Looking for a fun and meaningful outing in Central Massachusetts? A self-guided Worcester, MA street art tour might be just the thing. This post will help you discover some of the city’s most vibrant murals, perfect for a day out with kids, grandkids, signicant other, BFF or even on your own. It’s affordable, enriching and turns the city into a living gallery.

Art speaks to everyone differently, and that’s part of its magic. When shared in a relaxed, playful way, it becomes especially powerful for kids. On a recent adventure through downtown Worcester with my husband and three grandkids, we explored the city’s vibrant street art scene and found joy in discovering the stories they tell, and we all had a great time together connecting through creativity.

Introduce the Meaning of Art

If you’re planning your tour with your favorite little people, I suggest before diving into the city’s colorful mural district to spent some time talking about what art means to them. Below are the answers from my grandkids, ages 8 to 11, that I found to be thoughtful and insightful:

• Something I draw
• Music
• A photograph
• Something you see in a museum
• Painting you hang on the wall
• Nature, like a rainbow or the ocean
• A special cooked meal

We talked about mural art and how large-scale paintings can transform ordinary building walls into striking urban canvases. Unlike works housed in museums, these murals are out in the open, woven into the daily rhythm of city life, accessible to everyone and easy to overlook despite their powerful presence.

To make our art adventure extra fun, we turned it into a kind of scavenger hunt. Since it was a cold, rainy early spring day, we did most of the tour by car, but we still made time to stop, hop out, take photos and talk about what we saw.

Fun Prompts for Kids’ Viewing Street Art

Before starting, I gave the kids some basic guidelines to think about when viewing the street art:  

• What’s the first thing you notice?
• Look at the colors, shapes or patterns: What makes it cool to you?
• What do you think of the people or characters?
• Can you spot anything hidden, like symbols or animals?
• Does it tell a story to you?
• Why do you think it’s located here?
• What does it make you think or feel?

About a week before our adventure, my husband and I explored the area to map out a loose route. If you visit the main spots we highlight below, you’ll come across some incredible art installations, perfect for both conversation and photos.

A quick note about Worcester’s murals: Many of the vibrant works you’ll spot around the city were originally curated by POW! WOW! Worcester, the local branch of POW! WOW! Worldwide. In 2022, the group rebranded as World Wide Walls Worcester, to continuing its mission.

Murals in Main South Area

We started out on Main South (Route 9/Main Street) heading toward downtown, turning right onto Jackson Street.

40 Jackson Street – The neon smokestack on the Ivy Corset Building by Adam Fujita, from Brooklyn, NY, is bold and colorful. Pictured below, left: the grandkids raised their hands to show height of the towering mural. Right, meet my grandkid, Lily, Joe and Matteo, who are pictured with me!

41 Jackson Street – “From the Mountaintops” by Jason Naylor, Brooklyn, NY, is also pictured on the top of this post. While here, take a moment to soak up the bright rainbow of colors and ponder over the numerous motifs in this mural like the section of the mural below.

7 Jackson Street – A playful mural featuring Marge Simpson and SpongeBob is best accessed from the Mekong Market parking lot at 747 Main Street.

Next, we cruised by Jacob Hiatt Magnet School, 772 Main Street to take in views of several murals. To get a close-up look and snap some photos, park at the YMCA, 766 Main Street, and walk around to the back of the school.

Murals Located in Downtown Area

As you head to downtown area, check out the murals on the parking garage (across from the Hanover Theatre), and then right onto Franklin Street. You’ll come across several in this area as you head toward the Worcester Public Library and YWCA.

Next, check out the backside of the Hanover Theatre to take in two huge wall murals. Below: “Mooncake” by Greek artist Insane51 uses 3D effects; he uses blue for the outer body, red for the skeleton underneath. Next time, we’re bringing 3D glasses! Below: See how tiny in size the kids are in comparison to this mammouth mural.

An unknown actress mural on another wall of the Hanover Theatre is painted by Damien Mitchell of NYC. Note how the large diamond ring is incorporated into the image.

Along Main Street, keep an eye out for murals on two well-known Worcester buildings. Below “Block Player” is featured on the Denholm Building; it was painted in 2014 by Cambridge-based Caleb Neelon.

On the backside of the Palladium, “Have a Rice Day,” 261 Main Street, pays homage to Worcester’s Harvey Ball’s smiley face. It was painted in 2018 by artist OG Slick, who also painted another smiley-face mural in Kobe, Japan.

Wrapping Up with Pizza and Photos

We ended our art adventure on a delicious note with a visit to a Worcester institution, the Wonder Bar, 121 Shrewsbury Street, for some well-earned pizza and photos in front of their fun pizza-themed wall art. My husband, Pat, is flanked by grandkids Lily and her cousin Matteo for the last photo on our tour!

Final Thoughts on Worcester Street Art

This outing was a perfect example of how art doesn’t have to be inside a museum to be meaningful. Exploring public art together sparked meaningful conversations and gave the grandkids a whole new perspective on how art exists in everyday places. Our drive-through version of the mural tour was just the beginning. Next time, we’ll walk the route on a warm day, soak up even more details, take more selfies and maybe bring sketchbooks along.

If you’re looking for a creative way to connect with kids or grandkids, consider taking them on an art hunt in your local area. You might be surprised by what they see, and what you discover together to see the world with fresh eyes.

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