Top Things to do in Berkshires
Top Hotels in Berkshires
- 1. LakeHouse Inn
- 2. Cornell Inn Lenox
- 3. Vacation Village in the Berkshires
- 4. Fairfield Inn & Suites Great Barrington Lenox/Berkshires
- 5. MAPLE TERRACE MOTEL
- 6. Hampton Inn & Suites Berkshires Lenox
- 7. Cornell Inn Lenox
- 8. Yankee Inn
- 9. The Black Swan Inn Lee - Lenox, Ascend Hotel Collection
- 10. Seven Hills Inn
Top 7 Specialty Museums in Berkshires, Berkshires
The Berkshires are home to an impressive collection of cultural and historic sights. Get your fill of music, art and theater at Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony's summer home, MASS MoCA, the country's largest contemporary art center, the Norman Rockwell Museum and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Recreational opportunities also abound, including snowshoeing, snowboarding, skiing, rafting, kayaking, fishing and golf. The Berkshires are an easy drive, just two and a half hours from Boston and New York.
Restaurants in Berkshires
1. Bidwell House Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 82 reviews
Open Memorial Day to October, this authentic 1760s home in the Berkshires was the original residence of the Reverend Adonijah Bidwell, first minister of the former Township #1. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, you can enjoy 18th and 19th century furnishings, 192 acres of fields and forest, a heritage vegetable garden, native flower gardens, stone walls, an early farm and garden tools exhibit, hiking trails and picnic sites. In season, you can take a guided tour of the house, on the hour beginning at 11 am each day, Thursday through Monday. The last tour begins at 3 pm. The gardens and grounds are open year round from dawn until dusk, free of charge.
2. Crane Museum of Papermaking
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 107 reviews
Take a tour of the Crane Museum of Papermaking and learn about Crane’s ties to the American Revolution, the development of paper for banknotes, and anti-counterfeiting technologies from the 1800s to the future. Get your hands dirty (don’t worry—it washes off!) with our paper activities in the hands-on art space and take home your handmade souvenir.
Reviewed By robertgY2450WU
We were treated to a wonderful tour by Jenna. Learned so much from her engaging, knowledgeable insights, finished off with a very cool Papermaking demonstration. An hour and a half of time very well spent - great day trip from Hartford
3. North Adams Museum of History & Science
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10 reviews
In 2019, the Museum moved to a new location. Located in the Holiday Inn, exhibits and artifacts tell the story of North Adams, emphasizing history and science. A treat for all ages. Free admission.
4. Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 86 reviews
Hourly guided tours-last tour 3pm. Must see Modernists' paradise, enjoy art, architecture, gardens & lifestyle on 46 acres in the heart of Lenox. Group tours of 15 or more until October 31 w/advance reservations.
5. Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 269 reviews
Reviewed By AmyTravel001 - New York City, United States
My mom and I recently visited Ventfort Hall and couldn’t believe we hadn’t been here before! We joined a tour led by docent Meg Williamson, who was just fantastic. Meg is a gifted storyteller who brought the home to life as we explored various rooms. You really feel as if you’re swept back in time, experiencing the home as the owners of this ‘little summer cottage’ would have. The restoration work that has been done on Ventfort is also incredibly impressive, and I was stunned to hear that there were plans to demolish/convert it at one point. Hats off to the team who rescued this gem! Already looking forward to returning next year for Summer Tea! Definitely put this one on your list if you have a free hour – take the tour and ask for Meg.
6. Berkshire Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 294 reviews
Established by Zenas Crane in 1903, Berkshire Museum integrates art, history, and natural science in a wide range of programs and exhibitions that inspire educational connections between the disciplines. In association with the Smithsonian since 2013, Berkshire Museum is part of a select group of museums, cultural, educational, and arts organizations that share the Smithsonian's resources with the nation. Located in downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts, at 39 South St., the Berkshire Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $13 adult, $6 child; Museum members and children age 3 and under enjoy free admission.
