It's day 60 of the 60 park tour! Saved one of the best for last: Lake Park! It's Worcester's third-largest park. It used to encompass what is now Quinsigamond Lake State Park, a total of 110-acres when it was donated to the city in 1884 (although the city didn't accept the gift until 20 years later. Lake park currently features the two wooded areas west of Lake Ave and cross cut by Hamilton St. It features Tivnan Field, a basketball court and playground, as well as an additional baseball field. Most of the park is wooded and full of geographic rock features and ruins of former rock structures. Lake Park also used to feature Davis Tower, a Bancroft Tower-esq structure that was removed in the late 1970s. I was disappointed to find the parking areas of the park gated and completely locked tonight (~7pm) It's quite a contrast in the usage and usability compared to the state park across the street. This park truly has so much potential, but many of the trails are overgrown and under marked. Nevertheless it's still one of my favorite parks and it has this really cool cleft boulder called the 'Twin Sisters'.

It's day 59! And it's raining again! I took my second-to-last day of the 60 day 60 park tour to Green Hill Park! Green Hill is Worcester's largest park at 482 acres. It has so many amenities: hiking trails, handball courts, a skate park, numerous ball fields (football, baseball, softball), the barnyard zoo, a playground, basketball courts, picnic areas, a golf course, and the Massachusetts VietnamVeterans Memorial. Skyline drive runs through the park, featuring Worcester Technical High School and the Worcester parks dept and national guard building. Green Hill has a storied history, being operated for many years as farmland and a family estate before being donated to the city.

Also traversing the park is the East-West Trail: Worcester's 14-mile cross city hiking trail that connects 19 green spaces using city streets to connect the Cascades to Lake Quinsigamond. I'm standing in the middle of Skyline drive at the apex of where the East-West trail crosses the throughway. It's an amazing hiking experience and I highly recommend it, especially the Green Hill Park portion.

Day 58! The Worcester Common - arguably the heart of the city. I was hoping to get over here during my lunch break today to take in the Thursday afternoon festivities with the 'Out to Lunch' concert series but that didn't work out. The Common features a number of historical attributes, my favorite and one of the newest additions is the World War II memorial and it's fountain. Unfortunately it wasn't in operation when I stopped by. The Common is one of two city parks where the sale and consumption of alcohol are permitted.

Day 57 of the 60 day 60 park tour continues! A sunny day and Nick and I finally get to spend some time at the beach - Indian Lake Beach that is! Indian Lake Beach has been a city park since 1911 when it was originally purchased by the city. It's just under 2 acres and features a reasonable amount of access to the shore of Indian Lake with a shallow swimming area. There were four lifeguards on staff and the beach featured a fair amount of new sand, compared to last year. This park has ample parking. F

Day 56! 4 days left to go to get to 60 parks! Today features Kendrick Field, located on brooks st off from West Boylston. Another historic park, having existed since 1909! The home of Joe Schwartz little league and also of Abbey Kelly's new football team! The new football field that I'm standing in the middle of is the result of a public private partnership between the city and Abbey Kelly foster charter. Kendrick field also features a basketball court and a playground, in addition to its baseball fields.

Day 55 and we're down to the final few parks! Today's stop on the 60 day 60 park tour features Quinsigamond State Park! The city counts this as one of its 60, although it's technically a state park. In 1956 the state took 26 acres away from the city's Lake Park to establish Quinsigamond Lake State Park. This park features a paved running/walking circuit, football field, tennis courts, picnic areas, and a beach!

Day 54 redux! Featuring Ramshorn Island! You know this island, it's the one under the route-9 bridge that was connected to the bridge by a staircase before the redesign/rebuild a few years ago. Ramshorn Island was acquired by the city in 1919 and over its varied history it has been home to a boat house and hotel. The island used to be connected the the Lincoln Park amusement area, located where the Lincoln Park tower is today. This park is only accessible by boat, which I think calls into question it's status as a city park.

Day 54 and the 60 day 60 park tour continues! Burncoat Park is located behind Wawecus Rd Elementary. It's one of Worcester's oldest parks - being purchased in 1888. The city changed the park's name to Burncoat Park in 1910, it was previously called North Park. The Parks's only amenities are an old paved road for walking and a large field. The city has some big plans for the park, including building a boardwalk around North Pond, new ball fields, and skatepark. You can find out more about Burncoat Park here:http://www.parkspirit.org/burncoat-park.html My friend @missrider26 and I agree that the 'bench' our scooters are pictured with is 50+ years old. Maybe even as old as the park itself! If anyone has details, I'd love to know the age of what's left to this bench.

