Lunenburg is located in north-central Massachusetts, a part of the state that’s ideal for people who love to spend time outdoors. It’s home to many farms and animal sanctuaries and lots of green spaces, making it easy to find a wide variety of outdoor activities for all ages, including the kids. From nature hikes to farms and zoos, there’s something for everyone who enjoys spending time outside. Take a look at some of the family-friendly outdoor events and activities in and around Lunenburg.
Davis Farmland
Butterfly by Conal Gallagher is licensed with CC BY 2.0
Davis Farmland in Sterling is just a 20-minute drive away. This farm offers acres of family fun, from feeding the animals to taking a safari hayride out to the pastures. You can become a junior farmer by helping the big farmers milk a goat, bottle feed the baby animals, and collect eggs. Some of the other activities you can participate in at Davis Farmland include:
- Pony rides
- Animal showcases
- Farm-tastic shopping
- Adventure play and spray
- Imagine-Acres
- Adventureland playground
The food at Davis Farmland is always a treat. Satisfy your taste buds with the famous BBQ or choose healthy options from the Fast & Fresh stand, where you can get veggie snacks and wraps.
Butterfly Palace
Head to Butterfly Palace in Westford, where the whole family can spend the day surrounded by butterflies from all around the world. This attraction is a completely interactive experience. You can walk along pathways that wind through butterfly habitats. Butterflies will fly all around you as they sip from the flowers. They may even land on your shoulder.
This is a great experience for the kids. They can learn all about the life cycles of the butterfly, from the eggs to the caterpillars and the hatching. Make sure to stop and watch the 15-minute video about the life cycle. It’s created with kids in mind and gives them an excellent insight into how the process works.
Along with all the butterflies, the Butterfly Palace has a koi fish pond and quail birds that live among the butterflies. Make sure to visit the show-and-tell bench, where there’s always a staff member available to answer questions and help make your visit educational and fun.
Animal Adventures Family Zoo and Rescue Center
Kids who love animals as much as the outdoors will love a visit to Animal Adventures Family Zoo and Rescue Center. This exotic animal rescue organization always has something going on, including guided and self-guided tours and animal presentations. Visitors can feed the goats or experience an animal adventure. Some of the activities you can do include:
- Extreme Tours. Meet exotic animals up close and personal
- My First Tour. Take the little ones on their first tour of Animal Adventures
- Reptile Tour. Meet all the reptiles that live at the zoo
- Sloth Encounter. Enjoy a 15-minute visit with a two-toed sloth. Take photos with Esther and even feed her
- Owl Connection. Hold a Eurasian eagle owl and learn all about some of the other rescued owls at the zoo
Alpaca Meet and Greet
Have you ever wondered what an Alpaca looks like up close or imagined what it feels like? Book tickets for the entire family for an Alpaca Meet and Greet at In the Meadow Farm in Lunenburg. Tickets are just $15 per person, and you can spend an hour in the pasture with the alpacas. Take pictures with them, give them treats, and ask questions about them. You might even be lucky enough to get an alpaca kiss.
After you meet with the alpacas, you can explore the farm. Head to the fiber studio, where you can shop and learn knitting or needle felting. The farm is also home to chickens and rabbits. These small animals are just as fun to visit with as the alpacas.
Oktoberfest at Good Pickin’ Farm
Good Pickin’ Farm in Westford offers a wide variety of activities and events throughout the year. Bring the kids for a day of fun, where you can all go on a tour of the farm to get an up-close experience with the barnyard animals. The kids can take a pony ride, and you can take a hayride.
Oktoberfest is always a fun event at the farm. It takes place on October 15 this year and is a day filled with fun for the whole family. There are pony rides, pick your own pumpkins, lots of food vendors, and a petting zoo. The event will also feature live music, and there will be a bonfire where the kids can make s’mores. Get your tickets online. You can purchase a group of tickets for the entire family or buy single tickets.
Later in October, Good Pickin’ Farm will put on their Not-So-Haunted Halloween Family Farm Day. It takes place on October 30 and has haunted hayrides, a costume parade, animals in costumes, and a hay bale maze. You can also get your tickets for this event on the farm’s website.
Visit Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary
The Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary in Princeton is less than 30 minutes away. This sanctuary offers hiking and walking trails to explore, fun programs for the kids and the family, such as Nature Bingo, and more.
Stop by for the Hey Day event to celebrate Wachusett Meadow’s agricultural history. It takes place on September 24 with live music, local vendors, and locally made food and baked goods. Admission to this annual event includes activities at the sanctuary, such as canoeing and hayrides. The kids can also take part in pumpkin painting and other fall-themed crafts.
Admission is $30 per carload or a per-person fee, and Mass Audubon Members will receive 50% off at the Wachusett Meadow gift shop.
If you’ve been looking for some activities you can do as a family near Lunenburg, these are all excellent options. If you want to learn more, stop by North End Mazda , and we can fill you in on the details. While you’re here, we can also show you some family-friendly Mazda SUVs that will get everyone to these fun events in style.
