Medford: Chevalier Shows and the New River Path
Six Chevalier Theatre dates from Nov. 13 to Dec. 30, the half-mile Clippership Connector on the Mystic, and Medford's rum and shipbuilding past.
The Chevalier Theatre has six dates in the next seven weeks. Its own site lists Dweezil Zappa on Friday, November 13, Small Town Murder on Saturday, November 14, Michelle Wolf on Thursday, December 3, Engelbert Humperdinck on Sunday, December 6, Smokey Robinson on Friday, December 11 and comedian Bob Marley on Wednesday, December 30. Alan Cumming follows on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
The venue lists a capacity of 1,900 and has been run since 2017 by Bill Blumenreich Presents, the company behind Boston’s Wilbur Theatre. Tickets and times are at chevaliertheatre.com.
The Clippership Connector
The newest piece of Medford’s riverfront is the Clippership Connector, a path of about half a mile between Clippership Park, near Medford Square, and Riverbend Park. Streetsblog Massachusetts described it in August 2025 as the link that completes a continuous off-street route for walking and biking from the Wellington area to Medford Square.
It winds more than Riverside Avenue does, with more shade and frequent river views, and a suspended wooden boardwalk takes it around a riverfront parking lot and around the Medford Yacht Club. From Riverbend Park, existing paths reach Torbert Macdonald State Park and two middle schools.
Getting here by train
The Green Line Extension’s Medford Branch added Medford/Tufts station, which the City of Somerville’s project page lists with East Somerville, Gilman Square, Magoun Square and Ball Square. The city’s page gives Monday, December 12, 2022 as the start of passenger service on that branch. Check the MBTA for current service and alerts before you travel.
Rum and ships
Medford’s two old trades were rum and shipbuilding, and the Medford Historical Society documents both. The society says John Hall was the first to make rum a business in town, around 1715 to 1720, and that by 1830 the Lawrence family was the only firm still making it. The Lawrences announced the distillery would close on June 15, 1905.
Shipbuilding was later: the first Medford shipyard was founded in 1802 by Thatcher Magoun, and from 1802 to 1873 the town’s builders worked in 10 yards and built 568 ships. The society’s Brick by Brick walking tour, which also covers the clay under south and east Medford that fed 19th-century brickmaking, is on its website.
The Royall House
The Royall House and Slave Quarters, at 15 George Street next to Royall Park, ended its 2026 tour season on October 31. Tours ran Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 pm, and the 2027 season has not been announced; the site says the next season runs June through October. Group tours can be arranged in the off-season by emailing [email protected]. Admission to the Slave Quarters, which house an archaeological exhibit, is free.
For winter walks in the Middlesex Fells, see our winter walks north of Boston. Rules for parking and snow are on the Medford town page.
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Sources
- Chevalier Theatrechevaliertheatre.com
- Streetsblog Mass.: Medford's new Clippership Connectormass.streetsblog.org
- Medford Historical Society: Medford Rummedfordhistorical.org
- Medford Historical Society: Brick by Brick walking tourmedfordhistorical.org
- Royall House and Slave Quarters: Visitroyallhouse.org
- City of Somerville: Green Line Extensionsomervillema.gov
Details such as dates, hours and prices come from the sources above and can change. Check with the organizer before you go.
How we report: every date, price and address comes from a linked source.
