I had not been to this place since a field trip in elementary school. The self directed tour is very interesting.
Went with the 4 year old Grandchild.... Had a picknick ... great learning expierence ... it begins with an informational video and the prices in the shop was resonable... the stones were amazing and the park was clean
One of my companions has been very interested in visiting this site, having visited other similar sites around the world. Checking Groupon we found a great discount situation, the next day the Groupon deal offered was $2 more. This is a place to visit for "a nice day walking in the woods". As to the Historical/Mystical aspect, take it with a grain of salt, after all, does it really matter? We did not bring an EF meter, but we did bring cameras, my suggestion is that you do the same and wear comfortable walking shoes as the paths are not well developed, or maintained, lots of uneven surface and tree roots, most places you need to watch while/where you walk. There is a handicap ramp at a Gazebo in the center, but no other nod to handicapped patrons, so leave the regular wheelchair at home and use one that is modified for rugged terrain, along with a couple of really strong people to push and pull the "mountain" chair on the path/trail. If you go to Google Maps, satellite view you can see the layout fairly well. Their website has good directions for driving to the site, we took 93 to exit 3, headed just over 4 miles east on 111, just before traffic light at the right turn off 111 there is a highway information sign indicating that the site is one mile on the right. Part of the way there you approach a "T" intersection, which bears a little to the left. One quarter mile before the site there is a Y shaped intersection with another directional/distance sign, directing you to the right. The site is on the right, drive up, lots of parking with quite a few signed for "Handicapped". The Lodge is just up from the parking lot, some historic artifacts on display, a model of the site, information about the Westford Scottish Knight, a few souvenirs, and on the right is the place to get your tickets. There is a short video available, worth watching, shown continuously, with a three minute intermission between showings. Rest Rooms adjacent to the video room, I did not notice any "facilities" elsewhere. The alpacas are right behind the Lodge, the trail takes off from behind the Lodge. By the exit there is a pile of snowshoes, as I walked the trail I realized that this would be a fun place for a group to try snowshoes, in the snow obviously. When you get your ticket you are handed a four page explanation of the marked displays. The explanation is one page, folded, which was a part of the experience which demonstrated concern for the customer service aspect. Out on the exhibit are stapled sheets would not be as durable when you climb over and around, especially in a slight breeze. The trail is well marked, yellow signs with black arrows are abundant, in some areas chains are stretched as well. At the start of the trail there is a hand lettered sign, perhaps it is to set a mood, it certainly does not suggested that ahead is anything worth the entry fee. Shortly after the start are some placards explaining displays, they are weathered to the point of being difficult to read. At this point I was starting to wonder as to the value of the experience as it lay ahead. The displays were presenting aspects of the life people more modern than those who would have set the rocks in place. Personally I think that this part of the display detracts, and trivializes the potential. My suggestion is to journey on, aware that the better stuff lays ahead. There are numbered signs along the way, corresponding to numbers on the folded sheet, some of the areas have multiple aspects described, with corresponding letters, often you need to change your perspective to find the letters, but they are set out in order. Some of the structures encourage people to enter, others are for viewing, one has a path through it, watch your head! Near the center is an area which was used to harvest stone after the Europeans arrived. In that area certain parts of the rock are highlighted with light paint, e.g. places in the stone base where the rock was altered to set and anchor equipment, also the drill holes in rock that had been set into structures. At the center of the site is a roofed gazebo like structure, with a placard pointing out various directions. It overlooks the "sacrificial stone", one can get a better view of the sacrificial stone from a marked location just beyond the Gazebo. From that point there are two trails back to the Lodge, both well marked. For those who need to argue the validity aspect, e.g. using carbon dating to suggest 4000 years ago people were making charcoal, I would suggest that we have known for quite a while that people have been in the area for thousands of years. Whether this is a site that was created thousands of years ago, or just decades of years ago, or more likely, some of each, it is a fun place to wander in the woods. Let your imagination, and that of your companions, roam. Bring your camera, create memories.
We went to this location with low expectations after reading other reviews, but had a coupon and thought, "why not, how bad can it be?". The answer is BAD, worse than you'd think.I thought that even if the structures were not impressive, we would enjoy the outdoors. But the outdoor area is so un-authentic that it is impossible to even simply enjoy nature. Go visit one of the many parks in the area if you want to enjoy outdoors. We don't recommend this establishment, even if it were free I think there are much nicer ways to spend your time. Hope this is helpful to you. Cheers.
Was not certain what we would find when we first decided to visit. This is a very unique. self guided tour of a mysterious part of America.
This site is an interesting little aside in new england, a site ostensibly used as an ancient civilization's home or village and an astronomical calendar.It is hard not to be skeptical. The site is known to have been used in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the curators argue that the home there in those days was built on top of ancient ruins. The story was unconvincing even with carbon dating, but was interesting nonetheless. A nice walk in the woods at the very least.
America's Stonehenge is a unique experience with many inteesting artifacts. Although the origin is some what speculative it was interesting. On the negative side the trails were difficult to follow and there was more walking than we bargained for. Glad we did it but once is enough
The entire concept of America's Stonehenge is interesting. There can be no doubt that at least part of the property is some sort of large scale astrological calendar, but its origins are unknown. There is a small gift shop with a good variety of related books, music, and gift items. Visit on an important astrological date (like Solstice or Equinox) to fully experience the uniqueness of the site.
While it is interesting there isn't much to grab one on this site. the paths are poorly marked and the history is limited to a folder handed out at the onset. We were not wowed by anything we saw.
It's a nice walk through the woods but not much more. Definitely not worth the money. There was a wedding taking place while we were there. We wondered why they chose that spot.