Coolidge Reservation
Manchester-by-the-Sea Visitors
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Summer Street (Rte 127), Manchester-By-The-Sea, MA
Telephone Number: 978-526-8687
Map
Hours: Ocean Lawn open year-round, Fri. to Mon., 8 am to sunset. Gray (Magnolia) Beach open May through Sept. for walking only. Remainder of the property open year-round, daily, 8 am to sunset.
Admission: Free to all.
(The Early Settlement Trail)
Part of historic Coolidge Point, the Coolidge Reservation is named for the prominent family who came to own the peninsula. The diverse woodland features a mix of oak and pine with numerous wildflowers and ferns, and is home to an array of birds and other wildlife, including fishers and fox. Formed by rocky outcrops, Bungalow Hill offers views of Magnolia Harbor. Clarke Pond, once a tidal saltwater marsh, was cut off from the sea nearly a century ago when the inlet was filled. Several acres of wetlands, grading from shallow marsh to shrub swamp, surround Clarke Pond. At the tip of Coolidge Point is the magnificent Ocean Lawn. At one time, this vast lawn was the site of the Coolidge family's "Marble Palace," a Georgian-style mansion designed in 1902 by Charles McKim under the direction of Thomas Jefferson Coolidge, Jr. The Ocean Lawn is now an open, grassy expanse broken only by large shade trees. Edged by rocky headlands that extend into the sea, the Reservation is bordered on the west by Kettle Cove and Black Beach. Also in view are Kettle Island and The Trustees' Great and Little Misery Islands.
Credit: (c) TTOR Wendy Jones
Web Address: Coolidge Reservation
Email: neregion@ttor.org