There's no mistaking Western Massachusetts. There are the
eclectic communities. There's the natural beauty. There's the
seemingly endless array of fun activities. It's practically a world
unto itself, yet it's still distinctively Massachusetts.
Remarkably, it's also a part of the state with something wonderful
to offer in every one of its regions. Find family attractions in
Greater Springfield. Enjoy the rural charm of Franklin County. Let
the wonder of the Berkshires be your backdrop as you revel in
diverse culture and sophisticated entertainment. Or take in the
fall foliage along the Mohawk Trail—America's first scenic
automobile route. No matter what your interests, Western
Massachusetts is where memories are made—all throughout the
year
The Berkshires
Colleges and Universities:
| Bard College at Simon's Rock | Great Barrington |
| Berkshire Community College | Pittsfield |
| Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts | North Adams |
| Williams College | Williamstown |
Transportation:
By Train – Amtrak
serves Pittsfield on the Lake Shore Limited which runs between
Boston and Chicago.
By Bus - Peter Pan Bus
Lines offers service to Pittsfield, Lenox, Lee, Sheffield,
Stockbridge, and Williamstown
Bus Service- Berkshire Regional Transit
Authority
Events and Festivals:
Spring:
Berkshire Theatre
Festival
Founded in 1928, Berkshire Theatre Festival is one of the oldest
professional regional theatres in the United States and the
longest-running cultural organization in the Berkshires.
Summer:
Tanglewood
Join the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Tanglewood Music Center
at their summer home in the Berkshires. Enjoy classical, popular,
and jazz performances.
Jacob’s Pillow Dance
Festival
International dance companies on three stages, as well as 200+ free
performances, talks, tours, events, and more.
Williamstown Theatre
Festival
Tony Award-winner for Outstanding Regional Theatre.
Fall:
Annual Apple Squeeze
The “apple” and all its possibilities. Apple chili,
apple turnovers, apple soup, apple dumplings, apple pancakes and
even APPLE PIES and desserts.
Williamstown Film
Festival
Honoring past achievements in cinema and showcasing the best new
films on the indie scene.
Winter:
Festival of Trees at the
Berkshire Museum This annual event brings together more than
one hundred festively minded individuals who decorate holiday trees
based on a special theme.
Bay State Winter
Games
The Bay State Winter Games provides quality Olympic-style athletic
competitions and developmental programs for Massachusetts amateur
athletes of all ages and abilities.
For Fun:
Berkshire Scenic Treks
& Canoe Tours
Lenox
413-442-2789
Guided canoe tours on the upper Housatonic River. Enjoy the natural
beauty of this scenic Berkshire flat waterway.
Canterbury Farm Cross
Country Skiing and Lodge
1986 Fred Snow Road
Becket
Cross country skiing, snow shoeing, hiking, and biking through
1,000-acre woodlands.
Natural
Bridge State Park
McCauley Road, off Rte. 8
North Adams
(413) 663-6392
Examine the only naturally formed white marble arch and man-made
white marble dam in North America, and tour an abandoned marble
quarry. The bridge spans rushing Hudson Brook as it twists and
tumbles through a steep 60-foot deep gorge.
Worthington
Ballooning
Worthington
413-238-5514
Relax and escape on a hot air balloon ride; floating above the
countryside for a sunrise or sunset flight.
For Enrichment:
Arrowhead Home of Herman
Melville
780 Holmes Road
Pittsfield
413-442-1793
Eighteenth Century National Historic Landmark where Herman Melville
was inspired to write his masterpiece, Moby-Dick. Charming
farmhouse, furnished in mid-19th century antiques.
The Ashley House
Cooper Hill Road
Ashley Falls
413-229-8600/413-298-3239
Oldest home in the Berkshires; African American Heritage Trail
anchor site. Here, Mum Bett successfully sued for her freedom in
1781, helping end slavery in Massachusetts.
Hancock Shaker
Village
Routes 20 & 41
Pittsfield
413-443-0188
Explore the Shakers’ City of Peace, with historic buildings,
a working farm and featuring the premier Shaker artifact
collection. Enjoy vibrant programs, tours, exhibitions, and
activities for children.
Norman Rockwell Museum
9 Route 183
Stockbridge
413-298-4100
World’s largest collection of original Rockwell art; changing
exhibitions by America’s finest illustrators.
Rockwell’s Stockbridge studio, open seasonally
Mohawk Trail
Transportation:
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Events and Festivals:
Summer:
Mohawk Trail
Concerts
Since 1969, when violinist/composer Arnold Black discovered the
charm and the superb acoustics of the Federated Church in
Charlemont, Mohawk Trail Concerts has been bringing the best of
music from many styles, periods, and places -- performed by both
internationally acclaimed and local artists -- to the hills of
Western Massachusetts.
Fall:
North Quabbin Garlic and
Arts Festival
Two days of peace, love, and garlic! The North Quabbin Garlic and
Arts Festival is a celebration of the artistic, agricultural and
cultural bounty of the region. The festival emphasizes what is
homegrown and high quality, as well as what helps preserve and
support the environment. The festival is an engaging, fun and
educational celebration for all ages.