Day 53 of the 60 day 60 park tour at Grafton Hill's own 'Shale Street Playground'! This an interesting spot and it's worth checking out in its current shape prior to the forthcoming renovations recently approved for the space. Shale street playground was 'constructed' and came under the city's purview in the early 70s during the construction of the Friendly House building on Wall Street. The park used to feature a 'terraced playground area' next to the Friendly House, with an open grass field and basketball court located on top of the hill with access from the play area or from Shale Street. Today, the park is overgrown and completely abandoned. You can see the remnants of the old basketball court behind me. The city views seen from Shale Street are truly impressive, so I'm looking forward to work commencing soon and opening up the space! Please note that the information I've described above comes from the Master Plan that went before the parks commission in January 2017. The information provided on parkspirit's site is sourced from city papers from the 1980s.

Day 52 of the 60 day 60 park tour continues at Greenwood Park in the south side of Worcester! We always hear about 'Main South' but the Greenwood/Blackstone, 'Quinsigamond Village' area is truly the south of the city. Greenwood Park is one of Worcester's nicest parks, in my opinion. It features a brand new spray park, new basketball and tennis courts, baseball field and football field. It has a new playground and ample parking. It also has a wooded area with one trail leading down to Greenwood Street. Greenwood Park is also very old: it was purchased in 1905 from Ezra Day and William Forsberg. I'm 1910 it was one of the only city parks chosen to have a playground. It used to have a pool, also. I never visited this park before the renovations were made that completely rehabbed and reformatted the space. I would truly love to see pictures of the old layout and amenities.

It's day 50 of the 60 day 60 park tour! Featuring: Ty Cobb Field! Located on James St near the Worcester-Auburn line. It became a park in the early 90s when the city purchased the land from the Wright Wire Company. This park features three ball fields, all maintained and operated by Ty Cobb Little League. 

It's day 49 of my 60 day 60 park tour with some sun and Shore Park! Finally some sunshine and a great opportunity to check out one of Worcester's beaches! Part of the park is currently fenced off and inaccessible, that's because the park is under construction and the bathhouse was completely demolished to make room for the new bathhouse structure, pictured behind me. The renovations also include a paved path from the YMCA Greendale branch. The renovations are part of. $3.5 Million dollar effort by the Y to update their facility and the park. Shore park is 5 acres and located on Shore drive on the banks of Indian Lake. 

Another rainy day of the 60 day 60 park tour! Day 48 at Great Brook Valley Playground, a 7-acre park accessible from East-Mountain Street. Additionally, there is a staircase providing access to the Great Brook Valley apartment complex, but the staircase seemed quite overgrown. This is another one of Worcester's 'phantom playgrounds', it's name suggests the presence of a playground but the park lacks any formal playground structure. This park is probably best known for Roberto Clemente field, a large baseball field and the park's only true amenity. GBV Playground became a park in 1953 when the property was transferred to the city from the Worcester Housing Authority.

Day 47 of the 60 day 60 park tour at Grant Square Park! The Green Hill Neighborhood Association is holding their annual community picnic today from 1-5 if you'd like to check out the park and their community! Grant Square Park is a small 1.5-acre park located off from Lincoln St on Northampton St. The city acquired this park space as a gift in 1853. It was officially reopened after major renovations in 2016.

The 60 park tour continues! Day 46 at Columbus Park! One of 4 (5 if you count an additional park dept property) parks boarderinf Coes Pond! This park's most notable feature is the East-West trail that traverses its woodland. It offers some spectacular views of Coes Pond, especially during the sunset.

Day 45 of the 60 day 60 park tour continues at the Ball Property! Also known as the Harvey Ball Conservation Area! The land for the Ball Property was secured with a $500,000 grant from the state Department Conservation Services with the Audubon Society fundraising an additional $250,000, which was matched by a contribution from the city. The land was purchased from the Ball family in 2007. The name of the park and it’s trail were named in honor of the late Harvey Ball, the Worcester native famed for designing the smiley face. This 15 acre park features one hiking trail: the smiley face trail. It connects to the network of hiking trails at Broadmeadow Brook in the east and connects down to the Blackstone Bikeway to the west. 

