Waltham, MA

Travel Guide

Waltham which includes street scenes
Waltham featuring a garden
Waltham showing signage and a monument
Waltham featuring a house
Waltham showing an administrative buidling and heritage architecture

Stroll through beautiful university campuses and learn about the Industrial Revolution in one of Middlesex County’s most charming towns.

Discover Waltham’s captivating cultural life. Located in Middlesex County, this small town is full of early American history. Learn about its role in the Industrial Revolution and explore its many museums and stately homes.

Stroll along the Riverwalk and watch the scenic Charles River. Waltham has more than 100 locations on the National Register of Historic Places. Although many are privately owned, look for them as you wander throughout town.

Explore Waltham’s watchmaking history in the American Waltham Watch Company Historic District. Between 1850 and 1957, the Waltham Watch Company produced about 35 million timepieces and precision instruments. Visit the multi-building complex today and trace watchmaking history through the years.

See the site of America’s first factory at Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation. The building was originally part of American industrialist Francis Cabot Lowell's groundbreaking textile mill. Explore the museum’s exhibits and learn about the Waltham Watch Company and the town’s role in the Industrial Revolution.

Both Bentley and Brandeis universities are located in Waltham. Walk through their tree-lined, well-manicured campuses. Browse through thousands of pieces of art in Brandeis’ Rose Art Museum, with works by famous artists including Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.

Discover Waltham’s stately homes and grounds. Visit the red-brick Federal-style Gore Place, a summer home that entertained guests including the Marquis de Lafayette and James Monroe. Tour the beautiful grounds and stylish interiors of the Lyman Estate, a rambling white stone mansion. Explore the stunning grounds of the Robert Treat Paine Estate, designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

Enjoy beautiful New England weather at Hardy Pond and the adjacent Lazazzero Playground. Fish off the pier, jog along its trails or play a game of basketball.

From Waltham, drive along historic Revere Beach Parkway, which has connected the suburbs north of Boston since 1896. Downtown Boston is just 14 miles (23 miles) east. Reach the state’s capital by car in under 30 minutes or take the bus or commuter rail, which both run regularly.

Where to stay in Waltham

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South Side

4/5(9 area reviews)

While visiting South Side, you might make a stop by sights like Moody Street Historic District and Charles River.

South Side
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Piety Corner

Piety Corner might not have many top sights, but Moody Street Historic District and Lyman Estate are two attractions nearby that you can check out.

Piety Corner
The Beaver Brook Historic Reservation is located near Waverley Square...Massachusetts A nice little day park for a quick hike

North Waltham

If you're spending some time in North Waltham, National Archives at Boston and Beaver Brook Reservation are top sights worth seeing.

North Waltham
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Banks Square

When in Banks Square, you can plan a visit to Moody Street Historic District and Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation, some noteworthy sights in the nearby area.

Banks Square
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Highlands

When in Highlands, you can plan a visit to Moody Street Historic District and Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation, some noteworthy sights in the nearby area.

Highlands
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The Lanes

The Lanes might not have many top sights, but Lyman Estate and Moody Street Historic District are two attractions nearby that you can check out.

The Lanes
Embassy Suites by Hilton Boston Waltham
Embassy Suites by Hilton Boston Waltham
3.5 out of 5
550 Winter Street, Waltham, MA
$130 nightly
The price is $145 total per night from Jul 27 to Jul 28
$145 total
Jul 27 - Jul 28
Total includes taxes and fees
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in Waltham. Enjoy free breakfast, a 24-hour fitness center, and WiFi (surcharge). Our guests praise the breakfast ...
7.8/10 Good! (2,101 reviews)
"Great stay"

Reviewed on Jul 12, 2025

Embassy Suites by Hilton Boston Waltham
Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport
Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport
4 out of 5
450 Summer Street, Boston, MA
$246 nightly
The price is $287 total per night from Aug 10 to Aug 11
$287 total
Aug 10 - Aug 11
Total includes taxes and fees
Stay at this 4-star spa hotel in Boston. Enjoy free WiFi, a full-service spa, and 4 restaurants. Our guests praise the breakfast and the pool in our reviews. ...
9/10 Wonderful! (3,667 reviews)
"The hotel was clean and staff was friendly."

Reviewed on Jul 12, 2025

Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport
citizenM Boston Back Bay
citizenM Boston Back Bay
4 out of 5
408 Newbury street, Boston, MA
$184 nightly
The price is $214 total per night from Jul 20 to Jul 21
$214 total
Jul 20 - Jul 21
Total includes taxes and fees
Stay at this 4-star hotel in Boston. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast (surcharge), and a 24-hour fitness center. Popular attractions Fenway Park and Copley Square ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (1,404 reviews)
"Good location. Cool European concept hotel. Good food and drink options. Would stay again. No onsite parking."

Reviewed on Jul 10, 2025

citizenM Boston Back Bay
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Crescent Suites Hotel
Crescent Suites Hotel
3 out of 5
287 Crescent Street, Waltham, MA
Stay at this 3-star business-friendly aparthotel in Waltham. Enjoy a fitness center, a business center, and a garden. Our guests praise the helpful staff and ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (1,043 reviews)
"This is a lovely hotel in a quiet area within safe walkable distance to several good places to eat. There is plenty of free parking for hotel guests and the rooms are exceptionally clean and fresh. I loved the ease of check-in after hours, the room was spacious with built-in kitchen and plenty of ..."

Reviewed on Jul 6, 2025

Crescent Suites Hotel
Temple Place Suites
Temple Place Suites
2.5 out of 5
29 Temple Place, Boston, MA
Stay at this apartment in Boston. Enjoy free WiFi, laundry facilities, and cable TV channels. Popular attractions Boston Common and New England Aquarium are ...
6.8/10 (238 reviews)
"Booking agents were helpful. We had the fire alarm go off on our second night there - there are no evacuation maps in our room or on the floor our room was on nor the main floor. We evacuated and got directions from the restaurant manager next door as to where to go to. Everyone just congregated ..."

Reviewed on Jun 28, 2025

Temple Place Suites
Premier Suites - Bay Village
Premier Suites - Bay Village
2 out of 5
1-3-5 Cortes Street, Boston, MA
Stay at this aparthotel in Boston. Enjoy free WiFi and laundry facilities. Popular attractions Copley Square and Boston Common are located nearby.
6/10 (180 reviews)
"Stay was better than I expected for the reviews that are currently on Expedia. My daughter and I stayed here for 2 nights and had an overall very positive experience. Check in and check out were both very easy and hosts were communicative, even allowing us to check out late since no one was arriving ..."

Reviewed on Jul 10, 2025

Premier Suites - Bay Village
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Things to do

Reviews of Waltham

4.1
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
227
5 - Excellent 33%
4 - Good
319
4 - Good 47%
3 - Okay
107
3 - Okay 16%
2 - Disappointing
12
2 - Disappointing 2%
1 - Terrible
13
1 - Terrible 2%

5/5 - Excellent

Phil

Waltham is a great town lots of dining options highly recommend Brelundi for Italian food very warm and generous staff and owner. If you don’t want to drive into city it has a commuter rail stop which will bring you to downtown Boston quickly

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

Very quiet area not many stores around

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveler

Very convenient to Boston

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveler

Navigating was a bit confusing.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

Loved the Chateau, which is delicious Italian and seafood... served in a 1960’s vibe (but it’s real) restaurant. The food was great, menu huge, amazing number of gluten free options (cauliflower crust pizza was DELICIOUS) and the staff terrific!

1/5 - Terrible

Verified traveler

I would NEVER STAY THERE AGAIN, AND WOULD NEVER RECOMMED it to anyone else!!!

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