Day trip from Boston to Old Sturbridge Village

I love Saturdays! It makes me realize I have one day of the week where I don’t need to cook or do laundry. And what I love even more, is when I do a nice brunch and head for a day trip and come back to my comfy cozy bed. This weekend we decided to visit the Old Sturbridge Village to experience the rural New England life in the 1790s to 1830s. Boston is one of the biggest city in the New England area which has several brunch options on weekends. This weekend, we decided to start off our day with brunch at an Israeli restaurant, Cafe Landwer on Beacon street. My scrumptious meal was a breakfast for two special with a mixed fruit ice tea, Nutella latte, pancakes, and Falafels. We literally ate for the whole day in one meal and I would highly recommend it.

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Getting to Old Sturbridge Village is accessible only by road and it is about an hour away from central Boston. It is a living museum which recreates the life of the early 19th century of rural New England. I had bought tickets online which cost $25.5 per person (it is cheaper to buy online than at the counter, which costs $28) and printed prior to my visit. Once I reached the counter, I presented my tickets and collected a map with a daily schedule for ongoing demonstrations and navigation.

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I have been to several live museums, but this one was different because you are transported to a different era. It paints a beautiful picture of what life looked back in the day with historic homes, walking historians and farmers. Besides a working farm, It has a working grist mill with live demonstrations. There are several other live demonstrations of different trade shops such as the tin shop, blacksmith, the shoemaker, potter, etc.

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I would highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes as a lot of walking is involved from one area to another. On some days, they have a horse-pulled carriage with a couple of stops, which not only helps you get to different parts of the property but also the Horseman shares the history of the museum. Plan enough time to attend all the demonstrations and try to walk through all buildings to explore the architecture. The best part of this place is that the actors are willing to answer questions and interact with you, so do ask questions to learn more about the history.

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If there is anything you need to know about me, it’s the fact that I am a caffeine addict. As we were getting back to Boston, we stopped by at French Press Bakery and Cafe at Needham, MA. This cute little cafe is minimally decorated and reminded of some of the cafes in Europe. My mouth watered looking at the display section filled with several kinds of desserts and if it was on me, I would have ordered one of each. We settled down on ordering a chicken salad sandwich, truffle croquettes, chocolate mousse, tiramisu and of course a latte. This place is worth stopping by if you are visiting or live in the Boston area.

Final Word

I love doing day trips and Old Sturbridge Village is worth spending time with your friends and family. I would recommend this place to appreciate the era we live in today and one of the best ways to experience the New England area to the fullest. It is open 365 days a year and my hunch is that it will look beautiful in the fall season. There are several eateries and gift shops for you to relax and buy some local England homemade fudge, maple syrup, and souvenirs. If you are like who loves brunches, think no more and try Cafe Landwer and do stop by French Press Bakery at Needham. It is the perfect place to walk around a typical England town and grab a cup of coffee and their lip-smacking desserts.

Happy day tripping my hungry travelers 🙂