Top 15 Attractions and Activities in North Andover, MA

This town in Essex County occupies a substantial area of land stretching from the bank of the Merrimack River, adjacent to Lawrence, extending south towards the expansive woodlands of the Harold Parker State Forest.

The historic center of North Andover is centered around a traditional New England green, dominated by the Gothic Revival spire of the North Parish Church, with the North Andover Historical Society safeguarding a collection of heritage buildings.

North Andover features elegant country estates, two of which offer public access to their grounds: The Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens and Osgood Hill.

1. The Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens

In the 1910s, this erstwhile farm was converted into an elegant country estate for Helen Stevens Coolidge.

The family had been proprietors of the property since 1729, with her diplomat husband, John Gardner Coolidge, being a descendant of Thomas Jefferson and a nephew to the renowned art patron Isabella Stewart.

Between 1914 and 1918, architect Joseph Everett Chandler merged two late-Federal farmhouses into a single Colonial Revival mansion, surrounded by a diverse array of gardens, which include a walled rose garden and a formal French potager garden.

The estate is operated by the Trustees of Reservations, welcoming the public to explore the exquisite and newly expanded gardens featuring thousands of tulips in bloom during the spring.

2. North Andover Town Common

The original core of the settlement features a vast green area, adorned with mature hardwood trees and flanked by historic structures.

At the roundabout on the eastern corner is the North Parish Church (1836), designed by Boston architect Richard Bond (1798-1861) in the Cardboard Gothic style.

This marked the congregation’s fifth meetinghouse, tracing back to 1645 and signifying the congregation’s transition to the Unitarian Church.

The North Andover Town Common is picturesque throughout the year, particularly in autumn when the foliage is vibrant. There is ample space for picnicking on warm days, and for a delightful treat, one can visit Cows Rock Ice Cream, located across from the church.

3. North Andover Historical Society

Founded in 1913, the North Andover Historical Society oversees several properties across the town and is headquartered at the Johnson Cottage Complex situated on the Town Common.

Exhibits are housed in the 1932 Museum Building, illuminating various facets of North Andover’s rich history.

The 1646 Bookstore serves as a valuable resource, offering local trail guides, historical literature, games, and crafts specific to the North Andover region.

Interactive programs are conducted at the Johnson Cottage (1789), the last remaining artisan’s cottage in North Andover’s Old Center, which is furnished to represent everyday family life in the 19th century.

Even older is the First Period Parson Barnard House & Barn (1715) located at 179 Osgood Street, open on the first Saturday of the month from June to October.

4. Smolak Farms

Combining agriculture, entertainment, and education, Smolak Farms draws visitors from far and wide, especially during the extensive fruit-picking season.

From June through October, you can select your own strawberries, raspberries, sour cherries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, plums, apples, sunflowers, and pumpkins.

Festivals are held to celebrate the harvest of many fruits and feature hayrides, carnival games, crafts, live music, and barnyard animals.

The farm stand includes a bakery, ice cream counter, and a deli serving freshly made sandwiches; during fall, one must indulge in the apple cider donuts and the decadent apple cider ice cream sundaes.

Additionally, during the Christmas season, visitors can select their tree and purchase decorations from the stand, along with gingerbread houses from the bakery.

5. Harold Parker State Forest

Traveling south through North Andover, the area becomes progressively sparser until you arrive at this 3,300-acre public forest, which extends into three neighboring municipalities.

Established in 1916, Harold Parker State Forest serves as an early example of logged-over land designated for reforestation and was enhanced during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

A seemingly endless network of trails and logging roads is available for hiking and mountain biking, including a section of the 200-mile Bay Circuit Trail.

Throughout the hills, numerous ponds can be found, 11 of which are accessible for boating and fishing. The campground located at 133 Jenkins Rd offers 89 sites adjacent to Frye Pond, which features a beach on its northern shore.

6. Weir Hill

For an appreciation of nature right at the town’s edge, there is stunning scenery along the hilly western shoreline of the serene Lake Cochichewick. One notable area within this location is the 194-acre Weir Hill, which is managed by the Trustees of Reservations.

The dramatic elevation changes and the area’s agricultural history contribute to its remarkable biodiversity, hosting ten distinct plant communities ranging from butterfly-rich wet meadows to extensive oak-hickory forests.

The yellow trail takes you along the moist shoreline, incorporating sections of boardwalk, while the blue trail leads to the summit of Weir Hill through wooded areas and open fields, providing exhilarating views of the Merrimack Valley.

7. Harrison’s Roast Beef

A popular destination attracting individuals from various regions, this roast beef sandwich establishment has maintained its reputation for approximately 40 years.

The streamlined menu focuses primarily on roast beef, pastrami, and ham, complemented by crinkle-cut fries or onion rings.

First-time visitors are encouraged to opt for the roast beef, which is tender, thinly sliced, and available in large, medium, or small portions, served on a grilled onion roll.

