Gardner (Massachusetts)

Gardner is a city of 21,000 people (2019) in Massachusetts. Gardner is known as the "Chair City" and "The Furniture Capital of New England", due to its long history in furniture production.

History
Named in honor of Col. Thomas Gardner, the community was settled by Europeans in 1764 and incorporated as a town in 1785 after receiving land grants from the surrounding towns of Ashburnham, Westminster, Templeton and Winchendon. Dating from about 1805, it became a center for lumber and furniture industries. By 1910 it had 20 chair factories which produced 4 million chairs per year. It was also noted for silversmithing. The Gardner State Colony for the Insane pioneered the use of cottage residences. Gardner was incorporated as a city in 1923.

Get in
Route 2 West From Alewife station in Cambridge will take you right to Gardner.

If you're coming from the south, I-190 North to Route 2 West will bring you to Gardner.

From the West Route 2 East goes from the New York border in Williamstown to Gardner.

The closest commuter rail station to Gardner is the Wachusett Commuter Rail Station. From the station State Route 2 West will take you to Gardner.

Get around
The best way to get around Gardner and the surrounding region is by car.

There is some bus service in and around the area provided by The Montachusett Regional Transit Authority it's rather limited though.



Buy






Go next
If you head north you can take in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire, and hike MT Monadnock.

Take Route 2 East to 190 South and head to the second-most populous city in New England Worcester.

Head west out of Gardner on Route 2 West and experience The Mohawk Trail one of the first Scenic auto-touring roads in the country.

If you take Route 2 West to 202 South you can go see the Quabbin Valley, and the largest inland body of water in Massachusetts, the Quabbin Reservoir.