Go back in history for a docent led tour of Fruitlands Museum and Art Gallery.
In 1843, Amos Bronson Alcott and Charles Lane turned a swath of Harvard farmland into a Transcendentalist experiment in subsistence farming and Emersonian self-reliance. The property, which they named Fruitlands, ultimately disbanded after only seven months. In 1914, Clara Endicott Sears inherited Fruitlands and opened the grounds to the public, establishing a museum in the property’s 1820s farmhouse. Now, the 210-acre landscape encompasses five collections first established by Sears: the original Fruitlands Farmhouse; the Shaker Museum, the first such museum in the country; the Native American Museum, celebrating the history of indigenous peoples; the Art Museum; and the Wayside Visitor Center.
Plan to have lunch under the marquis of The Hyve Cafe at the Museum while you enjoy the spectacular view overlooking the Nashua River Valley. Afterwards, if you wish, you can work off your meal by exploring the walking trails. [See map]
Cost: $12
You may opt to wander the four areas of interest: Fruitlands Museum is home to five collections on 210 majestic acres of meadows and woods. When you visit Fruitlands you can go on a hike and commune with nature, learn about the lives of the Transcendentalists, Shakers, the Hudson River School and Native Americans, sit in the Art Museum among the treasures or be inspired by contemporary exhibits and outdoor sculpture. Fruitlands is a unique gathering place that builds connections Or you may choose to go with a docent for a one-hour tour of one of the areas of interest.
Wellesley Neighbors, PO Box 812609 , Wellesley, MA 02482 (781) 283-0417 director@wellesleyneighbors.org