Interesting things to do fill your trip to the Berkshires, Pioneer & Mohawk valleys

Massachusetts > Western Mass. > Things to Do and See > 90 Great Things to Do in Massachusetts

This historic region offers a wealth of memorable events and activities framed by breathtaking natural beauty. The Berkshires feature year-round culture, recreation, and adventure in quaint towns like Stockbridge, Lenox, and Williamstown, while North Adams has the fabulous Museum of Contemporary Art. There is no shortage of places to stay , shop, and dine. Great ziplines and canopy tours are here; for all-day fun, visit Look Park with a zoo, lake, water spray park, 18 holes of miniature golf and six tennis courts. In winter, family-friendly skiing and other snow sports are just a short walk uphill.

Red Lion Inn

30 Main Street Stockbridge, MA, 01262 Phone: 413-298-5545

Historic inn a welcoming headquarters to explore the Berkshires’ menu of activities, attractions

The Berkshires area, home to the timeless, welcoming Red Lion Inn, has a reputation for being a veritable playground of things to do and places to explore. Famous venues for art, music, dance and theater are within a few minutes drive, and the historic inn is surrounded by picturesque forests, parks and natural habitats. There are jaw-dropping views midway through mountain hikes as well as pleasant strolls through botanical gardens. You can bike, kayak, canoe, swim, fish and, in the winter, ski and snowshoe. There’s whitewater rafting, ziplining and paddle boarding as well as places to play golf, tennis and mini golf. Boutique shops and restaurants serving every cuisine imaginable dot the main streets of the charming New England villages.

Visit our sister properties - Hotel on North - Porches Inn

Porches Inn at MASS MoCA

231 River Street North Adams, MA, 01247 Phone: 413-664-0400

Use this welcoming boutique inn as your base to explore arts venues, parks, museums

With the charming Porches Inn as your base, prepare to explore Western Massachusetts and its many cultural venues and natural wonders. Start with the eclectic Mass MoCA, right across the street: a vibrant center for some of today’s most evocative art. Head into North Adams, a former mill town with a vibrant arts-and-crafts scene, restaurants and shopping. Go hiking in one of the nearby state parks or hit the Appalachian Trail, play golf at one of a dozen courses, catch a play or visit a history museum, botanical garden or nature center. Whether you want to go antiquing, go fishing, go swimming or go back to the inn to relax in your spacious room with a Jacuzzi-style tub and private porch, you have lots of options.

Visit our sister properties - Red Lion Inn - Hotel on North

Family at Tanglewood 500x250 - Berkshires Visitors Bureau - Photo Credit Ogden Gigli

The Berkshires of Western MA

Come play in the sweet mountain air this summer

Less than three hours from New York City and Boston, the Berkshires offer culture and adventure year round. The allure of the Berkshires in summer is a savory blend of sweet mountain air, migratory birdsong; rare wildflowers found in forests and open fields, and the return of locally grown foods to our tables. Nature, like us, sheds its early spring coat and greets the season with a warm welcome. Journey here as a couple or pack up the entire family, get out & about in the Berkshires. Whether you choose to spend your time indoors or out, the Berkshire region comes alive in summer. Come discover all the possibilities the Berkshires has in store during the most-welcomed seasons of all. To learn more visit us at berkshires.org or find us on Facebook at Visit the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.

Zoar Outdoor

Route 2 (Mohawk Trail) Charlemont, MA, 01339 Phone: 800-532-7483

So many amazing activities at this adventure center for all skill levels

If you have ever wanted to try zip lining, or whitewater rafting or stand-up paddle-boarding, the place to launch your adventure is Zoar Outdoor in the Berkshires. It’s also the place for experienced folks, with whitewater rapids up to level IV and a three-hour zip lining canopy tour that reaches heights of 50 feet. Zoar also offers stand-up paddle-boarding, kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, easy river floats and, at its center in Wilmington, Vt., snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and mountain biking. Experienced instructors and guides are ready to assist or teach people at every skill level, and the equipment they use is first-rate. Kayaks and paddleboards, for example, are stable enough for first-time users. Lodging options include Hawk Mountain Lodge, 11 cabin tents, five tent sites – and a yurt.

Old Sturbridge Village - More than a Museum!

Ponds at Foxhollow

Route 7 Lenox, MA, 01240 Phone: 413-637-1469

Great things to do inside and outside this convenient, elegant resort

A list of great things to do at Ponds at Foxhollow, a secluded resort in the heart of the Berkshires, begins with the resort itself: There are indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, shuffleboard, bocce, plenty of room on the 223-acre estate to hike, bike and cross-country ski, an exercise room, putting green, basketball courts and canoes to take out on the resort’s very pretty pond. After you have relaxed in your spacious one- or two-bedroom condo overlooking that pond, you might head out to the Normal Rockwell Museum, Tanglewood, a botanical garden, a beach, an historic home. Or just head into Lenox, Lee or Stockbridge to stroll the quintessentially New England streets and sample the excellent restaurants.

