Formerly the hub of industrial activity in the area, the Greater Merrimack Valley has become the newest mecca for creative talents and artists as former mill buildings and factories are transformed into lofts and gallery spaces. Antique and gift shops make the historic Wingate Street District of Haverhill a destination, where you’ll also want to visit the Whittier Homestead.
All tastebuds will be satisfied in Lawrence, whose melting pot of cuisines is sure to gratify. Take in a performance or visit the numerous festivals celebrating the city’s many immigrant cultures as well as honoring Lawrence’s place in literary history as the childhood home of Robert Frost. Follow the canal to the Lawrence Heritage State Park to see historic textile mills and learn the story of the many immigrants who shaped not only Lawrence, but also our nation’s labor laws with the “Bread and Roses” strike of 1912.
Discover charming New England suburban towns, complete with white clapboard houses and acres of protected conservation land in West Newbury, Merrimac, Boxford, Groveland, and Georgetown. Stop to hike in North Andover’s Harold Parker State Forest or visit Andover’s prestigious Phillips Academy and at the campus’s Addison Gallery of American Art.
This portion of the region is conveniently situated on major highway routes including 495 and 93, so visiting for a day or just for dinner is a breeze.
Photo Credit: Smolak Farms by Nancy Dion Photography