Heritage Museums and Gardens

Heritage Museums and Gardens is a sprawling complex combining botanical gardens, exhibition buildings, and historic structures across roughly 100 acres. Collections include rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and flowering plants arranged in themed garden sections, plus automobile collections and folk art displays.

Charles Dexter founded this site in the early 1900s, focusing on rhododendron hybridization that influenced botanical practice across North America. The property later grew to include museums and expanded its role as a public garden and educational destination.

The site displays American folk art and regional silversmith pieces in its galleries, while a reconstructed Wampanoag dwelling offers insight into how Native peoples lived in this area. Visitors experience these traditions and local heritage firsthand as they walk the grounds.

The site operates daily from spring through late fall, with walking paths throughout the gardens at varying levels of difficulty. Comfortable shoes are recommended, and visitors should plan to spend several hours to see both the gardens and museum buildings properly.

A restored 1908 carousel hand-carved by legendary builder Charles Looff stands as an eye-catching centerpiece that transports visitors back to early 20th-century entertainment culture. The grounds also maintain a hydrangea test garden where researchers evaluate new plant varieties and their performance.