It's day 43 my friends and amidst the torrential down downpour I went to Bennett Field in Webster Square! Bennett Field has been closed to the public for at least a year (it could be longer, I first tried to go there in May 2016 and it was fenced up just as it is now) for what we can assume are forthcoming renovations? Luckily, the fence was left open from a recent mowing so I got to experience the field for the first time! It is a lot nicer from the ground, as last summer I took my picture through the fence at the State pool and have often checked it out from atop the retaining wall on Gates Ln. This 6 acre park was purchased in 1943 from the Worcester Street Railway. It is the former location of the city's old trolley station and the station's foundation is still underneath the field. I don't know about you, but I think that's really cool and should be acknowledged in some way at the park. The renovations that are currently 'underway' are the restoration of the retaining wall along Gates Ln, the rebuilding of the ball field, the creation of a new basketball court, and the implementation of an 'environmental trail'. The playground and parking lot have all been redone and redesigned. The playground was named after Michael Kustigian, a Gates Ln and South High grad who was missing/killed in action in Vietnam in 1968. 

Day 42 and the 60 day 60 park tour continues! Holmes Field, named after former Worcester Mayor and Congressman Pehr Holmes! This 8 acre park is located on Plantation Street. As of today, only the ball field section of the park is publicly accessible. The Eastern portion of the park (pictured behind me) is fenced in for renovation. I'm glad to see renovations are underway, especially considering that the city stated in a recent news article a month ago that renovations were complete or underway at Holmes, but the fencing and renovations are new as of last week. The city is renovating the playground, creating two tennis courts (which I believe will be for convertible use for street hockey, will double check and update this tonight) and also updating the walking paths around the park. The baseball field is also slated to be updated. Holmes Field used to feature a pool featuring a beautiful mosaic. The pool was removed a few years ago and the mosaic was just removed within the past week. I'm personally sad to mosaic go, it was beautiful and I thought since it wasn't removed for safety reasons in 2015 as it was supposed to be that there may be some new life planned for it. Holmes Field has been a park since 1924.

Day 41 on the 60 day, 60 park tour! Today features Middle River Park. You may also know this 'area' as Blackstone Gateway Park. Well, it's not Blackstone Gateway Park yet. I did check out the new area being added to Middle River Park- right across from Walmart near 7/11 on McKeon/Greenwood St, but it was under construction and not publicly accessible. Middle River is one of Worcester's 60 parks and it's being added to newly acquired land to form the new park. Middle River was purchased in the 1970s, but it was never developed. It was used for snow storage in the winter. The area of the park along McKeon Rd looks so great. I think the area was cleaned up by the park stewards. I was surprised to find nice views of Middle River and the area across the river which will eventually be a river side walking path. From the progress I saw today on the new park area, it doesn't seem like the park will be opening this year. It truly looks like it will be a great park and a great incorporation of the challenging landscape and topography that Middle River Park presents.

They say the journey is the destination, so Madeline and I checked out a third park today at Boynton Park! It is a tour, and I am luckily enough to have cool friends to join me on a couple legs this weekend! Boynton Park is Worcester's second largest park, at 114 acres. It's also located in Paxton, although the park land is owned by the city. Charles Boynton deeded 90 acres to the city in 1889 upon his death, but the city debated whether or not to accept the gift because the location was so far removed from the city and its populace (at the time, Tatnuck was a vacation area) but the city ended up accepting the land and creating Boynton Park when Benjamin Newton donated the land for Cascades Park in 1926. Boynton Park features a network of hiking trails that connect to other publicly accessible space and Cascades Park.

Also on beautiful day 40, Madeline and I checked out Hadwen Park! Another one of Worcester's intriguing and historic parks, which I was told recently was designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted! It's an amazing park with enormous potential, a paved road (formerly Knox St) traverses the park and has the potential to be a universally accessible amenity that would allow all to use the park. Hadwen Park features a network of hiking trails, a baseball field, playground and basketball court. We should be finding out soon if the city received grant money to redo the playground and clear out the lake around Curtis Pond. Hadwen is one of Park Spirit's target parks, with a clean up scheduled for September! It joined the park system after parks commissioner Obadiah B. Hadwen donated it to the city in 1902! 

