Blackstone Valley

Blackstone Valley is a region of Central Massachusetts extending from Worcester southeast toward Providence, Rhode Island. Wikivoyage extends the area to include some other towns of Greater Worcester.

Cities

Other destinations

Get in

By air

The nearby city of Providence has a large international airport and Worcester has a smaller national airport.

By car

Route 146 is the main highway running north and south between Worcester and Providence. It intersects with I-95 and I-295 in Rhode Island and with I-90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) in Massachusetts.

Get around

The main method of transportation in this region is by car. The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) offers bus service to some parts of Blackstone Valley. Check the schedule for specific bus routes.

See

Historic sites and museums, including

  • Slater Mill Historic Site, 67 Roosevelt Ave, Pawtucket, Rhode Island. A museum that houses the first operating cotton mill in the country. 
  • Brown & Hopkins Country Store, 1179 Putnam Pike Chepachet, Rhode Island. The oldest country store still in operation in the U.S. 
  • Smith-Appleby House, 220 Stillwater Rd, Smithfield, Rhode Island. One of the few 17th-century houses still standing in RI. 
  • Daggett House, 16 Second St, Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Oldest standing house in Pawtucket. 
  • Blackstone River, which runs throughout the region. Tour it on the Explorer,the only riverboat in Rhode Island, or on the Samuel Slater Canal Boat, which docked at at Central Falls Landing, and can seat up to 12 for river tours or chartered for up to 4 as an overnight bed and breakfast.

Sports

  • Pawtucket Red Sox. Boston's AAA farm team that plays at McCoy Stadium. 
  • Worcester Sharks. AHL team that plays out of the DCU Center in downtown Worcester. 
  • Providence Bruins. AHL team that plays in the Dunkin Donuts Center in downtown Providence. Primary development team for the NHL's Boston Bruins. 

Theater Local theater organizations offer various theatrical and musical productions, which are sometimes shown over dinner. Some local communities also have annual concerts. Check out the following theaters:

Itineraries
  • Canal days on the Blackstone River. Explore some of the remaining stone sections of the canal, walk the towpaths, examine a granite lock and learn about the men who built them.
  • Explore four centuries of history in the Blackstone Valley. Begin the day in the Slater Park riding a centuries-old carousel and end at a butterly garden in Chase Park. In between you will be learning all about the history of this region.

Do
  • The Blackstone Valley Bicycle Path which will run 48 mi (77 km) from Worcester to Providence. The path starts in Lincoln, Rhode Island and follows the Towpath along the Blackstone Canal, through Woonsocket to the MA state border. Hop on the path anywhere in between or schedule a bicycle tour.
  • A Blackstone Valley Tour Package costs $350, which is based on double occupancy, and includes 2 nights' accommodations and requires a reservation. Bike, helmets and water are available for participants. Half day, one day and multi day packages available at varying prices.
  • Blackstone Valley Scenic Railway Tours: from Cumberland, Rhode Island to Putnam, Connecticut, take a fall foliage and shopping excursion to Putnam for antique shopping, dining, and Putnam Fall Festival.

Eat

There are many different restaurants and diners in this region that offer many different types of food. Famous for family-style, all you can eat chicken dinners. Other restaurants offer a variety of cuisines, including Cape Verdean, Chinese, Colombian, Dominican, French, Guatemalan, Indian, Italian, Lebanese, Mediterranean, Mexican, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese. There are bakeries that offer Italian and Italian/American, Italian/French, Portuguese and Spanish inspired goods. Also, a variety of Asian, Cape Verdean, Dominican, Indian, International, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish markets are present in this region.

Drink

Stay safe

Go next

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gollark: You're vaguely "privileged" in that you're in a country which can afford to do that.
gollark: Also, I suspect most people don't actually care very much. I mean, abstractly, if you ask people "would you like people to not get malaria/be cured of malaria", they'll say yes. But people generally do *not* really care enough to actually pay the various charities which are able to provide malaria nets and stuff, despite these being extremely effective at lives saved per $.
gollark: Declaring something a right doesn't magically solve all the huge logistical hurdles in getting everyone ever the relevant treatment tsuff.
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