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Gardner is a city of 21,000 people (2019) in Massachusetts. Gardner is known as the "Chair City" and "The Furniture Capital of New England", due to its long history in furniture production.

Understand

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Gardner center from central ST

History

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Named in honor of Col. Thomas Gardner, the community was settled by Europeans in 1764 and incorporated as a town in 1785 after receiving land grants from the surrounding towns of Ashburnham, Westminster, Templeton and Winchendon. Dating from about 1805, it became a center for lumber and furniture industries. By 1910 it had 20 chair factories which produced 4 million chairs per year. It was also noted for silversmithing. The Gardner State Colony for the Insane pioneered the use of cottage residences. Gardner was incorporated as a city in 1923.

Get in

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Route 2 West From Alewife station in Cambridge will take you right to Gardner.

If you're coming from the south, I-190 North to Route 2 West will bring you to Gardner.

From the West Route 2 East goes from the New York border in Williamstown to Gardner.

The closest commuter rail station to Gardner is the Wachusett Commuter Rail Station. From the station State Route 2 West will take you to Gardner.

Get around

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The best way to get around Gardner and the surrounding region is by car.

There is some bus service in and around the area provided by The Montachusett Regional Transit Authority it's rather limited though.

Gardner center from Parker ST

See

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  • 1 Dunn State Park, 289 Pearl St, +1 978 632-7897. Sunrise-sunset. Parking $15/day, MA residents $8. Dunn State Park (Q5315558) on Wikidata Dunn State Park on Wikipedia
  • 2 Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary. Dawn-dusk. Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary (Q18091500) on Wikidata
  • 3 West Gardner Square Historic District. Downtown Gardner was developed as an industrial site beginning in the early 19th century. The area now boasts a concentration of late 19th and early 20th century commercial, civic, and industrial architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. West Gardner Square Historic District (Q7985202) on Wikidata West Gardner Square Historic District on Wikipedia
  • 4 The Gardner Museum, 28 Pearl Street. Historic library building. It was given in honor of Levi Heywood, a prominent figure in the city's economically important chair manufacturing industry.It now houses The Gardner Museum which is dedicated to the city's history. Levi Heywood Memorial Library Building (Q6535432) on Wikidata Levi Heywood Memorial Library Building on Wikipedia
The Gardner Museum

Do

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  • Smith's Country Cheese, 20 Otter River Rd, Winchendon, +1 978 939-5738. Award-winning Gouda, Cheddar, and Havarti.
  • Red Apple Farm, 455 Highland Ave, Phillipston, +1 978 249-6763. Enjoy apple picking, cider, donuts, and local products at this orchard in the fall. Red Apple Farm is a big operation and gets very busy in the peak fall tourist season. So busy that they need parking attendants to direct the traffic. You can pick apples, take a hay ride, or feed some farm animals. The farm store sells a dizzying array of locally made products, most made right at the farm (jams, baked goods, syrup, cider, popcorn). They provide lots of free samples to entice you to buy. A cider doughnut is an essential fall experience. Outside, they have a grill and fire pit where you can order burgers, hot dogs, and a few BBQ options which you can eat in the covered picnic area.
  • 1 Mount Watatic. At 1,831 ft, is the second highest mountain in Massachusetts east of the Berkshires. Trailhead is off of MA 119 in Ashburnham Mount Watatic (Q8521571) on Wikidata Mount Watatic on Wikipedia

Buy

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  • Terrapin Traders, 302 Central St, Gardner, +1 978-632-4893. Store in Downtown area with a selection of goods, crafts, gifts, clothing, books and a wide selection of New Age items.
  • Wal-Mart, 677 Timpany Blvd, Gardner, +1 978-630-3244. Multinational retail chain

Eat

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  • Blue Moon Diner, 102 Main St, Gardner, +1 978 632-4333. Worcester Lunch Car Company diner #815, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Classic diner food.

Drink

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Sleep

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Connect

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Go next

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If you head north you can take in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire, and hike MT Monadnock.

Take Route 2 East to 190 South and head to the second-most populous city in New England Worcester.

Head west out of Gardner on Route 2 West and experience The Mohawk Trail one of the first Scenic auto-touring roads in the country.

If you take Route 2 West to 202 South you can go see the Quabbin Valley, and the largest inland body of water in Massachusetts, the Quabbin Reservoir.

Routes through Gardner
Greenfield Jct S NGill  W  E  Westminster Fitchburg
END Jct N S  N  S  Westminster Shrewsbury


This city travel guide to Gardner 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.