Things to Do in The Berkshires and Western Massachusetts
Summer music, museums and wooded hills at the western end of the state.
See top-rated activities »About the Berkshires
The Berkshires fill the western edge of Massachusetts, about two and a half hours from Boston and three from New York City. Wealthy families built summer houses here in the late 1800s, and the region has been a summer arts colony ever since. The best-known venue is Tanglewood in Lenox, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since the 1930s, where many people skip reserved seats and spread blankets on the lawn. In Becket, Jacob's Pillow presents one of the country's oldest dance festivals, and theater companies in Stockbridge, Lenox and Williamstown run full summer seasons.
The museums are worth the trip on their own. The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown pairs French Impressionist paintings with walking trails across a hillside campus. In North Adams, MASS MoCA fills a former 19th-century factory complex with very large contemporary art installations. The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge holds the largest collection of the illustrator's work, and Stockbridge's Main Street, with the Red Lion Inn, looks much as he painted it. Edith Wharton's house, The Mount, and Hancock Shaker Village near Pittsfield, with its round stone barn of 1826, round out a strong list.
Outdoors, Mount Greylock, the highest point in the state at 3,491 feet, has a summit road and a war memorial tower open in the warmer months, and the Appalachian Trail crosses the range. Fall color usually peaks in early October, and the back roads between Great Barrington, Lenox and Williamstown are some of the most scenic drives in New England.
East of the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley along the Connecticut River holds the college towns of Northampton and Amherst and the city of Springfield, home of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Six Flags New England, the region's big amusement park, is in Agawam just south of Springfield, and the Big E, New England's largest fair, takes place in West Springfield each fall.
Don’t Miss
The Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home, with concerts in the Shed and on the lawn.
Impressionist and old master paintings on a campus of meadows and trails.
Large-scale contemporary art in a restored mill complex of more than two dozen buildings.
The largest collection of Rockwell's original art, with his studio moved to the grounds.
A restored Shaker community with farm animals, crafts and the 1826 round stone barn.
The state's highest summit, with a seasonal road, trails and a lodge.
Exhibits on the game invented in Springfield in 1891, with courts to shoot on.
Top-Rated Tours, Tickets & Activities in the Berkshires
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Get free trip quotes »the Berkshires — FAQ
When is the Tanglewood season?
Usually from late June through late August, with the Boston Symphony performing most weekends in July and August. Lawn tickets are the classic way to go.
When does fall foliage peak in the Berkshires?
Usually in the first half of October, a little earlier on the higher ridges. Weekends then are busy, so book lodging early.
Where should I stay in the Berkshires?
Lenox and Stockbridge are central for Tanglewood and the southern Berkshires; Williamstown suits museum-goers; Great Barrington has the most restaurants.
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