Nightlife in Worcester

13 clubs, live music venues and late-night spots in Worcester.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

See
Green Hill Park
This 480-acre (210-ha) park is by far the largest in the city. In fact, it's so large, you may forget that you're in the middle of a city at all. Green Hill Park is on top of a hill northeast of downtown and has walking trails, a lake, the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and a public golf course complete with club house restaurant.
Do
Mechanics Hall
Pre-Civil War era concert hall. Grand Hall seating 1,600. Concerts (classical, jazz, popular music), lectures, business meetings. Mechanics Hall was built in 1857 by the workers of Worcester for educational and cultural activities. In 1864, the Hook Organ was installed and it is now the oldest unaltered four keyboard organ in the Western Hemisphere. The hall fell into disrepair in the 20th century and was almost torn down during a wave of urban renewal. It was saved and restored in the late 1970s.
Drink
Ralph's Chadwick Square Diner
Legendary rock nightclub. Entertainment every night. It is on an unpaved drive behind an old factory building north of downtown. Look for the big neon "Ralph's" sign. There is actually a diner car here. Inside you can get a burger, hot dog, or chili. Emphatically not a craft beer bar. $2 Gansett drafts are the mainstay here. The main bar area is filled with ridiculous decorations, including a coffin.
4PM-2AM everyday
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Mare E Monti Trattoria
Italian restaurant on a residential side street that is rapidly gaining a following. The bar area is the first thing that greets you makes it seem like a nightclub. Don't worry, just continue past into the simple dining room. There is a nice range of entrees, depending upon how much money you'd like to spend.
Eat Not mapped
Mezcal Tequila Cantina
Upmarket Mexican restaurant occupying the first floor of a downtown parking garage. Mezcal is a huge and undeniably popular restaurant, but it is a bit divisive. Some people love it while others would say it's not exactly authentic and a little too pricey. If what you want is a $10-15 burrito and a cocktail served in a classier than your typical cantina environment, Mezcal won't disappoint.
Do Not mapped
Music Worcester
Presenter of the Worcester Music Festival (the oldest music festival in the United States), the International Artist Series and the Mass Jazz Festival.
Drink Not mapped
NU Cafe
Large cafe with tons of coffee and smoothie options down the street from Worcester State University. Also serves a few draft beers and wine. There is a light food menu (salads, sandwiches) as well. NU hosts a series of monthly science lectures and occasional live music.
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StART on the Street
September, Park Avenue. Huge street festival featuring over 200 local vendors and artists, food, and live music and performance art. StART also holds StART in the Park (spring) and StART at the Station (Christmas time).
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The Armsby Abbey
Worcester's flagship farm-to-table restaurant is frequently chosen as the best restaurant in the city. The menu changes with the seasons and much of the meat and produce is sourced from New England. The interior is filled with dark wood and a large bar. The bar itself is a reason to come here as it has one of Worcester's best curated selections of beer and a respected cocktail selection.
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The Armsby Abbey
Frequently wins the award for Worcester's best bar. Big and always changing selection of craft beer from all over the world. Armsby Abbey and its sister bar Dive Bar are the only places to regularly carry Hill Farmstead beers on tap in the entire state. That, combined with Armsby's ever-changing line up of American craft beers and Belgian ales make it a destination for beer lovers. Armsby also has a large cocktail program with a frequently changing lineup and very knowledgeable bar tenders. It is decidedly not cheap, but is a bargain for visitors from larger cities.
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Vincent's
Where else can you get meatball subs and $2 Gansetts served by shirt and tie wearing bar staff? Vincent's has only been around since 1997, but it certainly feels much older. The inside is dark and dingy and the walls are covered with taxidermy. They usually have live music at night and it's always free. The beer selection is pretty terrible, but they have strong cocktails and fussing about the drinks quality is missing the point. Vincent's does serve food. Your options consist of a meatball or sausage sandwich, ziti with meatball or sausage, wachusett potato chips, or a "cheese plate" which consists of a sleeve of saltines and a bunch of cheddar. In the summer, take advantage of the back yard which includes a wooden shack with a porch to sit on, a covered patio, and a fairly well manicured lawn. Vincent's is in a residential area across the street from a large and possibly abandoned warehouse so although it might seem like you've gotten lost, you have actually found one of Worcester's hidden treasures.
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Worcester Green Hill Municipal Golf Club
Apr-mid Dec. 18 hole, 6487 yds, Par 72, CR-70.4, S-122. Public.
Do Not mapped
Worcester Fencing Club
243 Stafford Street.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Worcester (CC BY-SA 4.0).