Worcester Historical Museum

Interest Areas: History / Heritage

Worcester Historical Museum (WHM) is the only institution devoted to local history. It includes a research library of over 7,000 titles, an archive that houses thousands of documents, and a collection of artifacts, all vital to the study of Worcester history. A few examples of WHMs holdings include correspondence of abolitionist Abby Kelley Foster, Blackstone Canal Company records, Civil War era diaries and letters, and artifacts related to Worcesters industrial past including early woodenware and ceramics, weaponry from the colonial era through World War II, paintings and sculptures, and a significant costume and textile collection.

WHM also owns and operates Salisbury Mansion, Worcesters only historic house museum. Built in 1772, it has been restored to its 1830s appearance and one of the best documented historic houses in New England. Thanks to the voluminous family papers, preserved at the American Antiquarian Society, it is one of the best documented historic houses in New England.

Worcesters history is interpreted through a calendar of exhibitions, educational programming, tours and publications. WHM features both permanent installations and changing exhibitions.

Find out what Worcester was like in centuries past in the library's reading room. The library is open Wednesday-Saturday from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM. The Library and Museum are open until 8:30 PM, every 4th Thursday of the month.