Massachusetts - Museums and Galleries in Berkshires/Pioneer Valley/Mohawk Trail

Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
125 West Bay Road
Amherst, MA  01002
Phone: 413- 658-1100

Open: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sundays, noon–5 p.m.

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Founded in part by Eric Carle, the renowned author and illustrator of more than 70 books, including the 1969 classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is the first full-scale museum in this country devoted to national and international picture book art, conceived and built with the aim of celebrating the art that we are first exposed to as children. The Museum features three Galleries dedicated to rotating exhibitions of picture book art, a hands-on Art Studio, an Auditorium for performances and lectures, a comfortable Library for reading and storytelling, a Café serving simple and delicious fare, and a Museum Shop stocked with creative gifts and old and new picture book favorites.

George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum
21 Edwards Street
Springfield, MA  01103
Phone: 413-263-6800

Open: Tuesday – Sunday, 11a.m.-4 p.m.

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An outstanding collection of Japanese arms and Middle Eastern rugs, Chinese cloisonné and other Asian decorative arts, as well as 19th-century American paintings and a classical sculpture cast gallery. Create your own art in the Hasbro Games Art Discovery Center.

Hadley Farm Museum
208 Middle Street
Hadley, MA  01035
Phone: 413-586-1160

Open: May-October, Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

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Early New England farm equipment in restored 1782 barn: blacksmith tools, ox cart, stage coach, plows, early domestic appliances.

Historic Deerfield
88 Old Main Street
Deerfield, MA  01342
Phone: 413-775-7214

Open: Daily, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; call for seasonal changes.

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Historic Deerfield is “New England as you hope to find it!” Located in western Massachusetts off Routs 5 and 10 in the 330-year old village of Deerfield, the Museum has been called “the gem of rural New England,” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This Museum of New England’s history and art welcomes visitors of all ages from around the world to Deerfield’s mile-long thoroughfare, simply called, “The Street.” The Museum features twelve houses dating to the 18th and 19th centuries and three exhibition galleries within the Flynt Center of Early New England Life. Historic Deerfield’s decorative arts treasures can be viewed on both the guided and self-guided tours. A full calendar of programs, special events, group tours and village walking tours are offered throughout the year. The Museum Store and Bookshop feature gifts for all occasions, museum reproductions and a wide selection of books about early America and the decorative arts. Open Daily, year round, 9:30-4:30 except Thanksgiving, Dec. 24 & 25.

Amherst History Museum
The Strong House, 67 Amity Street
Amherst, MA  01002
Phone: 413-256-0678

Open: May 17– October 28, Wednesday through Saturday noon-4 p.m. Call ahead for seasonal changes in hours.

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Exhibits of 18th and 19th century art and furniture. Open seasonally. There is an admission charge.

Berkshire Museum
39 South Street (Route 7)
Pittsfield, MA  01201
Phone: 413-443-7171

Open: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; closed Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day; December 24 and December 31, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

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An all-in-one museum, featuring galleries of art, natural science and history exhibits, and a cinema. The museum schedules programs for children, lectures, and art classes throughout the year. Admission charge.

Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum
10 Willow Creek Road
Lenox, MA  01240
Phone: 413-637-2210

Open: Call for schedule of rides and events

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Restored 1902 depot with railroading exhibits and model train displays; Berkshire Cottages exhibit in vintage railroad coach. On summer weekends and holidays the museum offers two 90-minute round trip excursions from Lenox Station to Stockbridge and a 45-minute round trip excursion from Lenox Station to Lee narrated by a uniformed conductor. Admission charge.

Children's Museum at Holyoke
444 Dwight Street
Holyoke, MA  01040
Phone: 413-536-KIDS

Open: Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; closed Monday-Wednesday. Call for seasonal changes.

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Hands-on exhibits for children. Admission charge.

Connecticut Valley Historical Museum
21 Edwards Street
Springfield, MA  01103
Phone: 413-263-6800

Open: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

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Changing exhibits tell the story of the region from 1636 to the present through the museum's collection of hand-crafted furniture and silver by local craftsmen, motorcycles and antique autos made in Springfield, industrial objects from the region's factories, and historical firearms from the area's gun industry.

