, steam fire engines, watchmaking tools, belt driven machines, typography machines, horse drawn fire truck, and even a phone booth! They also do a great job of mixing in some modern and new exhibits (e.g., we saw whimsical puppetry paintings by Tanya Harsch). The second floor also has a beautiful and grand ballroom space (perfect for corporate events or weddings). I can't wait to come back here. Whether you are local or from out of town I'd highly recommend a visit.

My higher grade is more for the art center itself rather than the performances. There's always a…read moresmall exhibition at the center of the building and it's nice to see artists can work on their projects late into the night. The facilities look clean and orderly, including the bathrooms and artist studios. I liked seeing all pottery made by the various artists. I also enjoyed the theater itself. While the seating itself isn't all that special, the acoustics are quality. If you expect something significantly higher than community theater here, you may be disappointed. While the performances were fine, they're not really all that polished and feel rather barebones (two actors playing one role in a production was rather strange). If you want a more grander theater experience but without going into Boston, consider Reagle in Waltham. (For all you Yelp police out there, yes, I paid $ here for tickets so I can review)

My first time back to The Umbrella Arts Center since the pandemic happened…read more I saw that they had a dinner and a show option on Thursday nights and the menu looked appealing, so I purchased the meal for $21. Dinner was available for pick up at the concession stand beginning at 6pm, while the show was scheduled for 7:30pm that evening. Traffic delayed me, so I arrived closer to 6:30pm. There was a game going on at the playground the next block over, so there were a lot of cars parked on the street, but parking was still not an issue. Dinner came in a brown paper tote and came nicely packaged and of a good portion size, so I even had some leftover. They had a vegetarian alternative (Nag's Head Roasted Yam, Grilled Zucchini and Squash, Caramelized Onions on Wild Rice (V)), but I opted for the meat - Starter: Hush Puppies with Maple Butter Entree: Pulled Pork Platter with Coleslaw and Collard Greens Dessert: Chocolate Flourless Brownie (GF) Catered by Nosh restaurant and the Concord Market. I was pleased with my meal. Sure the collared greens were a bit plain, but I was just glad to get a decent portion of vegetables with my meat and they were not overcooked. The brownie was individually sealed, and a little messy to eat, but quite good. And I had no trouble finding a seat at a table. In fact I had options. I could have grabbed a small high top for myself, but I decided to sit at an empty spot at the end of one of the 3 long tablecloth covered tables just beyond the concessions and ended up chatting with the pair beside me. I had a great experience at the Umbrella Arts Center! Quotes from the website regarding the show being performed that evening: A heartwarming musical that lifts up the beauty in second chances and the transformative nature of friendship. Percy Talbott is a spirited young woman seeking redemption. But in the small town of Gilead, she finds so much more. Based on the beloved film that took home the Audience Award at The Sundance Film Festival, the musical's rich score is marked by Americana folk rhythms, soaring melodies, and irresistible charm. It reminds us all about the resilience of the human spirit, the magic of new beginnings, and the power of community.

There is new art every month, and everyone is talented. There's a wide range of art styles from…read moretraditional paintings to abstract, to jewelry and pottery, and more. Great preview of the 300+ artists in the building.

LDG is a good one-stop-shop for gifts. I like to go there to buy stuff for friends for birthdays…read moreand holidays. A great stop if you don't have time to hunt through the galleries during their Saturday Open Studios in the same building (Western Avenue Lofts). Enjoy!

New England has a lot of talented artists, and the features at 13Forest Gallery are the most…read moreinteresting I have stumbled upon. Every piece, whether a painting, print, sculpture or other medium has an edge. You'll see a painting that's characteristically beautiful, but there is something that makes it unique. I have a handful of pieces in mind that I want to snag for myself, but I also want to share this place's existence. They have solo shows in their gallery section and do group shows as well ---- keep an eye of for open receptions. Good art isn't cheap, so don't expect to find flea market/amazon prices here. The prints (I like) start at $150. The paintings (I like) start at $1000. I met the owner Marc and he was really helpful. This gallery has been around around for 13(+) years and is an absolute must-visit. If you don't live in the Arlington area, there are restaurants and a theater nearby, so make a day out of it. Overall - this gallery is a gem.

Wonderful little slice of artistic heaven in a stark gallery-less region. Other than college…read moregallery's there are so few galleries left. I had a great conversation with the owner about the local artists represented here. They've curated a great collection. Worth the stop. I'll be back to purchase a few pieces with my husband. The current show, " continuum" is a delight.

Had our wedding at this museum over the weekend, and although the venue is beautiful, the staff was…read moreextremely unprofessional, antagonistic, and inappropriate. All of our vendors were treated extremely poorly by the staff, they were very unwelcoming to myself and my groom and were disinterested in actually helping us with any requests, even something as simple as dimming the lights during the reception. Staff was rude to our caterers, our DJ, our coordinators, and had no interest in problem solving. The removed art from the reception area (even though we literally picked the venue for the art). Overall it was horrific experience. Museum is beautiful and would likely be a wonderful location for a wedding if there was a staffing update. Would not recommend hosting an event here.

I give two stars not because there was anything wrong with the museum, but because of the poor…read morevalue. I went here on one of those "Free Fun Fridays" hosted by the Highland Street Foundation. Ordinarily, it costs $7 for adult admission. I am accounting for this fact in the review because the other 364 days of the year are not free. I have no problem paying to get into a museum, but again, it is not a question of costs, but rather one of value. The museum is one small room, the hall with the main desk (with a few photos around), and a larger, much more open hall about the size of a large chapel, or really small church. Suffice it to say, unless you wish to carefully examine all the works, the museum can be viewed in under 45 minutes (and even that is pushing it) I am a fan of photography, and I would love to see the always changing displays in this museum. However, my concern returns to the fact that for a tiny room, a large room, and a few paintings in the area with ticket desk costs $7. However, if you are a die-hard photography fan, they have some books, and some really old camera equipment you can look at and purchase (I don't know if old cameras are for sale).

One of the best independent artist galleries / workspaces in the entire city. Cool, fun,…read moreunpretentious and housed in a 4 story labyrinth of a brick building. Artists are all friendly and engaging and will usually stop whatever they are working on to talk in an approachable fashion. Prices are very reasonable, although many of the pieces are quite large and would be difficult to own in the spaces most of us have in the city. There is an onsite framer named Chris who will custom frame any of the inexpensive prints you want. Plenty of off street parking too, a rarity for Boston. Kid and pet friendly.

Gallery 55 is one of many art spaces dotted throughout Natick Center. This space has fascinating…read morepieces of jewelry and paintings from a variety of artists and craftsmen. It would be a great place to visit if you're looking for a unique piece for your home or something to adorn yourself with.