Taunton (Massachusetts)

Taunton is a city in Massachusetts. Its nicknames are "The Silver City" and "The Christmas City" refers to Taunton's long history of silversmithing and its long tradition of festive Christmas displays and celebration. It is a small city that is very rich in history, well chronicled in the city's only museum.

Get in

By car

Taunton is crossed by Interstate 495 and is very near Route 24 which heads north to Boston. Interstate 95 is only about 15 minutes away. A half-hour drive to/from Plymouth and Providence, Rhode Island via US-44. It is about a 40-minute drive away from the Cape Cod Canal via Interstate 495/Route 25, also New Bedford via Route 140.

By plane

• T.F. Green Airport (PVD ^IATA) in Warwick (Rhode Island) and Logan International Airport (BOS ^IATA) in Boston.
• 🌍 Taunton Municipal Airport (TAN  ^IATA), Westcoat Drive, East Taunton, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. Small regional airport with 3,500ft and 2,500ft runways.  

Get around

Boston express service

• DATTCO, designated service stops: Silver City Galleria Mall - MassHighway Park & Ride and Silver City Galleria Mall - Bertucci's Pizza Shelter (no service before 9AM weekdays), . Fairly inexpensive coach bus service that runs to/from Boston's South Station complex. Boston, Taunton, New Bedford, and other selected destinations in between. This service does run to/from Boston's South Station. Standard fare: Boston via Taunton adult $10 one way/$15 round trip, child $7 one way/$13 round trip, Taunton via New Bedford adult $8 one way/$15 round trip, child $6 one way/$11 round trip.
• H & L Bloom Bus Line, 10 Oak Street, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Fairly inexpensive motorcoach bus service that runs to/from Boston, Taunton, and other selected destinations in between. This service does run to/from Boston's South Station Area, not the South Station complex itself. Standard fare: Boston via Taunton $9 one way, Taunton via Fall River $5 one-way, children 5 to 12 yrs old: half price, children under 5 yrs old: free. 

Public transit

• The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA), 10 Oak Street, Toll Free: [phone], Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone], TDD: [phone], email: [e-mail], . Convenient and relatively inexpensive city bus service throughout the city, some surrounding areas, and to Providence, Rhode Island.

See

• Old Colony Historical Society, 66 Church Green, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM. Adults $4, children and seniors $2. 
• Taunton Green, downtown. The city's center/town square features walking paths, war memorial statues, benches, a water fountain, the American flag and the city's flag swaying on a high flagpole, a scenic view of downtown, a grand Christmas display of lights (during Christmas time), other events, etc.

Wildlife

• Wildlife found within the city's limits: birds (many variety), blue jays, Canada geese, catfish, coyotes, diamondback terrapins (turtles), Eastern chipmunks, Eastern gray squirrels, field mice, foxes, garter snakes, hawks, raccoons, mallards (ducks), megabats, muskrats, New England cottontails (rabbits), North American river otters, owls, river and pond fish, Virginia opossums, white swans, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, etc.
• Gertrude Boyden Wildlife Sanctuary, 1298 Cohannet Street, ☎ [phone]. Open year-round 9AM-sunset. A small heavily-wooded wildlife sanctuary by the Three Mile River, that offers (unmaintained) hiking trails, an (unmaintained) botanical garden, bathrooms, beautiful wooden bridges, bird watching, and picnic grounds. Free admission. 