Hello, Horse!

What’s better than getting close to a horse? Berkshire HorseWorks at 101 Patton Road in Richmond specializes in therapeutic relationships between people and horses, but it has expanded its offerings to include trail rides and less-structured fun. Horse riding or all-feet-on-the–ground adventures with horses includes Hiking and Meditation with Horses, Couple’s Trail Ride, and even Free Range Donkey Play for kids. Experience a deeper dive into farm life with Ranch Life 101, or spend an while brushing the ranch’s miniature Sicilian donkeys. Email: Hayley@BerkshireHorseWorks.com

Classic Structures and Natural Beauty at Ashintully Gardens

Ashintully Gardens on Sodem Road in Tyringhamare a retreat in the Berkshires surrounded by forested hills and traversed by a rushing stream. The gardens blend natural features – a stream, deciduous trees, and rising meadows – into an ordered arrangement with formal and informal beauty. Formal elements include Fountain Pond, Pine Park, Rams Head Terrace, Bowling Green, Regency Bridge, and Trellis Triptych. Urns, columns, and statuary ornament the garden, while foot bridges, stone stairs, and grassy terraces connect parts of the garden. A trail leads to the ruins of a Georgian-style mansion. Open April to November, daily

Outlet Shopping & Easy Dining

Lee Premium Outlets on Water Street in Lee, in the heart of the Berkshires, is a shopping mecca. If you can name a national brand, you can probably find it here. Lots of seasonal specials; outdoor dining, pre-ordering with curbsite pickup. Directory of stores and restaurants.

70-Mile Vista

Vigorous hikers and mountain bikers who tackle the 3,491-foot summit of Mount Greylock State Rerservation near the town of Adams, the highest point in Massachusetts, will be rewarded with an incredible 70-mile view from the summit of five states. Of course, you may drive to the top, along a gorgeous winding road. At the summit, enjoy the dignified Veterans War Memorial Tower and take some rest and refreshments at Bascom Lodge. Gardening enthusiasts may notice that the grounds are thickly planted with local flora.

Riverwalk Is an Urban Treat

Downtown Great Barrington is known for its many boutiques, art galleries, coffee shops, and gourmet restaurants. A shopping or dining stroll in the downtown should include a visit to the adjacent Housatonic Riverwalk. The paved path that ambles alongside this busy Berkshires waterway is an all-volunteer restoration project of the Great Barrington Land Conservancy. After your riverside stroll, take in some evening entertainment in Great Barrington at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, the Triplex movie theater, or the town bandstand, site of free concerts. 413-528-3391.

Pittsfield Hops with Shopping and Browsing Fun

Pittsfield is a lively town centrally located between other stars of the Berkshires, like Stockbridge, Lenox, Williamstown and North Adams. The downtown is a fun place for dining, browsing and shopping. If you need a gift, the options here are delightful: Circa, is a place to fine mid-century antiques, and a selection of vintage clothing and jewelry. Paul Rich and Sons Home Furnishings has made a name for itself selling high-quality furniture. Museum Facsimiles Outlet Store is a fun and unique place to find fine picture frames, framed mirrors, hand printed letterpress and silkscreen greeting cards, all at wholesale pricing.Everything is made here, not imported! Custom framing.

animagic museum of special effects lee ma

Dive Into the Complex World of Animation

Animagic – the Museum of Special Effects in the Berkshires at 135 Main Street in Lee showcases the work of animators who played a large role in major movie animation of the last 30 years. Even better, the museum welcomes people of all ages to take a guided tour; see original models used in famous movies and a genuine Academy Award won by Eugene Mamut, a co-owner of Animagic. After the tour, visitors may take a two-hour workshop in which you create a model; make an animated movie; add sound, music, and title; and see your movie uploaded to YouTube. Tours are free; workshop is $20 per person. The museum is open daily, year-round, but only by appointment. 413-841-6679.

Kids Love to Explore ‘the Olden Days’

Tucked away in a shaded area of Eastern States Exposition, 0Storrowtown Village Museum, at 1305 Memorial Avenue in West Springfield is a permanent reminder of New England life in bygone days. The Village is an authentic, recreated village of nine 18th- and 19th-century buildings from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, assembled around a traditional town green. A tour of Storrowton offers an intimate look at Early American living with all the ingredients for a meaningful historic experience. Storytelling and activity programs run throughout the year.

Books, Soft Chairs, and a River View

We love the cheeky slogan of Montague Bookmill: “Books you don’t need in a place you can’t find.” Housed in an Industrial Revolution-era gristmill aside the Sawmill River at 440 Greenfield Road in Montague, The Montague Bookmill is a cozy melding of old-fashioned bookstore and the most comfortable living room you've ever known. The collection includes thousands of books on every imaginable subject, many with deeply slashed prices. Open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Number of visitors at one time and duration of visits is limited during the pandemic. 413-367-9206

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