Trustees of Reservations

Cat's Meow at the Crane Estate

Kids will have a blast exploring the Trustees of Reservations Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts!

Our imagination is one of our greatest assets. Imagine living in 1929 and visiting the Crane family at their summer home in Ipswich. The house is so big and Mrs. Crane’s kitty, Ptolemy, has gone missing just before the party! Can you help a family servant find our mischievous Siamese? Once he’s found, we’ll have just enough time to dress for the party!

When: 
Saturdays & Sundays, October 19-November 24, 2024 10:30-11:30am

CraneExplorer: Family Full Moon Hike in the Dunes

Walk through the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts with the Trustees under the full moon.

There is almost nothing more peaceful than a evening walk at the Crane Estate, and we would like to invite your family to join us for a unique hiking experience. With the full moon rising over the Atlantic, we’ll start with a sunset stroll along Crane Beach admiring this spectacle before heading into the dunes to explore it’s trails under the light of the full moon. This is a great opportunity to get the kids outside, share the joys of nature at twillight, and bond with your family.

When: 
Thursday, October 17, 2024 5-7:30pm

Halloween on the Hill

The Trustees host a celebration of Autumn and Halloween at Long Hill Sedgewick Gardens in Beverly Massachusetts

The Trustees of Reservations invite you to tour the gardens at Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts to celebrate Autumn and Halloween! Long Hill is excited to bring back our annual Halloween on the Hill event! Come explore our beautiful property as we transform the Long Hill gardens into a celebration of autumn and the Halloween season. As always, there are a few new surprises and of course many more pumpkins this year. Follow our seasonal-themed trail that will feature over 1,500 jack-o'-lanterns, hundreds of mums, elaborate Halloween decorations, light displays, music, and more. This is the perfect Halloween event for the whole family!

When: 
Wednesdays-Sundays, September 27 - October 27, 2024 5:30-8:30pm

Oktoberfest at Appleton Farms

The spirit of Octoberfest is taking over Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts

The spirit of Oktoberfest is taking over Appleton Farms for one very special Saturday! We’ll have unique food offerings from Revelry Food Truck, Whoopie Pie Wagon, and our own wood-fired pizza from the Appleton Culinary Team! There will be lawn games, traditional German Hammerschlagen, a stein-holding competition, local breweries on site, and live music from artists Wunder Kapelle (a traditional German oompah band) and Marina Evans.

When: 
Saturday, October 12, 2024 12-5pm
Location: 

Choate Island Day

The annual Choate Island Day celebration hosted by The Trustees at The Crane Estate is coming up on Saturday, September 28th! With a ticket to this family-friendly event, you can access Choate Island, the crown jewel of the Crane Wildlife Refuge located behind Crane Beach in Essex Bay. Hop on the bus at Crane Beach, and then take the Essex River Cruises riverboat over to the island. Enjoy guided or self-guided tours allow you to explore the island and tour three historic buildings, with a kid's scavenger hunt, light refreshments, and history & wildlife stations and talks along the way.

When: 
Saturday, September 28, 2024 10AM-3PM
Last Admission at 1pm

CraneOutdoors: Kayak Historic Fox Creek

Kayak the twists and turns of Fox Creek in Ipswich with the Trustees of Reservations

The Great Marsh—the largest contiguous salt marsh in New England—is not only brimming with fascinating natural history, it is also home to a rich cultural history. Nowhere is this more evident than in the meandering waters of Fox Creek. Connecting the tidal estuaries of the Essex River basin and the Ipswich River, it contains the oldest saltwater canal in the United States and the remains of the historic Robinson’s Shipyard, where over 100 minesweepers used in WWII were once built.

When: 
Saturday, September 21, 2024 9am
Sunday, September 29, 2024 Noon

Farm Days Festival

Farm Days is a family event held at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts

Join us for our Annual Fall Celebration at Appleton – Farm Days! Spend the afternoon exploring the farm, listening to music, enjoying great food & beer, hiking our trails, entertaining the kids and more. Please Note: Tickets are per vehicle, not per person, and include access to the farm and all of the events and activities listed below. Food, drink, and hayrides are purchased separately.

When: 
Saturday, September 14, 2024 12-5PM
Sunday, September 15, 2024 12-5PM
Location: 

Historic Port of Ipswich Tour

Ipswich Museum hosts a Trails and Sails Historic Tour of the Town of Ipswich Massachusetts as a port.

Join local history buff, Scott Jewell, on a walk around the town of Ipswich and learn about the fascinating history of its former bustling port. Once a hub of maritime trade and commerce, the fate of the port was intricately tied to the rise and fall of the town’s 18th century economy, and the fortunes (and misfortunes) of many of its residents. Part of Trails & Sails.

