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Watertown is a city of about 35,000 people on the Charles River, about seven miles west of downtown Boston. Settled in 1630, it is one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts, and during the Revolution the Provincial Congress met here while the British held Boston. For more than a century the U.S. Army's Watertown Arsenal made weapons here, and the old arsenal grounds now hold shops, restaurants and an arts center.
Watertown is home to one of the largest Armenian communities in the United States, and Mount Auburn Street is lined with Armenian bakeries, markets and restaurants. The Armenian Museum of America tells that community's story, while Perkins School for the Blind, where Helen Keller's teacher Anne Sullivan studied, has a history museum on its campus.
Historic houses such as the Edmund Fowle House and the Abraham Browne House recall the colonial town, and riverside paths link Watertown Square with Cambridge and Waltham. With buses to Harvard Square, Watertown is an easy, local base for exploring Greater Boston.
One of the largest museums of Armenian culture outside Armenia, on Main Street near Watertown Square. Collections include ancient coins, manuscripts, rugs, ceramics, religious art and exhibits on the Armenian Genocide and the diaspora. Allow one to two hours, and check for special exhibitions and talks.
A museum on the campus of Perkins School for the Blind, founded in 1829, covering the history of education for blind and deafblind people, including Laura Bridgman, Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller. The Gothic-style tower building is striking. Check visiting hours and arrangements before you go.
A 1772 house near Watertown Square, now home of the Historical Society of Watertown. During the Revolution the Massachusetts Executive Council met here while Boston was occupied. Rooms show colonial life and the town's role in the war. It is open on limited days, so check before visiting.
A small timber-framed house on Main Street built around 1698, one of the oldest surviving homes in the area and an important example of early colonial building. It is owned by Historic New England. Tours are offered only occasionally, so check ahead, or admire its steep roof from the street.
A redevelopment of the historic Watertown Arsenal grounds along Arsenal Street, with restaurants, shops, a hotel, a cinema and seasonal events around restored brick buildings and open plazas. It is a lively place for dinner or an afternoon out. Parking is available in garages on site.
A performing and visual arts center set in a former building of the Watertown Arsenal, with theaters, galleries and studios. It presents plays, concerts, dance and family shows, plus art exhibitions open to the public. Check the calendar, and combine a show with dinner at nearby Arsenal Yards.
A park along the Charles River just west of Watertown Square, with lawns, benches, paths and views of the river and dam. It connects to the Charles River paths that lead toward Waltham and Cambridge. It is a fine place for a walk or a picnic lunch, and the river paths are popular with joggers and cyclists.
A historic dam at the head of the Charles River's tidal reach near Watertown Square, with a fish ladder used by migrating herring each spring. A pedestrian footbridge crosses the river beside it. Visit in April or May to look for fish in the ladder, and continue along the riverside path afterward.
Mount Auburn Street in east Watertown is lined with Armenian and Middle Eastern bakeries, markets and restaurants selling lahmajoun, boreg, string cheese, olives, spices and sweet pastries. Graze from shop to shop or pick up picnic supplies. Bring an appetite and cash for small purchases, and try a few different shops.
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