A Tourism Revolution has erupted in North Central Massachusetts • Visit North Central

A “Tourism Revolution” has erupted in

North Central Massachusetts

Many of the state’s most popular tourist attractions and towns are right here in North Central Massachusetts, a region known for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Wachusett Mountain Ski Area has grown into one of New England’s premier ski resorts.
Newer attractions like Great Wolf New England, Davis Farmland & Mega Maze and Groton Hill Music Center attract thousands of visitors to the region each year.
Tourism has become a major economic engine for the region.
The Johnny Appleseed Visitors Center on Route 2 in Lancaster welcomes more than 165,000 visitors to the region each year. It opened in 1997 in partnership with Mass Highway. Its opening was a product of the Chamber’s economic development master plan launched in 1991 and has become a model for visitor information centers across the Commonwealth.
The region’s numerous walking, hiking, and bike trails offer amazing views of the leaves in Fall as well as all year long.
More recently North Central Mass has also become home to some of the state’s most popular amateur sports venues.
Since its founding in 1994, Visit North Central Massachusetts has successfully branded the region and grown tourism’s economic impact. The industry expanded dramatically from 2004 to 2023: jobs increased from 286 to over 4,300, while wages grew from $2 million to $117.3 million. Tourism’s economic footprint also surged—from $14.3 million in visitor spending in 2004 to over $496.9 million in direct visitor spending and $8.2 million in local tax revenues by 2023.