Day 40 and what a beautiful day it is! It was my pleasure to take my long time friend @missrider26 on a tour of some of Worcester's parks! She's a bike enthusiast and we've been hoping to take the scooters out for a while, so what better opportunity to take a tour of some parks! We checked out John J. Binienda Memorial Beach - formerly known as Coes Pond Beach. There was ample activity at the beach today, Regatta Point was renting kayaks and many were out enjoying the sunshine and the water. The beach has been a city park since 1929. 

Making my way through these 60 days of summer! Day 39 on the 60 park tour features Cookson Field! Contrary to the sign here and other signage at the park, its official name is Cookson Field. Located on College hill behind Holy Cross, this park features hiking trails and a playground area. It's named after former Worcester mayor Walter Cookson who died in office around the same time the city acquired the land in 1936. That same year the Works Progress Administration cleaned up the space. The park is currently in need of attention, with both of the playground areas being in a state of serious disrepair. The old ball field area (games and use of the field was suspended there in the 80s because the field conditions were bad) is barely passable as a field, although the wild flowers were beautiful and waist high. Shout out and thanks to Park Spirit board member Coreen Gaffney for joining me for the picture and for accompanying me on this leg of the tour! 

Day 38! Vernon Hill Park! Another day and another stop on the tour de Worcester parks. Another historic park! At 13 acres, this park was purchased in 1909 from John B. Syme. It was completely rehabbed and redesigned in 1981 and recently, there has been work done building one of the city's two dog parks. It features multiple ball fields, a basketball court, a playground, and a state swimming pool!

Day 37 at Cascades Park! It became a Worcester Park many years ago, after it was gifted to the city by George Newton in 1926. The landmark of Cascades Park is - you guessed it - the cascading water fall. I thought it would be 'cascading' more due to the rain we've received, but it appeared not. This park abuts a number of publicly accessible green spaces and is within hiking distance to Boynton Park! Find out more about Cascades Park here: http://www.parkspirit.org/cascades-park.html this marks day 37 of my 60 day tour of Worcester's 60 parks! 

Day 36 on the 60 day 60 park tour at Bell Hill Park! I spent the afternoon hosting the Nativity School of Worcester in their final clean up day of a three week series for their summer of service. More than 50 students worked to recut and clear Bell Hill's old cart path, leading from the parking lot up to the field at the top of Chandler Hill. This trail hadn't been maintained in decades, and now it's 8-feet-wide and makes a connection from the parking lot to the East Side Trail. With some attention, planning, and hard work, Bell Hill Park could be on the same level as some of our amazing state parks- with Bell Pond as a beautiful water feature and a system of trails that lend great views. Bell Hill Park joined the park system in 1911 after its land was purchased from the state hospital.

Day 35 on my 60 day park tour! Today features Rockwood Field, the home of Jesse Burkett Little League! Named after George Rockwood who donated the land to the city and it became a park in 1940. Its recently been renovated with upgrades made to the fields and more fields added. It also features a new walking path.

Day 34 on the 60 day 60 park tour! In another episode of this summer's gloomy weather, I give you Morgan Landing! Also known as Morgan Park or Morgan Landing Park. This 11-acre park is located on grove street next to Indian Lake. The park is named after its benefactor, Paul S. Morgan - a Republican City Councilor - who gifted the land to the city in 1941. This park features ample views of Indian Lake, tennis courts, a boat launch, picnic area, and a wooded walking path.

Day 33 of my 60 day 60 park tour! I stopped by historic Dodge Park, on Randolph Rd in the Burncoat/West Boylston St neighborhood. This is one of Worcester's most historic parks, becoming a park in 1889 after Thomas Dodge donated the land to the city. Dodge Park was the site of Arthur Spring, a natural spring that drew many into the park to drink and take home the natural water. This 13-acre park features leisurely hiking trails, picnic areas, and the park's iconic gazebo.

Day 32 on my 60 park tour at Tatnuck's Logan Field! This 11-acre park became official in 1928 when it was purchased from the Speedway Glens. It's named after former Worcester mayor James Logan, who was considered a pioneer in the playground movement. This park features a number of baseball fields and is the home of West Side Babe Ruth.

