There are many reasons to visit Chicopee. Chicopee’s many parks, both state and local, provide visitors with opportunities for swimming, hiking, and picnicking. For the sports-minded, there are opportunities to enjoy regional and state-level baseball and soccer tournaments. If your interest is history, Chicopee has identified more than a thousand historic buildings and sites, some of which are listed in the National Register. Scholars are drawn annually to the Edward Bellamy house. Special concentrations of buildings are honored in four historic districts located within two miles of one another. A weekend air show hosted by Westover Air Reserve Base entices more than 500,000 thrill-seekers who enjoy vintage and modern aircraft as well as daredevil flyers and parachute jumpers representing some of the military’s elite forces.

Chicopee Country Club is touted as one of the best municipal golf courses in the country by Golf Digest and USA Today. Owned and operated by the City, the Chicopee Country Club is a challenging 18-hole public golf course.

Ash Park is an example of one of the city’s many beautiful playgrounds. A harmonious balance between business, education, transportation, recreation and community services makes Chicopee a great place to raise a family and to locate a business.

Szot Park is located off Front Street and is the largest park in the city at about 70 acres. It is Chicopee’s signature park. Some of the park’s amenities include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, the Veteran’s Memorial Fountain, and a 90’ major league baseball field. The park is host to several events throughout the year, including the City’s Independence Day celebration that culminates in a spectacular fireworks display. Other events that take place at the park are the Western Massachusetts Baseball and Softball Championships, Western Massachusetts Boys and Girls Soccer Championships, the State Semi-final Games, and the Make A Wish Game; a softball contest between the local ABC TV affiliate and ABC soap stars. The University of Massachusetts, the Westfield State College Men’s Soccer teams and Major League Baseball tryout clinics also use the park.

Chicopee State Park is a 575-acre oasis of woodlands, lakes and streams operated by the State Department of Environmental Management.

Salmon and shad were among the area’s first commercial ventures. Each spring the abundance of shad still brings hundreds of enthusiastic fishermen to try their luck in the Chicopee River.

The Connecticut River was designated as an American Heritage River by President Bill Clinton in 1998. It flows 400 miles from northern Vermont to Long Island Sound. Chicopee is fortunate to have such a spectacular river for its entire western border. The river provides outstanding views and unique opportunities for redevelopment of former industrial sites.

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