Blake Walsh

15 Best Things to Do in Bridgewater, MA

  • Published 2022/12/15

Bridgewater is a small city located in Plymouth County and is only a 40-minute drive from Boston and Plymouth.

The city features numerous fun attractions and historic sites that keep visitors entertained.

Despite its small size, it has a variety of outdoor and indoor attractions that every visitor will enjoy.

With 28.2 square miles, of which 27.5 is land area, there’s plenty of room to explore the parks, trails, restaurants, and events that make Bridgewater special.

Here are some of the best things to do in Bridgewater, Massachusetts:

Go Paddling on Lake Nippenicket

The waters of Lake Nippenicket

Esposito Photography / Shutterstock.com

Looking for a place to go boating and paddling?

Bridgewater has something perfect for you.

Known by the locals as “The Nip,” Lake Nippenicket is a 354-acre natural pond surrounded by Hockomock Swamp.

This hollow lake has an average depth of three feet and a maximum depth of six feet, enough for everyone to try water activities like paddling, boating, and fishing.

Grass on Lake Nippenicket

Esposito Photography / Shutterstock.com

Lake Nippenicket was once a swimming destination in Bridgewater, but since its closure 20 years ago, people have come here to enjoy the cold breeze while roaming using personal watercraft such as jet skis.

People also flock here to kayak and birdwatch in their small boats while spotting various wildlife.

Try it out for yourself on your next trip to Bridgewater!

Improve Your Game at Olde Scotland Links

Whether you are a beginner or an expert, Olde Scotland Links is an 18-hole public golf course on Pine Street built to assist you in improving your game on the putting green.

This golf course opened in 1997 and has Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary certification; it has five tees ranging in length from under 5,000 to 6,800 yards.

After the game, you can visit Barrett’s Ale House for mouthwatering food and drinks if you ever get hungry.

Visitors can enjoy themselves on this golf course for more than four hours and 24 minutes, whether in a group or a pair.

You can also create your own league or join one already in progress.

Tournaments and other events are always happening here since Olde Scotland Links have space for more than 100 players.

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, check out the putting green at Olde Scotland Links!

Hike a Trail at Wildlands Trust – Great River Preserve

Wildlands Trust – Great River Preserve on Auburn Street is part of the 230-acre Taunton River acquisition in 2009 by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game and the Wildland Trust.

The acquisition of this 125-acre Great River Preserve was made possible with the intention of honoring and respecting the Native American History site located there.

In addition to being a beautiful nature spot, visitors can see many different habitats, including vernal pools, pine and oak forests, wide fields, and miles of untouched river scenery along the Taunton River.

It has trails where everyone, including your dogs, as long as they are on a leash, can go for walking, running, and hiking while enjoying the wide field of habitat, riparian, and woodland.

Wildlands Trust – Great River Preserve is accessible to all visitors who require wheelchairs, strollers, or other mobility aids.

Make sure to include this in your itinerary when visiting Bridgewater!

Play Sports at Legion Field

Legion Field on Bedford Street is a well-kept athletic field with a fun atmosphere open to people of all ages.

Bridgewater’s Legion Field, south of the downtown area, attracts people for active recreation and serves as a location for community events where fireworks are also highlighted.

One of the many great events that regularly occur in Bridgewater is the celebration of the 4th of July.

The annual holiday event features fun activities for all ages, including live entertainment, a wide variety of carnival rides and food trucks, and an incredible 20-minute fireworks display!

Legion Field is equipped with modern facilities, such as a baseball or softball field, basketball court, football field, and soccer pitch.

It also has a skateboard park and a playground that kids will love.

Make sure to check out Legion Field on your next visit to Bridgewater!

Reconnect with Nature at the Stiles & Hart Conservation Area

The Stiles & Hart Conservation Area is a 75-acre nature preserve on Broad Street funded by the Self-Help Frant Fund in 1999.

William Basset, Sr., a teacher from the area, bought this nature preserve in 1895.

The land was also used to mine clay and make bricks, but operations stopped in 1938 after a hurricane hit the area.

When you visit, you can see these old defective bricks everywhere as evidence of their previous use.

Some of these bricks are even stacked eight feet high!

Claypits that have been there for more than 50 years are now beginning to be reclaimed by nature, with maple and oak dominating the area that once contained a field of cherry and aspen.

