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Andover is a town in Massachusetts, situated at the crossroads of I-495 and I-93 in the heart of the Merrimack Valley. Andover is bordered by Dracut, Lawrence, Methuen, North Andover, North Reading, Tewksbury, and Wilmington.

Get in

Map
Map of Andover (Massachusetts)

The closest major airports to Andover are Boston's Logan International Airport (BOS IATA) and Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT IATA) in New Hampshire. Nearby Lawrence Municipal Airport does not serve major carriers.

Get around

See

Do

Andover features many walking trails, spanning approximately 1,100 acres of reservation land maintained by AVIS, one of the oldest conservation societies in the United States. Additionally, the Andover Bird Sanctuary, officially titled the Moncrieff Cochran Sanctuary, features pathways lined with several rhododendron species, mountain laurel, white pines, hemlocks, larch, oaks, and hickories.

  • J. Everett Collins Center For the Performing Arts, 100 Shawsheen Road (Attached to Andover High School). An auditorium where groups of all ages sing, dance, act, and more. Local schools hold plays and performances here, as well as anyone willing to rent the space out for personal use. Past performers include Martin Johnson of Boys Like Girls, and Sesame Street Live.
  • Andover Country Club, 60 Canterbury Street. The Andover Country Club is an 18-hole regulation length golf course. This medium-length layout features 4 sets of teeboxes for golfers of all skill levels.
  • Harold Parker State Forest (Lorraine Park), 133 Jenkins Road. Late May - Early September. A campground containing 89 campsites. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and grill. No electric or water hookups are available, however the public bathrooms have hot water showers.
  • 1 Ward Reservation, Prospect Road. 8am - dusk, year round. The Solstice Stones are on top of Holt Hill, the highest spot in Essex County. There are 10 miles of trails, including a boardwalk that leads to Pine Hole Pond and a quaking bog. Parking is $5 for non-members..
  • Penguin Park, Burnham Road (East of 133 and Rt. 28 Junction). Family walking through fields to the Shawsheen River. Trail follows the shore of the river to the woods. Picnicking and a toddlers' playground is also located here.
  • Andovers' Farmers Market, 97 Main Street. Late June to October, Saturdays 10AM–2PM. An outdoor market, where you can purchase vegetables, baked goods, and other crafted items on a weekly basis
  • Andover Skatepark, 80 Shawsheen Road (On the lot of West Middle School and Andover High School). A town run facility that is run by the Andover Youth Services. $8 per skater.
  • Pomps Pond, 147 Abbot Street (Part of the Recreation Park Complex), +1 978 749-9423. The pond area contains a sunbathing area, recreational swimming, shaded picnic grounds, children's playground area, a volleyball net, boat rentals, bathrooms, showers, and a concession stand. Red Cross certified swim lessons.

Buy

  • Andover Bookstore, +1 978-475-0143. 89R Main Street. A three-level cozy independent bookstore covering many genres of work. Sit on the couch by the fire in winter to warm yourself over your reading selection.
  • Royal Jewelers, 58 Main Street, +1 978 475-3330. An independent retail jewelry store offering designer jewelry and Swiss timepieces.
  • Learning Express, 32 Park Street, +1 978 474-0555. An educational toy store for kids of all ages. Has hands-on sample toys that children can play with while exploring the store.
  • First Date Boutique, 1 Main Street Suite 203, +1 978 247-8999. An upscale clothing store in the heart of downtown Andover, Massachusetts. Trendy clothes for girls of all ages. Casual and dressy attire can be found here.

Eat

While Andover and the surrounding area host a number of cafes and restaurants, including chains such as Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Bertucci's, Starbucks, and the Ninety Nine, there are several dining locations that provide a more personal taste of the town.

