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The Berkshires

Few places in America combine culture and country living as deftly as the Berkshire hills, home to world-class music, dance and theater festivals – the likes of Tanglewood and Jacob's Pillow – as well as miles of hiking trails and acres of farmland.

Extending from the highest point in the state – Mt Greylock – southward to the Connecticut state line, the Berkshires have been a summer refuge for more than a century, when the rich and famous arrived to build summer 'cottages' of grand proportions. Many of these mansions survive as inns or performance venues. And still today, on summer weekends when the sidewalks are scorching in Boston and New York, crowds of city dwellers jump in their cars and head for the Berkshire breezes.

Explore The Berkshires

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout The Berkshires.

  • Waterfall

    Bash Bish Falls

    In the very southwest corner of the state, near the New York state line, is Bash Bish Falls, the largest waterfall in Massachusetts. The water feeding the…

  • Museum

    MASS MoCA

    MASS MoCA sprawls over 13 acres of downtown North Adams – one-third of the entire business district. After the Sprague Electric Company closed in 1985,…

  • Museum

    Clark Art Institute

    Even if you're not an avid art lover, don't miss this gem, set on 140 gorgeous acres of expansive lawns, flower-filled meadows and rolling hills. The…

  • Museum

    Norman Rockwell Museum

    Born in New York City, Norman Rockwell (1894–1978) sold his first magazine cover illustration to the Saturday Evening Post in 1916. In the following half…

  • Museum

    Chesterwood

    This pastoral 122-acre plot was 'heaven' to its owner Daniel Chester French (1850–1931), the sculptor best known for his great seated statue of Abraham…

  • Historic Site

    Mount

    Almost 50 years after Nathaniel Hawthorne left his home in Lenox, another writer found inspiration in the Berkshires. Edith Wharton (1862–1937) came to…

  • Museum

    Williams College Museum of Art

    In the center of town is this worthwhile – and free! – art museum. It has a collection of some 15,000 pieces, with substantial works by notables such as…

  • Museum

    Hancock Shaker Village

    This evocative museum illustrates the lives of the religious sect that founded the village in 1783. The Shakers believed in communal ownership, the…

  • House

    Naumkeag

    Designed by the renowned architect Stanford White in 1885, this 44-room Gilded Age 'cottage' was the summer retreat of Joseph Hodges Choate, a former US…

  • Museum

    Crane Museum of Papermaking

    Since 1879 every single American bill has been printed on paper made by the Crane Company, based in the small mill town of Dalton. The Crane Museum of…

  • Forest

    October Mountain State Forest

    Most out-of-towners head to Mt Greylock, and leave October Mountain State Forest to the locals. This 16,500-acre state park is the largest tract of green…

  • Nature Reserve

    Pleasant Valley Wilderness Sanctuary

    This 1300-acre wildlife sanctuary has 7 miles of pleasant walking trails through forests and meadows, as well as a challenging hike to the summit of Lenox…

  • Farm

    Windy Hill Farm

    If you hop in the car and drive, you're bound to find several farms where you can pick seasonal produce at harvest times. The setting can be…

  • Forest

    Beartown State Forest

    This lovely state park is centered on Benedict Pond, a perfect spot for swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. There are miles of hiking trails,…

  • Public Art

    North Adams Art Walk

    When you're done exploring the art spaces at Mass MoCA, don't miss the arresting murals in the streets nearby. Highlights include Justice by Alaa Awad,…

  • Museum

    Berkshire Museum

    This museum hosts some worthwhile temporary exhibitions and also displays a rotating permanent collection of international artworks and artifacts, many of…

  • Historic Building

    Mission House

    Swing by this classic 1739 Colonial home, a National Historic Landmark, if just to view it from the outside. It was home to John Sergeant, the first…

  • Historic Building

    Tyringham Gingerbread House

    This architectural fantasy was designed at the beginning of the 20th century by sculptor Henry Hudson Kitson, whose best-known work – a statue of Captain…

  • University

    Williams College

    Here is the Berkshires' quintessential college campus, with wide green lawns and graceful academic architecture, surrounded by a sleepy town and the…