Colrain Artisans Studio
Tour
Colrain has long been a refuge for artists, artisans, and others,
looking for a beautiful and affordable place to do their work.
Twice a year Colrain's artists hold a studio tour to exhibit their
work.
Attractions:
For Fun:
Mohawk
Trail/Mount Greylock Driving Tour
On a clear day, allow half a day for this scenic 26-mile tour up
Mount Greylock, Massachusetts' highest peak at 3,491 feet. This
scenic tour starts one mile north of Lanesborough on Route 7.
The Bridge of
Flowers
Shelburne Falls
The Bridge of Flowers is the only one of its kind in the world.
Built in 1908 as a trolley bridge across the Deerfield River,
between the towns of Shelburne and Buckland, the 400-foot, five
arch concrete span was abandoned with the passing of the trolley
line 1928. Antoinette and Walter Burnham's vision of transforming
the structure into a flower bridge became a reality in 1929. Over
500 varieties of annuals and perennials are planted and tended by
local volunteers who work with the head gardener and her assistant
to ensure continuous blooming throughout the season. Open from
early spring through late fall.
Mohawk
Trail State Forest
175 Mohawk Trail/Rte. 2
Charlemont
413-339-5504
A clear, cold river cascades through Mohawk Trail State Forest
along a rocky streambed. One of the most scenic woodland areas in
Massachusetts, the state forest offers visitors a taste of real
wilderness in a rustic setting.
Shelburne Falls
Bowling Alley
This Bowling alley is the second oldest bowling alley in America!
Both beginners and experienced players welcome!
Memorial Drive, Shellbourne Falls
413 625-6179
For Enrichment:
The Sterling and Francine Clark
Art Institute
225 South Street
Williamstown
413-458-2303
An art museum and a center for research and higher education,
dedicated to advancing and extending the public understanding of
art.
Mass MoCA
Housed on a restored 19th century factory campus, MASS MoCA
exhibits some of the liveliest, most evocative - and provocative -
art of our time. Open all year with a full schedule of performing
arts events and film in addition to 120,000 square feet of gallery
space.
413-664-4481 87 Marshall St., North Adams, 01247
Williams College Museum Of
Art
One of the finest college art museums in the county, featuring a
broad range of exhibitions, many drawn from its collection of over
12,000 paintings, sculptures, video art, and works on paper. The
museum's collection of more than 400 works by the artist-brothers
Maurice and Charles Prendergast is the largest in any museum.
Admission to the museum is always FREE as are a host of educational
programs that are available to the public.
413-597-2429M
15 Lawrence Hall Drive
Williamstown, 01267
Williamstown Theatre
Festival
The Williamstown Theatre Festival is located in one of the most
beautiful parts of the country-the Berkshires of western
Massachusetts. Festival performances are held at the ?62 Center for
Theatre and Dance of Williams College, 1000 Main St., on Route 2,
Williamstown.
P.O. Box 517
Williamstown, 01267
Greater Springfield
Colleges:
| Amherst College | Amherst |
| American International College | Springfield |
| Baypath College | Longmeadow |
| Elms College | Chicopee |
| Hampshire College | Amherst |
| Holyoke Community College | Holyoke |
| Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley |
| Smith College | Northampton |
| Springfield College | Springfield |
| Springfield Technical Community College | Springfield |
| University of Massachusetts | Amherst |
| Western New England College | Springfield |
| Westfield State University | Westfield |
Transportation
By Train – Amtrak
Service to Springfield from New Haven and Boston
By Bus - Peter Pan Bus
Lines offers service to Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, and
Amherst/Northampton
Bus Service - Pioneer Valley
Transit Authority
Events and Festivals
Summer:
Sevenars Concerts
One of the only six best small music festivals in the USA (Time
Magazine). Sevenars Concerts offers superb music in an historic
Academy with an acoustic gem concert hall, air-conditioned comfort,
cushioned seats, home-baked refreshments, idyllic setting beside a
rushing stream and waterfall.
Fall:
The Big E
The Big E, the largest fair in the northeast, is a New England
extravaganza with top name entertainment, The Big E Super Circus,
the Avenue of States, Storrowton Village Museum, animals,
competitive exhibits, rides, shopping, crafts, a daily parade and a
Mardi Gras parade and foods from around the world for 17 days each
September.
Paradise City Arts
Festival
Voted among America's Top Five Arts Festivals since 2004, Paradise
City offers a weekend's worth of America's finest visual arts,
sensational food and foot-stomping entertainment!
Winter:
Bright Nights at Forest
Park
Start a new holiday tradition with Bright Nights at Forest Park.
Recognized by the American Bus Association as one of the top 100
events in North America, Bright Nights is the perfect addition to
the holidays.
Amherst Railway
Society/Amherst Railroad Hobby Show
The annual Amherst Railroad Hobby Show is held in January on the
grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.
Attractions
For Fun:
Six Flags New
England
Route 159, 1623 Main Street, Agawam
413-786-9300
New England’s #1 Travel Destination with more than 150
thrilling rides, shows, and attractions. From family rides to water
slides, there is something for all ages.
