It was my pleasure to visit the Eustis Estate Museum for the first time during their Open House…read morelast year. Their original furniture shall not be touched, as evidenced by the ropes gently blocking one's way. Other furniture, you could not only touch but even sit up on, as they were replications. It wasn't the largest estate I've visited - the top floor was also off limits - but it was amazing to realize that this place was a relatively recent acquisition by Historic New England portfolio.

Lovely estate that is decorated for the Christmas season. It is basically a mini version of a…read moreNewport mansion. One of the staff members was awesome and let us sit in front of the couch to take a picture with the Christmas tree. (They rent out the space for filming & photoshoots. There are bathrooms available for visitor use.) It offers both guided and self guided tours. There are two floors open for visitors and a large front porch where they have rocking chairs in the summer to see the view. There are also walking trails that go through the estate. It will look spectacular with the fall leaves.

Krista and Carla were our educational leaders. They have so much knowledge!…read moreThey gave so much information about all the weather apparatus and the use of this observatory! The view is amazing! Definitely need to go back in the spring!

Free water for dog and 2$ designer water. Best bargain I've received this month with a great view.read more

I always have a special time at events here. Beautiful grounds, spectacular vehicles, and an…read moreoverall happy mood and attitude from folks visiting. Car porn! This visit was for a cars and coffee lawn event.

Pros: Interesting history & architecture with two small floors of both modern & antique…read moreautomobiles. Cons: Smug young man at entrance desk who did not acknowledge us on entry or exit. Obviously does not care or value his job.

This place is a gem. We are lucky to have it…read more The owners are really nice and enthusiastic about film, and the whole vibe of the place is transporting. Also, popcorn with real butter!

We had a theater like this when I was growing up -- back in the day. They have two screens, a…read moreconcessions stand, and lounges (what restrooms were once called). When we were there, the theatre was showing "Jane Austen Wrecked My Life," a film in French with subtitles, and Lilly, based on the life of Lilly Ledbetter. The coming attractions were artful films as well. While not stadium seating, the seats were comfortable and the pitch of the theater offered good viewing. The staff are courteous and kind. Parking is easy on the street or in the nearby parking lots.

I very much enjoyed seeing the owls. They are very impressive. I understand they also rehabilitate…read moreinjured raptors.

If you like animals, this a really cute way to spend an hour (or more) for $5…read more We arrived at the end of the day, and saw the whole museum/zoo are in about 45 minutes - but absolutely could have spent more time. Indoors they have several educational areas and some live native animals with medical needs or with protection status - snakes, rodents, a skunk, some owls. They also have some taxidermy animals and exhibits on animal sounds. We didn't check out the gift shop this time around, but made a bee lline for the outdoor animals after we made the rounds inside. We loved the otter the best - but there were some beautiful owls, and other birds, a fox, a deer. This museum is very family friendly and wholesome - but we were not the only childless adults there to see the animals! It is also obviously very convenient to hiking and a great bonus to a hike.

I am a pretty serious model railroader but I am also a child at heart. While I love to see…read morecarefully crafted model railroads with exquisite details and a focus on realistic train operation, I also enjoy just seeing a bunch of shiny trains running round and round with lots of lights and sounds. The BSMRM combines both of these desires. It is a model railroad club first, which means to a potential visitor that you will find somewhat cramped aisles, sections of the layouts that are under construction or perhaps needing a face lift for the scenery, and some really cool vantage points roped off to visitors. The three layouts (N scale, HO scale, O scale) were designed primarily for the member's enjoyment, not hundreds of public members walking through, and that also translates to an experience that isn't handicapped accessible. That being said, they are open once a year (the first weekend in December) and for $5 you are invited into their "home" to see their pride and joy. Sure, the trains run well (usually) but there might be a few issues along the way. And while most of the staff are friendly, problems do come up and if you try and talk to them when they are busy trying to trouble shoot an issue they be less than responsive. That being said, though, I really enjoyed myself. I drove from Albany, NY solely to see their train layouts after reading articles about them in the model railroad magazines and was not disappointed. It was hot, it was loud, it was crowded, and it was fun! If you like model trains (or have kids that do), a visit here during their open house weekend will not disappoint.

I have to give these ultra, mega, total nerds some serious credit for developing a museum for model…read moretrains. This place is a local legend and it is open only a couple times a year to the public, the rest of the year the collector guys just sit around and play with trains i guess. This is a serious collection and a good spot to bring little kids to if they are well behaved and won't pick up sharp things just to try and swallow them.

This was the holiday activity I didn't know I needed…read more Yesterday the Norwood historical society was giving free tours of the historic Day House -beautifully decorated for the season. I noticed the sign for the museum for the first time this week and then a Facebook invite came up in my suggestions Even without the Christmas decor this is such a gorgeous and well maintained house museum. They are clearly very passionate about it. The home belonged to the artist F Holland Day and his family and it is beautiful... Truly the home of people who valued beauty. A member gave a really nice tour to a local family and I The members onsite were very welcoming and happy to share. Follow their Facebook page for future events, I guess. There aren't any regular tour hours but if you can catch them it is a lovely experience.

I've been cleaning out my parent's house in Wellesley, and finding all sorts of treasures…read more Treasures that are too good for Savers! I brought some of the goodies I found to the Wellesley Historical Society, which is a win-win for both of us. They were very happy to receive my items, and gave me a donation receipt, where I could fill out all the details. I'm extremely concerned with helping to save Wellesley's architectural gems in any way I can. If you have things like china, heirlooms, silver, glassware, etc, that you don't need anymore, consider donating them to the Historical Society!