15 Best Things to Do in Holden (MA)
Spread over a large area in northwest Worcester, Holden is a fast-growing small town of 20,000 inhabitants. There is unlimited open space, with thousands of acres of forest for public recreation within city limits. These plots of land, often with interconnected trails, are maintained by the city or by organizations such as the White Oak Soil Preservation Association. You can hike along the old Massachusetts Central Railroad, climb the hills for exciting views, explore waterfalls, admire unique icy spells, or simply get away from the world for a few hours on the road. an isolated trail. The town’s historic center is often dismantled, but around Holden, you can find some great local businesses that produce chocolates or gourmet Belgian bagels the traditional way. system. 1. Holbrook Forest Near Cascading Waters south of Holden there are many protected lands with interconnected trails. Holbrook Forest here is maintained by the White Oak Soil Conservancy and there are paths to Kinney Forest next to and south of Worcester via Cook’s Woods and Cook’s Brook. What makes these spaces special is that they are located on the southern edge of more than 3,000 acres of uninhabited wilderness, containing reservoirs for Worcester and therefore closed to the public. This has allowed wildlife to thrive, which can be spotted on trails in conservation lands. As you walk through the 60-acre North Holbrook Forest, you’ll come across Cousin’s Rock, a particularly erratic glacial made of pegmatite, famous for its remarkably large crystals that you can observe up close. scene. 2. Val’s Restaurant In 1991, 22-year-old Valorie James opened a small pizzeria in Holden. Over the past 30 years, it has evolved into a full-fledged, award-winning restaurant with a patio, reception room, and two lounges. Val’s Restaurant is a vibrant community venue, featuring live music indoors every weekend and outside on the patio during the warmer months. As for the food, the choice is varied. Val’s has won rave reviews for its seafood and features many New England favorites like grilled black-dipped cod and strip clams. But that’s just one item, as you’ll find a wide selection of Italian, Greek, and American classics, from marinated lamb skewers to veal parmigiana. 3. Cournoyer Vegetable Farm Just across the border in Paxton is a lovely farmers and farmers market, owned and operated by the Cournoyer family for over eight decades. The stall is open from June to October and offers over 100 varieties of seasonal farm-grown fresh produce. This includes tomatoes, peppers, radishes, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, cut flowers, corn, potatoes, broccoli, kale, lettuce, and more we can list. listed here. The selection is also complemented by locally produced fruits, berries, cider, and honey. 4. The Bagel Inn Also on Holden’s team of great local businesses is a bagel shop at 785 Main St, which has been a staple for over 25 years. The first thing to know about Bagel Inn is that these gourmet bagels are traditionally boiled and baked, daily, from scratch and use only fresh ingredients with no ready-made mixes. The bagels themselves, available to dozens of bakers, come in every variety imaginable, whether you want ‘Everything’ or something a little less conventional like crisp cinnamon apples. There is a wide selection of buttercream spreads and breakfast sandwiches, available all day. 5. The Farm at SummitWynds With majestic views of Mount Wachusett, this quaint fourth-generation Holden ranch has been raising show horses since 1964. Before that time, the site was actually a ski area, with a lodge, The Summit Tow, built at its highest point in 1945 and now used as a warehouse. In addition to raising appaloosas and precious horses, SummitWynds also produces lavender, harvesting around 4,000 plants for beauty products, cooking ingredients, or simply for flowers. You can visit to see lavender in bloom during the Lavender Farm Festival at the end of June and also the Sunflower Festival at the end of the season. 6. West Boylston Cinema The nearest movie theater is directly across from I-190 in West Boylston. One of the few things about the West Boylston Cinema is that it is independently owned but still has modern features like stadium seating, digital projection, and digital audio. With five screens, this movie theater opened in what used to be a grocery store in 1997 and shows first-time movies at much lower prices than the big chains. When we compiled this list, tickets for the morning and Tuesday are still only $6, and one of the perks of the concession is having self-serve butter for the popcorn. 7. Mass Central Rail Trail Holden is crossed from west to east by a proposed railroad that would eventually run continuously for more than 100 miles from Northampton to Boston. The Central Mass Trail is located on the former right side of the Massachusetts Central Railroad, built between 1869 and 1883. When we compiled this list, the trail could be divided into six different sections and Holden is located on the Oakham to West Boyston Section. You have several options for easy and safe walking or riding. From the Holden-Rutland metropolitan line at 68th Street, you can travel west to Barre without stopping. Or you can park at River St or Wachusett St in Holden and head east through a mantle of hardwood, past the remains of old mills on the Quinapoxet River to the Wachusett Reservoir. 8. Asnebumskit Ridge Trail At 1381 feet, the top of Asnebumskit Hill sits right on the border between Holden and Paxton. This one looks west, with a moving panorama stretching for miles across central Massachusetts. There is a parking lot near the top of the hill, but if you prefer a quick walk, you can also follow the trail on S Rd, just off Rte 31 southwest of Holden. From here, you have a challenging but rewarding uphill hike, leaving behind the banks of Scott’s Creek to a succession of young woods, then into spectacular mature forests, lined with trees. Lush ferns in