Slater Park, Pawtucket: the complete guide

On this page: Overview · History · Attractions · Seasonal events · Haunted Tunnel · What to know

Overview and location

Slater Memorial Park — almost everyone just says Slater Park — is the oldest and largest public park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The City of Pawtucket describes it as an estimated 200-acre, Olmsted-designed park; the National Register nomination puts it at 197 acres. It sits on the banks of the Ten Mile River on the city's east side, near the East Providence line.

The city lists two vehicle entrances: Newport Avenue and Armistice Boulevard. The Looff Carousel and the Daggett House use the address 825 Armistice Blvd, Pawtucket, RI 02861, and event listings for the Haunted Tunnel give Daggett Farm's address as 401 Daggett Avenue. The park is named for Samuel Slater, the industrialist whose 1793 mill on the Blackstone River made Pawtucket the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution (see our Pawtucket history page).

Slater Park has been on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district since June 30, 1976 (NRHP #76000004).

History of Slater Park

From the Daggett farm to a city park (1894–1917)

Most of the land was the old Daggett farm, which the city bought in 1894. It was not much of a park at first. A 1912 Providence Journal article, quoted in the park's history, called the tract “part swamp and part remains of a wornout farm,” with less than a quarter of it open to the public. In 1894 the only road on the farm ran in a straight line from Armistice Boulevard (then Brook Street) to the Daggett House.

Real work started in the early 1900s. Crews cleared the swamp growth, dug the low ground out into ponds, kept the established pines and maples, and planted hundreds of oak and pine saplings. They built winding carriage drives and paths along the river bank, around the ponds, and over a pair of bridges to an island in the Ten Mile River. The result is the mix of open lawn and woods you see today. City Engineer George Carpenter, Park Commission president James C. Potter, and the first Park Superintendent, George Saunders, directed most of this early work.

Between 1909 and 1917 the city added a boathouse, a stuccoed shelter south of the central pond, and in 1917 both the Potter Casino (a Colonial Revival “rest house” on the pond, a gift of James C. Potter) and a domed, ten-column bandstand. John C. Olmsted, nephew and former partner of Frederick Law Olmsted, was consulted on where to put the bandstand and how to lay out the paths to it.

Gardens and the 1930s

The National Register nomination describes two moated gardens on the ponds. One is a Shakespearean Garden, planted with each of the 68 plant varieties mentioned in Shakespeare's works. Pawtucket Rotarians sponsored it as part of an International Friendship Program, and it was finished in 1935. The other is a Sunken Garden near the Armistice Boulevard entrance. Both gardens declined over the years and were restored beginning in 1975. Today the city lists the Friendship Gardens nature preserve and Marconi Gardens (used for weddings) among the park's features.

The Slater Park Zoo

Early on, a small collection of animals was kept across from the Daggett House. In 1916 it held only pigeons, rabbits, and deer in a fenced run. The zoo grew over time but ran into money trouble. Pawtucket's council voted to shut it in 1993 (reported by The Boston Globe), and much of it closed in the 1990s. Many of the old enclosures still stand, and that area is now Daggett Farm.

Attractions inside the park

The Looff Carousel (1895)

The park's best-known landmark is a carousel built in 1895 by master carver Charles I. D. Looff. The Library of Congress says it first ran at Lee Funland in upstate New York and moved to Slater Park in 1910. That year the city leased a lot near the Daggett House to Providence carousel operator John Walker, who had the ride running by July. The city calls it the oldest “Looff stander” carousel in the world and one of six carousels that have stayed in the same building for more than 100 years. The Library of Congress counts 44 standing horses, 6 menagerie animals, and 2 chariots, plus a military band organ.

The carousel runs seasonally. We don't publish hours or ride prices here because they change. Check the Looff Carousel website or the city before you go.

The Daggett House (c. 1685)

The Daggett House is traditionally dated to 1685 and is called the oldest house in Pawtucket. The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission lists it as the John Daggett House at 825 Armistice Blvd. According to the National Register nomination, it was built for John Daggett Jr. and changed or added to in 1701, 1790, and 1840. The Pawtucket chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution stabilized it between 1902 and 1905. It is a plank-walled, two-and-a-half-story house with a later story-and-a-half east wing. Ask the city about open-house days, since we have not confirmed a current tour schedule.

