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.

This is a lovely park. The playground next to the town hall is cute and has two sections, one for…read morepreschool age children and one for older children. My daughter loves it. There's also a paved loop around the town green that's decent to meet up for walks.

I'm reluctant to review because it might bring attention to this diamond in the rough…read more One of the major reasons I moved to Wellesley was Lake Waban; I'd drive from the city every weekend to walk the lake with my dog. As luck would have it, and I didn't know until moving into my home, Morse's Pond is a 7 minute walk and changes the entire dynamic of the community I live it - it's as if I live in Maine. My family spends almost every weekend here and enjoy biking on the vast trails and swimming in the gorgeous pond. A true gem!

I'm almost afraid to post this review because I want this place to stay a hidden gem, but…read moreanyway...if you are looking for a clean place to sun and swim, look no further. There's a decent beach and the water isn't too cold. It's mostly families, so I won't say it's peaceful, but it hits the mark on a hot day. $10 for non-Wellesley residents. $70 for a season pass.

Upping my review to 3 stars…read more They rebuilt the dock area so it is a nice place to sit, drink a coffee, eat lunch, etc. in the spring and fall, many of the assisted living facilities bring van loads of residents to visit. I try to visit on those days with my dogs - it helps bring joy to the residents.

This is the second time I've been to Cochituate State Park and I came in around noon and I didn't…read morego to the conventional way to the beach, but this was a side trail, which was much nicer and was able to just swim. It was so pretty. It was really nice with bathwater temperature considering it's been 88° out. I really enjoyed myself. This is a very popular beach for the local people and visitors alike. There are lots of children and lifeguards at the small beach, but it is a huge state park where you can do a lot of running around and picnicking. If you are not an advanced swimmer, I do not recommend coming here with children to be safe . But if you can tread water and you know how to swim well and basically live in the water, it's fine.

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.

I went kayaking in Sudbury river in the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The river is calm…read moreand we saw many animals, including birds (geese, swan, and a number of others that I couldn't see but hear), fish, muskrats. During COVID-19 pandemic, kayaking is one of the best activities that can keep social distance.

HUNTING??!! No thanks!…read more I definitely won't be returning to this wildlife "refuge" (Refuge: a place to seek shelter from pursuit) after learning that, not only is hunting is allowed, but it takes place near and at the same time that hikers, children and others are enjoying the same area! Yikes! Hunters are asked to "Please exercise caution when hunting on or near the rivers or near nature trails." but hunting accidents happen all the time and even children are allowed to hunt on the land. (Who teaches a child to kill, anyway?). Hunting is not limited to invasive species but allows indiscriminate killing of native species as well. These "refuges" are confined by developed areas, necessary for migratory species and become essentially canned hunts. Not only do I not want to get shot but I will not support a sham program deceiving the public into thinking that it protects and shelters wildlife.

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!