Day 31 on my tour of the city's 60 parks! Indian Hill Park: half of it is newly remodeled and reopened! Last year it was under construction and I couldn't get in. Most interesting about the new parking area is the synthetic grass in the median! I couldn't believe it, so I'll post a picture in the comments section. The park looks great and has a very modern and suburban-park feel. Brand new basketball court and a huge community bulletin board, not currently made use of. This park is the home of Joe Schwartz Little League. The entire eastern side of the park needs some maintenance and improvement. The grass was very high and the memorial to the five teenagers that died in a fire on top of Indian Hill in 1967 was locked up. The parking lot on that side was also not looking great, at least compared to the new lot. The five-acre Indian Hill Park became a park in 2005, after being transferred a number of times from educational use to city ownership.

It's another hot and steamy day on my tour of Worcester's 60 parks! It's day 30 and I'm (almost) half way there! Today I stopped by the new and nearly complete and newly named Coes Park! Formerly referred to as Coes Knife Park and Coes Knife Property, the Worcester Parks Commission unanimously decided on the new name last night. It's named after the former Coes Knife Co. which was located on the property which operated there during the 1800s. The city acquired the land for Coes Park in the 90s through the tax title process. The park is slated to open at the end of this month!

t's day 28 of summer at beautiful Institute Park! One of Worcester's most historic parks. It was founded as a donation to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) by Stephen Salisbury - III Institute Park was born in 1887. Salisbury, a great Worcester philanthropist, believed WPI lacked sufficient land for their campus. That being said as time went on the WPI’s campus expanded into other areas thus reducing their need for Institute Park. Originally the land, specifically Salisbury Pond, was used as a power source for Ichabod Washburn’s thriving wire business. It's a beautiful park with rolling hills, winding paths, and lakeside views. Also the home of two concerts performed by the Mass Symphony Orchestra during the summer.

Day 27 and today is Park Spirit's first ever concert at University Park! Also known as Crystal Park after Crystal Pond located in the park, this is another of Worcester’s older parks, the land being purchased in 1887 and 1889 from Sarah Anderson, Sylvia Gates, William D. Gates and Alonzo Whitcomb.
University Park was a popular community gathering space during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. Organized activities for children were offered at the park, such as arts and crafts and swimming lessons. It was a destination for swimming in the summer, ice-skating in the winter, picnicking, and fishing. As of late, there has been a significant effort by community groups to program and create a presence in the park in the hopes of warding off crime and illicit activity. Our concert is one of those efforts and the Main South CDC has many other events in the park worth checking out.

It's day 26 of my summer parks tour and I'm even more intrigued than I was last year! I went to Apricot Street Playground, off from Apricot st c/o Merchant St near Main Street past Webster Square. This is one Worcester city park that is shrouded in mystery to me. I know some limited info based on news coverage: residents asked the city in 1977 to discontinue use of the park due to vandalism and crime. The park that exists today is dilapidated and confusing, but maintained. The grass has been cut and there is no trash and the playground has new wood chips. But who uses this playground? A portion of the playground apparatus has been boarded up. I'm standing on the 'paved lot' directly to the right of the playground. There is a graded path/slope leading down from the playground area to this flat paved lot. Although, I couldn't find any traces of basketball hoops and it seemed to me and my boyfriend that the lot was paved with roofing tar?! I really don't understand this aspect of the park, why it came to be this way, and what it's use was. But hey, just another summer day touring Worcester's parks! 

Day 25 on my 60 day, 60 park tour and today's featured park is Spillane Field! This park underwent a name change in 2009, formerly called Bailey-Prouty Playground, a $50,000 donation from the Spillane Family prompted the renaming to John W. Spillane Field. The city also expended $150k from the capital budget for upgrades to the field and playground.

Day 24 of summer and I visited Banis Park, off from Dorchester Street! Banis Park is one of a Worcester's smallest parks - at only a half acre! It became a park in 1947 and is named after the intersection of Addison and Dorchester, officially named Banis Square, which is a memorial to Joesph and Paul Banis who fought and lost their lives in WWII. 

Another rainy summer day, this one is Day 23! I checked out Lake View Playground, over off from Lake View Street off from Route 9. This is a small neighborhood park across from Lake View Elementary, it features a swing set, playground, and half basketball court. An interesting park, the city leases the property for $1 a year from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Worcester. Lake View street was one of the first streets developed in this neighborhood.

