According to local legend, the founder of Middlesex University was traveling through Ireland and…read moresaw Lismore Castle. He was so impressed with the castle that he asked to bring it back with him. The owners denied his request. He then asked for the blueprints, only to be told no again. Not one to be stopped, he had drawings done of the outside of the castle. The Castle in Waltham was constructed based on these drawings. This is now Brandeis University and "The Castle" as it is called, was first used as an administrative space as well as a dining hall. It was used as a dormitory until the building was condemned and later partially torn down to make room for a new building. Some of the benches outside of the dormitory neighboring Usen Castle are made from materials of the demolished structure. The remaining part of Usen Castle is closed to visitors. Only the coffee house inside the castle is open to the public. Still, it's cool to check out the exterior if you're nearby. [Review 15210 overall, 712 of 2021, number 1073 in Massachusetts.]

Visited the Embassy Theater for the first time today- new to the area- and had the best experience…read more They are extremely welcoming, I felt right at home, and loved the overall vibes of the theater. The popcorn was delicious! With fresh butter on top. Will be back forsure! This is a gem, you must come check it out!

Glad to see this independent cinema re-opened. I spoke with the owner Tim who explained it is no…read morelonger part of the Landmark chain. Only 2 of the 6 screens are operational at the moment but I was delighted to find Maestro still showing--the only showing in the greater Boston area. The lobby is redesigned with a festive party look. Tim was the only employee I saw at 10am on a Saturday but he greeted everyone pleasantly and answered questions, even escorted us to our theater! The place is spotless. Lets spread the word and help this local business thrive. Too many independent cinemas are struggling.

Not far from the Brandeis campus, this tower stands to memorialize a mythic city along the Charles…read moreRiver that never existed. Beginning in the mid-to-late-1800s, a food chemist, inventor, and major donor to Wellesley College named Eben Norton Horsford became obsessed with the idea Vikings were in New England around 1000. We know Leif Erikson and other Europeans visited North America before Christopher Columbus. However, Horsford deeply believed Erikson had established settlements in the Boston area. Some maps from the 1500s refer to New England as "Norumbega," and there were stories about explorers seeing mythical cities and houses made of gold. However, much of that information appears to have been misconstrued or invented. Most of Horsford's assertions about Vikings in present-day Boston were rooted in bad science. Evidence from his "archeological" digs didn't provide solid proof of links to Vikings. In any event, Horsford had the money to erect various plaques and statutes in the Boston area to memorialize his beliefs. Along the banks of the Charles River in Weston near Waltham he erected Norumbega Tower. The tower stands at the site Horsford believed housed a fort protecting the legendary Norse city of Norumbega. Horsford asserted that the city of Norumbega was located just downriver in Watertown, where he erected a memorial plaque. Again, there was never any real evidence of a Norse fort or city here. Perhaps more than anything, the tower is a monument to how money can shape history. It is, however, a nice place for a picnic and the accompanying Norumbega Road in Weston is a nice place for a jog. The tower has an iron gate at the entrance that I would assume is supposed to be chained and locked. However, it was open today and I risked life and limb and the strong smell of urine to climb the tower to the top. It was not easy as it is dark in some spaces and there are no handholds. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're feeling stupid like I was. [Review 15209 overall, 711 of 2021, number 1072 in Massachusetts.]

Wonderful place for exploration and run by Historic New England. They offer guided tours for…read morepeople interested in historical houses. It has been used for the set of the newest Little Women movie (grand room and the front porch). Parking is sufficient and they have an extensive greenhouse with plants for sale. Bathrooms are available for visitors. It is also a great place for weddings.

The Lyman Estate is a beautiful historic property in Waltham, MA. Originally built/owned by…read moreTheodore Lyman in the late 1700's, the property is available for functions. The grounds are open to the public during the day, and there is a fee for admission to see the interior of the house. The most unique aspect of the property is the greenhouses, which are the oldest in the US. They house a multitude of different plants including orchids, camellias, & grapes grown from cuttings taken in England in the late 1800's. There is also a sale house where you can purchase houseplants, flowers, herbs, etc. It's worth the time to stop in on a nice afternoon to walk around the property, and especially to see the greenhouses.

