Worcester Mass.: Knights, Castles, and Louis Lane

Where can you see a knight’s armor and visit a castle in Massachusetts you say, well Worcester.

Bancroft Tower

Ok, let’s start with the castle. The Bancroft Tower can be found in Salisbury Park and is open to public tours every Sunday in October from 10 a.m. To 2 p.m. It has limited hours to see the inside, but you can walk around and admire it from sunrise to sunset.

The tower was built in memory of George Bancroft who was once the U.S. Secretary of the Navy and established the U.S. Naval Academy. Railroad baron Stephen Salisbury II who supplied the funding for the castle was a childhood friend of Bancroft. The castle stands 56 feet tall and was constructed with cobblestones and large rocks and stands as a medieval monument in Worcester.

We were lucky enough to be in the Boston area visiting family in October and I noticed that the tower was open for tours from a notice in the paper. My son enjoyed roaming the small rooms and going up the stone stairs in the miniature castle. We went to the top and looked out and saw the surrounding forested hills, and imagined ancient medieval battles. It was a quick moment of fun as a family.

Worcester Art Musem

Next, we headed to the Worcester Art Museum. The city of Worcester was once home to the Higgins Armory Museum, which closed. Yet, it was brought back to life in the Worcester Art Museum. Where now you can see again a medieval and Renaissance armor throughout the museum. One unique helmet is in the form of a sea conch shell from the 16^th century. Imagine being a gladiator when you see a helmet from those times. The collection even includes a Japanese breastplate with two side plates that are hinged. The Yukinoshita-style armor has an embossed design with a dragon. It was made in the 18^th century using copper alloy, gold lacquer, and silk cord.

Along with the armor, you can find shields and swords. A Kalkan is a one-handed Turkish shield from the 18^th century. See a bejeweled small sword from 1700s England. Guns are even on display. You can even see a wheel-lock carbine gun that was made for the personal guard of Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, Prince-Bishop of Salzburg (1587-1611). When we were there they even had a Batman costume and a Batarang on display.

Details on Visiting Worcester Art Museum:

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday: 10 am – 4 pm and the Third Thursday of every month: 10 am – 8 pm. Admission: Adults $16, Seniors $14, children aged 4-17 $6, and ages 3 and under free. Free admission to all visitors on the first Sunday of the Month: 10 am to 4 pm.

We ended our time in Worcester by having dinner at Boulevard Diner. This was an old-time diner that made you feel like you stepped back in time. Yummy burgers, hotdogs, and sodas ended our day.

Quirky Note

A comic book shop, That’s Entertainment, in town petitioned the city to change the name of a street next to the store from Marmon Place to Lois Lane, the name of Superman’s girlfriend in the comics. So you can see the only street specifically named after her in Worcester!