Things To Do

An Iron Pour Demonstration

NPS/Jonathan Parker

There are numerous things to do at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, including:

• Take a Ranger-Guided Tour
• Become a Junior Ranger
  
• Watch the Orientation Film
• Listen to the Audio Tour
• Explore the Museum
• Walk on the Nature Trail

Ranger Guided Tours

May 4 - June 23, 2013:

Saturday and Sunday

9:45 am: Iron Works House

11:15 am: Industrial Site

2:15 pm: Industrial Site

3:45 pm: Iron Works House

Wednesday through Friday*

2:15 pm: Industrial Site

3:45 pm: Iron Works House

*(no scheduled tours on Mondays and Tuesdays)

June 24 - September 8, 2013:

Wednesdays through Mondays**

9:45 am: Iron Works House

11:15 am: Industrial Site

2:15 pm: Industrial Site

3:45 pm: Iron Works House

**(no scheduled tours on Tuesdays)

September 9 - October 31, 2013:

Saturday and Sunday

9:45 am: Iron Works House

11:15 am: Industrial Site

2:15 pm: Industrial Site

3:45 pm: Iron Works House

Monday, Wednesday through Friday***

2:15 pm: Industrial Site

3:45 pm: Iron Works House

***(no scheduled tours on Tuesdays)

Note:Tours times may be subject to change. Please call 781-233-0050 to confirm times and to make group reservations. To make reservations for education programs, please call 781-231-7344.

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Iron Works House Tour
Step into our 17th century home.
Enjoy a tour through the 1680s Iron Works House and learn about life during the colonial period, the restoration of the house by Wallace Nutting in 1915, and the impact of the house on the reconstruction of the site.

Industrial Site Tour
See the Iron Works come to life!Join a ranger for a tour through the reconstructed iron works and learn about the production of iron on this site in the mid-1600s, an endeavor that was integral to the growth of the early colony, and about the archeological dig and reconstruction of the site in the 1940s to 1950s. Upon availability, this tour may include the operation of waterwheels, the 500-pound hammer and blacksmithing demonstrations.

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17th Century Herb Garden
Our 17^th century herb garden was created in 1974 by members of the New England Unit of the Herb Society of America as a bicentennial project. All of the herbs they planted can be found in letters and other writings of the 1600's.

Junior Ranger Activities
Participate in Junior Ranger activities and earn your Junior Ranger Badge! Activities can be found at the Visitor Center and the Junior Ranger Station.

Orientation Film
Iron Works on the Saugus may be seen in the Museum's auditorium (or online) where visitors may start the film at their convenience. The film is approximately 12 minutes long, providing an overview of the seventeenth-century iron works production on the site and the archeological dig and reconstruction of the site in the 1940s-1950s.

Audio Tour

The National Park Service is pleased to present this self-paced audio tour of Saugus Ironworks National Historic Site. The tour takes about an hour to complete, and consists of eight stops within the nine acre site. Click to listen - or download for free on iTunes.

Museum
The museum houses many of the artifacts from the 1940s and 1950s archeology dig. See the original 17th-century Blast Furnace waterwheel, the anvil base from the Forge trip hammer, many tools and household items, as well as Native American items.

Nature Trail
Follow the nature trail along the east side of the Saugus River. Watch for the birds and other wild life, identify trees and other plants. Help monitor the wildlife in the park by telling the rangers at the Visitor Center what you've seen.