For Enrichment:
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall
of Fame
1000 West Columbus Ave., Springfield
413-231-5514
Since 1959, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has
honored and celebrated the game’s greatest moments and
brightest stars. Home to nearly three hundred inductees and more
than 40,000 square feet of basketball history, the Hall of Fame
stirs the spirits of basketball fans everywhere.
Volleyball Hall of
Fame
444 Dwight Street, Holyoke
413-536-0926
William G. Morgan invented volleyball at the Holyoke, Massachusetts
YMCA in 1895. In June, 1987, the Volleyball Hall of Fame opened a
living memorial to the sport. Open Tuesday through Sunday from noon
to 4:30 p.m. or by special pre-arranged appointments.
Emily Dickinson
Museum:The Homestead & The Evergreens
280 Main Street, Amherst
413-542-8161
Discover the roots of her enduring legacy as one of America's
pre-eminent poets. The Emily Dickinson Museum, made up of the
Dickinson Homestead and The Evergreens on Main Street, in Amherst,
Massachusetts, tells the story of a strikingly original writer and
the world in which she lived.
Springfield
Museums
21 Edwards Street, Springfield
800-625-7738
The Springfield Museums, located in the heart of downtown
Springfield, is comprised of five world-class museums; the Michele
& Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts., the George Walter
Vincent Smith Art Museum, the Springfield Science Museum, the
Connecticut Valley Historical Museum and the Museum of Springfield
History. The Museums Association is proud to be home to the Dr.
Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, a series of
full–scale bronze sculptures of Dr. Seuss's whimsical
creations, honoring the birthplace of Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr.
Seuss.
Franklin County
Colleges
| Greenfield Community College | Greenfield |
Transportation
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Service to Deerfield and Greenfield
FRTA
Franklin Regional Transit Authority
474 Main Street Greenfield
(413) 774-2262
GMTA
Greenfield-Montague Transportation Area
Springfield - PVTA
(Pioneer Valley Transit Authority)
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Events & Festivals
Summer:
Green River
Festival
This annual celebration combines music on multiple stages,
delicious local food, crafts from a range of artisans, a dance
tent, a wide array of kids' activities, balloon illuminations and
hot air balloon launches (weather permitting).
Lucky Duck Race
Greenfield
Triathlon
Fall:
Old Deerfield Craft
Fair
The Village of Old Deerfield, Massachusetts is the home site of
"New England's Most Beautiful Craft Fair!" As a juried craft fair,
the Old Deerfield Craft Fair selects its exhibitors for their
quality. The wonderful variety of crafts includes quilts, baskets,
wood carvings, pottery, dolls, dried flower arrangements, teddy
bears, decoys, tin, theorem, stenciling, jewelry and more!
CiderDays
CiderDays is a community event celebrating all things apples in
Franklin County, Massachusetts. There will be two days of orchard
tours, cidermaking and tastings, workshops and much more. This is
for all who love apples, fresh or hard cider, apple cuisine, apple
orchards or just being in New England in the fall.
Fiber Twist
Fiber Twist is the annual county-wide fiber event that showcases
the many sheep and fiber farmers, spinners, dyers, weavers, rug
hookers and other fiber artisans that are found throughout Franklin
County in northwestern Massachusetts.
Winter:
Greenfield Winter Carnival
Attractions
For Fun:
Yankee Candle Flagship
Store
25 Greenfield Road
South Deerfield
877-636-7707
At the flagship store you'll find 400,000 candles in more than 200
different famous Yankee scents. It's a unique, entertaining world
of New England charm, fairy tale fantasies, and hands-on,
interactive candlemaking that's fun for every age.
Shelburne Falls
Located on the scenic and historic Mohawk Trail in the Berkshire
foothills, Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts and the surrounding area
is rich with natural beauty, talented artisans, four season
recreation and an atmosphere that will make you feel right at
home.
Zoar Outdoor
7 Main Street
Charlemont
800-532-7483
White water rafting trips, kayaking clinics, zip line canopy tours,
canoeing instruction, rock climbing classes and bike rentals for
adventurers of all abilities.
Franklin
County Bikeway
The Franklin County Bikeway totals approximately 44 miles in
length, and primarily consists of a loop through Greenfield,
Deerfield, Montague and Gill.
For Enrichment:
Historic
Deerfield
88 Old Main Street
Deerfield
413-775-7214
Step into early America as you tour Historic Deerfield’s
eleven house museums. Explore hundreds of years of history along an
original, mile-long street.
Return to Main Page
Map of the Regions in Massachusetts
 |
Win a Prize Package |
 |
Mass Jazz |
|
|
- Where to Go
- Things to Do
Getting to the shops is easy - you can take the MBTA, rent a Zipcar, or even take the bus from various Boston hotels to Wrentham Village Premium Outlets. Don't miss Boston's world famous Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Essex's charming antique stores, and Yankee Candle's flagship store in South Deerfield.
- Plan Your Trip
- 50 Under $50
- Getting Around
State and regional resources, including air, land, and water transportation; Boston public transit info; detailed info on travel to Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island
