VISIT STOCKBRIDGE, MA OFFERING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SHOPPING, DINING, LODGING, AND HISTORY ALL IN A SMALL-TOWN NEW ENGLAND SETTING

Experience our beautiful towns and all they have to offer for a wonderful time #intheberkshires. Rediscover the joys of the changing Seasons in #StockbridgeMA. Stockbridge has an incredible amount to do, see and experience. It’s known for many things: natural beauty, rich history, arts and culture, plenty of outdoor activities, great food, unique shops and of course great people offering New England Hospitality.

There is nothing like Autumn in the Berkshires of Western MA, and that goes double for Stockbridge, MA.

Get Ready for the Holidays in Stockbridge. The Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas event kicks off the holiday season on December 6-8, 2024. Click here for details Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas

MUSEUMS & HISTORIC SITES

STOCKBRIDGE, MA

Chesterwood is open annually May – October. Open daily 10am-5pm (closed Tuesday). Chesterwood is the historic home, studio and gardens of America’s foremost late 19th early 20th C. sculptor, Daniel Chester French, creator of the Lincoln Memorial. During the season they host on-going programs (“Art Alive” performances, family activities), Guided Tours, Woodland Trails, and a Contemporary Outdoor Sculpture Show throughout the grounds.

“Birth of a Shadow” is this year’s site-specific contemporary outdoor sculpture exhibition featuring 7 regional sculptors through October 21st. The artists include Peter Barrett, Peter Dellert, DeWitt Godfrey, Wendy Klemperer, Michael Thomas, Natalie Tyler and Joe Wheaton.
There will be a free closing party for the 46th annual contemporary sculpture show “Birth of a Shadow” on Saturday, October 19th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The evening begins with an optional tour led by several of the exhibiting artists and concludes with a wine and cheese reception while viewing “No Shadows Here”, a site-specific light show projected onto the façade of the historic Studio by sculptor and video producer Joe Wheaton. These projections will combine unrelated topics and subject matter to create a new world where context and recognizable imagery is reimagined. Paired with sound, the result is a dreamlike and curious reality full of surprise and engagement. Reservations are requested at www.chesterwood.org/contemporary-sculpture-2024

Metamorphosis: Three Ways Through Fire – Ceramics by Anne Ferril, Ingrid Raab and Nina Ryan
Join us for this special exhibition opening reception with the artists. A portion of all sales will support programming at Chesterwood. This exhibition is open to public for free from 12 -5pm on the following dates with one of the artists in attendance:
Final Dates October 17 – 20

Highlawn Farm is a third-generation family-owned dairy farm approaching our 100-year anniversary! They welcome visitors 7 days a week at our Farmstead Creamery Shop where they sell our farm-fresh creamery products, including milk & cream, slow-churned butter, cultured ghee, artisanal cheese, and premium ice cream. Also available are a variety of other locally-produced goods. Come grab an ice cream cone and relax at one of our picnic tables as our beautiful pure Jersey cattle herd grazes in the nearby fields.

Visit the Pumpkin Patch High Lawn Groundskeeper, Thomas Mitchell, has been carefully growing a beautiful variety of pumpkins all summer long! They are finally ready to be enjoyed and are available for purchase at our Farmstead Shop. Stop by our Pumpkin Patch for a perfect fall outing this season!

Starting this Sept. 21st, they have Hot Apple Cider and Cider Donuts available at the Farmstead Shop; cider from our neighbors at Hilltop Orchards, and donuts are fresh from Bartlett’s Orchard. Weekends

The Mission House A National historic landmark, this colonial-era house and museum and garden tells the story of the Stockbridge Mohicans and missionary John Segeant. The gardens are open daily for self-guided tours, the interior of the house and Mohican Miles Exhibit is open seasonally, closed in the fall and winter. Guided tours are available on certain days during the summer.

