Worcester and Central Massachusetts
The UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, but our care team is proud to help people living with diabetes who visit us from throughout New England, and some even travel from throughout the country. Our research team includes top scientists from all over the world. Below is a helpful resource guide for our area.
Restaurants
Worcester offers a wide variety of dining options. The second largest city in Massachusetts is home to some of the area's best restaurants. View a list of restaurants in Worcester and throughout Central Massachusetts.
Entertainment
Central Massachusetts has an eclectic music, arts and entertainment scene. The DCU Center is Worcester's arena and convention center complex located downtown. The facility hosts concerts, family shows and sporting events, including Worcester Railers professional hockey. Baseball fans can watch the Boston Red Sox AAA affiliate, the Worcester Red Sox, in the Canal District.
The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts is a 2,300-seat theatre that brings Broadway, world-class musicians, comedians, and family shows to downtown Worcester.
Another venue in downtown Worcester is the nation's finest pre-Civil War concert hall, Mechanics Hall. Recent performances include classical, jazz, The Boston Pops and world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
The Worcester County Light Opera Company produces a diverse range of theatre works, spanning comedy to tragedy and contemporary to classical genres.
The Seven Hills Symphony provides free performances to the UMass Chan community throughout the year.
Attractions
Worcester Art Museum is home to over 38,000 pieces dating from 3,000 B.C. to the present day, and represents cultures from all over the world. Highlights include a Medieval Chapter House, the Worcester Hunt Mosaic, and the Flemish Last Judgment tapestry. WAM is also home to the John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection, comprising two thousand arms and armor objects.
Another local gem is the Museum of Russian Icons located in nearby Clinton, MA. Housed in a 150 year old former mill building, it holds one of the largest private collections of Russian icons and artifacts outside of Russia, and the largest in North America.
History buffs should visit Worcester's American Antiquarian Society, with an extensive collection of printed materials from pre-colonial to pre-civil War eras.
The Ecotarium Nature & Science Museum, Southwick's Zoo, Wachusett Mountain Ski Area and Old Sturbridge Village are some other fantastic attractions throughout Central Massachusetts. There are also rail trails for cycling/walking/running, hiking trails, golfing, parks, and more.