It's day 22 and it's another rainy one! I decided to check out Castle Park, the now-closed but soon-to-be-open three-acre park located up off Main Street near Family Health Center. The park is currently under construction and not open to the public, but so far the changes look great! The space feels very open and manicured. The new basketball courts pictured behind me look amazing. I was overall very impressed by the changes, although I didn't venture too far in from the Oread/Castle street side of the park because a lot of the park is still an active construction zone. The staircase entrance has also been augmented and improved, while still preserving the history! It looks great and I'm excited to see the finished result. While the park was slated to open this summer, I know at a recent meeting about the park it was requested that the opening be put on hold until a maintenance plan can be implemented. Seems like a good call, because this was one of the Worcester Parks hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. A bit of history: the park is named for the Oread Collegiate Institute, one of the first women's college in the country. It officially became a park in 1954 after the city took the land for taxes in 1949 and the eminent domain case was settled in court. This was of course after the school closed.

I'm at Beaver Brook Park on the 21st day of my tour of Worcester's 60 Parks! 

Beaver Brook Park, located right off from Chandler Street across from Foley Stadium. Beaver Brook, named after the natural water source that runs through the park (and was recently opened up and made visible) is one of Worcester's most heavily used parks! I'm going to take a guess here and say that there are over 100 events that take place at Beaver Brook every year. 

It is the home of Ted Williams Little League, pictured behind me, and the Worcester Vikings football program. 

It features multiple ball fields, a football field, an inline skating rink, two playgrounds, walking paths, and a soon-to-be-opened dog park! 

t's day 20 and this summer I've visited 1/3 of Worcester's parks on my 60 park tour! Today I decided to check out Providence Street Playground, as this park was mentioned in the news as one of the parks that has recently having renovations completed or underway. So I wanted to check out the status of the renovations with my own eyes. The article mistakenly referred to Providence Street Playground as Glodis Field (Providence Street Playground), so for my picture I wanted to feature Glodis Field, which is behind the playground and a wooded area. I was surprised to find it locked up and completely inaccessible, especially since 'rectangular fields' for soccer, football, rugby, etc are in extremely high demand and the city is always looking to incorporate more into their park designs. Not only was the field locked up, but as you can see one of the soccer goal posts looks damaged. The playground right along Providence Street is state of the art with rubber padding, although it was completed in 2010. The article says the renovations were completed in the last 3 years, so they can't be referring the playground. I graduated high school in 2010 so that date is in the recedingly distant past. Some trees and undergrowth were removed from in between the playground and field, so maybe that's the renovation? The field is named after William J. Glodis, Jr., who was a state representative and democratic committee member from Worcester.

Day 19 of summer at Tacoma Street Playground! This is a pretty large park (40 acres!) with a playground and basketball court. There used to be a pool, but it was removed - although some very ancient and cool signage for the pool can still be seen on site! This park doesn't have any other amenities, but it has so much potential! It extends up into the woods, where there is supposed to be a nature trail. A well defined and pleasant walking circuit around the park would be a great resource for the people of Great Brook Valley, who live just down the street.

It's day 18 of summer and I took a trip to Crompton Park on my 60 park tour! This is historic and heavily used park - it has basketball and tennis courts, a playground, a swimming pool, and multiple ball fields that are utilized by football, softball and kickball teams. Crompton Park was recently in the news because the pool's opening was delayed due to glass being found. 

It's day 17 of my summer parks tour on this rainy, overcast day. The article about Worcester's parks and the basketball hoop that came crashing down inspired me to take a stop by Holland Rink Playground. This small park is located on Lincoln Street across from Hanover Insurance. This park's location and size were not completely intentional, as Holland Rink used to be part of Green Hill and called the Holland Recreation Area, featuring a bowling green, wading pool, and archery range. The construction of I-290 severed the area from Green Hill, creating the park we know today. 

It's day 16 of summer and I had just enough sunlight after the Elm Park Summer Concert to head over to Salisbury Park! The location of historic and 117 year old Bancroft Tower. Park Spirit is pleased to announce two things: we are holding a t-shirt design contest for drawings, art, designs of the tower to be featured on a shirt and sold as a fundraiser at this October AND we will be opening the tower again this year every Sunday in October from 10 AM - 2 PM. It's worth checking out the memorial to Worcester's most accomplished son, George Bancroft, who eulogized two Presidents and started the Naval Academy, among other things! 

It's day 15 of summer and my 15th park on the tour of Worcester's 60 Parks is Mulcahy Field, located off from Dorchester Street. This park features ball fields, a basketball court and a playground.