Naumkeag House and Garden is open seasonally, end of May through early September, Thursday-Monday 10am-4pm. During the season experience gilded age style and splendor at this marvelous estate renowned for its elegant gardens and rare Berkshire Cottage. The Blue Steps, a series of fountain pools, the Afternoon Garden, Tree Peony Terrace, and Chinese Garden are but a few of the treasures on the grounds. Special events like Sunset Yoga, Backstairs Tours are offered through the summer season.
Other wonderful events like the Naumkeag Pumpkin Show takes place in Autumn and Winterlights in the Winter season. Check Calendar of events.

The family fun Naumkeag Pumpkin Show will be on display September 27- October 27, every Wednesday-Sunday from 5-7:45PM.

Feel the magic of the holidays at Winterlights. Sparkling light displays, lively music, and seasonal treats return to Naumkeag. Running November 29 – January 4, Every Wednesday-Sunday.

Norman Rockwell Museum is open Monday-Tuesday, Thursday-Friday: 10am-4pm, and Saturday-Sunday 10am-5pm, offering special events, changing exhibits, museum store, lunch at The Runaway Cafe(seasonal).
Be surprised and delighted at the magnificence of Rockwell’s large scale original paintings and discover the highly relatable world of American Illustration – the art that tells our stories. The Museum strongly recommends the purchase of tickets in advance of your arrival to ensure entry into the Museum.
Norman Rockwell’s Studio is open May 1 through mid November, closed Wednesdays.

EXHIBITIONS ON DISPLAY:
Norman Rockwell: Cover Artist
Norman Rockwell: Highlights from the Collection
Virtual Exhibition: Norman Rockwell: Imagining Freedom
Rockwell Re-Interpreted: Highlights from the Permanent Collection
Norman Rockwell’s 323 “Saturday Evening Post” Covers

Norman Rockwell: Illustrating Humor, June 22 – Feb. 9, 2025
What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine June 8 through Oct. 27. This exhibition explores the unforgettable art and satire of MAD, from its beginnings in 1952 as a popular humor comic book to its emergence as a beloved magazine that spoke truth to power and attracted generations of devoted readers through the decades.

NEW! Unity Project: VOTE 2024! The Unity Project is an art and civics initiative of the Norman Rockwell Museum and contemporary illustrators that is dedicated to an inclusive America in which all voices are heard. Inspired by the rich and continuing tradition of American illustration, this project inspires us to consider the integral role that published imagery plays in creating cultural narratives which connect us to our times.

Anita Kunz: Original Sisters, Portraits of Tenacity and Courage, a forthcoming exhibition of artworks by internationally acclaimed Canadian illustrator Anita Kunz. On view from November 9, 2024, through May 26, 2025, Anita Kunz: Original Sisters presents selections from the artist’s groundbreaking series of portraits of diverse and extraordinary women from ancient times to today, many unknown or underrecognized. This exhibition uncovers, amplifies, and celebrates the achievements of changemaking women worldwide, while also weaving together a “lost history” of women’s distinctive contributions within every possible field of endeavor. Norman Rockwell Museum is the first American museum, and just the third venue worldwide, to present original portraits from Kunz’s Original Sister series.

Stockbridge Library Procter Museum & Archives The library is open Tuesday 9am-8pm, Wednesday-Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-8pm & Saturday 9am-2pm. The Museum is open, Tuesday 1pm to 8pm, Wednesday 1pm to 5pm, Thursday 1pm to 5pm, Friday 1pm to 5pm and Saturday 9am-2pm. The library offers numerous events, programs for adults and children and free checkout of digital books, magazines and audio books. For a full list on events click here

Honor and Hope: Two Mohican Artists, works of Terri OConnor and Rebecca Burr in their October art exhibit. The exhibit is open to the public during regular library hours from October 1 to 31.

LENOX, MA

Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum The Lenox Station museum and grounds is open every Saturday Memorial Day through Labor Day. Named by Yankee Magazine as one of the “Top 10 foliage train rides in New England” (2017), the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum’s mission is to preserve the history of railroading in the Berkshire Hills of Western Mass. Check calendar on website for Hoosac Valley Train Rides and Upcoming Special Train Excursions offered year round.

Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio From June to Columbus Day visit the home of American Abstract Artists George L.K. Morris and Suzy Frelinghuysen, set on a 46-acre estate in the heart of Lenox. View their paintings, frescoes, and sculpture; experience their exquisite collection of American and European Cubist Art.
“Exercise your Creativity” workshops are every Sunday from 11am to 1pm.

The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home The Main House, Bookstore, and Terrace Cafe are open daily from 10am to 5pm. The gardens and grounds are free and open daily year-round from dawn to dusk.
The Mount is a historic house museum and vibrant cultural center with a variety of tours, programs, lectures, music, theater and events for you to enjoy. Check calendar.
This Autumn, you can stroll the grounds to learn about birding or view Sculpture at The Mount, a relaunch of SculptureNOW, artist-led talks is made available through October 20. In September they also have a lineup of poetry, spoken word, and theatre.

Ghost tours are Friday nights. It starts with the sounds—creaking floors and slamming doors, fading footsteps down empty halls—a feeling of being watched, tingling taps on the shoulders, spectral shapes crouched in corners or gathered in front of fireplaces long gone cold. Tricks of the imagination in an old building or something else?

Nightwoods, a fantastical journey through light and sound returns to the Mount November 22-January 4. Guests wander the illuminated 3/4-mile route through the woods and gardens for an otherworldly experience that evokes wonder and awakens the imagination. Book Now

Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum is open daily 10am to 4pm for self-guided tours. Reservations not needed. Ventfort Hall is an imposing Jacobean Revival-style mansion built in 1893 for Sarah Morgan, the sister of J. P. Morgan. Designed by the architects Rotch & Tilden
Check their calendar for special events, Tea & Talk, Psychic Medium Presentation, Tarot Readings, Paranormal Investigations and more.

Upcoming Highlights:

Tarot Student Series (101*102*103) | Tarot 103 on Sunday, Oct. 20 from 2pm to 4pm
Ghost Tour with Robert Oakes | Oct. 25 at 7 pm
Ghost Tour with Robert Oakes | Oct. 25 at 10 pm
Tales from the Graveyard Tea & Talk | Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 5:30 pm
Ghost Tour with Robert Oakes | October 29 at 8:00 pm
Paranormal Investigation with David Raby | November 2 at 7 pm
Dining in the Gilded Age: A Demonstration & Tea | Saturday November 9 from 2pm to 4pm
A Christmas Carol | Matinee December 6 at 2 pm

TYRINGHAM, MA

Bidwell House Museum is open Memorial Day to October. Authentically restored & located on 192 acres, the Bidwell House Museum tells the story of life in the 18th C Berkshires via seasonal programs and guided tours of the elegant c.1760 Georgian saltbox home. Grounds and gardens are open year-round for hiking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing, FREE OF CHARGE, though donations are welcome.

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA

Clark Art Institute is open Tuesday- Sunday 10am – 5pm and open daily in July and August, 10am – 5pm. Presenting exhibitions, collections, education and the Grounds. Trails at The Clark Art Institute campus are open 24/7.

Exhibitions:
David-Jeremiah: I Drive Thee runs through January 26, 2025

Treasures from the Corning Museum of Glass Michael Conforti Pavilion, Clark Center (July 4–Oct 27)
Abelardo Morell In the Company of Monet and Constable (November 23, 2024–February 17, 2025)

Free Admission Opportunities:
Families: The Clark hosts a number of free family events during the year.
First Sunday of each month is Free with special activities.

PERFORMING ARTS

The Berkshire Theatre Group has a variety of live performances lined up at their beloved Colonial theatre and Unicorn Stage. Call the box office at 413-997-4444 or visit link.

At the Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge:
The Weir (Sept 26-Oct 27).

At the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield:
Warren Miller’s Seventy Five Nov. 7,

Jacob’s Pillow Dance The 2024 Festival has come to a close, but the Pillow has plenty to offer year-round including digital streams, Pillow Lab Residences, Community Programs, and more.
We invite you to stay connected to all that’s happening at Jacob’s Pillow, with upcoming live broadcasts from the Pillow Lab alongside a host of on-demand content to watch and listen to whenever you like. Explore the playlist now!

