Places of Note
-
Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Green Hill Park
-
Bancroft Tower: Built in 1900 to honor the memory of George Bancroft, diplomat, Secretary of the Navy, and founder of the U.S. Naval Academy
-
City Hall and Common: Location of the city hall as well as the Civil War Soldiers’ Monument, World War II Memorial, Old Burying Ground, and nearby Burnside Fountain
-
Shrewsbury Street: Home to Worcester’s Restaurant Row
-
Franklin Street Fire Station: Location of firefighters’ memorial to the Worcester 6, including James Lyons III ’87, who perished in the tragic Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire
-
Elm Park: Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (also responsible for Central Park in New York), it is one of the oldest public parks in the United States
-
Hadwen Arboretum: 6.4 acres of trees and trails near Coes Reservoir that were bequeathed to Clark University in 1907
If you’re in Worcester another time, also consider checking out the Canal District, Worcester Art Museum, Worcester Historical Museum, American Antiquarian Society, Worcester Public Library, Tuckerman Hall, Mechanics Hall, and the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts.
Worcester
The second largest city in New England, Worcester hosts over 38,000 college students spread across a dozen institutions. It is about an hour’s drive from Boston, Springfield, Providence, Hartford, and Manchester and is fittingly called the Heart of the Commonwealth.
Worcester has long been known for social progressivism and, as a leader in the women’s suffrage movement, it played host to the first national convention advocating women’s rights. A 19th century industrial powerhouse whose growth was fuelled by successive waves of immigrants from countries and cultures around the world, the city remains diverse but has since transitioned to a focus on biotechnology, healthcare, insurance, innovation, and higher education. Worcester has experienced a renaissance of development and dining and is notable for being home to Polar Beverages, the largest independent soft-drink bottler in the country, and the David Clark Company, which designs astronauts’ space suits among other things.
