Discover Auburn

Auburn brings together a clearly measured trail and a range of themes related to history and recreation. The Pakachoag Hiking Trail runs alongside the Worcester Flood Diversion Channel; Goddard Park features a facsimile of Dr. Goddard’s rocket and a dam dedicated in someone’s memory. There is also an exhibit about Jeffrey Lynn at the Auburn Historical Museum and a recreation complex that can host activities for different age groups. This makes it easy to consider Auburn in terms of the themes you want to shape your stay: exercise, remembrance, or culture and recreation.

The Pakachoag Hiking Trail

The Pakachoag Hiking Trail runs 4,624 feet (7/8 mile) southeast alongside the Worcester Flood Diversion Channel. This section is almost entirely downhill. Two picnic tables mark its end; from there, the same trail leads northwest uphill again. The total out-and-back distance is 9,248 feet (1.75 miles).

When planning the route, keep the two figures distinct: 4,624 feet is the section leading to the tables, while 9,248 feet is the full out-and-back distance. The turnaround point is marked by the picnic tables, and the return follows the same trail rather than a second route. If you are considering Auburn because of the trail, you can take both the total distance and the change from mostly downhill to uphill into account.

Goddard’s Rocket and Local Remembrance

The rocket-related sites have two distinct points of reference. Goddard Park features a facsimile of the original rocket that Dr. Goddard launched from Pakachaog Hill. The launch site itself is halfway between the tee and the green of the ninth fairway at Pakachoag Golf Course. One site is the facsimile, while the other is the precise location of the launch site—two distinct ways to explore Auburn’s connection to rockets.

Goddard Park also has a dam dedicated to Captain Patrick Foley, the only Auburn firefighter to die in the line of duty. The dedication adds the remembrance of a specifically named firefighter and his service to the park’s connection to rockets.

Recreation and Culture

The Dr. Arthur & Dr. Martha Pappas Recreation Complex can host youth sports, family recreation, and cultural events for all ages. Unlike a single exhibit or memorial site, its focus is on the range of possible uses: athletic activities for young people, recreation for families, and cultural offerings for audiences of all ages. This helps you consider the complex as another facet of Auburn if you are interested in recreation and culture as well as history.

The Auburn Historical Museum features an exhibit about Jeffrey Lynn, an actor described as Auburn’s own movie star. If you are more interested in acting and film than in rocket or firefighting history, this offers another specific connection to Auburn.

Discover more destinations: Southborough, Millbury, Worcester, Shrewsbury, Athol, Harvard, Sturbridge, Leicester

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