Get ready for an exciting new season of Jacob’s Pillow Live, where dance comes alive on your screen, free for all! This fall, winter, and spring, the Pillow bringing you encore streams of standout performances, live presentations, insightful artist talks, and innovative content series.

Upcoming Encore Streams
Dancers of Damelahamid
Streaming Dates: November 1 – 22
Dive into a rich cultural narrative through movement and a powerful performance blending Indigenous traditions with contemporary dance.
Register here for free.
Social Tango Project
Streaming Dates: January 3 – 24
Discover the passion of Argentine tango and the art form’s evolution reimagined by the Social Tango Project.
Register here for free.
The MasterZ at Work Dance Family
Streaming Dates: March 7 – 28
Experience the electrifying energy and creativity of a performance that seamlessly blends jazz, hip-hop, street jazz, house, African dance, voguing, and contemporary styles.
Register here for free.
Princess Lockerooo & The Fabulous Waack Dancers
Streaming Dates: May 2 – 23
Join us for a vibrant fusion of waacking and voguing that celebrates individuality and the power of artistic expression.
Register here for free.

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents live performances, film, and cultural events for all ages.

Some highlights include:
Close Encounters with Music: Drama & Melodrama – The Schumanns Sunday, October 20 at 4pm
Ailey II October 25 & 26 This year, Ailey II – The Next Generation of Dance – marks its 50th anniversary of merging the spirit and energy of the country’s finest early-career dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding and emerging choreographers.
The hit touring radio show Selected Shorts Holiday Tales returns to the Mahaiwe on December 14
Cows and Holly Children’s author/songwriter Sandra Boynton will celebrate the release of her new Christmas album and songbook on December 19
John Pizzarelli Big Band in holiday tradition Mahaiwe perennial performer John Pizzarelli will return on December 21 with his big band.

“100 Years of Movies”
The final films in the 100 Years of Movies series are Matt Green-DeLanghe presents: Skelly (2024) Sunday, October 13 at 4pm FREE, Sideways (2004) on October 18 and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) on November 8.
In celebration of the holiday season, the theater will show Frankenweenie (2012) on November 1, The Wizard of Oz (1939) over Thanksgiving weekend on November 30, the Met Opera’s HD broadcast The Magic Flute (2006) on December 7, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) on December 13, short film Olaf’s Frozen Adventure on loop for free on December 14, and It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) for free on December 20.

NEW!! José González, Friday, March 28 at 8pm Indie-folk singer-songrwriter/guitarist José González is in a class by himself. Hailed by Rolling Stone as “someone whose subtle, carefully crafted music delivers rewards to listeners who know how to wait,” González’s stellar career can only be described as a dream. From selling out tours on virtually every continent to headlining prestigious festivals around the world to being asked to perform at 2020’s Nobel Prize Award Ceremony and seeing his recorded music exceed 1 billion streams, González is one of the most exciting and in-demand touring artists working today.

Shakespeare & Company
Shakespeare & Company presents classic and modern theater for all ages on indoor and outdoor stages.
2024 season performance continues
August 30 through October 13, Three Tall Persian Women, Originally staged at Shakespeare & Company as a Plays in Process reading, this love letter to immigrant mothers follows Golnar, a punkish Iranian-American millennial, who has returned home to her mother Nasrin on the anniversary of her father’s passing. She walks into hoards of memorabilia that her grandmother Mamani has moved in with her, a delicate relationship with her mother, and the unexpected arrival of a childhood friend that soon turns a solemn family gathering on its head.
Galileo’s Daughter October 18 – November 3
Emma: A lively, costumed reading December 13-15,

Tanglewood is one of the world’s most beloved music festivals, famed summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and its training academy, the Tanglewood Music Center, as well as the Boston Pops. It’s also the year-round home of the Tanglewood Learning Institute. In a typical summer, Tanglewood welcomes more than 350,000 visitors to performances, recitals, and seminars across 500 acres nestled between Lenox and Stockbridge.
Tanglewood welcomes you to their beautiful grounds, open year-round, free of charge, for visitors to enjoy.
Upcoming Performances at
Tanglewood Studio E, Linde Center for Music & Learning, Stockbridge, MA

