Location: Ayer
Top Things to do in Ayer
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10 Things to Do in Ayer That You Shouldn't Miss
Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War. Later, Fort Devens was established by the federal government to train New England soldiers for World War I. Fort Devens is a major influence on the area, although it is considerably smaller than when it was first closed in the mid-1990s. The town's population was 7,427 at the 2010 census.
Restaurants in Ayer
1. Nashua River Rail Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 64 reviews
Reviewed By SciFi_Seeker - Ayer, MA
This is a great trail that is paved and wide enough for traffic in both directions. There is plenty of parking at the end in Ayer and at several locations along the way. the trail stretches from Ayer through Groton, Pepperell and up in to Nashua. The total trail length is just over 12 miles.
2. Fruitlands Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 96 reviews
Fruitlands Museum is comprised of four separate museums, showcasing Transcendentalists, Shakers, Native Americans and American paintings on 210 acres of meadows and woods with 2.5 miles of trails and a breathtaking view of the Nashua River Valley. The Fruitlands Museum Store sells fine crafts by local artists and the Museum Café, which is open during the main season (April 15 through November 7), focuses on locally sourced, sustainable cuisine reflective of the heritage of New England.
Reviewed By Mel B - Hanoi, Vietnam
Interesting even on a bitterly cold day. We were passing on a trip to see the trees in the fall and saw the sign to the museum and entered out of curiosity. The farm itself and its history is very interesting comprising an early experiment in 'Shaker' communal living followed by another in offering work for vagrants. The house interiors are particularly interesting as there are many examples of 'Shaker' furniture. The most surprising thing was to find that the small art gallery had some of the best American paintings of the 19th century including by Alfred Bierstadt, Weir, Kensett and others. Unfortunately, we were too cold to appreciate the extensive walks around the property due to lack of time but mostly the cold! A return trip would be good if I was ever that way again.
3. Gibbet Hill Barn and Trails
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By CaymanCarole - Groton, Massachusetts
This great restaurant has amazing steaks, a beautiful view of Gibbett Hill and friendly staff. Enjoy your meal while watching the cattle graze peacefully on the hill. My favorite is the Steak Frites with delicious hanger steak, salad and their amazing french fries. Make weekend reservations weeks in advance if you have a special occasion coming up.
4. Red Tail Golf Club
Overall Ratings
4 based on 19 reviews
Top 50 Public golf courses in America. No.1 Public golf course in Ma. 2009-2013. Rental clubs available. Range Restaurant on site. Golf lessons, PGA pro's. SITE OF USGA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2009
Reviewed By Alex H
I think many of the previous reviews are spot on. The course has a great lay-out, fast (but fair) greens, and lots of interesting holes. For the money I was very frustrated by the pace of play. 5.5 hours for 18 holes on a early sunday tee time. I only saw the ranger once and that was on hole 17. For $100 I would expect a bit better conditions overall. Overall, I would recommend the course but it is overpriced in my opinion. If you are looking for great value play Shaker Hills or Butter Brook
5. Farandnear Reservation
Overall Ratings
5 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By David J H - New England
What a wonderful place! The Farandnear Reservation is an incredible nature preserve managed by the Trustees. Take the time to explore this wonderful place and be sure to look up the goings on at Farandnear by visiting the Trustees website.
6. Kimball Farm
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 178 reviews
Reviewed By Lovelyliki - Douglas MA
Unfortunately I'm not going to give Kimball Farm a good review. Their ice cream was great though. We won a "Give Me Five" pass so recently went, all excited to go. The Give Me Five pass said it was good for ice cream as one of the 5 things you could use it for but when we ordered the ice cream we were told we had to pay for it, which we weren't expecting. Then there was a large corporate event going on so there were thousands of people there. I think they should put a sign outside letting you know that it will be overly crowded that day so you can choose to leave & come another day. Regardless we probably would have stayed since we traveled over an hour to get there. The first thing we did was the zip line. We stood in line for over 1 1/2 hours to go on a one minute ride. There was no rhyme or reason to the line so people were cutting the line. Then we played miniature golf which took us 2 hours to play because it was so crowded so you had to wait for the people ahead of you to finish their hole before you could play & then you felt rushed because there were so many people behind you. We are 2 60 + people and standing for over 3 1/2 hours was too much for us with no place to sit down due to the crowds. We asked if we could leave & come back another day to use the remainder of our 3 activities & we were told no, we used it that day or tough luck. We decided to go to the Animal Adventure since there was no line & by now we had been at Kimballs for 6 hours & only managed to do 3 things. Every place we went the line was at least an hour to two hour wait & we just couldn't do it, so we left. We would have REALLY been upset if we had paid the $42.50 price the Give Me Five is, but as I said we won the passes. Due to the crowds & the long long wait in line I can't give Kimballs a good review.
7. O'neil Cinemas
Overall Ratings
5 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By mamacooking - Boston, Massachusetts
The O'neil Cinema is a great theater with reserved, comfortable, reclining seats with seat trays and one of the largest screens I have seen. Patrons can enjoy a bite and a cocktail in the Backstage Lounge bar/restaurant and even carry an alcoholic beverage into the theater. Food, even Regina's Pizza, can be ordered and delivered directly to your seat. Tuesday is bargain day with special prices for tickets, candy, popcorn, and drinks. There are also specials for seniors on Wednesdays and special pricing for the military every day. Great theater!
8. Nashua River Rail Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 42 reviews
Reviewed By Bden99 - Manchester, New Hampshire
We accessed the trail in Nashua. The trail itself is relatively flat and goes by very quickly. It is suitable for all ages. There are no motorized vehicles allowed, which makes this a good place to ride. There are various places to park along the route which makes this good for doing partial sections of the trail.
9. Harvard Alpaca Ranch
Overall Ratings
5 based on 11 reviews
Harvard Alpaca Ranch is located on 5.7 acres of beautiful farmland, easily accessible from Route 495 and Route 2 in the heart of apple country. We are open for farm tours on most weekends, 10:00am and 5:00pm. Stop by and meet the herd and see our facility. Our alpaca shop is open on weekends for all your alpaca product needs. We have finished products as well as yarn made from our alpacas.
Reviewed By Carr2528 - Oxford, United Kingdom
An interesting trip to visit this lovely little ranch. You are able to feed and stroke the Alpacas, Matt know their characters so well. Great place for kids. An interesting shop, selling alpaca products with the intention to start selling products made from the alpacas...MoreThanks for the kind review. We hope we made your trip to the states a little more interesting and enjoyable! Good luck with your farm plans. Don't hesitate to contact us if we can be of any help. Safe travels!
10. Luina Greine Farm
Overall Ratings
5 based on 13 reviews
Your private tour will last approximately 45 minutes, and consist of visiting with and feeding one of our 12 alpacas and 2 miniature donkeys. You will be able to interact with our shetland sheep and dwarf goats. Finally, visit our country store where everything Alpaca is available for sale (Alpaca mittens, scarves, shawls, teddy bears, socks, hats, etc...)
Reviewed By Joyce J - Dunstable, Massachusetts
Stopped at this little farm last month after being told about it by family. There is a small assortment of animals here that you are allowed to visit with. They have rescue alpaca's, some donkeys, ducks, goats, a sheep and the horse/s were out when we visited. A dog rounds out the pack. The owner could not have been nicer. He approached us with a friendly greeting when we pulled up in the driveway and offered to show us around. He allowed us to go into the pen with the goats and the alpaca's which was great! They sell some items in a little shed on property. All so soft. If in the area it is worth stopping in.
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