When: 
Sunday, September 15, 2024 2-3pm

Befriend the Barnyard

Befriend the Barnyard is a hands-on barnyard experience at the Trustees of Reservations' Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts

Discover our special barnyard animals! Our Angora rabbits Violet, Mabel, Oiver and Charles; Nubian goats Maeve, Morgana, and Mordred; dairy cows Gray, Jasmine, their calves Gigi and Joanie and our friendly flock of heritage chickens will take center stage as we learn about what makes them so unique.

When: 
Saturdays through September 7, 2024 11am-1pm | Multiple Sessions
Location: 

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Brookwood School Summer Program for kids Pre-K through 9 in Manchester Massachusetts

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Breakfast with Santa

Kids will enjoy breakfast with Santa at the Hamilton Wenham Community House
Come and enjoy a continental style breakfast and get your picture taken with Santa. We will also have a letter writing station and music entertainment. Following the event at 3 pm, the Musary will be sponsoring a FREE Holiday concert! Donations to The Musary will be welcome. We hope to see you!...
7:30 am to 1:30 pm

Middle Street Walk 2024

The lighting of the Lobster Trap Tree is part of Middle Street Walk's finale in Gloucester Massachusetts.
The Annual Middle Street Walk is a great way to experience Gloucester's Historic District and waterfront while having Holiday fun with the family. An updated schedule of this years walk will be available for download on December 1, 2024 at this link.
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Music Together - Saturday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

CraneOutdoors: Family Snowy Owl Prowl

Join the Trustees of Reservations at the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts in search of the Snowy Owl!
Wide-open coastal sites are the location of choice for wintering Snowy Owls; common perches are dunes and salt hay staddles. In winters past, these owls have been frequent visitors to the Crane Wildlife Refuge.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

CraneExplorer: Coastal Holiday Crafts

Make holiday gifts with beach treasures from the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts
This holiday season, give a gift from the sea! Beach treasures make beautiful holiday ornaments, jewelry, and keepsakes. Join this workshop to take a beach walk to collect coastal treasures and then make some coastal crafts with our educators. Bring your own shells and beach treasures and we will...
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

A Colorful Christmas at Castle Hill

A Colorful Christmas by the Sea is a weekend of festivities hosted by the Trustees of Reservations at Castle Hill in Ipswich Massachusetts
Visiting Castle Hill at Christmas is a time-honored tradition. Don’t miss this year’s Travels with the Cranes. Each room in our 1920s mansion is decorated for the holidays drawing inspiration from Crane travels around the world, including Paris, Japan, Egypt, and New York.
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Second Saturdays at Cape Ann Museum

Second Saturdays mean free admission for local Families at Cape Ann Museum!
The Museum is free all day for Cape Ann residents* on the second Saturday of every month in 2024! The second Saturday of every month is free for Cape Ann families. Pre-registration and timed tickets are required.
10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Deck the Docks at Maritime Gloucester

Deck the Docks at on the Gloucester Massachusetts Waterfront and join the holiday cheer!
Come to Maritime Gloucester for fun holiday happenings on the waterfront in Gloucester Massachusetts!
10:00 am to 7:00 pm

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

A holiday themed tour of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Come to Hammond Castle for the 6th annual Deck The Halls holiday celebration. Hammond Castle Museum will be dressed for the holidays inside and out. Delight in the enchanting ambiance of Christmas and White Birch trees, meticulously arranged garlands, festive wreaths, and the warm embrace of...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Sing & Dance with the Music Man

Sing & Dance with the Music Man Brian Doser in Hamilton visit Massachusetts
Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

2nd & 4th Saturday at Lynn Museum

Lynn Museum in Massachusetts offers free admission on the second Saturday of each month.
Come to the Lynn Museum and Historical Society for FREE family fun. Join us on the second and fourth Saturday of each month for FREE admission to the Museum from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.! You can view our latest exhibitions, purchase Lynn-themed goods in our shop, check out books in our free library, and...
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Middle Street Walk Gingerbread Contest 2024

Middle Street Walk Gingerbread Contest entries can take any shape.
Everybody is invited to enter the Gingerbread Contest for the Middle Street Walk in Gloucester this year! Groups and individuals are encouraged to get creative and come up with entries that can take any shape.  All entries will be judged during the Middle Street walk with winners being announced at...
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Santa's Workshop

Santa's Workshop in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Visit Newburyport MA during the holidays
Newburyport is a favorite local town to shop - especially during the holidays. The fantastic lights downtown, the tree in Market Square, all the beautifully decorated window boxes and of course, Santa's Workshop, where the kids can whisper their wishes to Santa.
11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Ipswich Jingle Bell Walk