A variety of toppings are offered, although the standout choice is the signature BBQ sauce, which competes with traditional options such as horseradish and mustard.

8. Osgood Hill

Beginning in the 1850s, textile manufacturer Moses Tyler Stevens (1825-1907) acquired land along the western shore of Lake Cochichewick in North Andover.

Eventually, in the mid-1880s, he constructed a grand Romanesque Revival mansion at the pinnacle of Osgood Hill.

Currently, the Stevens Estate at Osgood Hill serves as a prominent local events venue, while the 230+ acres of this splendid town-owned country estate are available for exploration on foot.

The estate features 3.5 miles of marked trails winding around the hill, providing lovely views of the lake and informative signs identifying various tree species along the way.

9. Charles W. Ward Reservation

The Trustees of Reservations also oversee these impressive 700 acres located in North Andover and Andover. The Charles W. Ward Reservation features a lush landscape of forests and fields covering ridgelike drumlins that offer breathtaking views of the surrounding region.

The most notable of these elevations is the 420-foot Holt Hill, the highest point in Essex County, named in honor of the influential 17th-century Puritan settler, Nicholas Holt.

At the summit, visitors can enjoy a panorama that includes the Boston skyline, the Blue Hills, and Salem, while the Solstice Stones align with sunset during the longest and shortest days of the year.

Numbered stations throughout the reservation provide intriguing insights into significant geological and botanical characteristics.

10. Rogers Center for the Arts

The private Augustinian university, Merrimack College, was established in North Andover in 1947 and boasts a 220-acre campus along Route 125.

Among its notable alumni is Charlie Day (1998), known for his role in the TV comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, who returned to deliver the commencement address in 2014.

The Rogers Center for the Arts serves as a comprehensive arts hub featuring a 600-seat venue for live theater, music, family entertainment, and film, along with two galleries.

These galleries include the McCoy Gallery, which hosts several exhibits each year, including a group show by student artists at the academic year’s conclusion, and the Thagaste Gallery, which provides a platform for talent from the Greater Merrimack Valley, including student and faculty artists.

11. Addison Gallery of American Art

The esteemed private preparatory school, Phillips Academy (1778), is located just across the line in Andover, counting five Nobel laureates and Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush among its former students.

The campus features a network of ponds and woodlands, a portion of which was designated as a bird sanctuary in the 1920s.

The primary attraction for visitors is the Addison Gallery of American Art, established in 1931, which offers a comprehensive overview of American painting, sculpture, and photography, featuring a collection of 22,000 works.

Notable artists represented in the collection include John Singleton Copley, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alexander Calder, Jackson Pollock, Edward Hopper, John Singer Sargent, and Frank Stella, among many others.

12. Lawrence

Those with an appreciation for 19th-century industrial architecture will find this city, which borders North Andover to the northwest, to be particularly captivating.

A historic center for textiles, Lawrence was planned in the 1840s, with its expansive mill complexes constructed along canals excavated on both the north and south banks of the Merrimack River.

Visitors can appreciate the remarkable scale of these factories, including the impressive Ayer Mill Clock Tower, which features four glass faces that are merely six inches smaller than London’s Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben).

Manufacturing continues to play a role in Lawrence’s economy; one of the modern tenants at Ayer Mill is New Balance, which operates a factory store within the complex.

13. Boston Helicopters

A significant portion of the northern end of North Andover is occupied by Lawrence Municipal Airport (LWM), which is owned by the adjacent city.

The airport was established in 1934 and serves companies in the defense and telecommunications sectors, in addition to general aviation.

Located approximately 25 miles to the south of downtown Boston, the airport is also a base for several flight schools and tour operators.

One such operator is Boston Helicopters, providing training for all levels and offering scenic tours of the Boston skyline, the North Shore, Massachusetts’ Northern Coast, or a combination of all these in one flight.

For a truly unique experience, there are evening tours that showcase Boston as the sun sets or when it is illuminated at night.

14. North Andover Sheep Shearing Festival

Taking place on the Town Common in May, this distinctive event has heralded the arrival of summer in North Andover for over fifty years.

The North Andover Sheep Shearing Festival features demonstrations of shearing and herding, showcasing the remarkable skill involved in fleece removal, as well as the collaboration between farmers and their herding dogs.

These demonstrations are enhanced by live music, food vendors, horse-drawn carriage rides, pony rides for children, craft stalls, and various live exhibits of traditional rural skills.

15. Fall Festival

The Fall Festival combines a merchant market with numerous activities for children, taking place on the Town Common on the third Saturday in September.

For adults, this event provides an opportunity to connect with the array of small businesses situated in North Andover and neighboring towns, browsing craft stalls, sampling delicious local food, and enjoying live entertainment.

Children can engage in various outdoor games, access a dedicated game tent, and partake in activities such as pumpkin decorating and pony rides.