Everything You Need to Know About Wilcox Park & the Westerly Library

Wilcox Park and the Westerly Library are two of the places we always tell our guests to visit while they’re in downtown Westerly.

The park spans 15 acres right in the middle of town, filled with winding paths, mature trees, gardens, historic stone monuments, and a quiet central pond. Right across the lawn sits the library, and it’s much more than just a place to borrow a book.

It sits just a short drive from our New England bed and breakfast, making it an easy addition to a morning spent wandering around downtown shops and cafés.

The Story Behind Wilcox Park

Wilcox Park dates back to 1898, when Harriet Wilcox donated the land in memory of her late husband, Stephen Wilcox. She wanted to create a peaceful green space where people living in Westerly and Pawcatuck could easily enjoy fresh air downtown.

The original park was designed by landscape architect Warren H. Manning, a former associate of Frederick Law Olmsted (the landscape architect behind New York’s Central Park). Manning focused on framing existing trees, working with the natural slopes of the land, and preserving an open central meadow right in the middle of the grounds.

Over the years, the park expanded and added contributions from other notable landscape architects, like Arthur A. Shurcliff, who designed the park’s formal Esplanade and the octagonal Wilcox Memorial Fountain. Today, it’s a Level II Accredited Arboretum and home to seven Rhode Island Champion Trees.

There’s a special connection here for us at the inn. Warren Manning also designed the original landscape plan for Margin Street Inn. When you walk the paths at Wilcox Park and notice how naturally the walkways and trees fit together, you’re looking at the work of the same landscape architect who shaped our grounds along the river.

Walking the Park: What to Look For

You don’t need a map or a rigid plan to enjoy the park. You can pick any path and start walking, but a few specific spots are worth keeping an eye out for along the way:

The Esplanade & Fountain: Positioned directly across from the library’s main entrance, this formal stretch features symmetrical garden beds, granite details, and the Wilcox Memorial Fountain designed to match the library’s architecture. Look down as you walk; the granite Compass Rose in the center is paved with Canadian Mountain Rose stone, chosen to closely match Westerly’s famous red granite, and is set to True North.
The Arboretum: Home to 159 tree species, including a rare grove of dawn redwoods and a cherry allée, many trees feature subtle identifying tags. The library keeps a searchable online tree map if you want to look up what you’re standing under as you walk. You’ll notice the same identifying tags on the major trees around Margin Street Inn, too.
The Cottage & The Barn: Near the pond sits a charming little cottage from around 1850. It originally housed park caretakers, but it’s been restored and now serves as the residence for the library’s Artist-in-Residence. Nearby sits the historic 130-year-old park Barn, complete with its original 19th-century scrollwork corbels and attached greenhouse.
Statues & Memorials: Look for the bronze statue of The Runaway Bunny (added in 1998 and inspired by Margaret Wise Brown’s classic children’s book), along with the World War Memorial and the Westerly Granite Industry Monument.

The Gardens

Along with the canopy trees, the park features a few distinct garden sections that change throughout the seasons:

The Dahlia Garden: Re-established in 2019, this garden connects back to Westerly’s history with the flower. Westerly native George L. Stillman helped establish the American Dahlia Society in 1914 and went on to develop hundreds of unique hybrid varieties. The blooms are especially fun to see from mid-summer straight into fall.
The Pollinator & Rain Gardens: Planted with native perennials, the Pollinator Garden is always busy with bees and butterflies, while the Rain Garden features a stone dry riverbed surrounding a centerpiece bald cypress tree, showcasing natural stormwater management in action.
Guided Walking Tours: If you want a deeper dive into the history and plants, the library offers guided Walking Tours of Wilcox Park on the fourth Saturday of the month throughout the summer and fall. Self-guided tour brochures are also available inside the library year-round.

Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Step Inside Westerly Library

Once you’ve walked the grounds, head up the grand entrance steps into the Westerly library. Architects Longstaff & Hurd designed the building in the Romanesque Revival style with warm yellow brick, a distinctive red clay tile roof, and intricate stonework crafted from local pink Westerly granite.

When Stephen Wilcox established it in 1894 as a living memorial to Civil War veterans, it opened with 5,000 books alongside a bowling alley, a gymnasium, an art gallery, and meeting space. While the bowling alley is long gone, the carefully preserved historic details like soaring ceilings, grand archways, warm wood paneling, and sweeping views of Wilcox Park make a walk through the halls well worth the visit.

Pick up a historical book about the Rhode Island coast, grab a novel before an afternoon at the beach, or just sit by a window overlooking the gardens.

What You’ll Find Inside:

Historical Dahlia Collection: Upstairs in the library’s historical collection, you can page through original, beautifully illustrated seed catalogs from George Stillman’s 1910s Westerly dahlia farm.
The Hoxie Gallery: Also located on the upper floor, this public gallery features rotating exhibits showcasing fine art, photography, and mixed media from local and regional artists.
The Pop-Up at Coy: Positioned right inside the main entrance, this rotating retail space gives local artisans, makers, and small businesses a spot to feature handmade goods throughout the year.
Weekly Gatherings: The library’s calendar is full of community events ranging from QiGong and wellness classes to writing groups, craft circles, lectures, and author talks.
Artist-in-Residence Program: The library’s Artist-in-Residence program gives artists a place to work in the park’s historic cottage, with opportunities throughout the year for the public to connect with visiting artists through workshops, talks, and other programs.

Seasonal & Annual Events at Wilcox Park

Wilcox Park’s calendar changes with the seasons, and some of Westerly’s biggest community events take place right here.

Spring & Summer: The park hosts the annual Virtu Art Festival (a popular regional outdoor arts showcase) and the Garden Market Fair, along with summer concerts by the historic Westerly Band and music events like the Next Up Music Festival.
Fall & Winter: Autumn brings the Pumpkin Stroll, where carved jack-o’-lanterns light up the park paths, followed later in the season by some of our favorite holiday events like the annual Tree Lighting and the Gingerbread Contest Village.

Pairing Your Visit with Your Stay

After breakfast at the inn, head downtown for a coffee and spend a couple of hours wandering through Wilcox Park and the library.

Pick up a good book while you’re there, bring it back to the inn, and spend the rest of the afternoon reading on the sun porch or relaxing down by the river.

It’s an easy way to fill a morning without getting back in the car, and you can still leave plenty of time for lunch, shopping, or the beach later in the day.

Plan your stay at Margin Street Inn and let us know how we can help you map out your time in Westerly!