Holyoke, MA Summary

Founded in 1745 as a farming community on the Connecticut River in the Pioneer Valley, Holyoke used water power and a system of canals built between 1847 and 1849 to become a textile and paper manufacturing center for southwestern Massachusetts. It also became the country’s first planned industrial center. It was named for Captain Elizur Holyoke, who explored the area in 1633. Just north of Springfield, on I-91, the city now numbers 43,700.

Holyoke celebrates its Irish heritage with one of the largest St Patrick’s Day parades in the country. As the city where William G. Morgan invented volleyball at the local YMCA in 1895, it is home to the Volleyball Hall of Fame. Holyoke Heritage State Park has cultural and recreational programs, and includes the Children’s Museum, with interactive exhibits, performances, workshops, and a science discovery area. Mt Tom State Reservation, located north of Holyoke, offers visitors 1,800 acres on the western slope of Mt Tom, which stands 1,214 feet above the valley floor. Its precipitous ridge is forested with pine, hemlock, hardwoods, and spruce. It is open daily, dawn to dusk, and a vehicle fee is charged.