Parks and the outdoors in Worcester

Parks and the outdoors in Worcester

1. See

   Bancroft Tower

   A folly built to commemorate the achievements of George Bancroft by Worcester's richest man at the time, Stephen Salisbury. Bancroft Tower sort of looks like it belongs in an old castle. It is in a wooded park at the top of a hill. Usually the interior of the tower is closed to the public, but occasionally it is open and the view from the top looks out over all of Worcester.

2. See

   Elm Park

   The grand old lady of Worcester parks. The land the park sits on was purchased by the city in 1854 making it one of the first purchases of land to be set aside for a public park in the U.S. The park is undergoing renovations, but the old iron bridge over the pond in the middle has been restored.

3. 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.

4. See

   Hadwen Arboretum

   Century-old trees & 40 plant species share space at this campus woodland offering trails & a garden. Part of Clark University.

5. See

   Hadwen Park

   50-acre park in South Worcester that has easy hiking trails and some wildlife.

6. See

   Institute Park

   Sweeping park overlooking Institute Pond, built on donated land in 1887. Holds many festivals and concerts throughout the summer.

7. See

   Newton Hill

   Part of Elm Park, but you must cross Park Ave to get to it. Newton Hill has a disc golf course and trails leading to the top. The view would be impressive if not for the trees.

8. Do

   Quinsigamond State Park

   This state park has a public beach, sailing center, fishing spots, and a picnic area, right in the city.

   Sunrise-sunset·Parking $15/day, MA residents $8

9. See

   Worcester Polytechnic Institute

   The older parts of this campus are perched on a ridge line between Highland Avenue and Institute Park.

10. Do

    Worcester Red Sox

    Apr-Sept. The Worcester Red Sox, the Triple-A Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, play at Polar Park.

11. Do Not mapped

    Broadmeadow Brook

    Hike the well-marked trails in the largest urban wildlife refuge in New England.

12. Do Not mapped

    Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra

    Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra's annual activities include the admission-free Summer Concert Series in Worcester's Institute Park as well as symphonic and 'pops' performances in Worcester's Tuckerman and Mechanics Halls before audiences numbering in the thousands.

13. Eat Not mapped

    Napoli Deli

    Napoli is a small deli on the east shore of Lake Quinsigamond that serves mostly Italian food. Think Italian subs, foccaccia sandwiches, eggplant parm, and arancini. The prices are very low and the portions are big. The interior is pretty simple, but has some tables where you can enjoy your food. They also serve breakfast.

14. Do Not mapped

    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).

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