Do

Parks and Recreation

• Canoe Passage Outfitters, 120 Ingell Street, toll-free: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Kayak and canoe rentals are offered, as well as a variety of guided tours/trips (with rated skill levels) throughout the local Narragansett Bay Watershed. The guided tours/trips that is offered are the following: kayak, canoe, photography, snorkeling, swimming, moonlit, kids kayak camp, etc. 
• Hartshorn Park, off of Winter Street. A heavily wooded city park.
• Hopewell Park, off of Hopewell Street. A large city park that offers woodlands, a river, walking paths, sports facilities, a public swimming pool, etc.
• John F. Parker Municipal Golf Course, 17 Fisher Street, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. A 9-hole public golf course that features 3,034 yards of golf, competitions & leagues, and golf cart rentals. Season is from April 1st to November 30th, which is open daily from 7AM to dusk. 
• Massasoit State Park, ☎ [phone]. Middleboro Avenue, East Taunton. The city's largest park that offers a wide range of recreational activities, such as, canoeing, fishing, hiking, hunting (restrictions), mountain biking, picnicking, swimming, skiing (cross-country), etc. 
• Memorial Park, off of Somerset Avenue/Route 138. A city park that features a pond, benches, memorial statues, hills, playgrounds, walking paths, and some seasonal activities.
• Segregansett Country Club, 85 Gulliver Street, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. A private country club facility that features an 18-hole golf course with 6,632 yards of golf, golf cart rentals, tournaments, banquet facilities, etc. 
• Taunton Memorial Skating Rink, 150 Gordon Owen Riverway, ☎ [phone]. An indoor ice skating rink, with ice skate rentals. 
• Watson Pond State Park, Bay Road, A seasonally-operated 10 acre park that offers a picnic facility, a small freshwater beach, bathrooms, a wide range of seasonal recreational activities, etc. There is a $2.00 parking fee.
• Weir Village Riverfront Park, off of W Water Street. A small riverfront park that offers a bandstand, events, and a scenic view of old Weir Village and the Taunton River.
• Westside Park, off of Clifford Street. A heavily wooded (dry & wet -land) city park near the Mulcahey Middle School grounds.

Buy

• Reed & Barton, 144 West Britannia Street, toll-free: [phone]. The factory site and headquarters of Reed & Barton, world-renowned for its fine silverware. Also, it's historically known for producing the 1996 Summer Olympics [in Atlanta, Georgia] medals. 
• The Silver City Galleria, 2 Galleria Mall Drive (off of Routes 24 & 140), ☎ [phone]. East Taunton. A large two-floor indoor shopping mall complex with several hundreds of stores, a cinema, a bank, and a food court. Its six anchor stores are: Dick's Sporting Goods, JC Penney, Macy's, Sears, Steve & Barry's University Sportswear, and Tuesday Morning. 
• Taunton Depot, Taunton Depot Drive (off of Route 140), East Taunton. A shopping center that features the following stores: Home Depot, Kohl's, PETCO, Target, and other lesser-known stores.

Eat

Budget

• Joe's Diner, 51 Broadway/Route 138, ☎ [phone]. A popular diner scene experience within a retro-50s silver-tinted trailer. 
• Off Broadway Diner, 19 Taunton Green, ☎ [phone]. 

Mid-range

• ÊBella Roma, 239 Broadway/Route 138, ☎ [phone]. Italian-cuisine. 
• Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub, 158 Dean Street/US-44 & Route 104, ☎ [phone]. 

Splurge

• Benjamin's Restaurant, 698 Bay Street, ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11:30AM-9PM, F,Sa 5PM-10PM, Su 12PM-9PM. $17-$30. 

"Splurge" is a bit of an exaggeration. Benjamin's is fine, affordable dining. Elegant without being elitist. Go and enjoy!

Drink

• Bristol Sports Zone, 260 W Water Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Curley's Pub, 431 Winthrop Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Robert's Pub, 64 Weir Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Pub 76, 76 Weir Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Smitty's Sports Pub, 445 Bay Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Willy J's Pub, 599 Winthrop Street (Across from the Auto Auction), ☎ [phone]. always a $2 draft! now serving food! inexpensive. 

Sleep

• Holiday Inn, 700 Myles Standish Blvd, ☎ [phone]. A seven story two-star hotel within the Myles Standish Industrial Park, it offers banquet facilities, thirteen meeting rooms, indoor swimming pools, two ballrooms, a restaurant, etc. Nightly rates average about $104.91 - $109.95. 

Also try nearby Raynham or Middleborough for lodging choices.

Go next

Taunton is an excellent starting point for any tour of southern New England.

• The city is located in the central hub of southeastern Massachusetts, where most of the region's major roads cross in or near Taunton's center.
• It is about 45 minutes drive (by car) from some of southern New England's major tourist destinations, such as, Boston, Plymouth, Cape Cod, and Providence & Newport in Rhode Island.

Routes through Taunton

Marlborough ← Norton ←	N  S	→ Raynham → Bourne
Boston ← Raynham ←	N  S	→ Berkley → Fall River
Boston ← Raynham ←	N  S	→ Dighton → Fall River
Foxborough ← Norton ←	N  S	→ Lakeville → New Bedford
Providence ← Rehoboth ←	W  E	→ Middleborough → Plymouth