Join friends and family for a day of holiday festivities and cheer! Sing carols with Buddy the Elf while waiting for Santa’s arrival.
Greet Santa as he arrives at Town Wharf on East Street, at the north end end of Water Street, in Ipswich!  Come sing carols with Buddy the Elf as we await Santa’s arrival.  Jingle Bells will be available for purchase.  Jingle your bells and follow our honored guest and Buddy the Elf on a festive “...
11:00 am to 1:30 pm

The Nutcracker by Greater Salem Ballet

The Greater Salem Ballet performs the Nutcracker at Lynn Auditorium featuring more than 100 children and adults from the North Shore!
Join Greater Salem Ballet Company for their annual performance of 'The Nutcracker' at the at Lynn Memorial Auditorium at Lynn City Hall!  Follow Clara on her magical journey.
12:00 pm

Gingerbread Contest at Wenham Museum

Wenham Museum Gingerbread Contest is free to enter and open to all!
Everyone's invited to enter Wenham Museum’s gingerbread contest! Individuals, families, groups, teams–all are encouraged to create a Gingerbread House for this friendly community competition.
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Free Holiday Concert in Hamilton

The Musary performs A Charlie Brown Christmas at the The Community House in Hamilton Massachusetts
The Musary brings Charlie Brown's Christmas to The Community House!
3:00 pm

A Christmas Carol Panto

Theater in the Open celebrates the holidays with their interpretation of Dickens' Christmas Carol at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport!
Bah, humbug! Theater in the Open celebrates the holiday season with this Dickens classic, presented in true TITO style. So be prepared for anything to happen!  
3:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Winter Solstice Walk

Come celebrate the Winter solstice at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary with a night time walk using lanterns!
Celebrate the shortest day of the year and welcome the lengthening days ahead with a candlelit evening walk on the trails of the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. The evening will begin by making your own lantern in our cozy, heated barn while sanctuary naturalists share the science of solstice....
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Trustees Winterlights at Stevens Coolidge Place

The Trustees of Reservations Winterlights at the Stevents-Coolidge Place North Andover North Andover.
Winterlights is back! Join the Trustees for a magical outdoor experience at Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens, and see the gardens aglow with your favorite light installations as well as marveling at new components. Bring the whole family for a fun and safe outdoor experience. Winterlights runs...
4:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Night Tree Celebration at Appleton Farms

Come to Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts to celebrate the holiday tradition of the Night Tree
Join the Trustees of Reservations at Appleton for this holiday tradition to feed the animals of the forest from your own handcrafted edible ornament. We will begin the night in our historic carriage barn where we will cozy in with hot cocoa and popcorn to read the holiday classic tale “Night Tree”...
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

NCS Winter Concert - Liminous Night

Newburyport Choral Society Winter Concert featuring Contemporary Norwegian Christmas music.
Luminous Night includes a contemporary Norwegian piece on the beauty and mystery of a winter night, Christmas carols arranged with rich textures by Alice Parker, "A Jubilant Song" by Norman Dello Joio, and Latin American, Chanuka, and seasonal favorites.
7:30 pm

Tuesday, December 17

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Music Together - Tuesday in Marblehead

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® of Salem classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

A holiday themed tour of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Come to Hammond Castle for the 6th annual Deck The Halls holiday celebration. Hammond Castle Museum will be dressed for the holidays inside and out. Delight in the enchanting ambiance of Christmas and White Birch trees, meticulously arranged garlands, festive wreaths, and the warm embrace of...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Gingerbread Contest at Wenham Museum

Wenham Museum Gingerbread Contest is free to enter and open to all!
Everyone's invited to enter Wenham Museum’s gingerbread contest! Individuals, families, groups, teams–all are encouraged to create a Gingerbread House for this friendly community competition.
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Santa at the Phillips House

Join Santa for some traditional holiday fun at the Phillips House in Salem Massachusetts
Santa and Mrs. Claus are coming to Phillips House! Take a photo with Santa and see the elegant Chestnut Street mansion aglow with holiday cheer. Before or after meeting Santa, join us for stories with Mrs. Claus, cookies, cider, and a drop-in Christmas craft workshop, where you can make festive...
12:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Community Game Night at MPL

Enjoy a board game with your family and neighbors at the public library in Manchester Massachusetts.
Do you know that the library has lots of games in our new board game collection? Come on by with your game face on! Drop In. All ages welcome! Snacks provided.  
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Wednesday, December 18

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Music Together - Wednesday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:30 am to 11:15 am

We Walk the Woods!

Walk the trails in a group at Harold Parker State Forest Every Wednesday at 10am
Walk the trails with a group at Harold Parker State Forest every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. – Meeting location varies weekly. Email trek.reef@mass.gov for location.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
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