Crane Museum of Papermaking
Housatonic Street
Dalton, MA  01226
Phone: 413-684-6481

Open: June to mid-October, Monday-Friday, 1-5 p.m.

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Situated in Crane's historic 1845 old stone mill. Exhibits and displays of nearly 200 years of papermaking in Dalton.

Smith College Museum of Art
Elm Street
Northampton, MA  01063
Phone: 413-585-2760

Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 4 p.m.; Second Fridays, 10 a.m.– 8 p.m. (4 – 8 p.m., free admission); closed Mondays and major holidays

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More than 25,000 art objects from a variety of cultures from 2500 B.C. to present. Special exhibitions. Internationally known for collection of 19th- and 20th- century European and American art.

Springfield Museums
21 Edwards Street
Springfield, MA  01103
Phone: 413-263-6800

Art, history, science, and a Dr. Suess sculpture museum!

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Visit New England’s own “mini-Smithsonian,” four outstanding museums arranged around a beautiful park that is also the site of the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden. For a single admission fee, you’ll have the opportunity to view French Impressionist paintings, take a “safari” through Africa, visit the country’s only permanent exhibit gallery of Currier & Ives prints, see the largest collection of Chinese cloisonné in the Western world, wander among larger-than-life figures of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters, enjoy American art from Colonial to contemporary times, encounter exact replicas of the world’s great Classical and Renaissance sculptures, and much more. Four museums. One admission fee. Free parking. Museum Store.

Springfield Science Museum
21 Edwards Street
Springfield, MA  01103
Phone: 413-263-6800

Open: Open: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

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Discover the wonders of science through the live animal Solutia Eco-Center, the cultures and animals in R.E. Phelon African Hall, Dinosaur Hall with its towering Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Seymour Planetarium, Mineral Hall, early aviation in Springfield, and other exhibits.

Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute
225 South Street
Williamstown, MA  01267
Phone: 413-458-2303

Open: September-June, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mondays; July and August, open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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The Clark Art Institute boasts one of this country's most impressive and prestigious fine art collections, including many French Impressionist paintings, with more than thirty by the esteemed painter Renoir. Also gracing the walls are noteworthy Old Master paintings and a significant group of American works by Homer, Sargent, Cassatt and Remington. Admission charge.

Stone House Museum
20 Maple Street
Belchertown, MA  01007
Phone: 413-323-6573

Open: Guided tours mid-May-October, on Wednesday and Saturday, 2-5 p.m.

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19th century artifacts and exhibits, featuring a carriage shed with carriages, sleighs, and early furniture. Open seasonally. There is an admission fee.

Storrowton Village Museum
1305 Memorial Avenue
West Springfield, MA  01089
Phone: 413-205-5051

Open: June 19-August 24, Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; group tours by appointment year-round.

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A restored New England village, featuring blacksmith shop, homes, schoolhouse, and a meetinghouse. Open seasonally. There is an admission fee.

Williams College Museum of Art
Main Street (Route 2)
Williamstown, MA  01267
Phone: 413-597-2429

Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m., free admission

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Modern and contemporary art, American art from the late 18th century to the present, and the art of world cultures. Maurice and Charles Prendergast gallery.

Wistariahurst Museum
238 Cabot Street
Holyoke, MA  01040
Phone: 413-322-5660
Fax: 413-534-2344

Open: Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, noon- 4 p.m.

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Twenty-six-room Beaux Arts mansion of silk manufacturer William Skinner featuring many outstanding architectural details and a house tour that weaves the tale of the people who lived and worked there. Dinosaur footprints and gardens. Admission charge.

Indian Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame
33 Hendee Street
Springfield, MA  01104
Phone: 413-737-2624

Open: March 1-November 30, daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; December 1-February 28, daily 1-4 p.m.; closed New Year’s Day, thanksgiving, Christmas.

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Exhibits of motorcycles and memorabilia. Includes a photo gallery. Admission charge.

Joseph Skinner Museum
35 Woodbridge Street
South Hadley, MA  01075
Phone: 413-538-2245

Open: May through October, Wednesdays and Sundays, 2 p.m.-5 p.m.

