Worcester & Regional Attractions

Worcester has a rich history and a number of distinctive attractions. Its central location also makes for easy day trips to various parts of New England. NAEC attendees will have the afternoon of Tuesday, July 11 to participate in either the sponsored trip to the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology or to explore on their own.Boston is just under 1 hour away by car and Providence, Rhode Island can be reached in about 45 minutes.

Here are a few local ideas:

Visit the Visitors Center (currently under construction adjacent to Holy Cross' campus) of the recently designated Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, birthplace of America's Industrial Revolution.

Visit the Ecotarium, a museum focused on science and natural history for young and old.

Hike (or drive) to the top of Mount Wachusett and view the Boston skyline in the distance.

Tour Tower Hill Botanical Garden, New England's year-round botanic garden.

Visit the Worcester Art Museum, the second largest art museum in New England.

Enjoy a walk around Worcester's historic Elm Park, laid out by Frederick Law Olmstead in 1854, or at Broad Meadow Brook, the largest urban wildlife sanctuary in New England.

Visit the Worcester Historical Museum to learn about the city's manufacturing heritage and biomedical and higher education future.

Visit the library of the American Antiquarian Society.