John W. Higgins Armory — Attraction in Worcester

I hosted a Sweet 16 there a few months ago. This place is so beautiful. There are gorgeous, vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, and very much fits a fairytale castle theme. I used to bring my kids there when the museum was open years ago, and we had so many fun memories. The price is reasonable once you’re shopping around and comparing different venues. Keep in mind that they only offer the venue space. You will have to bring everything in, and everything out. Accommodate that into your planning since you’ll need extra set up time and breakdown time, unless you have professional vendor(s) helping you.

Unfortunately, there were many more negatives than positives. The management company was terrible to deal with. I mostly spoke with Joe, the Property Manager, and he was consistently rude throughout the process. The man does not know how to talk to people.

The contract charges a $2500 rental fee, a $500 refundable cleaning fee, and stipulates that if you need extra setup or break down time, you’ll be charged $100 per hour. All sounded great and fair. As we moved closer to the event date, and I asked about extra set up time, he felt it necessary to lecture me. MORE THAN ONCE. He didn’t understand why I needed extra set up time, why I would even throw such a big party for my daughter, and that I needed to re-read my contract, because if I took advantage and went past my time or tried to sneak in early, there would be consequences. I was paying this business thousands of dollars and he felt the need to treat me like a criminal and a child. He also decided to charge me $200/hour for extra time, instead of what was in the contract of $100/hour. And when I pushed back, he was volatile again. It was a helpless and hopeless situation since the event was then around the corner.

I am a mediator in my work and home life. I hate conflict and avoid it whenever necessary. I am a lover, not a fighter. And this man tested me often where I had to tell myself to be calm & professional, since he clearly did not know how. It got to a point that I got anxiety whenever I had to call him. I had to remind him kindly that I’m not a professional party planner, and that if I had to set up tables & chairs for 120 people, I had no idea how long it would take, so I’d rather be cautious and pay for extra time, especially since he kept saying that I better not go over my contracted time.

On top of Joe being disrespectful and repeatedly condescending, the place is disorganized. He changed his mind more than once. Sometimes he thought I was renting a different venue in a different state (confused me with someone else). He also promised that I could set up the night before the event, then changed his mind, and called me back to lecture me again. There was so much back and forth on just a handful of extra hours, I felt I was going crazy. Not to mention I'm paying for it. You'd think I was asking him to sacrifice his firstborn. I went to the venue twice prior to the actual event date, and both times the maintenance person wasn’t there when he said he would be. The maintenance guy was nice, but the process was frustrating, since no one works there, and the property management company is all the way in NH. The day of the event, he was also late to let us in. The AC also wasn’t working, and several of the lights stopped working because there had been some flooding. No one mentioned this until I asked. The place wasn’t immaculate either. Floors are dusty, and we definitely cleaned the place up better than how we’d found it. Luckily the floors were dark, so it wasn’t super noticeable. The $500 refundable cleaning fee is promised two weeks after the event, and I didn’t receive my check for two months. After I inquired three times about it.

The Gist: BEAUTIFUL medieval venue. Great price. Tiny elevator (which matters when you have 100+ guests on the 3rd floor and restrooms are only on the 1st and 2nd floor). And sadly, horrible, disorganized...

I have not been to Higgins Armory in a very long time, but the purpose of my review is to refute the assertion by a previous reviewer that the museum is closed.

According to their press release, they intend to maintain their advertised operating hours until December 31, 2013

My reviews are based on my best recollection of many visits here. Growing up in the Worcester area, Higgins Armory was a school field trip staple, and despite many visits, it has never lost its appeal. I returned as an adult many years later, and found that the facility had only improved since my school days. I will be sad to see it go, and I intend to return with my family and, if possible, bring my Boy Scout troop...

Sadly, I’ve been trying to contact this business since December 2022. I’ve called them. I’ve emailed them and I reached out to them on social media countless times. The special effects studio that I work for has had multiple events here, and would like to continue doing so, sadly, I don’t see that being possible as they are not willing to communicate to any capacity.

We also have items stored in their basement that we cannot retain. We have props there as well as sets. I’m truly heartbroken at the lack of communication and inability to hold my events at this...