Central Massachusetts has lots of rural and historic things to see and do

One of Massachusetts’ 50 great things to do has 50 great things all its own to enjoy when you arrive at this celebrated living history destination, one of the nation’s largest. Settle in at the Old Sturbridge Inn or Reeder Family Lodges. Savor authentic New England cuisine, cozy rooms and fireplaces, and delicious sweets from Ye Old Bake Shoppe. Then step into the 18th century and watch and participate in what people did then. Costumed interpreters will guide your visit on foot, on a stagecoach or standing beside a potter’s wheel or the blacksmith’s forge, or meeting with farmers and their animals at work. The 19th century is here, too, in 40 antique homes, buildings and water-powered mills in this most scenic town. Open year-round. Seasonal hours may vary.

Southwick’s Zoo is really more than a zoo: It’s a zoo-plus. The plus includes a carousel, a rainforest maze, a Skyari sky ride to give you a bird’s eye view of the African Plains, a Woodland Express train ride, pony and camel rides, a place where you can mine for gems and fossils – even a two-seater zipline! And have they got animals, from lemurs and lions to snakes and sloths. Feed a parakeet in the aviary or a deer in the 35-acre deer forest, interact with pygmy goats in the petting zoo, feed a giraffe or enjoy one of several live-animal presentations and educational exhibits. Lots of dining options, from burgers and wraps to New England tavern meals.

This central Massachusetts museum is considered one of the finest mid-sized museums in the country. Follow history’s path through 50 centuries of the world’s antiquities, paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, decorative arts, arms and armor. December 2018 brings an interactive art installation that will infuse the winter season with brilliant light and color during the Museum’s Holidays at WAM programming.

As a college art gallery, the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery’s mission is to promote the intellectual and cultural life of the College of the Holy Cross and greater community by exploring the fundamental intellectual, cultural, spiritual and aesthetic issues encountered through the visual arts. Through a series of exhibitions throughout the academic year, enhanced by receptions, guest lectures, readings, and students’ presentations, you’ll always find something of interest. Current exhibition information and hours of operation can be found on the gallery’s website.

A bear and stag hunt from the 6th century BC portrayed in a giant floor mosaic. How hard would it be to get kids involved in games and explorations of this piece of artwork, speaking to them across 26 centuries? This glorious mosaic floor, excavated from a home in Antioch that was destroyed by an earthquake in 526 AD, is a centerpiece exhibit at Worcester Art Museum in Worcester and also the topic of a Family Guide exploration. A brochure invites kids to count animals and sketch the mosaic. Can you think of a better way to get your kids loving art and history?

The Hardwick Vineyard and Winery at 3305 Greenwich Road in Hardwick is a hospitable, family-run winery located on a quiet country road that winds around the Quabbin Reservoir. Visitors may tour the 5,000-square-foot timber frame barn, enjoy the craftsmanship of the winery’s fieldstone foundation, and walk the vineyard fields. The vineyard offers wine tastings and sells local cheese, honey, maple syrup and its signature wines. Picnicking is encouraged, and there is a jazz breakfast the first Sunday of every month. Open March-December, Friday-Sunday and Monday holidays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Phone: 413-967-7763

Massachusetts Central Rail Trail for bicycles and walkers that, when finished, will include 104 miles connecting 24 communities Boston to Northampton. Various groups are refurbishing the trail in pieces. Volunteers with Wachusetts Greenways have opened 11 miles of the rail trail, as follows Sterling from Cider Mill to Gates Road; West Boylston/Holden from Oakdale to River Street along the Quinapoxet River; Holden Connector from River Street to Manning Street to Mill Street; Rutland from Wachusett Street south to the Holden line; Rutland from Glenwood Road to Route 56; Rutland from the Charnock Hill Road to Barrack Hill Road to Rutland State Park entrance road to Route 122 and the Midstate Trail. Get out on two wheels to two feet and join the adventure. Rail trail map.

Johny Appleseed – a real person – was Massachusetts native John Chapman, who lived from about 1775 to 1845. A devoted arborist, Chapman planted apple trees from New England to the Ohio River valley. Raise a glass to J.A. when you enjoy the work of many Massachusetts cideries. Here are some of the Bay State’s top places to taste and buy apples and cider: Downeast Cider in Charlestown, Bantam Cider in Somerville, Brooksby Farm in Peabody, Dartmouth Orchards in Dartmouth, Bear Swamp Orchard and Cidery in Ashfield, and West County Cider in Shelburne.

Crafts people will demonstrate dressmaking, shoemaking, medical care, basketmaking, gun smithing, cabinet making, coopering pottery making and even gravestone carving as these essential skills were done in places like Deerfield. See schedule for specific demos, offered on weekends. Fun for the kids, too. 413-774-5581.

Within the 400 acres of woods, fields, streams, and marsh at Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary at 414 Massasoit Road in Worcester, visitors can hike, cross-country ski, watch birds, look for butterflies, prowl for owls, or learn to snowshoe. The center has a large 3-D model of the sanctuary and a huge map of the Blackstone River watershed. Nature gifts, children’s books, field guides, are available at the center, which also serves as a visitor site for the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. Trails are open daily, dawn to dusk. Phone: 508-753-6087.