What is it like to live in Sturbridge?

Mention Sturbridge and many New Englanders recall watching costumed settlers on a school field trip to Old Sturbridge Village. But there’s more to the town than that.

Sturbridge Common. Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff

February 14, 2017

2 minutes to read

Mention Sturbridge and most New Englanders recall watching costumed settlers churning butter on a school field trip to Old Sturbridge Village. Like that living museum of an 1830s settlement, “Sturbridge has a small, New England-town feel,’’ said Lynne Girouard, town recreation coordinator and founder of the Sturbridge Walking Club.

OK, there are no horse-drawn sleighs or blacksmithing shops on Main Street, but neighbors do gather at the Town Common, across from the centuries-old Publick House Inn, for live concerts in the summer, the Harvest Festival in the fall, and ice skating in the winter.

Girouard cites the town’s quality schools, generous outdoor spaces, and central location at the intersection of the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 84 as other advantages. Beyond the town center, however, “It’s not a very easily walkable community,’’ Girouard lamented. Main Street shares a commercial stretch of Route 20.

So where does Girouard’s walking club actually walk? The surrounding neighborhoods and a large network of trails that weaves through conservation land.

Debra Knight, who grew up in Sturbridge and has worked at Old Sturbridge Village for almost 30 years, said the scenic views around the museum are her favorite thing about the town. “The fall foliage, the snow-covered grounds — it’s gorgeous,’’ said Knight (in photo at left). “And to have it in the middle of a town that has lots of traffic, street lights, and construction, is wonderful!’’

Knight remembers taking school field trips to Old Sturbridge Village just like the rest of us. But she notes that town residents get a special perk: free daytime admission to the museum.

BY THE NUMBERS

65,000

The number of schoolchildren who take field trips to Old Sturbridge Village each year

26 hours

How long the brisket at B.T.’s Smokehouse is smoked. Brian Treitman, chef/owner of the destination barbecue shack, said he serves about 5,000 pounds of meat a day on busy summer weekends, and his slow-smoking process burns through an entire cord of local wood each month.

25+ miles

The total of marked walking and hiking trails between the Heins Farm and Leadmine Mountain town conservation areas (on 1,100 acres of public land). Across town, Wells State Park offers another 1,200 acres and its own extensive trail system.

PROS & CONS

Pro

You can get there from here

Nestled at the junction of the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 84, Sturbridge is within 60 miles of Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Hartford.

Con

Oh, but the traffic

Old Sturbridge Village brings its share of tourists to busy Route 20, but the traffic is even worse during the Brimfield Antique Show in May, July, and September.

Pro

Pastoral, small-town feel

While much of the town is spread out and being built up, Sturbridge still boasts about 2,300 acres of public conservation land, miles of walking trails, and a charming town center.