  • Depot House of Pizza, 53 Essex Street. Near the Andover train station serves Greek-style pizza and sandwiches.
  • King's Subs & Pizza, 11 Bartlet Street, +1-978-470-1850, .
  • Perfecto's Caffe, 79 N. Main Street. Serves coffee, muffins, bagels, salads, sandwiches, and wraps.
  • Shawsheen Luncheonette, 3 Lowell Street. Tue-Sun: 6am-2pm. Employs countless high school students and serves breakfasts and lunches.
  • Sweet Basil, 209 N. Main Street. Is Andover's only Thai restaurant.
  • Spinners Pizza Parlor, 195 Andover St. Is a family-friendly restaurant offering the best in homemade, mouthwatering pizza and sub sandwiches.
  • 1 Salvatore's, 34 Park St, +1 (978) 409-2445. Is a new Italian style casual restaurant, of which there are few branches.
  • Casa Blanca, 10 Main Street, +1 978 289-4165. Mon-Thu,Sun 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11am-11pm. An authentic Mexican Restaurant in the heart of downtown Andover. Upstairs location allows customers to view Main Street from their table.
  • The Chateau, 131 River Rd, +1 978 687-2442. Sunday: Open 11:30 AM Monday - Saturday Open 11:15 AM. A family owned Italian restaurant featuring a variety of authentic Italian dishes. Famous for their fried raviolis
  • Bertucci's, 90 Main Street, +1 978 470-3939. Famous for their Brick Oven Pizza. Features outdoor seating during Spring, Summer, and Fall months on Main Street.
  • Peking Garden of Andover, 36 Park Street, +1 978 749-9922. An eat-in or take-out Chinese, Polynesian, and Mandarin food restaurant.
  • Ninety-Nine, +1 978 475-8033. An American chain restaurant and bar. Family friendly, and also date-spot worthy. Food price varies depending on the meal between $12-$17. The bar stays open later than the restaurant, and serves 7 nights a week
  • 2 Andover Town Market (Town Market), 429 South Main Street, Andover, MA, +1 978 409 2328, . Mon-Sat: 7am-8pm Sun: 7am-6pm. Offers fresh sandwiches, salads, ice cream and desserts plus prepared food to take home for dinner. It also has a market for fine foods, local items, and a selection of wines, beers, and ciders.
  • 3 Perry's Plate, 89-93 MAIN ST (Located off Main St in Andover Village Square. Park in the metered lot.). 6:15am - 3pm. Serves breakfast all-day and lunch starting at 11am. Opened in January 2017, taking over from the venerable Lantern Brunch.

Drink

Coffee

  • Bruegger's Bagels Bakery, 10 Main Street.
  • Felicia's Bakery Cafe, 63 Park Street.
  • Dunkin' Donuts, 309 Lowell Street.
  • Dunkin' Donuts, 139 River Road.
  • Dunkin' Donuts, 349 North Main Street.
  • Dunkin' Donuts, 93 Main Street.
  • Starbucks, 14 Main Street.
  • Ultimate Perk, 96 Main Street.

Bars

Andover has a few watering holes:

  • Glory, 19 Essex Street.
  • Palmers Restaurant & Tavern, 18 Elm Street.
  • Park Street Pub, 40 Park Street.

Sleep

Most hotels are located immediately off I-93, a few miles from Main Street. Other nearby hotels are located in Tewksbury off I-495. The Andover Inn is the only hotel located downtown.

Connect

Andover's Memorial Hall Library provides free wireless internet access for equipped laptops. Otherwise, visitors can register to use one of the public library's desktop computers.

Starbucks, 14 Main Street, charges for wi-fi access on hourly, daily, and monthly rates through their T-Mobile HotSpot.

  • McDonald's, 195 N MAIN ST, +1 (978) 475-9854. 5am-11pm (drive-thru is open until 1am). The restaurant has free WiFi

Go next

Routes through Andover
Manchester Methuen  N  S  Wilmington Boston
Lawrence North Andover  N  S  Tewksbury Lowell
Manchester Lawrence  N  S  North Reading Boston
Haverhill North Andover  N  S  Wilmington END
Lowell Tewksbury  W  E  North Andover Georgetown
Haverhill Lawrence  N  S  Wilmington Boston


This city travel guide to Andover is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.