Weddings & Events

You can get married at Maudslay State Park: DCR names Maudslay among its most popular state parks for weddings, and ceremonies are booked through the park office at (978) 465-7223 or maudslay.park@state.ma.us. DCR issues special use permits for weddings, family reunions and school groups here. Separately, the Maudslay Arts Center is a private venue on the park grounds that you book directly with it, at (978) 857-0677 according to DCR. The two are different: one is a DCR permit to use the park, the other is a private business.

A Ceremony in the Park (DCR)

DCR welcomes small wedding ceremonies at many of its parks and lists Maudslay as one of the most popular (weddings at state parks). Its advice: contact the park directly to confirm weddings are allowed on your date and to check availability. Park staff help you complete the required permits, and fees may apply.

The setting is the draw: 19th-century gardens and plantings, open meadows, old stone bridges and the river. If you want flowers in the background, DCR's bloom calendar runs from dogwoods in early May through azaleas and rhododendrons in late May to mountain laurel around the third week of June, and the formal gardens bloom from May through August.

Park rules that apply to weddings

• No alcohol.
• No fires or grilling.
• No motor vehicles in the park except by DCR special use permit.
• Don't pick flowers or remove any plants, including for decorations or petals.
• Every car pays the daily parking fee, charged year-round.

Wedding and Portrait Photos

DCR says you don't need a separate permit for photos and video taken during a permitted wedding ceremony. Any other photography session at Maudslay, such as engagement, family or senior portraits, needs a DCR photography permit: $45 per permit, applied for online through the state's ePLACE portal at least 7 days ahead, with a certificate of liability insurance. DCR's Maudslay page states that a permit is required for all photography sessions.

The Maudslay Arts Center

The Maudslay Arts Center is a private venue within the park. DCR's wedding page tells couples to call it directly at (978) 857-0677. DCR's Maudslay brochure says the barn in the Farm Complex area is used for seasonal concerts and rentals, and DCR's map marks a Historic Curatorship Lease Area that is open only during scheduled events and programs. Prices, capacity, dates and catering rules for the Arts Center are set by the Arts Center, not DCR, so ask it directly.

Reunions, School Groups and Other Gatherings

DCR lists group day use and picnic areas at Maudslay, and its brochure says special use permits are available for family reunions and school groups as well as weddings. Contact the park office to plan a group visit. Keep in mind DCR's request that hiking groups stay at 12 or fewer on the trails (rules).

Performances and Programs

Maudslay has a long performance history: before the Moseleys bought the last parcel on Castle Hill in the 1920s, Katherine Tingley staged outdoor Shakespeare there (history). Today, as part of DCR's artists-in-residence program, the Theater-in-the-Open offers performances, workshops and special events. DCR's own interpreters run free programs, from history hikes to preschool nature hours, starting at park headquarters.