Holyoke Heritage State Park

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Holyoke Heritage State Park
Holyoke Heritage State Park, Holyoke MA.jpg
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Holyoke Heritage State Park
Location in Massachusetts
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Holyoke Heritage State Park
Holyoke Heritage State Park (the United States)
Location Holyoke, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates 42°12′18″N72°36′26″W / 42.20500°N 72.60722°W / 42.20500; -72.60722
Area7 acres (2.8 ha) [1]
Elevation115 ft (35 m)
Established1986
Administered by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Website Official website OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Holyoke Heritage State Park is history-oriented state park located in the city of Holyoke, Massachusetts. [2] The park opened in 1986 [3] on the site of the William Skinner Silk Mill which was lost to fire in 1980. [4] The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Contents

Activities and amenities

A visitors center has exhibits about paper manufacturing and Holyoke's industrial and cultural past. The landscaped grounds offer picnicking and views of the city's canals and mill buildings. The Holyoke Merry-Go-Round (PTC #80), the Children's Museum at Holyoke, and the Volleyball Hall of Fame are also located in the park. [2]

The park also features its own rail line, a remnant of the former Holyoke & Westfield Railroad, and one of four tourist railroads in the Commonwealth. From 1988 to 1996 the railroad featured regular scenic tours to points outside of the city, [5] [6] however in 2005 the three Pullman cars were sold to the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, which continues to operate them with the state park's livery. [7] Today the Pioneer Valley Railroad provides annual fall foliage passenger rides from the Holyoke Heritage State Park to Westfield, as well as an annual Santa Train. [8] [9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "2012 Acreage Listing". Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Holyoke Heritage State Park". Department of Conservation and Recreation. June 29, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Annual Report: Fiscal Year 1986". Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  4. ↑ "William Skinner Silk Mill". Digital Commonwealth. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  5. ↑ "The highlight of the trip will be the grand-opening celebration of the Holyoke Heritage State Park Railroad...". The Berkshire Eagle. Pittsfield, Mass. June 16, 1988. p. 20.
  6. ↑ HDR; AECOM; Fitzgerald & Halliday; HMMH (January 2018). Massachusetts State Rail Plan (PDF) (Draft). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. p. 54.
  7. ↑ "[Owner = Holyoke Heritage State Park]". Roster of Preserved North American Electric Railway Cars. Shore Line Trolley Museum/Branford Electric Railway Association (BERA). Archived from the original on October 25, 2019.
  8. ↑ Urban, Cori (October 2, 2018). "Fall foliage train ride from Holyoke to Westfield ready to board". The Republican. Springfield, Mass. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018.
  9. ↑ Plaisance, Mike (December 1, 2017). "Santa Claus coming to Holyoke Saturday with parade, lighting of City Hall Christmas tree". The Republican. Springfield, Mass. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017.
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