Fall River

Al Mac's Diner

Al Mac's is an historic stainless steel diner. A local icon since 1953, Al Mac's features a breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu, each featuring homemade items. Owing to its well-preserved ambiance, Al Mac's has drawn in notable figures including Deval Patrick and Ted Kennedy on their campaign trails. Al Mac's hosts classic-car nights.

Barcelos Bakery and Cafe

Featuring a huge selection of fresh Portuguese pastries in a large, laid-back cafe, Barcelos is a fantastic one-stop bakery frequented by locals and visitors alike. If you want to avoid peak hours, don't go on Sunday mornings- the post-church crowd routinely pushes the line out the door.

Battleship Cove

Battleship Cove lays claim to the largest collection of preserved U.S. Navy ships in the world, from World War II to the present, which are open as historic monuments. The most famous of these boats is the USS Massachusetts ("Big Mamie"), which is said to have fired the first and last shells of WWII. Other ships include the Destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., Submarine USS Lionfish, and PT Boats 617 and 796. Visitors are welcome to board the vessels and tour their outside areas and interiors. Visitors can arrange to spend a night aboard the ships for additional charge. Ticket includes two days of access, and admission to the nearby Maritime Museum.

museum closes at 4:30PM·$15-25, children under 3 free

Bicentennial Park

This patriotic waterfront park houses a copy of Washington DC's Iwo Jima Memorial. In 2021, an 80% scale replica of DC's Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall will open- the only one of its kind in the world.

Canned Heat Craft Beer Co.

Local brewery serving exceptional hazy IPAs in a spacious warehouse taproom. Recommendations: Suppah New England DIPA, Orbuculum series (rotating), International IPA series (Ibex using Slovenian hops, Koala using Australian hops, etc.)

Caravela Family Restaurant

Features an extensive menu of authentic Portuguese dishes and greets its customers with a friendly atmosphere. Expect rather large portions for a relatively low cost. The sangria comes recommended, and is priced attractively at $6 a pitcher.

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

St. Mary's

Oldest Catholic church in Fall River and Cathedral for the Fall River Diocese. One of four cathedrals in Massachusetts..

Children's Museum of Greater Fall River

This small interactive museum offers children a number of exhibits to explore. Exhibits include the Lego Room and the World of Water, and there are various events that change on a regular basis.

Admission $8, children under 12 months free

Copicut Woods

Owned and managed by Massachusetts' Trustees of Reservations, this secluded forest is located entirely in Fall River city limits. A varied landscape featuring conifer forests, mossy rock walls, and freshwater swamps is contained within a compact wooded area. As of January 2021, some paths, including the Cedar Swamp trail, are closed for repair.

Driscoll Skating Arena

Ice rink where you can play and spectate ice hockey (youth and adult leagues). Public skating hours every afternoon and on Friday evenings (suspended due to COVID-19 as of January 2021).

Public Skating $6, Skate Rental $6

Dunny's Saloon

Old-school bar serving over 60 whisk(e)ys, numerous canned craft beers (IPAs, stouts, and sours), and cocktails alongside wings, Reubens, and burgers.

Fall River Heritage State Park

Fall River Heritage State Park hugs the Taunton River which provides a wonderful and relaxing views. This 8.5-acre park overlooks Battleship Cove, which houses the World War II battleship, USS Massachusetts. Heritage State Park also has a boardwalk that runs the length of the park, benches for lounging, trees, an antique carousel, sailing opportunities, tennis courts, historical statues, and a huge open area perfect for the recreational activity of your choice. This park is a great family spot for picnics, relaxing, or even just going for a leisurely walk.

Fall River Historical Society

Set in an 1800s Highlands mansion, the Historical Society offers guided museum tours that glimpse into the lives of New England's 19th century elite. Rotating exhibits display an extensive collection of Fall River heirlooms, including Lizzie Borden artifacts. The Victorian Christmas tour (Nov - Dec) is perhaps their most spectacular offering, with every room in the house decorated in a different traditional holiday style. A Christmas shop and a Victorian High Tea room are open year-round.

Adults $12, children under 15 $8

Fall River Maritime Museum

formerly Marine Museum at Fall River

Nautical museum whose collections include extensive ephemera of the Fall River Line's luxurious steamboats, called "floating palaces" by the aristocrats and presidents who stayed aboard them in the late 1800s. The museum also showcases one of the largest RMS Titanic exhibitions in the world, featuring a 28 ft model of the ill-fated vessel that was used in the Oscar-winning film Titanic. (No, not that Oscar-winning film Titanic- the 1953 version!).

