Braintree is a town of 37,000 people (2019) on the South Shore in Southeastern Massachusetts. It is located along several major thoroughfares, making it convenient to Boston. Its scary-sounding name comes from Braintree in Essex, although that name's origin is obscure.

Avon is a town with a population of about 5,000 (2020).

Holbrook is a town with a population of about 11,000 (2020).

Randolph is a suburb of Boston with a population of about 35,000 (2020).

Get in

By train

• 1 Braintree (MBTA station). The MBTA subway Red Line serves this terminal station.  

By car

Interstate 93, US-1, MA-3, and MA-24 converge in Braintree.

By bus

The MBTA 230 bus is an alternative connection to Braintree from Montello station in Brockton. For Randolph, bus 240 and 238 are accessible from Ashmont and Quincy Center/Quincy Adams T stops.

Get around

By car

The highways in and around Braintree are often heavily congested for much of the day.

By bus

There are 5 MBTA bus routes in Braintree, the 225, 226, 230, 236, and 238 bus routes. Bus service can be infrequent at times (35 to 80 minutes), especially on evenings and weekends. The 226 route does not operate on Sundays and the 236 only operates during the daytime.

See

• 1 General Sylvanus Thayer Birthplace, 86 Washington Street, ☏ +1 781-848-1640. Sylvanus Thayer (1785-1872) was dubbed "father of the military academy" at West Point because he thoroughly reorganized and put it on sound footing. He also endowed Thayer Academy in Braintree and Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.  
• 2 Jonathan Belcher House (Randolph Women's Club), 360 North Main Street (Randolph), ☏ +1 781-986-7810. Tours by special appointment. The Jonathan Belcher House is located just north of the center of town. Built in 1806 by Jonathan Belcher, it's the oldest building in Randolph. Building rentals available for weddings and other significant events. (updated Oct 2022)

Do

• 1 Braintree Municipal Golf Course, 101 Jefferson Street, ☏ +1 781 843-9780. 18 hole, par 72. 

Buy

• 1 South Shore Plaza (Right off Route 37). 

Eat

• 1 Ascari at X1, 290 Wood Road (Exit 6. Trackside at X1), ☏ +1 781 848-2300. $9-19. 
• 2 Jade Palace Super Buffet, 438 Quincy Avenue, ☏ +1 781 843-2888. 
• 3 Jamie's Grill & Pub, 63 Columbian St, ☏ +1 781 356-5544. at five corners. Wide range of choices and decent value. 
• 4 Konditor Meister, 32 Wood Road, ☏ +1 781 849-1970. Fine pastries. Favorite of locals who often order their wedding or special occasion cakes here. 
• 5 Sintra, 906 Washington Street, ☏ +1 781 848-1151. Small, forty seat place with top-notch chef who has a Portuguese bias. Casual atmosphere, but cloth napkins, attentive service, great wines and creative food. Entrees $20-30. 

Sleep

• 1 Candlewood Suites, 235 Wood Road, ☏ +1-781-849-7450. 
• 2 Comfort Inn Randolph - Boston, 1374 North Main Street (Randolph), ☏ +1 781 961-1000. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. $300. (updated Oct 2022)
• 3 Extended Stay America, 20 Rockdale Street, ☏ +1 781-345-8333. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. 
• 4 Hampton Inn, 215 Wood Road, ☏ +1-781-380-3300. Kids stay free. 
• 5 Holiday Inn Express, 190 Wood Road, ☏ +1-781-848-1260. 

Go next

Boston, Plymouth and Cape Cod all make great getaways.

Routes through Braintree

Boston ← Quincy ←	N  S	→ Randolph → Canton
Boston ← Quincy ←	N  S	→ Weymouth → Plymouth
END ←	N  S	→ Holbrook → Brockton
Ends at ← Quincy ←	N  S	→ Weymouth → Kingston
Downtown Boston ← Quincy ←	N  S	→ END
END ← Boston ←	N  S	→ Brockton → Hyannis
Boston ← Quincy ←	NW  SE	→ Weymouth → Halifax