Pioneer Valley

With the exception of gritty Springfield, the Pioneer Valley offers a gentle landscape of college towns, picturesque farms and old mills that have been charmingly converted into modern use. The uber-cool burg of Northampton provides the region's top dining, nightlife and street scenes, while the other destinations offer unique museums, geological marvels and a few unexpected roadside gems.

Explore Pioneer Valley

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Pioneer Valley.

  • Museum

    Amazing World of Dr Seuss

    This innovative museum is dedicated to the life and work of Springfield native Theodore Geisel, aka Dr Seuss. On the 1st floor, interactive exhibits use…

  • Museum

    Emily Dickinson Museum

    During her lifetime, Emily Dickinson (1830–86) published only seven poems, but more than 1000 were discovered and published posthumously, and her verses…

  • State Park

    Skinner State Park

    This mountaintop park, at the summit of Mt Holyoke, peaks out at a rather modest-sounding height of 942ft. But that's high enough to earn the visitor…

  • Museum

    Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

    Co-founded by the author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this superb museum celebrates book illustrations from around the world with…

  • Cemetery

    West Cemetery

    For a peek at Amherst's colorful past, make your way to the West Cemetery, between Triangle St and N Pleasant St. Here you'll find the graves of Amherst's…

  • University

    Mount Holyoke College

    The nation's oldest women's college, founded in 1837, is in the center of South Hadley, the southernmost and sleepiest of the Five College towns. The…

  • Pagoda

    Leverett Peace Pagoda

    The world can always do with a little more peace. A group of monks, nuns and volunteers are doing their part in an unexpected spot in the woods near the…

  • Waterfall

    Glacial Potholes

    Stones trapped swirling in the roiling Deerfield River have been grinding into the rock bed at this location ever since the ice age. The result: 50 near…

  • Museum

    Historic Deerfield Village

    The main street of Historic Deerfield Village escaped the ravages of time and now presents a noble prospect: a dozen houses dating from the 1700s and…

  • Museum

    Museum of Fine Arts

    The 20 galleries of this art deco–style building are filled with lesser paintings of the great European masters and better works of lesser masters. The…

  • College

    Amherst College

    Founded in 1821, Amherst College has retained its character and quality partly by maintaining its small size (1850 students). The scenic campus lies just…

  • Historic Site

    Dinosaur Footprints

    Around 190 million years ago, the Pioneer Valley area was a subtropical swamp inhabited by carnivorous, two-legged dinosaurs, and a large cluster of their…

  • Museum

    Smith College Museum of Art

    This impressive campus museum boasts a 25,000-piece collection. The collection is particularly strong in 19th- and 20th-century European and North…

  • College

    Smith College

    Founded 'for the education of the intelligent gentlewoman' in 1875, Smith College is one of the largest women's colleges in the country, with 2600…

  • Museum

    Museum of Springfield History

    Showcasing the city's distant heyday, this museum is home to the Esta Mantos Indian Motocycle collection (the world's largest). There's also a huge…

  • Museum

    Smith Art Museum

    This museum has exterior windows designed by Tiffany Studios and a fine collection of 19th-century American and European paintings, textiles, ceramics and…

  • Museum

    Springfield Museums

    The Springfield Museums surround Museum Quadrangle, two blocks northeast of Court Sq. Out front, look for the Augustus Saint-Gaudens statue The Puritan…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Pioneer Valley.

  • Activities