Yesterday was the 14th day of summer! This makes two weeks straight of journeys to and pictures with Worcester City parks. Yesterday I went to Farber Field, which is a small park off from Camelot Drive off from Moreland Street. 

Day 13 of summer! I took a trip to Burncoat Playground, which was very busy with people enjoying the beautiful weather! Burncoat Playground is a small park located on Burncoat St next to Burncoat Elementary School. It became a park in 1933 when it was transferred from the school department to the parks department.

It's day 12 of summer and it's a beautiful Sunday Fourth of July weekend. I stopped by the Korean War Memorial, one of Worcester's newest parks, on the corner of Front and Foster Streets. This small park honors the 191 soldiers from Worcester county who made the supreme sacrifice during the Korean War.

Even though this park is highly visible and a common sight along commutes through downtown, it's worth taking a trip to explore and to visit. It's actually very spacious and doesn't feel crowded by the busy street. It's awesome to feel like a tourist in your own city and check things out from a new perspective!

It's day 11 of summer this Fourth of July weekend! I stopped by Betty Price Playground on my way to my friends' cookout! This small park was recently chosen to receive a grant that will replace the playground - one of the requirement for the grant was that the park must have a view. Imagine how awesome this view could be! So close to downtown. Located on the corner or Laurel St and Eastern Ave, also check out the bench I'm sitting on, don't know if it was designed for kids but the bench is literally flush with the ground, very interesting!

It's day 10 of summer! Despite the heavy rain, I took a trip to Oakland Heights Playground, one of Worcester's most obscure parks! It's located off from a dirt road off from Route 20! It's one of the only parks that the city's parks department doesn't actively maintain. There is a master plan for this space, though!

Today is day nine of summer! This is my 9th park on this year's tour of Worcester's 60 parks. Elm Park! One of Worcester (and the country's) oldest parks! Few are aware that the wooded hill across park Ave - Newton Hill - is also part of Elm Park! Park Spirit has hosted summer concerts here on Thursday nights for more than 20 years. Find out more about Elm Park and we will see you next Thursday for a free, summer concert featuring Sarah Leveque! 

It's day eight of summer and I'm here at beautiful Christoforo Columbo, East Park, listening to We and the Dawg in our first ever free concert in the East Park Summer Concert Series! It's a beautiful night to be at the park. This beautiful park features a spray park, playground, tennis courts, baseball field and of course this useful bandstand!

Day seven of summer at Knights of Columbus Park! This new park features a large rectangular field (used for football and soccer), a nice newer playground, and ample parking. It is also one of the 20 green spaces that connect Worcester's East-West Trail. 

It's day 6 of summer! Today I took a trip to South Worcester Playground, as it was conveniently located off from Cambridge Street close to our Friends of Hadwen Park meeting! Also known as Harry Sherry Field and Maloney Field. South Worcester Playground has been a park since 1986. This park feature hand ball courts, a basketball court, baseball fields, a playground and a community garden. 

It's day 5 of summer in Worcester, MA! Today on my 60 parks tour, I stopped by Harrington Field. This park is the home of Jack Barry Little League and is named after former Mayor Francis Harrington.

Fourth day of summer and I went by Winslow Park, also known as the Peace Park! What a beautiful night! I encounter this park almost every day on my mail route and I have to say, in the past week the Parks Department has done a great job with the mowing, trash removal, and tending to the gardens. A much needed green space respite in a very thickly settled neighborhood. Earlier this month, a celebration was held to recognize the 10 year anniversary of the preservation of the park. 

It's day 3 of summer and I ventured out 'west', taking a trip to Wetherell Park, also known as Duffy Field. The park was hopping this evening, with numerous kids taking advantage of the newly redone playground. Also a girls volleyball practice was going on. Jesse Burkett's field wasn't in use, but you can see how foreboding the sky is! 

It's day two on our tour of Worcester's 60 Parks! Today I went to Blithewood Park, located on the corner of Blithewood Ave and Massasoit Road. This is one of Worcester's newer parks and it features a new playground, a basketball court, a baseball field and the iconic gazebo. 

It's the first day of summer, and I bet you can guess what that means! That's right, the start of another tour of Worcester's 60 Parks! 

I'm kicking off the summer at Fairmount Square Park, complete with my one-of-a-kind, not yet complete, 9 square foot Worcester Parks map. Fairmount Square Park sits atop Poet Laureate Hill off from Grove Street.