The Western Greenway is located almost entirely inside the triangle bounded on the northeast by…read moreConcord Avenue in Lexington and Belmont, on the southeast by the MBTA commuter rail and the now-abandoned Mass Central Rail line, and to the west by Lexington Street in Waltham. To be sure, there has been a significant amount of development inside this triangle. But there are also significant swaths of green space. The green space comprises various parcels, some of which are publicly-owned and have been designated as parks or conservation land. There are other publicly-owned parcels whose future is still undetermined, and there are some undeveloped parcels along the Greenway that are privately-owned. Most of the blazed segments of the Greenway are in Belmont and Waltham extending from the Beaver Brook area all the way around past the YMCA on Lexington St. toward the Lyman Estate. I usually like to park in the lower section of the YMCA driveway, or the lot over at the Robert Treat Paine Estate off of Beaver street. There are a couple trail heads in the lot, and they are all well marked. It is a great place to walk the dogs or take a light hike. There are no serious steep uphill or challenging terrain, it's really just a great place to take a leisurely hike in the woods. We see deer and other wildlife out there all the time. It was really a shock to me when I first discovered it that there was this much undeveloped space in the heart of Waltham. There are many marked and blazed trails, but the Greenway is still under development in certain sections. It is worth a visit to the Waltham Land Trust website to see what areas are suitable for what your looking to do.

Great trail network in the greater Boston area. I live just a mile from the trail and love going…read moreout for a trail run or mountain bike loop. Would recommend if you're looking for a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of Boston

I cannot believe this place can run in such a rude manner. We have been calling and emailing this…read morehistorical place about some lost AirPods. They have not responded at all. We've searched for them and then got yelled at because we brought a lot of people to search for them. I found out anyone can simply reset them. I am very disgusted because they least they could do is email me or call me and say they have or have not seen them. They will not respond. I am starting to wonder if they found them and choosing to keep them. I do not know!

I got married here, so of course I am going to be somewhat biased about the place…read more As a wedding venue, it was perfect for a smallish wedding of about 90 guests. The grounds were fantastic for everyone to wander around, the foliage and landscaping actually made the need for us to spend half our budget on flowers unnecessary, and the interior was equally gorgeous, with hard wood everything, a grand staircase/foyer that was excellent for dancing and toasts and lots of rooms for a dessert buffet and a large dining area. It is however a historic estate, which means that there are limitations in terms of vendors you can use and decorations (eg, no lit candles indoors) however since we had a late summer wedding, we pretty much stayed outside the entire time so these weren't huge concerns. The event coordinator is -terrifying- but she knows what she is doing. She's very gruff, all business, but really, you're not there to make friends with her, so just smile and nod and everything will go ok. The price wasn't bad for the event, and there is a discount for Waltham residents (which we were not. boo)

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.

So kind - so helpful! Nice place to be! Check out Tech hour - they teach you stuff. Love the…read morelibrary. A true civil institution. Esta muy bien para todos!

the staff is great nice place to relax and its across from mbta stop if theres a problem there on…read moreit if its the computer not working or the printer is jammed they are on it fast

I've driven by Gore Place a hundred times and I recently got a chance to finally walk the grounds!…read moreIt's located right on the Waltham/Watertown line but it has tons more land than what you can see off the bat from the street view. It's a popular venue for weddings and other functions, but you're allowed to walk around the grounds from dusk to dawn. My friend has been running here and stopping by to visit sheep and other farm animals so she showed me and our 3 other friends that area. It was so cool! This is the kind of place where you don't feel like you're in Waltham anymore. We saw lots of sheep, some chickens, and a rooster. Apparently there's tours you can go on and a gift shop you can browse in but we only went to the farm animals. :)

Came here for the arts and craft festival, which is very cozy and family oriented. Lots of handmade…read morecrafts. Gore place usually has a lot of these type of events on occasion. This is my first time here and it was delightful. This mansion was not open at the time, but they are tours, and we also visited the sheep and the chickens. It's very nice.