The Stiles & Hart Conservation Area has changed into a forest with vernal pools, ponds, and swamps filled with skunk cabbage and other wetland plants, as well as areas with cattails, phragmites, and other unusual plants that can be seen in the town river.

Your visit will surely be worthwhile because of its area’s extensive vegetation, which is home to animals like foxes and deer.

Enjoy a serene nature walk when you visit this conservation area in Bridgewater.

Visit the Ruins at Stanley Iron Works Park

Stanley Iron Works Park is an industrial historical site on High Street that can be found along the Town River’s banks.

This 12-acre former iron production site in the American colonies, which is now a park, was once the second-largest producer of iron in the United States.

Many people visit this place today to see the ruins and buildings lost to time hidden within the forest.

These buildings have been filled with graffiti by people, both old and young.

The privately owned dam is a point of interest for every visitor where they can try fishing and get an excellent view of the Town River.

Don’t forget to stroll on one of two short loop trails on opposite sides of the river!

This destination is filled with fun, must-try activities and stunning historical sights you cannot miss.

Make sure to include Stanley Iron Works Park on your next visit to Bridgewater!

Practice Ice Skating at Bridgewater Ice Arena

Do you want to go ice skating?

Try the city’s most well-known ice skating rink!

Bridgewater Ice Arena on Bedford Park is a double-surface ice facility established in the city where people can learn to skate and try various programs.

The arena’s programs include Figure Skating, Travel Hockey, and Hub City Hockey, with some events for public skating and tournaments for high school and college students.

The Bridgewater Ice Arena has several amenities to ensure the best skating experience, like their Pro Shop.

At the Pro Shop, you can purchase things you need for playing hockey, like skates and team gear.

It also sells accessories to customize your skate set-up, so you perform at your best.

Their gym is available for athletes to use to reduce ice skating injuries and optimize physical performance potential.

Visitors can try a variety of food at the Top Shelf Cafe in the Ice Arena, which includes pizza, burgers, chicken teriyaki, shrimp scampi, chicken alfredo, salads, soups, and more, while coffee and cocoa are also available as drinks.

Enjoy Playing Paintball with Your Family and Friends at P&L Paintball, Inc.

P&L Paintball, Inc. is a recreation facility on Bedford Street that was established in 1991 to offer an outdoor activity that anyone can enjoy.

P&L Paintball, Inc. offers two paintball experiences: the PNL and the standard 68 cal.

The PNL is low impact and less painful, making it perfect for beginners or those who want a family-friendly game.

However, it still packs all the excitement of traditional paintball.

For something truly adrenaline-pumping, try out the standard 68-cal paintball.

It’s sure to give you an unforgettable thrill!

Aside from offering safety gear, P&L also offers types of playing grounds like the ghost town, spools, the wall, the towers, barter town, radar dish, blue barrels, wood spools, and winter ghost town.

This gaming facility is best experienced in a group, which is why it is available for special occasions such as birthday parties, youth groups, corporate, and bachelor’s parties.

Explore the Trails at Carver’s Pond

Carver’s Pond is another popular Bridgewater attraction that everyone can visit if they want to do activities with their family and friends.

This is the best place to visit if you’re looking to hike, walk in nature, or bird watch.

If you want peace and quiet, this is also the perfect spot since it’s serene.

Carver’s Pond features not just one but two trails—the Carver Loop Trails and Ottaway Trail.

They’re both grassy with plenty of trees and wildlife, making them ideal spots for picnics.

As soon as you arrive at the pond, you’ll find a picnic table and benches to enjoy the lovely scenery immediately.

The 35-acre pond is essential to the community since it’s where the city gets its water.

Check out this destination on your next visit to Bridgewater!

Eat a Variety of Dishes and Take a Few Swings in the Batting Cage at Prisco’s Market and Deli

At first glance, you might think that it’s just another restaurant.

But as soon as you step inside Prisco’s Market and Deli, you’ll see that it’s much more than that: it’s a family attraction that will provide you with an unforgettable experience.

Prisco’s Market and Deli is a unique restaurant on Romney Road that provides various scrumptious food options and a memorable baseball experience.

Their menu includes 11 dishes every visitor can try, including their famous homemade wood-fired pizza, deli sandwiches, meatballs, and salads.

Looking for sweets?

Try Prisco’s Country Creamery, which offers 11 types of ice cream drinks, 33 flavors in hard serve ice cream, three in soft serve, and 13 in Italian ice.