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Set in a church built in 1846, this museum feature 19th century glassware, furniture and musical instruments. An exhibit of locally unearthed minerals is also of interest. Open seasonally.

Kingman Tavern Historical Museum
41 Main Street
Cummington, MA  01026
Phone: 413-634-5527

Open: July and August, Saturday, 2-5 p.m.

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Museum features an exhibit of miniature rooms and antique furniture. Open seasonally. There is an admission fee.

Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA)
87 Marshall Street
North Adams, MA
Phone: 413-662-2111

Hours: Regular Hours, September-June 25, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., closed Tuesdays; Summer Hours, June-September, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily

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Since opening in 1999, MASS MoCA has become one of the world's premier centers for making and showing contemporary art. MASS MoCA exhibits work by many of the most important artists of today, focusing on large-scale and complex installations that are impossible to realize in conventional museums. MASS MoCA hosts more than 75 performances year-round, including popular music, contemporary dance, alternative cabaret, world music dance parties, outdoor silent films with live music, documentaries, and avant-garde theater.

Mead Art Museum
Amherst College
Amherst, MA  01002
Phone: 413-542-2335

Open: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and until 9 on Thursday; closed Monday and college holidays. Call for seasonal changes

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More than 16,000 works; collections range from antiquity to present; portraits by Gilbert Stuart, Italian Renaissance paintings, Japanese woodblock prints, Mediterranean antiquities, and pre-Columbian ceramics. Free admission.

Memorial Hall Museum
8 Memorial Street
Deerfield, MA  01342
Phone: 413-774-3768

Open: May 1-October 30

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Occupying a building originally constructed in 1798 for Deerfield Academy, Memorial Hall Museum holds over 31,000 items and includes the Old Deerfield Children's Museum, offering family activities in a reproduction of a 1690s house. Exhibits focus on the life and world of an agricultural economy from the earliest Native Americans to the arrival of Europeans.

Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
Lower Lake Road
South Hadley, MA  01075
Phone: 413-538-2245

Open: Tuesday–Friday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1–5 p.m., closed Mondays and certain college holidays. Call ahead for seasonal changes.

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Beautifully exhibited and critically acclaimed broad-based permanent collection. Comprehensive scope ranges from ancient to contemporary art and represents diverse cultures. Imaginative special exhibitions; scavenger hunts for kids. Docent-led tours available with advance notice. Collections focus on Asian art; 19th- and 20th-century European and American paintings and sculpture; Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art; Medieval sculpture; and early Italian Renaissance paintings. 6-8 exceptional special exhibitions annually. Visit the college's botanical gardens next door too. Free admission.

Museum of Fine Arts
21 Edwards Street
Springfield, MA  01103
Phone: 413-263-6800

Open: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

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This classic art deco building houses a fine collection of European and American paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints and decorative arts, including paintings by Homer, O'Keeffe, Corot, Monet and Degas. Changing exhibitions and a community gallery.

Norman Rockwell Museum
9 Glendale Road (Route 183)
Stockbridge, MA  01262
Phone: 413-298-4100

Open: November-April, weekdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; weekends and holidays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m; May-October and holidays, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

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Largest collection of original work by Norman Rockwell, the quintessential American illustrator famous for his "Saturday Evening Post" covers. Artist's studio; exhibitions of Rockwell's work, his contemporaries, and modern illustrators. Admission charge.

Porter-Phelps-Huntington House Museum
130 River Drive
Hadley, MA  01035
Phone: 413-584-4699

Open: May 15-October 15, Saturday through Wednesday, 1-4:30 p.m.; closed Thursdays and Fridays. Open mornings by appointment.

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Historic house museum preserving the material possessions and papers of six generations of one of Hadley's founding families. Tours and interpretations of the house and its contents. Concert series and afternoon teas. There is an admission fee.

Pratt Museum of Natural History
Amherst College
Amherst, MA  01002
Phone: 413-542-2165

Open: September through mid-June; weekdays, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. July- August, Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

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Exhibits at this museum focus on dinosaurs, vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology, minerals, crystals, and other geologic specimens.