Fall River Shopping Center

Burlington anchors this complex, with other retailers including GameStop, Rainbow, and Savers.

Fall River-Freetown State Forest

Freetown State Forest

This state forest is one of Massachusetts' largest outside of the Berkshires. With land split between Fall River, Freetown, and Lakeville, the forest features over 25 mi of trails for hikers, equestrians, and dirt bikers, as well as an uninhabited Wampanoag reservation. Notable goings-on in the forest over the years have included satanic cult murders in the 1980s, escaped emus, and the collapse of its most prominent feature, Profile Rock.

Great Feast of the Holy Ghost of New England

Often called "the biggest Azorean feast in the world," it draws busloads of Portuguese from all over the country and Canada.

Mid-August

Kennedy Park

in size, this park was designed by master landscaper Frederick Law Olmstead, who designed New York's Central Park and Boston's Emerald Necklace. Known as "South Park" prior to 1963. Macabre history buffs will be interested in the case of Sarah Maria Cornell, whose death at the park in 1832, and the acquittal of a Methodist minister for her murder, led to outrage and scandal across New England.

Leddy's Bakery & Coffee Shop

Leddy's offers baked goods in a family-oriented atmosphere. Menu items include homemade donuts, cakes, lemon squares, and cream puffs, among other pastries. Try the items from the refrigerated case to the left of the cash register — those items are made with fresh, local cream and are especially delicious.

Lou's Bakery

Selling from a small deli counter, this bakery is best known for its exceptional sweet bread. You won't find every pastry on your Portuguese baked goods wish list here, but if it's amazing sweet bread you're after, Lou's is well worth the detour.

Mee Sum

Spot to try the chow mein sandwich- locally-made chow mein noodles in brown gravy between two hamburger buns. The "sandwich," if you can call it that (the bottom bun is soaked in sauce and excess chow mein pours onto the plate), is quintessentially Fall River; mere miles outside of the city, no one has heard of it, but if you've lived here, you've eaten one.

Michael's Provisions

Essential spot for house-made chouriço, a Portuguese pork sausage made with fat, spices, and beef casing. Chouriço, and its near-identical cousin linguiça, are as essential in Fall River as chicken or beef. Michael's offers both in a variety of forms, including links, pre-ground with peppers, and grill-ready patties.

Narrows Center for the Arts

This center on the top floor of one of Fall River's iconic mill buildings plays host to live music, art galleries, and other social gatherings. Attendees are welcome to bring their own food, drink, and alcohol to events.

New Boston Bakery

Perhaps the city's best non-Portuguese bakery, this charming cafe in the Highlands serves an array of homemade cookies, muffins, and cakes.

New York Bagel Co.

Fresh bagels made every morning, with varieties like asiago, egg, and chocolate chip. Pair them with house-made cream cheese spreads, including chive and lox.

Nick's Hot Dogs

Nick's Hot Dogs offers affordable hot dogs ($1-2), French fries ($3-4), and stuffed quahogs ($3). Known for its Coney Island wieners, Nick's has been a staple in Fall River since 1920. It features a family-friendly atmosphere and original seats.

O'Gil Restaurant and Lounge

The menu at O'Gil Restaurant and Lounge is heavily inspired by Portuguese cuisine, including pork and littlenecks and chouriço sandwiches. The restaurant also includes a full service cocktail lounge which offers a relaxed atmosphere. Try the fava beans and Shrimp or Chicken Mozambique (a spicy lemon-garlic sauce).

Oak Grove Cemetery

Really? Why visit a cemetery? Well, Oak Grove is the largest public urban greenspace in Fall River. It is the final resting place of Lizzie Borden and her family (just follow the painted arrows from the main entrance on Prospect Street). Its obelisks and monuments are some of the city's finest architecture. It is well-manicured and filled with tortuous paths, designed in the style of Cambridge's famous Mount Auburn. And, it is a surprisingly great place to go for a walk.

Patti's Pierogis

This authentic Polish restaurant has been featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and specializes in pierogis- boiled dumplings stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit. Patti's serves traditional pierogis ($1.35 each) alongside new creations, such as one filled with buffalo chicken mac and cheese ($1.85 each).

Pink Bean Coffee

Fall River's premier coffee shop. Pink Bean offers espresso, pour over, and cold brew coffee drinks alongside breakfast and lunch fare. In a city with sixteen Dunkin Donuts franchises, Pink Bean's coffee-focused philosophy is a breath of fresh air.