10 Summer Day Trips in Massachusetts

Highland Light

10 Summer Day Trips in Massachusetts – 2017!

School is over and the carefree days of summer are here — at least for kids. For parents and caretakers, summer presents a whole new set of issues, like how to keep the family entertained and happy while creating great summer memories.

Massachusetts is a summertime wonderland with plenty of great locations for day trips you can take with the family. From lighthouses to waterparks, here are some great ideas for 10 Summer Day Trips to take with your family in Massachusetts.

1. Highland Light – Cape Cod’s First Lighthouse

A visit to Cape Cod National Seashore isn’t complete until you’ve visited the historic Highland Light in North Truro. The 69-step climb, up a narrow staircase, rewards visitors with spectacular views of Cape Cod and beyond. On a clear day, views extend more than 20 miles across the Atlantic Ocean and bay of Cape Cod. (highlandlighthouse.org)

A picture perfect spot for a family picnic with its beautiful views of the ocean and wildlife. Tours are offered daily from 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults; $5 for students and seniors
$1 off with an admission ticket from the Highland House Museum. Children must be at least 48″ tall to climb the lighthouse due to the height of the stairs and ladders.

The Highland Lighthouse is open into early October.

2. Cape Cod Central Railway

The Cape Cod Central Railway’s domed window cars offer a spectacular an 180-degree view of the breathtaking Cape Cod landscape.

photo: facebook.com/capecodrailroad

See the Cape by rail! The Cape Cod Central Railroad takes guests past marshes, cranberry bogs, dunes and other places only accessible by rail, but which ride to choose? Perhaps daytime narrated tales of the history of the canal and how cranberries are harvested? Or a relaxing weekday lunch or Sunday brunch is more your style? Maybe a sunset dinner train is just the ticket? (capetrain.com)

Visit the Cape Cod Central Railway website for schedules and fares.

3. Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary

Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary is a working farm and wildlife sanctuary all in one! On the 206-acre property, you’ll find farm animals to visit, native wildlife to learn about, trails to hike and a working livestock and crops operation to observe.

Next time you visit check out the Forest Discovery Trail, take a hayride, tour the Green Trail or learn about farming on our Crops Discovery Trail. And if you want to learn more, ask for a copy of the program catalog at the admissions window or visit our online program catalog to see all of our classes and programs for kids of all ages and adults too! (massaudubon.org)

For hours and admission price visit: massaudubon.org

4. The Discovery Museums

The Discovery Museums blend the best of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) learning, environmental education and intentional play on a beautiful 4.5-acre campus in Acton, MA.

photo: facebook.com/discoverymuseums

One admission price includes the Science Discovery Museum (all ages), the Children’s Discovery Museum (ages 0-6), and Discovery Woods, a year-round, accessible outdoor nature playscape and 550-square foot treehouse. Hands-on, playful exhibits developed by professional educators inspire curiosity, exploration, experimentation and imagination.

5. Water Wizz

Water Wizz, touted as “Cape Cod’s only water park”, is a family-owned water park located in East Wareham, Massachusetts and attracting about 100,000 visitors yearly. (Wikipedia)

photo: facebook.com/waterwizz

Captain Kid’s Island is perfect for children, and Thunder Falls provides a real adrenaline rush for thrill seekers. If you prefer to spend the day relaxing cabana rental are available. There are also plenty of places to just splash around and soak up the sun.

For hours and admission prices visit: waterwizz.com

6. Plimoth Plantation

Plimoth Plantation offers powerful personal encounters with history built on thorough research about the Wampanoag People and the Colonial English community in the 1600s. Today, Plimoth Plantation provides an engaging and experiential outdoor and indoor learning environment on its main campus and at the State Pier on Plymouth’s waterfront, and at the Plimoth Grist Mill on Town Brook. Our permanent exhibits tell the complex and interwoven stories of two distinct cultures – English and Native. The main exhibits are enhanced with an exciting menu of special events, public programs and workshops that offer a rich and diverse exploration of the 17th-century.

photo: http://sweetlilyou.com

Generations of families, millions of school children and countless people from all over the world have visited here and participated in Plimoth Plantation’s educational experiences that spark the imagination, delight the senses, touch the heart and enrich the mind. (plimoth.org)

Read more about the fun you can have at Plimoth Plantation from our friend 30 Something Mom Runner HERE.

For hours and admission price visit: plimoth.org

7. Carter & Stevens Farm

Carter & Stevens Farm Store in Barre, Massachusetts, is dedicated to preserving New England agriculture. With five generations and counting, their family has maintained a 1,000-acre dairy farm since 1938.

photo: carterandstevensfarm.com

Their store offers milk in glass bottles, old fashion ice cream, a Boar‘s Head deli and fresh vegetables as well as regional beers & wines, live music, and the best local foods.

In addition, the outdoor field-to-flame BBQ restaurant is among the most unique dining experiences rural New England has to offer.

Whether you’re stopping in for some great local groceries or having a day-long event with the kids, you’ll be in love with Carter & Stevens Farm.

8. Purgatory Chasm

A unique natural landmark, Purgatory Chasm runs for a quarter of a mile between granite walls rising as high as 70 feet. Popular with picnickers and rock-climbers alike, the Chasm is believed to have its origin in the sudden release of dammed-up glacial meltwater near the end of the last Ice Age, approximately 14,000 years ago.

An adventurous playground, equipped with a play structure, swings, and a merry-go-round, is now located near the visitor center. (mass.gov)

9. Elm Park Summer Concert Series

On Thursday nights during the summer,  Elm Park to provides you with free, fun, and, largely local, music at our Elm Park Summer Concert Series!

Featuring a variety of genres, appealing to as many musical tastes as possible.

The Elm Park Summer Concert Series is Park Spirit’s longest-running park program. It was started around 1995 when local musician Cliff Goodwin approached Park Spirit with the idea for a series at Elm Park. Although Goodwin brought the idea to Park Spirit, Park Spirit adopted it as its own, hiring a local music aficionado to book the bands. Visit the Park Spirit website to check for the 2017 music act lineup when it is announced.

10. The Adventure Park at Heritage Museums & Gardens

photo: heritageadventurepark.org