Creative Arts Network Inc. (CAN)
CAN is making news -- expanding into Rhode Island, promoting businesses, restaurants, and tourist attractions on the Fall River waterfront, and educating the community about local resources.
Click here to see the latest articles about us.
Every year, tourists from all over the country come to Fall River to visit our
unique attractions, including several that have been named the best in the USA
or that have artifacts and collections that are the world's largest of their type.
Our points of interest also include a waterfront cultural district, houses that were
stations on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War,
three parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted,
the renowned landscape architect
who created New York’s Central Park, and an 80% scale size replica of the famed
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
​
​
​
​
​​​
​
​
​
​
​
​
HELP US CELEBRATE
FALL RIVER'S FAMOUS SUNSETS!
ENTER WATERFRONT AT DUSK,
CAN'S SUNSET PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST!
CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
​ Celebrating ten years of leadership as arts, culture, and tourism advocates
in Fall River and Rhode Island 2014 - 2024
Come see what makes Fall River a great destination!
Fall River is proud of our distinctive historical attractions, which date back to the American Revolution era. Our attractions feature several "world's largest" artifacts and collections that are truly unique.
​
Delve into the heart of our city's vibrant culture on the waterfront. From art to music to culinary delights, there's something for everyone to enjoy -- boating, parks, recreation, museums, exhibits, and much more.
Enjoy our extensive
selection of
fine restaurants, casual dining, cafes, breweries and bakeries. Sample
cuisines including
Portuguese. Chinese,
Italian, Mexican, Indian, among others.
​
​
Looking for a place to stay overnight? Our website has helpful guidance. From hotels to bed and breakfasts, we've got information you need to plan your visit. Click on the link for details.
Discover CAN's Impact
Creative Arts Network Inc. (CAN), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit formerly known as AHA Fall River, plays two important roles in Fall River. Since 2014, we've been working to create a vibrant arts and culture community that encourages tourism and economic development. We also manage Fall River Waterfront Cultural District, the city's major hub of cultural, economic, and social activity.
​​
CAN has hosted hundreds of cultural and educational events in Fall River, including a 2012 tourism summit, Renewing Our Commitment to Tourism, and a 2023 Cultural Tourism Conference. We've collaborated on projects with organizations including Bristol Community College, the City of Fall River, DCR Fall River Heritage State Park, Lafayette Durfee House, Mass DOT, Mass Coastal Rail, People Inc., and many others.
In 2018, as part of our tourism plan, CAN initiated Hortensia, the Hydrangea Project, an on-going beautification program in downtown Fall River and on the waterfront. We've planted hundreds of hydrangeas and installed and filled urns throughout the city, enhancing Fall River’s visual appeal immeasurably.
​
Six Popular Tourist Attractions To Visit in Fall River
Battleship Cove, also known as America's Fleet Museum, attracts visitors from around the world.
"Best Museum Ship in the Country" -- USA Today
A distinguished nonprofit war memorial and historic military museum, Battleship Cove has been preserving New England and U.S. military heritage since 1965 and was named the best of its kind in 2025 by USA Today. Featuring the world’s largest and most diverse collection of World War II-era naval vessels, it is home to five National Historic Landmarks and official veteran memorials on both the state and national levels. Visitors can enjoy overnight stays as well as day tours and special events.
Fall River Historical Society's Borden collection features rare artifacts including the hatchet alleged to be the murder weapon and the original crime scene photos.
World’s Largest
Lizzie Borden Exhibit
Housed in a grand granite French Second Empire mansion that was once a station on the Underground Railroad, Fall River Historical Society is recognized as the world's foremost repository of material about Lizzie Borden’s life and trial. Its collection includes forensic evidence such as the original crime scene photos and alleged murder weapon, trial exhibits, and a selection of Borden’s personal belongings, such as examples of her correspondence
and her gold watch.
​
​
​
​
The Lizzie Borden House, a museum and B & B, was recently named the most haunted place in Massachusetts and is frequently called one of the most haunted places in America.
The Most Haunted Place
in Massachusetts
Fall River is known worldwide for one of the most famous unsolved crimes of all time, the Borden case. Did Lizzie Borden take an axe and give her mother forty whacks? Visitors flock to the Lizzie Borden House, where Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally murdered, in search of answers to that perpetually intriguing question.
A bed & breakfast as well as a museum, the house has been named one of the most haunted places in the USA, and offers tours, ghost tours and hunts, and special events.
Stay overnight if you dare!
Click on the link to learn about Fall River's distinguished role in the Underground Railroad.
Safe Houses: Underground Railroad Stations
Fall River was an important center on the Underground Railroad, the secret network that helped slaves travel north to freedom during the Civil War era. Whether for religious or humanitarian reasons, many Fall River citizens were ardent abolitionists, and despite the risk of severe punishment, some city residents used their homes as "Safe Houses" to hide runaway slaves as they journeyed through New England. Today, five Safe Houses can still be seen in Fall River. .
​​
Located at the Maritime Museum at Battleship Cove, the exhibit features the world's largest replica of the
Titanic and a survivor's audio account.
An Acclaimed
Titanic Exhibit
Only two places in the Northeast have Titanic collections, and one of them is Fall River's Maritime Museum. The museum has "richly documented the story of the Titanic," according to The Travel, and its exhibit – one of the world’s largest -- features a 28-foot replica of the ill-fated liner, the largest replica of its type. The collection also includes an audio account of Titanic’s sinking from passenger Marjorie Newell Robb along with a variety of artifacts.
​
Adults as well as children enjoy taking a ride on the Fall River Carousel, which features 48 handpainted horses and two chariots.
A Magnificent Antique Platform Carousel
Created during America's Golden Age of Carousels, the Fall River Carousel is one of only about 200 carousels of its type still in operation in the United States. Built in the 1920s by Philadelphia Tobaggan Co. as Carousel #54, it features 48 handpainted horses, two chariots, and the rich details that make antique carousels so appealing. The Carousel is open year-round and is located at Battleship Cove in a pavilion that can be rented for birthday parties and special events.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​