An Hour From Cape Cod Is A Charming New England City With Craft Brews, Live Music, And History

What happens in the dunes on the cape stays in the dunes on the cape. That doesn't mean you have to stay there, though. If you have a Cape Cod adventure in the works, consider setting a day or two aside for exploring some of the rest of New England. There are many unexpected hidden gems throughout Massachusetts and neighboring Rhode Island, historic towns with their own charm and culture — towns like Bridgewater, Massachusetts, which sits barely 30 miles from Cape towns like Bourne and Sandwich.

Founded almost 400 years ago on the edge of the Hockomock Swamp, Bridgewater has been many things in its history. The original town split into four in the 1800s, with one of them eventually becoming today's much larger city of Brockton. Bridgewater was a national hub for industry in the 19th century with one of the biggest iron works in the country. And although iron is long gone, Bridgewater isn't one of those once-thriving New England towns that have been abandoned. Today it's largely a college town, home to Bridgewater State University.

Roughly 30 miles from Boston, and less than 40 from Providence, Bridgewater sits between two major cities with two major airports (Boston Logan and T.F. Green). It's also on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Commuter Rail line, providing quick and affordable train access to both cities. Whether you're in the Bay State for Cape Cod or to drive the best road trip route in Massachusetts, Bridgewater's combination of history and college town charm makes it a regional standout worth a visit.

Bridgewater is a college town, and that brings certain expectations — most notably, young people. There's a lot of them; the school has almost 10,000 students, with about a third living on campus. Unsurprisingly, drinking beer and watching live music are popular pastimes — good thing Bridgewater has both.

Black Hat Brew Works has sat at the center of Bridgewater's beer scene since 2015, finding local fame for its signature Bridgewater Blonde ale. (They also make a Strawberry Blonde version, if you want to add a little sweetness to the mix.) Black Hat is also a player in the always-popular IPA field with the big double IPA Aww Geez, and it has its own New England IPA, the Fuzzy Bunny Slippers beer.

The Friends of Music Alley is a non-profit dedicated to bringing live music to Bridgewater, and its centerpiece Summer Concert Series is held at Black Hat every Thursday from June to the end of August. Local and regional acts perform outside the brewery (or, depending on the weather, inside), and it's both free and fit for all ages. The Friends of Music Alley also hosts a biweekly open mic night every first and third Tuesday during the summer, where anybody can sign up and perform. And if you want to get more involved with Bridgewater's live music scene, or have any special expertise you can lend to their efforts, the 501(c) is always looking for volunteers — and is even taking applications for board members.

Bridgewater isn't one of America's first 10 cities ever founded, but it's close. Bridgewater dates back to the dawn of what would become the United States, only a couple of decades after the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. The Mayflower's own Myles Standish was even one of the Plymouth representatives who bought the land that became Bridgewater Settlement in 1649.

The Old Bridgewater Historical Society exists to celebrate that legacy. Today you can see the city's colonial roots at the Keith House, which was built in 1662. It's the oldest building standing in Bridgewater today, and is a fine example of what colonial homes looked like in the 17th century. It's not regularly open to the public, but the Historical Society holds open houses on select days in the summer.

You can't talk about Bridgewater history without talking about iron. Bridgewater was the first iron producer in the colonies, and the largest iron producer in the young country by the start of the Civil War. Almost none of these facilities still exist today, but you can see glimpses of that history at Iron Works Park. This small, untamed park holds the hollowed-out shell of the last remaining building from Bridgewater's iron era, as well as a scenic dam and walking trail. It's a poignant way to explore Bridgewater's historic charm.