Ponds, fishing, and the Potter Casino

The city lists a three-acre Class C fishing pond, and the Recreation Division runs a Kids Bass Bums Fishing Derby every April. The 1917 Potter Casino on the pond is home to the Rhode Island Watercolor Society gallery and is used for seasonal events such as Winter Wonderland. Check fishing license rules with RI DEM before you fish.

Daggett Farm

Daggett Farm stands where the old zoo enclosures were. The city lists it as a park feature, and each October it hosts the Haunted Tunnel (below).

Pawtucket Dog Park

The Pawtucket Dog Park is inside Slater Park. Every August, a Dog-a-palooza fair raises money for it. Updates appear on the Pawtucket Dog Park Facebook page, according to the city.

Playgrounds

The Slater Park Adventure Playground has a climbing wall, two space nets, swings, slides, and a tot area (city listing).

Trails and the bike path

A 2.2-mile linear bike trail runs from the Tomlinson Athletic Complex on Daggett Avenue through Slater Park to the Kimberly Rock Athletic Complex in Rumford (East Providence). There are also paths along the Ten Mile River and around the ponds. For the wider regional trail network, see our parks & outdoors guide.

Ballfields, tennis, and courts

The city lists 11 ballfields, 10 lighted tennis courts, 13 picnic sites, and a basketball court. Most of the fields are in the George Patrick Duffy Complex by the Newport Avenue entrance (with batting cages added in 2016). The Seastrom field is in the historic core off Armistice Blvd. You need a permit from Parks & Recreation to use the athletic fields.

Other features

The park also has outdoor sculptures, the Parks & Recreation administrative office (in the remodeled c. 1874 Daggett cottage), and a city animal shelter. The Cogswell Fountain stood at the Newport Avenue entrance from about 1904 until 1990, when it went back to its original spot at Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue.

Seasonal events at Slater Park

The City of Pawtucket's Recreation Division lists these yearly events. Specific dates are usually posted on the matching Facebook pages, not on the city site.

• March–November: charity walk-a-thons and 5K runs
• April: Kids Bass Bums Fishing Derby
• June: Pawtucket Open Tennis Tournament
• July–August: outdoor exercise classes, free children's and musical performances, summer camp (Pawtucket residents only), and youth tennis camp
• August: Edd Pedro Whiffleball Tournament (benefits juvenile arthritis) and Dog-a-palooza
• September: Fall festival with a RI Philharmonic concert and fireworks (tied to the Pawtucket Arts Festival)
• October: Fright Night in the Park, including the Haunted Tunnel
• December: Pawtucket's Winter Wonderland

See what's on now in events this week and the full events calendar.

The Slater Park Haunted Tunnel (Halloween)

The Haunted Tunnel is the main event of the city's October “Fright Night in the Park” and is held at Daggett Farm. Visit Rhode Island's listing for 2026 had it open Friday and Saturday evenings, October 2–31, 2026, 6:30–9 pm (weather permitting), at $10 per person, cash only, and not recommended for children under 12. The 2026 season is over.

In past years the city also ran a family-friendly “Pumpkins in the Park” display under the pavilion next to the carousel, and kept the carousel open at night (LPR News, 2021 season). Whether those return, and the exact price, can change from year to year.

2027 dates have not been announced. Check the city's Haunted Tunnel page and the “Slater Park Haunted Tunnel” Facebook page in late summer. Weather cancellations are posted there too.

What to know before you go

• Getting in: Use the Newport Ave entrance for the Duffy ballfield complex, or the Armistice Blvd entrance for the historic core (carousel, Daggett House, ponds).
• Parking: The city
• Parking: There is on-site parking along the park drives. We have not found official rules on lot capacity or fees, so expect it to fill up during big events.
apos;s parks page does not publish parking rules, lot capacity, or fees. Plan for crowds at big events and check event pages for parking notes.
• Hours: The city does not post general park hours on its parks page. The Recreation Office (next to the Daggett House and tennis courts) is open Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–4:30 pm. Carousel and event hours are set separately.
• Accessibility: The paved drives and the linear bike trail are the easiest routes. We have not confirmed accessibility details for the carousel or historic buildings, so call the city first if you need them.
• Contact: City of Pawtucket, (401) 728-0500. For permits and events, ask for Parks & Recreation.
• Cash: City-run Halloween attractions have taken cash only.

More nearby: things to do in Pawtucket · Slater Mill & Pawtucket history · where to eat.