October 2024
Sunday, October 20th, 3pm

The Berkshire Bach Society is the oldest continuing member-based non-profit music organization in Berkshire County. We present live performances by professional musicians of the work of J.S. Bach and his Baroque mentors, peers, and followers ranging from solo recitals and chamber music to choral and orchestral works. Click here for Calendar:
The regular season opens with a Harpsichord Festival of two concerts, St. Paul’s Church, Stockbridge, MA, that showcase the quintessential Baroque keyboard instrument in many guises. On Saturday, September 21, Peter Sykes recreates his first public harpsichord recital 50 years ago in a program of music by J.S. Bach, Louis Couperin, and more. The Festival concludes on Saturday, October 19, when the keyboard duo of Elliot Figg and Caitlyn Koester plays Skeletons of the Opera, a program of Baroque opera transcriptions for harpsichord, four hands.

The 2024-2025 season continues on Saturday, November 30, at 4 pm, with the popular FREE community Messiah Sing-Along. Internationally-known choral director James Bagwell leads the audience and The Berkshire Bach Players in favorite choruses from Handel’s oratorio Messiah at the First Congregational Church in Great Barrington. The event is sponsored by the Local Cultural Councils of Alford-Egremont, Lenox, New Marlborough, Sheffield, and Stockbridge.

The Berkshire Bach Players return on Saturday, December 7, at 5pm, in the Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas Holiday Concert sponsored by the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce at the First Congregational Church in Stockbridge. Berkshire Bach helps raise funds for the Chamber in a program of holiday favorites, Baroque style, and a sing-along. Tickets available through the Stockbridge Chamber.

Eugene Drucker leads the full Berkshire Bach Ensemble in Bach at New Year’s, a celebration of Baroque Music for the New Year. This season’s event is a Marathon of ‘Brandenburgs,’ which recreate our first Bach at New Year’s concert in 1993 that started a holiday tradition. Performances are on Tuesday, December 30, Wednesday, December 31, and Thursday, January 1, 2025 at the Academy of Music in Northampton, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, and the newly-renovated Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy (NY).

In February 2025 The Berkshire Bach Organ Masters return to showcase two of the area’s historic organs played by two consummate organists. On Saturday, February 8, Renée Anne Louprette kicks off the series with The Best of Bach–The Great Organ Works, an all-Bach program on the Johnson Organ at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House in Housatonic, followed on Saturday, April 5, by Peter Sykes playing the historic Roosevelt Organ at the First Congregational Church in Great Barrington. The Organ Masters series spans Baroque through 20th-century repertoire and gives audiences the opportunity to hear the beautiful voices of two special organs that are true cultural treasures.

The Lions Den at the Red Lion Inn
Sound and Soul of the Berkshires since 1937
$10 music charge will be applied to the bill during the performance.

EMBRACE OUTDOOR ADVENTURE, RENEWAL AND HEALTH

From hiking the trails of the Laurel Hill Association to enjoying activities of the Stockbridge Bowl, to Skiing at nearby Otis Ridge Ski Area, Stockbridge has outdoor fun for all ages. Throughout the year, the lake is extensively used by canoers, kayakers, sailers, swimmers and fishermen. The Bowl, when frozen, is incredibly popular place for ice skating, snow shoeing and ice fishing.
Click here to see outdoor adventures #intheberkshires.

BerkshiresOutside.org A brand new, comprehensive clearinghouse of trailheads, boat launches, and access points to outdoor recreation in the Berkshires.

OUTDOOR GARDENS & ART WALKS Discover the beautiful gardens, grounds, and scenic views in our area. Most of our gardens, museums and historic sites are open for use of their outdoor grounds with restrictions. There is plenty of space and abundant fresh air that provides great venues for visitors to explore. Check out each venue’s website for their offerings.

