What is Jane Week?
Jane Week gives Worcester residents and visitors a chance to connect to each other, explore Worcester by foot and participate in interesting discussions on how we can enhance the design and function of our city. The event is named for Jane Jacobs, an urban theorist and activist who championed a community-based approach to city building. Worcester’s Jane Week joins an international movement that occurs in May in over 250 cities across the world. All tours are free and open to the public. Sorry, no dogs (except service dogs) are allowed on walking tours.
Jane Week Partners
Who Was Jane Jacobs?
Jane Jacobs (1916–2006) was an
American-born writer and activist best known for her writings about cities. Her first book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), upended the ideas of modernist city planning and building, and offered a new vision of diverse, fine-grained cities made for and by ordinary people. She published six more major books about cities, economics, ethics, governance and culture.
Schedule of Events
Woodland, May, and Main Street Walking Tour
NO MORE SIGN-UPS POSSIBLE! EVENT FULL
Wednesday, May 1
4:00 – 5:00 PM
The tour will start at 11 Hawthorne Street (Clark University Strassler Center).
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Undertakers, saloonkeepers, manufacturers and “club women” - the history of this neighborhood is remarkable not just because of its many examples of distinctive architecture, but because of the colorful stories of the men and women who initially shaped it. Join Clark’s student docents for a walking tour that takes us back in time to the Gilded Age of the late 19th century. Hear about the homes, their inhabitants, and the community’s change over time!
Limit 20 - REACHED!
Reservations Required at info@preservationworcester.org
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Major Taylor Museum Tour
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Thursday May 2
2PM
Meet in the Museum at 2 Main Street
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Major Taylor Museum Director Sharon Freed will lead a museum tour where you will learn about the extraordinary life and trailblazing career of champion bicycle racer and Worcester legend Marshall “Major” Taylor.
Limit 25
Reservations Required at info@preservationworcester.org
Jewish East Side Walking Tour
Thursday, May 2
5:00 – 6:00PM
Meet at 72 Providence Street
Enjoy a walking tour led by Moe Bergman, Preservation Worcester Docent, City Councilor, and attorney. Until the 1950s, East Side’s Union Hill was the locus of Worcester’s large Jewish immigrant community. Re-experience the history of this ethnic neighborhood with stops at former synagogues, a neighborhood ritual bathhouse and even the site of famous anarchist Emma Goldman’s ice cream shop.
Limit 25
Reservations Required at info@preservationworcester.org
Crown Hill Local Historic District Walking Tour
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Sunday, May 5
2:00pm-3:00pm
Meet at the corner of Pleasant and Oxford Street
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Hidden right on the edge of downtown, Crown Hill is a beautifully preserved neighborhood of mid-19th century middle class dwellings. Learn about the Greek Revival style and find out about Crown Hill’s 1970s restoration and the recent establishment of the Crown Hill Local Historic District. The tour is led by Preservation Worcester docent Randy Bloom.
Limit 25
Reservations Required at info@preservationworcester.org
All About City Hall – Program & Tour
Monday, May 6
Noon – 1:00 PM
Meet in Esther Allen Howland Room, 3rd floor, Worcester City Hall (accessible by elevator)
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Preservation Worcester Docent Harry Albert will provide an engaging PowerPoint presentation on Worcester’s history, the construction and architecture of City Hall, and the legacy of famous Worcester residents and politicians. Following the presentation, tourgoers will visit Mayor Petty’s office and be guided through halls of the second and third floors of City Hall.
Limit 20
Reservations Required at info@preservationworcester.org
Historic Elm Park Neighborhood Walking Tour
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Monday May 6
5:30 – 6:30 PM (Rain date May 10)
Meet at the Corner Oak and Elm Street
Join Michelle Johnstone, Senior Preservation Planner for the City of Worcester, for a walking tour through the historic Elm Park neighborhood, which recently became the City of Worcester’s fourth and largest local historic district. The walking tour will begin by stepping back in time to 1848, when the Greek Revival-style Alexander & Maria Marsh House was constructed at 57 Elm Street. The tour will traipse the decades while showcasing excellent examples of contemporaneously popular architectural styles paired with brief historical narratives of those who inhabited them.
Limit 25
Reservations Required at info@preservationworcester.org
All About City Hall – Program & Tour City Hall Tour (for all, especially mobility challenged)
Tuesday, May 7
Noon – 1:00 PM
Meet in Esther Allen Howland Room, 3rd floor, Worcester City Hall (accessible by elevator)
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Preservation Worcester Docent Harry Albert will provide an engaging PowerPoint presentation on Worcester’s history, the construction and architecture of City Hall, and the legacy of famous Worcester residents and politicians. Following the presentation, tourgoers will visit Mayor Petty’s office and be guided through halls of the second and third floors of City Hall.
Limit 20
Reservations Required at info@preservationworcester.org
Historic & Architectural Tour of The Hanover Theatre
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Tuesday, May 7
Noon – 1:00 PM
Meet in The Hanover Theatre lobby at the ticketing office.
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An experienced volunteer guide will provide an in-depth look at the history and architecture of The Hanover Theatre on a one-hour walking tour. A magnificent example of early 20th century theatre architecture, The Hanover Theatre was designed by Thomas Lamb, the foremost theatre and cinema architect of his day.
Limited space, reservations required.
Reserve your free ticket today at TheHanoverTheatre.org/janeweektour
Preservation Worcester Open House
Wednesday, May 8
3:00 - 5:00 PM
61 Harvard Street
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Enjoy light refreshments, tour our Salisbury House headquarters, and meet the Preservation Worcester staff and hear about what is happening at Preservation Worcester.
No Limit
Reservations required at info@preservationworcester.org
Lincoln Square Walking Tour
CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN!
Wednesday, May 8
4:00 - 5:00 PM
Meet at Salisbury House parking lot, 61 Harvard Street
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The Worcester Memorial Auditorium, the old Worcester County Court House, and the Salisbury Mansion and Salisbury House form an imposing gateway to the city along the side of Lincoln Square and North Main Street. Take a close-up look at these buildings and learn about their history. Discover how this section of Worcester has changed over time and find out about important events that took place here and hear about people who populated these buildings. The tour will be led by Preservation Worcester docent Elizabeth Mullaney
Limit 25
Reservations Required at info@preservationworcester.org
Visit Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook
May 1- 8
Trails Open Daily Dawn to Dusk
414 Massasoit Road
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Enjoy nature in the city in Jane Jacob’s honor and tradition! Mass Audubon welcomes you to Worcester’s very own Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary with 435 acres and more than 5 miles of well-marked walking paths right in the heart of the city. Take the WRTA Route 5 bus fare-free from downtown to our bus stop located at the visitor center. During Jane Week all visitors who mention Jane Week will receive free nature hero buttons and passbooks plus 10% off in the gift shop/bookstore.