Things To Do In Concord

Established in 1950, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum features unique indoor and outdoor venues, allowing visitors to celebrate and explore contemporary art across 35 acres. Inside, the Museum features a robust slate of rotating exhibitions and innovative interpretive programming. Outside, deCordova’s Sculpture Park host

Though the image of an arrow pulled taut may be evocative of a hunter stalking prey, archery is a sport open to anyone, including nonhunters, children, and nursing-home residents. At Art of Archery, NFAA–certified instructor Dana White teaches students how to safely maneuver their equipment while honing their aim and concentration skills. Students also learn about the characteristics of arrow flight, allowing them to predict an arrow's path with greater accuracy. At archery parties, guests take aim at festive balloons attached to targets or birthday cakes catapulted into the air for a chance to win prizes. Art of Archery's staff also fine-tunes equipment by custom-fitting bows and arrows to their clients' size and strength.

Since 1985, the FAA-certified team of pilots and instructors at East Coast Aero Club has shepherded citizens from Hanscom Field airport to the skies above Boston for sightseeing, introductory flights, and pilot-certification programs. The crew oversees a 35-aircraft-strong fleet composed of planes by Piper, Cessna, Cirrus, and Diamond, as well as helicopters by Robinson. The company’s entry-level educational program, Learn to Fly, matches pupils up with one of more than 25 certified flight instructors, who teach students how to read each craft's instruments and back issues of SkyMall.

But passengers don't just learn about flight; they also learn about the area around them. Scenic flights afford aerial views of the city, soaring from Hanscom Field over such sights as the Lexington battlefields, the Charles River, and the USS Constitution. Passengers can bring along cameras to capture the spectacular views and document any crop circles they spot in the outfield at Fenway Park.

To help women achieve their fitness goals, the certified personal trainers at Get In Shape For Women focus on four areas: weight training, cardio training, nutrition, and accountability. In small group sessions, trainers modify exercises to suit up to four ladies' fitness levels, beginning by calibrating strength-training sessions—such as free weights, lunges, and squats—to each client's abilities while still ensuring they are challenging themselves. Then comes high-intensity cardio interval-training sessions in which trainers encourage exercisers to achieve optimal results on the treadmill or elliptical.

The trainers supplement the group workouts with nutritional planning centered around the concept of eating six small, balanced meals six days a week. They set aside the seventh day as a "free day" for a bit of indulgence, be it eating a favorite sweet or lusting openly after bacon. To hold their women accountable, trainers talk nutrition on the floor during scheduled appointments, and the ladies' progress toward reaching their goals is measured by trainers each week.

Integrity Health Coaching For Women never closes. The workout machines, free weights, and various other equipment at the women-only fitness center remain accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More importantly, Integrity Fitness is committed to helping women achieve their fitness goals at a reasonable cost without forcing them to choose between a good value and high-quality amenities. That's why Integrity includes a personalized meal plan, small group classes, and custom workouts in their memberships. They even provide progress reports so their members can see their health improving and track their weight loss without having to hand out "Lost" flyers all over town.

In the words of its teachers, the Growing Well Program "is a hopping, clapping, drawing, bouncing, singing, playing, interacting and learning program for children and their families." Here, babies and kids up to kindergarten age participate in programs focused on specific topics, like music, science, and poker. The Music Together program is one of the center's specialties, and it gets little toes tapping to genres like world music, jazz, and folk. There are also play-group sessions that immerse kids in the Russian language.