"Hidden" Town Jewels
Old Burial Hill
Located next to Redd's Pond and with access from Orne Street, Old Burial Hill was the site of Marblehead's first "meeting house" or place of worship, where the dead were buried in the church-yard. Buried in Old Burial Hill are six hundred Revolutionary War dead including General John Glover, Marblehead's greatest Revolutionary War hero, who died in 1797.
Rail Road Right of Way
The rail road right of way, long abandoned by the Boston & Maine Railroad and now used primarily as a utility corridor, begins near the center of Marblehead, off Pleasant Street. The approximately four miles of trails are also used for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. The right of way splits with one trail going into Salem and another trail heading towards Swampscott.
Redd's Pond
Located off Pond Street, Redd's Pond covers 1.81 acres and offers skating in the winter and model boat races in the summer. It is named for Wilmont "Mammy" Redd, a Marblehead woman accused and convicted of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials of 1692. According to legend, the pond, once used as the town's reservoir, is so deep that the bottom has never been found. The pond depth actually ranges from three to eleven feet.
Wildlife Sanctuary
Located in the center of Marblehead Neck, the Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary is owned and maintained by Massachusetts Audubon. Its swamp, thickets and woodlands are a haven for migratory birds, especially warblers, during the spring and fall migrations. The sanctuary is a mecca for birders; the discovery of rarities is not uncommon. The trails are open every day from dawn to dusk.