Blue Hills Reservation, Trailside Museum - Milton, MA - 3D Map Models of Our World and Beyond on Waymarking.com

In Milton, just south of the Boston city limits, is the Trailside Museum within the Blue Hills Reservation. Inside the museum is a 3-D relief map of the reservation.

To get to the Trailside Museum, from I-93, take the exit for Mass. Route 138 north toward Milton. Continue driving straight through the traffic light and look for entrances to one of two parking lots on the right (east) side. Trailside is also on the right and has signs.

Trailside Museum is jointly run by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Reservation (MassDCR - which also runs the reservation) and Massachusetts Audubon (MassAudubon). There is a fee (currently $4) for non-members of MassAudubon or free if you are a member. The museum is a natural history museum with exhibits on a variety of subjects including native american living, vegetation, rocks and minerals, and wildlife. Outside are animal exhibits that include an otter in a pool, turtles, and various birds.

The map is located in a room just after you pass through the desk and gift shop. The map is encased in glass and is poorly lit, so pictures of this map are a challenge. It is mounted at an angle.

The map covers some 5,700 acres of open space approximately 10 miles south of the center of Boston. The reservation has many natural assets, which are also shown on the map. The largest feature is the Blue Hills Range, which is a chain of low, rolling hills running east-west. Trailside Museum is at the foot of the largest, Great Blue Hill, which rises to 635 ft above sea level. Also shown is Ponkapoag Pond to the southeast (lower right), Houghton's Pond (above Ponkapoag Pond), and the ski trails on Great Blue Hill. The terrain is covered such that wooded areas are rough, water areas are in blue, and grassy areas are in bright green. Embedded in the model are colored circles, which represent trails. The blue set is the great Skyline Trail, which traverses all the summits. Also in the model are small lights at features. Push a button below to light up one of these lights.

It's well worth stopping by to see!

Address and Hours Available to the Public: 1904 Canton Ave Milton, MA 02186 Admission Fee (if any): yes Interactive Features: yes Website for more information: [Web Link]

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