Massachusetts Has A Real U.F.O. Park And The Story Behind It Is Unbelievable

Flying saucers and aliens are the stuff of science fiction, right? That may be true, but check out this UFO park in MA, home to the only "historically true" UFO sighting in America.

The story goes that on Sept. 1, 1969, Thom Reed and his family were out for an evening drive in Sheffield. They were in the process of crossing a small covered bridge when Reed and his entire family – including his mother, grandmother, and brother – saw a blinding light rise up out of the Housatonic River.

Reed went on to allege that he and his family were somehow pulled from their car and taken to what looked to him to be an airplane hangar. Incredibly, Reed described the hangar as being filled with creatures that resembled large insects. Reed's mother and grandmother were separated from him and taken to a different room, though Reed said he could still hear their voices yelling for him.

And with that, Reed said they were all mysteriously and instantly transported back to the family station wagon. And so was born this UFO sighting in Massachusetts. Scary enough for you? Definitely for me....

One family’s crazy story might be easy to laugh off, but four different people in Sheffield called in to a Sheffield radio station that night to report strange lights in the sky. Reed also took a lie-detector test that claimed he was being 99.1 percent honest in his account of this UFO sighting in Massachusetts.

It was because of this that the Great Barrington Historical Society eventually voted to recognize the incident as "historically significant and true." Other state officials and even the Massachusetts governor also officially recognized the abduction as historical.

I had never even heard this story until we happened upon the Upper Sheffield Covered Bridge. We had originally planned to hike out to a frozen waterfall, but the trail was actually under construction, so we chose this spot as an alternate adventure. I'm a sucker for a covered bridge.

Today, you can head to the bridge to see a monument at this UFO park in MA. The monument bears a plaque that commemorates "our nation’s first off-world/UFO incident."

On our visit, we noticed this interesting plaque from afar.

It was actually donated from the History Channel's Ancient Aliens!

The area also features a grassy space with benches and lamps where believers and skeptics can relax and watch the skies for more Upper Sheffield Covered Bridge UFOs.

And be sure to walk across the lovely bridge!

Have you ever been to this UFO park in MA? Do you believe in aliens? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Learn more about what you can do in Sheffield.

If you plan on walking around the park, make sure you have all the right gear. If you're missing anything, REI is sure to have it.

If you're interested in some more weird stuff in Massachusetts, check out Balance Rock State Park.