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All the United States Massachusetts Waltham

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Waltham

5 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Waltham, Massachusetts

Updated February 7, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Waltham

A mechanical collage at the museum.

Waltham, Massachusetts

Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation

A steampunk wonderland that preserves America's history of industrial innovation.
The Dr. William F. McLaughlin Administration Building today.

Waltham, Massachusetts

Metropolitan State Hospital (MSH)

Once the largest public hospital for the mentally ill was also surrounded by controversy.
A light on in one of the top rooms of Usen Castle. On the left is the new dormitory for which part of the castle was demolished.

Waltham, Massachusetts

Usen Castle

This castle constructed in 1928 was crafted from drawings of Lismore Castle in Ireland.

Waltham, Massachusetts

Lyman Estate Greenhouses

These beautiful garden buildings are among the oldest surviving greenhouses in the United States.
Permanently Closed
Fernald State School

Waltham, Massachusetts

Fernald State School

Run by a eugenics advocate, this aging institution conducted secret radiation experiments sponsored by Quaker Oats.
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Permanently Closed
Wooden water pipes

Watertown, Massachusetts

The Plumbing Museum

Located in a beautifully restored ice house, this museum is the result of decades of hard work and devotion to the craft of plumbing.
1 mile from Waltham
Fort Norumbega

Weston, Massachusetts

Norumbega Tower

This tower pays homage to a legendary Viking fort established in Massachusetts that never really existed.
2 miles from Waltham
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Waltham Leaderboard

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Places Visited

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Recent Waltham Activity

  • jatrina

    wants to go to Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation

  • abigailgb2031

    wants to go to Metropolitan State Hospital (MSH)

  • marinandthemoon

    wants to go to Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation

  • nikisb

    has been to Metropolitan State Hospital (MSH)

  • RobinTravels

    wants to go to Metropolitan State Hospital (MSH)

Stories About Waltham

The Protestant section of the MetFern Cemetery, pictured in June 2021.

The Quest to Honor Disabled Patients Buried in Anonymous Graves

Historically, institutions often interred their dead with simple markers. In Massachusetts, researchers are learning about the patients' lives and the facilities' fraught legacies.
by Asia London Palomba
July 1, 2021

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