Explore the historic Water Shops at the Springfield Armory, with Springfield Armory tour guide Carl Steele. This tour will be to view the outside of the building only at 1 Allen Street.

Join us for a walking tour of the historic Water Shops at the Springfield Armory, with Springfield Armory National Historic Site staff member and tour guide Carl Steele. Learn about the unique architecture around the green and what the buildings were used for when the Armory was in operation. This is a free tour, but please sign up here. Sign up through this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/water-shops-at-the-springfield-armory-a-historical-architecture-tour-tickets-1985865511202?aff=erellivmlt

Car pooling is highly encouraged. Park your car at Ruth Elizabeth Park, park at Elias Brooking School, or park on the street. Then walk over to the Waterships at 1 Allen Street.

Second Saturday Tours explore historic Springfield. The series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and Springfield Libraries—and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council. This specific tour, offered for free, is made possible through funding provided by the American Alliance of Museums and National Park Service.

About the Water Shops

The U.S. federal government built the Water Shops facility between 1857 and 1940 for heavy manufacturing for the Armory Hill Shops on State Street. The large facility closed in 1968 and was sold to private ownership. The front of the complex was severely damaged by fire in the late 1980s and its upper floors were removed. The complex was also damaged by the 2011 tornado. Marginally in use, the buildings continue to deteriorate.

About the Springfield Preservation Trust

Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve and protect properties in Springfield that have architectural or historic significance. As the only non-profit, non-government advocacy group for historic preservation in Springfield, the Trust will continue to be the voice of preservation into the future. Learn more at springfieldpreservation.org.