Austen Riggs Center is a psychiatric residential treatment facility with a different approach: They treat the person, not just the diagnosis. Their caring experts work with each person to illuminate the stories behind your symptoms. Time, space, and support for reflection can lead you to better understand yourself and your relationships, enabling you to address a range of issues and build a more satisfying life. The Erikson Institute for Education, Research, and Advocacy makes the Austen Riggs Center a place of learning as well as healing. We invite you to join us at academic conferences, lectures, workshops, and other educational events. https://www.austenriggs.org/events

The Berkshire Arts Center is the leading provider of high quality, hands-on instruction in the visual arts year-round. They have an exciting lineup of classes, events and exhibitions happening in both Stockbridge and Pittsfield. To learn more about or register for Berkshire Art Center’s upcoming classes, and events, please visit www.berkshireartcenter.org.

The Berkshire Botanical Garden is open year-round for classes, lectures, workshops and exhibits, and the display gardens can be visited daily May 1st through October 31st. Tour gardens of all kinds – herb and perennial gardens, border gardens, rock gardens, and seasonal displays of fruit and flowering trees. Garden terrain is wheelchair accessible.
An extensive schedule of workshops, both online and in-person, is available as well. View a complete list of classes, workshops and events.

October
1-22: Ornamental Woody Plants Four-Session Course
5-26: Rendering Four-Session Art Class
17-19: Perennial Plant Conference and Garden Tours
9: Salt and Seasoning Workshop
25: Roadtrip: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Courtyard and the Harvard Museum of Natural History “Glass Flowers” Exhibit
26: Sketching in the Garden
26: Preserving Apples the Freund Way
27: Fall Harvest Farm-to-Table Cooking Class
29 through Nov. 19: Soil and Soil Amendments
31 through Nov. 21: New England Native Plant Design

Berkshire South Regional Community Center has a variety of recreational, educational, cultural, health and social well-being classes and workshops. Check out their offerings and calendar of events.
Take their Monthly Member Challenge! Each month, they host a Member Fitness Challenge! Find Out More!
Community Supper is run on Mondays 5pm on a biweekly schedule. Since 2009, they have held community supper as a way to nourish your bodies through great food and company.
Toasting & Tasting fundraiser October 19, 2024! Join us for an evening of sampling libations from local Berkshire wine merchants, brewers, cideries, and distilleries accompanied by light fare in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. This year’s event will feature all the fun and festive activities from last year including raffles, live music, a photo booth, a silent auction, catered bites, and popular games like the Wine Pull. In addition to the main event, we are offering a NEW Specialty Pairing Event where guests will enjoy a curated selection of high-end wines expertly paired with delicious bites.

Visit Otis Ridge Ski Area! The most accessible mountain in the Berkshires! They offer lessons, night programs for kids & families, women’s program, group visits, overnight lodging, Airbnb rentals, rentals, retail & repair shop, birthday parties, private events, and more! While there visit the Grouse House, our bar & restaurant, for the best apres-ski experience!

Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health campus is nestled in the breathtaking Berkshire mountains. Come for a nourishing retreat full of yoga, nutritious meals, mindful outdoor experiences, and more. Explore upcoming programs led by Kripalu faculty and expert presenters on topics ranging from yoga to societal and personal transformation. See a full list of programs, retreats, healing art

REDISCOVER the STOCKBRIDGE, MA area & SUPPORT LOCAL

Our galleries, stores, services, restaurants are open year-round, and we encourage you to Support Local. Enjoy a stroll through our town and rediscover the many brick-and-mortar businesses, where you will most likely be greeted by a friendly owner. Many of our stores also offer online shops, our restaurants alfresco dining, pickup and delivery and services offered by appointment

SERVING NEW ENGLAND HOSPITALITY

Our New England Inns, B&Bs and Hotels are offering getaways complete with fires to lounge by, heat pools or saunas, afternoon teas, and scenic views. Plan your stay with us, where you will always get the best of New England Hospitality. Get an overview of the properties in our area, go directly to their websites for the full picture, then book directly with the property of your choice.