Explore and learn about the many historic points of interest along the Blackstone Canal route. Opened in 1828 with the arrival of the horse drawn barge the “Lady Carrington,” from the Port of Providence, the Canal transformed Worcester from a sleepy shire town into a thriving City. Along its banks emerged a vibrant economic community distributing goods throughout New England and creating a transportation connection with the Atlantic Ocean. The Tour narrative will describe these sites and their connections to many of Worcester’s great institutions and industries. Did you know that Norton’s was founded on the purchase of an inventor’s idea at a Pottery on Water Street? That the industry around the Blackstone Canal is commonly viewed as the cornerstone of the American Industrial Revolution? Along the route interpreters will portray characters of Worcester’s past. These characters will bring to life Worcester’s history and a feel for what life was like in the early Nineteenth Century. The Tours are funded by a Grant from the John H. Chaffee National Heritage Corridor Commission. A Grant match from the Canal District Alliance, Inc., Worcester and support from the Canal District Business Association and financial sponsorships from many Canal District Businesses in partnership with the Worcester Public Schools Culture Leap Inc., This is MyCity Program, South High School, Worcester.