Reviewed By kzsull01 - Windsor, United States
My husband and I visited the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on Sunday, May 12th, 2019. We have visited the museum multiple times and have always enjoyed it for its great mixture of various different types of science, history and art artifacts. Both the special and permanent exhibits, which change on an on-going basis, have been very interesting, informative, and educational, providing a nice opportunity to learn about multiple subject areas, definitely worth the visit. This time we really enjoyed the very impressive ‘Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion’ special exhibit, which has been extended from May 19th to September 8th. We highly recommend this exhibit, even after encountering an unexpected May snow storm traveling to the museum to see it. It was quite inspirational!! All the write-ups throughout the Berkshire Museum, describing the items on display, were very informative and nicely done. The museum had something for everyone, children as well as adults alike. It took us a little over an hour and a half to see the museum based on the amount of time available to us this time, but we could have easily spent over 2 hours there to fully absorb and appreciate everything the museum had to offer. We parked on the street in front of the museum, which was quite convenient and free. Special Exhibit: ‘Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion’: This exhibit was a great tribute to the 500th year anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci: It allowed you to explore and try-out approximately 40 full-size, true-to-design working models of his Renaissance inventions, and the 500-year-old drawings used to construct them. The exhibit nicely depicted da Vinci as an accomplished writer, scientist, inventor, engineer, architect, botanist, theorist and teacher using both art and science in a complementary way in his many works. A nice timeline was used to highlight his life and accomplishments from 1452 – 1519. His machines on exhibit were based on incredibly amazing notebooks where he recorded, ideas, observations, experiments, illustrations, sketches and drawings based on such themes as paintings, architecture, mechanics and anatomy. Several different subject areas tied to da Vinci’s inventions were illustrated in the exhibit, including, motion as the cause of every life, with the practical use of motion tied to the earth, air, fire and water in the machines that he built. Among his uses of motion were: ‘Motion of Water’ using a water saw and showing water as the driving force of all nature; ‘Motion of Fire’ and heat using a mobile machine gun and armored tank; ‘Motion of Air’ using an anemometer to measure the force of air and ‘Flying Across the Stage’ with machines for performance; and ‘Motion of Earth’ with a spirit of growth, balance and beauty from a linear perspective. Several exhibits showed various other aspects of Da Vinci’s accomplishments. The ‘To Evaporate Like Smoke’ exhibit illustrated his technique called sfumato, which he used to paint the Mona Lisa for a natural appearance. His methodical process and the experimental techniques that he used to paint the ‘Last Supper’ shown in the exhibit ‘Not a True Fresco’ were quite interesting. ‘Birds on the Wing’ showed the machines he created based on observation of nature, including the flapping wings of birds. The ‘Skin and Bone’ exhibit showed his strong interest in human anatomy and associated accomplishments. The ‘Measures of a Man’ exhibit provided interesting details about his famous ‘Vitruvian Man’ drawing. The ‘Blink of an Eye’ exhibit explained the dimension of depth in his paintings which was caused by an eye disorder, strabismus, where he was not able to maintain eye alignment. This disorder helped in depicting 3-dimensional objects and scenes on a 2-dimensioanl surface in his artwork. His ‘Mirror Writing’ was also depicted in his mirror images created with backward letters by writing right to left as a result of being left handed. This exhibit was quite impressive, definitely well done, and a very comprehensive view of da Vinci’s accomplishments. Special Exhibit: ‘Berkshire Now by John MacDonald’ – This was a small exhibit but included some beautiful landscape paintings painted using a very unique technique. Permanent Exhibits: As always, we started in the lower level to see the aquarium and reptiles on display. This time the aquarium was a bit different from previous visits. We really enjoyed the seven different types of poisonous dart frogs in various colors as well as the leopard spotted geckos. We also liked the various types of fish, turtles. snakes (including a boa constrictor and a python), a tarantula and some very interesting sea horses as well as other types of geckos and frogs among other species. Both children and even adults could enjoy the aquarium, which is always a very nice place to explore. The ‘Window on the World: A Look into the Permanent Collection’ exhibit included art from various places around the world at different points in time, as well as more local area objects. This included Arctic Mirages (1900 – present); New York City (1850 – 1950); Italy (509 – 27 BCE); the Barbizon School in Rural Paris; Pittsfield (1800 – 1965), including old Elm Ware; Porcelain from the Tang and Ming Chinese Dynasties (618 – 906) and (1368 – 1644), unique Roman Glass, Edison’s Gem home phonograph and many interesting items from museum founder Zenas Crane’s original collection, including the Berkshire Museum’s Traveling School. This was a nice trip back through time in various parts of the world.. The ‘Innovation’ exhibit was quite educational, informative and inspirational with impressive innovations from the local Berkshire area. Subject areas included: Crane Security Paper for currency; the Shaker’s radical simplicity and the use of explosives to complete the Hoosac Tunnel, among several other innovations. The exhibit answered the question: What is Innovation? It also described the innovation process, addressing such aspects as motivation, inspiration, rewards, learning from mistakes, overcoming obstacles, unexpected outcomes, success and much more. The 'Curiosity Incubator' included the Egyptian mummy Pahat and asked such questions as: Could you have Egyptian Blood? or Does your DNA trace to Pahat’s DNA? This was quite interesting and educational, including the displays related to preserving the past. The ‘Berkshire Backyard’ exhibit provided good background on area mammals, birds, fish, insects and flowers. In addition, the exhibit on the Rocks and Minerals from the surrounding Berkshires, was quite nice and included interesting displays related to fluorescence and testing minerals for radioactivity. This museum had a lot to offer, was worth the trip, and we will definitely go back again.
