Blog / Historical Museums & Monuments
5 Reasons to Make Hampshire County Your Fall Getaway Destination
Valley View Farm, Haydenville
Photo by Lynne Graves
We're more than pretty leaves and crisp breezes. Find out why fall is our favorite season.
Most Instagrammable Spots in Hampshire County
Mill Buildings in Easthampton
Photo courtesy of @alcides_coop
In Hampshire County, we’re known for our scenery. And unlike other places that are famous for one beautiful thing or another, we really run the gamut. We have mountaintop views and swimming holes. Waterfalls and the winding Connecticut River. There are farm fields, bike path bridges, botanical gardens, and historic buildings. The old saying goes — if a tree falls in the woods, does it make a sound? Updated for the digital age — if you didn’t post it on…
How do you like them apples?
Park Hill Orchard, Easthampton
Photo by Lynne Graves
Hold up! Before you reach for that pumpkin spice latte, can we take a minute to spread some apple-love? Here in Western Massachusetts, we boast about the heirloom varieties under cultivation by our region’s orchardists. The u-pick scene is sweet (or tangy and crisp, depending on your choice), local ciders are brewing, and as if picking your own peck with a mountain view wasn’t enticing enough, we’re sharing our favorite unexpected Western Applechusetts adventures -- just in…
How to Enjoy Western MA Maple Season from Near and Far
Red Bucket Sugar Shack, Worthington | Photo by Lynne Graves
Here in Western Massachusetts, maple sugaring season is one of the first signs of our annual agricultural awakening. As soon as we start to see the maple buckets on trees and sugaring steam rising in the distance, we know spring can't be far off. Whether you plan to be near or far from Western Massachusetts, there are ways to enjoy the best that a Massachusetts maple season has to offer.
4 Ways to Get Spooky in Western MA for Halloween
Amherst Cinema | Photo by Lynne Graves
With Halloween right around the corner, we figured some of you might want to get out there and have a little spooky fun in Western Massachusetts. And if spooks and horror aren't for you, everyone loves to have fun dressing up with a good party to attend. Haunted hayrides, ghost tours, costume parties and more this Halloween in Western Massachusetts.
How to Spend a Weekend in the Hilltowns of Western MA
William Cullen Bryant Homestead, Cummington | Photo by the Trustees of Reservations
When you visit Hampshire County of Western Massachusetts, the bustling downtown destinations only make up half the equation. There’s so much to discover beyond our city lines, particularly in the Hilltowns of western Hampshire County—Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Huntington, Middlefield, Planfield, Westhampton, Williamsburg and Worthington. This part of Hampshire County is home to Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program and countless other artists finding inspiration…
8 Unique Drop-In Fitness Classes to Try this Summer in Western MA
Vortex Dance & Fitness Metal Yoga | Photo by Shaina Mishkin on MassLive.com
If you’re looking to shake up your fitness routine this summer and try something new even while you're traveling, there’s plenty of unique options in Hampshire County in western Massachusetts! There are weekly drop-in group cycling rides, hooping classes, and certainly no shortage of daily classes at our yoga studios and even a handful of unique classes in famous gardens, breweries, and more. For the more adventurous and experienced, there’s even aerial yoga at the local circus training studio!
8 Great Date Ideas in Western Massachusetts this February
Amherst Cinema | Photo by Lynne Graves
Valentine’s Day is just one day of the month (of the entire year!) and this February, there’s way too much going on that’s supremely date-worthy. Check out some of our top picks for things to do in western Massachusetts this month, whether it be with your sweetheart or your friends. Check out our picks here.
6 Early Signs of Spring in Western Massachusetts
Nashawannuck Pond, Easthamtpon | by Patrick Brough
While most of Massachusetts is still covered in snow as we begin the month of March, spring really is just around the corner—Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, March 8 and the Spring Equinox is March 20. Despite all the snow and current cold temperatures, there’s a handful of good things happening in western Massachusetts this month that remind us spring is near, like the reopening of the Emily Dickinson Museum and the spring flower shows at Smith and Mount Holyoke colleges.
Win Tickets for Historic Theater’s World Premiere Play
The old balcony at the Academy and 'Nobody's Girl,' Mildred E. Walker
This fall, after several months of scaffolding, hammering, painting, and the like happening behind closed doors, western Massachusetts' historic Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton celebrates its grand reopening. And what’s even more exciting is that the theater officially reopens with the world premiere of its first ever commissioned production, Nobody’s Girl, October 17 and 18. Don't miss your chance to catch this new screwball comedy about the Academy's first ever female manager, the feisty and unconventional Mildred E. Walker.