Prisco’s Market and Deli also has Batting Cages, a Basketball Court, and an 18-hole mini golf course that guests can enjoy with their families and friends.

They are also open for corporate events and special occasions like birthday parties.

Other Things to Do Nearby

Bridgewater has more than enough attractions that every visitor can try.

However, if you’re looking for more, there are plenty of other options nearby.

Here are other things to do near Bridgewater:

Get a Better Understanding of the Past at the Robbins Museum of Archaeology

Exterior of the Robbins Museum of Archaeology

Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Robbins Museum of Archaeology is a museum in Middleborough that was established by The Massachusetts Archaeological Society in 1988.

Located 16 minutes from Bridgewater, the museum bears the name of Massachusetts’ first state archaeologist, Maurice Robbins, also known simply as “Doc.”

Inside the 21,000 square feet of space, the museum features collections of over 200,000 cultural items.

Interior of the Robbins Museum of Archaeology

Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Included inside are the 20th-century dolls and figurines collected by Doyle Native American Ethnographic, as well as the over 3,000 ceramic vessels, stone tools, and other artifacts that are 12,000 years of age.

It also has a lecture hall, a laboratory space, a library, and a photo gallery.

Don’t miss this historic glimpse of the past, and head to this museum on your next trip to Bridgewater!

Exhibit in the Robbins Museum of Archaeology

Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Buy and Eat Fresh Produce at C.N. Smith Farm

C.N. Smith Farm, located in East Bridgewater, contributes to the town’s great attractions by offering everyone the best and freshest products.

It’s only 2.6 miles and just a six-minute ride from Bridgewater.

This special farm has been in operation for over 80 years and was originally started by Carl Smith as a potato farm on 20 acres in the 1920s.

The farm is now run by the third generation of the family and continues to supply the community with fresh local fruits while preserving the farmland and open space.

Visitors can look around and buy fruits like tomatoes, berries, corn, apples, and vegetables like asparagus and lettuce when they arrive.

Aside from the fresh products they sell, C.N. Smith Farm also offers picnic areas and try various stores like Donut Barn, where visitors can taste apple cider and apple cream donut, and C.N. Smith Farm Grill if you want burgers, hotdogs, and popcorn.

For beverage drinkers, C.N. Smith Farm offers five flavors of hard cider for you to try, including raspberry, peach, and cranberry.

Travel Back in Time by Visiting the War Memorial Park

Just a seven-minute ride from Bridgewater in the southern town center of West Bridgewater, there’s a 4.87-acre public park called War Memorial Park.

It was built in 1930 with assistance from funds provided by the Works Progress Administration and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

It’s the site of numerous historical events, including the industrial era, with more than 13 water-powered mills still in the area.

This park is also known as the first industrial park in the country because of the farming tools produced here in the late 18th century.

War Memorial Park is also considered one of the town’s most significant historic sites due to its rich history.

Dive into the History of the Community at the Old Colony History Museum

Exterior of the Old Colony History Museum

Faina Gurevich / Shutterstock.com

In the town of Taunton, located at 66 Church Green, there’s a museum that houses collections of artifacts, which will make you believe that the past continues to be present.

Only a 16-minute ride away from Bridgewater, the Old Colony History Museum was founded in 1853.

Display in the Old Colony History Museum

Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

It’s housed in the former school Bristol Academy building.

Inside the museum is a collection of artifacts and a library focusing on genealogy and the local history of southeastern Massachusetts, which was once known as the Old Colony.

Aside from that, the museum also offers activities, programs, exhibits, and research so visitors can learn more about the community’s history.

A tall clock in the Old Colony History Museum

Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Learn Archery at Reedy’s Archery

Reedy’s Archery, a family-owned archery pro shop located on Lane Street in Middleborough, has been operating since 1993.

Established by Chris Reed, it’s only an 18-minute ride from Bridgewater.

Reedy’s Archery has grown in popularity for providing professional and high-quality customer service.

Aside from selling archery equipment, this store also hosts sessions and special events such as birthday parties.

Visitors can learn archery on the 20-yard indoor range and 100-yard outdoor range.

Reedy’s Archery is the place to go for everyone, whether you are a beginner or a highly experienced archer.

Final Thoughts

Bridgewater offers outdoor activities that everyone should try.

If you want a place with various sports facilities, Bridgewater is your best bet.

Schedule your trip to the area today and add these 15 best things to do in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, to your itinerary for a fun-filled visit!

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