Overview
Attleboro is a city of 46,000 people (2020) in Massachusetts on the border with Rhode Island. It has several museums, a major Catholic shrine, and a steampunk festival.
5 sights · 5 things to do · 4 places to eat · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Attleboro
Attleboro Area Industrial Museum
Collects and preserves historical information and artifacts related to Attleboro’s industrial times. Open to the public as a resource center. Take a look at several replicas of industrial workplaces.
Attleboro Arts Museum
The Attleboro Arts Museum is downtown just across from city hall. It's one of the largest art galleries between Boston and Providence; displaying a wide range of visual and performing arts.
Capron Park Zoo
Capron Park Zoo provides a habitat for wildlife from all around the world. Walk through the rain forest and make your way to the home of black and white ruffed lemurs, and end your trip by the bear den.
National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette
This popular attraction is composed of a church, monastery, and a place to rest and relax. It's a peaceful place that links the values of ecumenism, peace, and justice. Placed in a 10-acre ground is La Salette’s shrine, …
Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary
A short distance from downtown, Oak Knoll features woodlands that are welcoming throughout the year. Be on the lookout for cottontail rabbits, red-winged blackbirds, yellow-rumped warblers, downy woodpeckers, and foxes. …
The Attleboro Recreation Department
provides a place where individuals can participate in a wide selection of activities including boxing and volleyball.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 84°F; winter lows dip to about 22°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Mar and Dec. (climate data from nearby Providence)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- PVD Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport, Providence/Warwick — 17 mi away (major hub). Directions
- EWB New Bedford Regional Airport, New Bedford — 25 mi away. Directions
Attleboro is about 10 miles (16 km) west of Taunton, the same distance to Providence, 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Fall River, and 39 miles (63 km) south of Boston.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Typical meal: about $20 per person at listed restaurants.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Attleboro Area Industrial Museum, Capron Park Zoo, Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary
- Lunch Tex Barry's Coney Island Diner
- Afternoon Fred E. Briggs Memorial Swimming Pool, William Liddel Memorial Swimming Pool
- Dinner Papagallo Restaurant
Day 2
- Morning Attleboro Arts Museum, National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, The Attleboro Recreation Department
- Lunch Briggs Corner Pizzeria
- Afternoon Twin Village Swimming Pool, Jewelry City Steampunk Festival
- Dinner Chub's Blue Pig BBQ
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Understand
History
Attleboro used to be called the “Jewelry Capital of the World” because of the presence of numerous jewelry manufacturers. It was founded in 1634 under the name of Attleborough, after the English town of the same name where the founders had lived.
Cumberland (Rhode Island) and North Attleborough were part of Attleborough until the voted in a referendum in 1884 to separate. The town was renamed Attleboro in 1914.
Get in
Attleboro is about 10 miles (16 km) west of Taunton, the same distance to Providence, 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Fall River, and 39 miles (63 km) south of Boston.
By car
Interstate 95
Get around
By bus
Go GATRA (Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority)
GATRA central offers about a half-dozen or so routes stitching together North and South Attleborough with Plainville and points between. The routes join various bus stations and parking lots with town centers, and will require some planning to make use of. One bus per hour from 6AM-6PM.
See
Museums
Parks and outdoors
See National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette (La Salette)
This popular attraction is composed of a church, monastery, and a place to rest and relax. It's a peaceful place that links the values of ecumenism, peace, and justice. Placed in a 10-acre ground is La Salette’s shrine, accompanied by a view of 350,000 lights spread across the 10 acres. It hosts events such as the Christmas festival of lights that runs from Thanksgiving day to January 2nd, healing service events, and recovery programs.
See Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon)
A short distance from downtown, Oak Knoll features woodlands that are welcoming throughout the year. Be on the lookout for cottontail rabbits, red-winged blackbirds, yellow-rumped warblers, downy woodpeckers, and foxes. Salamanders and frogs are among the species you’ll see in the sanctuary’s vernal pool. If you’d prefer a guided tour, the staff lead nature walks throughout the year. The nearby Attleboro Springs Wildlife Sanctuary features an all accessible trail.
Do
Activities
- Swimming The Recreation Department provides their services to three city-owned pools that are open to go to:
Do Fred E. Briggs Memorial Swimming Pool
Do Twin Village Swimming Pool
Do William Liddel Memorial Swimming Pool
Events
Eat
Budget
Eat Tex Barry's Coney Island Diner
Classic hot dog stand in an old diner car.
Mid-range
Eat Papagallo Restaurant
Eclectic Iberian menu with an emphasis on seafood. Sangria made in-house.
Eat Briggs Corner Pizzeria
Casual neighborhood sit-down joint offering thin crust pizzas and other comfort foods.
Eat Chub's Blue Pig BBQ
High quality smoked meats. Get there early, when the food runs out they're closed for the day.
Sleep
Stay The Colonel Blackinton Inn
Built in the mid-19th century, the inn provides 9 guest rooms. Some rooms with shared bathrooms, and many have scenic river overlooks. The inn also functions as a tavern serving dinner. It's closed Tuesdays, but Brunch is available on Sunday from 11AM. You’ll find live music out on the sunny garden terrace during the warmer months.
Nearby
North Attleborough
City / town · 20 listings · 4 mi away
Central Falls
City / town · 20 listings · 7 mi away
Pawtucket
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Mansfield
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Cumberland
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Lincoln
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Foxborough
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Seekonk
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