Learned Beach

The beach itself is nice. Very tucked away in a nice neighborhood but still very close to downtown. I was not pleased with the staff however who didn’t seem interested in doing their jobs. They were not enforcing any of the safety rules and were in fact violating some of their own rules such as no smoking on the beach. And they were excessively rude to me when I pointed this out. I won’t be returning to this beach despite the convenient location because I am not interested in doing their jobs while I am trying to enjoy a day with my kid.

Learned Pond is so close to downtown Framingham, but it feels like you’re in the forest. It has a sandy, lifeguarded beach in the summer for swimming.
At the end of the parking lot, shady year-​round walking trails follow along the pond’s edge for great views of the water and a nice walk.
You can walk, drive, or take the Route 3 bus from the Mass Bay Community College stop.

Small, quiet little pond. My son was just alarmed at how cold the beaches were in New England, and he really wanted to swim, so this ended up being a great option for us. There is decent shade among the trees if you’re not swimming. Bathrooms leave much to be desired, like toilet tissue. Most of us go into a restroom desiring toilet tissue. Very friendly lifeguards and staff.
The first day we went, there weren’t too many people there. Lots of little kids /​families, and Guillermo the local, who is sunned and tanned and looks like he walked off the pages of a Shel Silverstein kids’ poem collection. He carries a bucket so he can pick up cigarette butts and trash off the sand and dispose of them in appropriate receptacles. And he’s a hoot to talk with. Don’t be afraid.
The second day, it was pretty packed. This was a less fun experience as there was a small group of local teens who apparently didn’t want to pay and kept trying to sneak in through the woods. They were a bit foul-​mouthed for my liking, and the beach staff were good about handling them.

The pond is lovely and peaceful in Fall/​Winter, a nice place to escape the hustle and bustle of traffic, construction, strip malls, and more traffic. Framingham is lacking in open, public space considering its size (26 square miles), so this spot is special in its own rite. Enjoy the colorful foliage surrounding the water, or take a short walk in the woods next to the pond. Trailhead starts at the parking lot and dead-​ends at the end of a very lucky property owner’s yard.
During the summer, it’s probably a different story. I expect screaming children, trash, yelling parents, and overcrowding, but I’ll have to come back and experience it to confirm these suspicions. As you can see in the photos, the parking lot is larger than the beach, which is sad and telling. The upside is that there actually are a few bike racks and presumably you could skip the parking fee if you bike here.
According to the internet, the Town of Framingham operates three public beaches which are staffed from mid June to late August. Beach tags are available from the Park & Recreation Department for $ 10.00 per resident or $ 30.00 per resident family. Daily passes are available for $ 3.00 per person, per day. Non-​resident rates are available.