15 Best Things to Do in Bellingham (MA)
Located on the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border, Bellingham is a growing city with I-495 running through. This places Bellingham on the outer perimeter of the Boston metro area and provides the city with a commercial corridor that houses the recently updated Regal Cinemas and Barnes & Noble and Whole Foods branches… Bellingham shares a border with the town of Woonsocket, RI, giving you easy access to important cultural attractions like the Stadium Theatre, a splendid movie palace turned center for the performing arts… Away from the highway, Bellingham is a picturesque countryside, with the region’s largest bonsai nursery and various farms producing exceptional fresh produce and specialty items such as alpaca. 1. GlenPharmer Distillery A short distance from Franklin, this craft and distillery restaurant is located in the old Brookdale mill, built in granite circa 1883. If you are interested in the technique of making high-quality spirits you can visit the GlenPharmer Distillery for a tour, and see the spectacular two-stage stainless steel and bronze steam distillers, as well as the combined stainless steel and Mash Tun 800/Lauter Tun fermenters. The upscale tasting room pours these signature spirits, which also feature in the list of luxury cocktails, from Mai Tai to Gin Fizz. The food menu is generally upscale, with lamb thighs, duck stew, and pan-seared tuna, as well as flatbreads, Nashville chicken sandwiches, and pulled pork. 2. Cook’s Valley Farm A regular at the Attleborough, Woonsocket, and Franklin Farmers Markets, this Wrentham farm also has a quaint little stall that you can visit. In a tree-lined setting on remote West Street, Cook’s is a simple establishment that lets the premium fruits and vegetables speak for themselves. Before your visit, you can check the harvest schedule on the farm’s website, which tells you when everything from corn (a local favorite) to blueberries, peppers, apples, pears, and squash is ready. The stall also offers a selection of other homemade or locally sourced items, including honey, preserves, cider, corn stalks, and gourds. 3. Franklin State Forest Along Bellingham’s eastern boundary are nearly 900 acres of secluded forest. What strikes you about the Franklin State Forest is how little this property has been developed for tourism; Instead, you can pass through deep rows of pines along winding roads and fire lines. The remoteness attracts mountain bikers, who can tackle challenging trails as they skate through the woods. At the southern end, the forest also houses the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT), a trail that begins here at Franklin and passes through Bellingham on the 22-mile route to Douglas. 4. Regal Cinemas Bellingham At the time of this writing, this cluster of 14 displays has just undergone a $6 million renovation. This involved installing recliners in some of his stadium’s auditoriums and adding a bar, serving alcoholic beverages for the first time. Perhaps the biggest change of all is the RPC Regal Premium Experience monitor, which features an oversized screen, premium digital projector, and uncompressed surround sound. The theater is located in a commercial corridor along I-495, with Whole Foods, Old Navy, Michaels, Barnes & Noble, and Home Depot branches nearby. 5. Walnut Hill Bowl Just across the border in Woonsocket is one of the best bowling alleys for miles, with 32 state-of-the-art lanes. The Walnut Hill Bowl also includes the cozy Back Alley Pub, which serves freshly baked pizza and burgers, but also has plenty of live music. As with most modern bowling alleys, weekend nights after 9 p.m. are lively here, with the Cosmic Bowl bringing in black lights and party music. To play at a more affordable price, there are great value promotions on shoe and track rentals Monday through Thursday. 6. New England Country Club Right on the MA-RI border, the New England Country Club has an exclusive-sounding name, but it’s a public arena, attracting players from across the region since opening in 1990. Designed by Hale Irwin, this 18-hole championship golf course is set in a spacious setting, with roller coaster lanes surrounded by jungle. In keeping with the rural character, you might spot deer or foxes along the way. There are four tees on each hole, each offering a different challenge, suitable for a variety of skill levels. You’ll be inspired by the scenery along the way, and it’s at its best late in the season during the fall months. 7. Southwick’s Zoo About 15 minutes west of Bellingham brings you to Massachusetts’ largest zoo, set in more than 250 acres of oak woodland. Opened in 1963, Southwick Zoo is still run by the Southwick and Brewer families and is home to more than 750 animals of more than 100 species, all raised in naturalist sanctuaries. Exotic species include cheetahs, African leopards, Bengal tigers, lions, Brazilian tapirs, capybaras, white rhinos, and ostriches. The zoo is famous for its collection of primates, the largest in the area, including squirrel monkeys, chimpanzees, ring-tailed lemurs, white-handed gibbons, and many more. In addition to all of that, Southwick Zoo is a great day out for the family, with horseback rides, camel rides, a kid’s ranch, a 12-minute train ride, mazes, and plenty of rides for kids. 8. St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center Dubbed “America’s Sistine Chapel” by a magazine, this lavishly decorated neo-Renaissance church was built in the 1910s for the French-Canadian community of Woonsocket. The architect is Walter F. Fontaine (1871-1938), born in the region and also of French descent. The church closed in 2000 and was turned into a cultural center to help fund long-term conservation efforts. Don’t miss the chance to tour this building and enjoy what is believed to be the largest collection of frescoes in North America. Painted with detailed moldings, these dramatic paintings adorn the nave’s walls, barrel arches, as well as the junction, side passages, and back aisles. Featuring 475 individual faces, all using locals as models, the piece was created by Italian-Canadian artist Guido Nincheri (1885-1973). 9. The Big Apple Farm In the same family since 1950,