Barrington Stage Company - BSC has become the fastest growing arts venue in Berkshire County , attracting some 45,000 patrons each year, and gaining national recognition for its superior quality productions and comprehensive educational programming. Since 1995 Barrington Stage has produced several award-winning plays and musicals, beginning with winning the Elliot Norton/Boston Theatre Critics Award in its very first year for The Diary of Anne Frank. In its third year, BSC won two Elliot Norton/Boston Theatre Critics Awards and four Outer Critics Awards for its smash hit production of Cabaret, which moved to Boston and played an extended run at the Hasty Pudding Theatre. Several other BSC productions, including Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Three Viewings, A View From The Roof... More >>>

Berkshire Botanical Garden - The Berkshire Botanical Garden is a not-for-profit, membership-supported educational organization encompassing 15 acres of cultivated land at the intersection of Routes 102 and 183 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Called “a glistening community gem” by Virginia Small, author of the book Great Gardens of the Berkshires, the Garden’s mission is to fulfill the community’s need for information, education and inspiration concerning the art and science of gardening and the preservation and improvement of our local environment. Our public display gardens are open May through mid-October. Both functional and ornamental, they are among the oldest in the US and have been expanded over the years in breadth and... More >>>

Berkshire Museum - The Berkshire Museum was founded in 1903 by Zenas Crane, the grandson of the founder of Crane & Company. When he built the museum, his vision was to create an inviting environment for everyone, not just the elite. He sought to use the museum's varied collection to enrich, educate and delight the county's citizens of all ages. This vision guides the museum to this day. At the heart of the museum's mission is a commitment to playing an active cultural and educational role in the community. "Wally," our life-size front lawn-dwelling stegosaurus, was constructed for the Sinclair Dinoland Pavilion at the 1964-65 World's Fair by the renowned wildlife sculptor Louis Paul Jonas. He welcomes visitors to the only art, natural science and history museum in Western Massachusetts. Fourteen galleries, an aquarium, a 291 seat fully equipped, air conditioned theater, classrooms and a museum store make up the Berkshire... More >>>

Bidwell House Museum - Built in 1750 for the first minister of Township No. 1, the Reverend Adonijah Bidwell, The Bidwell House is a gracious saltbox home. Rev. Bidwell arrived in 1750 to be the first minister of this frontier region, which eventually became the towns of Monterey and Tyringham. Bidwell built an imposing home with six large, paneled rooms, four fireplaces, two beehive ovens, and three closets. Surrounding the house are terraced stone walls brimming with perennial beds. Installed in the 20th century when the house was restored, these provide a fabulous setting for this gem of a Georgian saltbox. The remaining acreage is woodlands laced with hiking trails and foot paths leading to historical landmarks throughout... More >>>

Chesterwood Estate & Museum - Chesterwood, the 1920's summer home, studio and garden of sculptor Daniel Chester French (1850-1931) is just a few short minutes from the Red Lion Inn. Guests take a step back in time when visiting this 122 acre estate that inspired an artist who inspired a nation. At Chesterwood visitors view working models of the seated Lincoln for the Memorial in Washington D.C. and other noted public monuments, including The Minute Man. Chesterwood, A National and Massachusetts Historic Landmark, is a historic house museum of the National Trust for Historic Preservation the nation’s leader in saving America’s historic environments... More >>>

Hancock Shaker Village - The Shakers called this community "The City of Peace." Although you will find Hancock Shaker Village a welcome retreat from today's hectic pace, this name belies the level of activity at this living museum. Set your watch back a century or two and see the Village come to life through vibrant programs, tours, exhibitions and hands-on activities. This beautifully restored village, set on 1,200 acres of farm, woodland and pasture, is home to the premier collection of Shaker buildings and artifacts. Graceful Shaker furniture, craft and household items - oval boxes, brooms, baskets and textiles - are exhibited in 20 historic buildings, each an architectural gem. The Round Stone Barn, most famous of all Shaker buildings, is a testament to Shaker efficiency... More >>>

Herman Melville's Arrowhead - Melville’s associations with Berkshire County began in his childhood. The grandson of two Revolutionary War heroes, Melville was born in New York City in 1819. His mother, Maria Gansevoort Melville, was the daughter of General Peter Gansevoort of Albany, who was called the “Hero of Fort Stanwix” due to his role in the defense of that fort in Rome, New York, during the Revolution. (Melville would name his second son Stanwix in honor of that event.) The Gansevoorts had come to the new world in the 1600s and established themselves as one of the first families of Dutch Albany. Melville’s father, Allan Melvill, was also from a prominent family, this time from Boston. Allan was the son of Thomas Melvill, the son of a Scottish immigrant who achieved wealth as a merchant... More >>>

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival - Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, celebrating its 80th Anniversary Season this year, is the ideal destination for a summer getaway. A National Historic Landmark and National Medal of Arts recipient, Jacob's Pillow is nestled in the beautiful Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts and in 2012 will host the annual international dance Festival June 16 through August 26.Called "the dance center of the nation" by The New York Times, the Pillow brings together dance, music, art, and culture, with more than 300 free and ticketed events including performances, photography and art exhibits, lectures and discussions, tours, dance class observation, onsite dining, and much more. Dance companies from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, and across the United States perform in two theatres and an outdoor stage throughout the summer... More >>>

Norman Rockwell Museum - Founded in 1969 with the help of Norman and Molly Rockwell, Norman Rockwell Museum is dedicated to the enjoyment and study of Rockwell's work and his contributions to society, popular culture, and social commentary. The Museum, which is accredited by the American Association of Museums, is the most popular year-round cultural attraction in the Berkshires. The Museum houses the world's largest and most significant collection of Rockwell's work, including 574 original paintings and drawings. Rockwell lived in Stockbridge for the last 25 years of his life. Rockwell's Stockbridge studio, moved to the Museum site, is open to the public from May through October, and features original art materials, his library, furnishings, and personal items. The Museum also... More >>>

MASS MoCA - If conventional museums are boxes, MASS MoCA is an open platform – a welcoming place that encourages dynamic interchange between making and presenting art, between the visual and performing arts, and between our extraordinary historic factory campus and the patrons, workers and tenants who again inhabit it. We at MASS MoCA work hard to make the whole cloth of art-making, presentation and participation a seamless continuum. Performing arts residencies offer well-equipped and professionally staffed technical facilities and stages, and a sophisticated, diverse and sympathetic audience for new work – especially technically complex work that requires... More >>>

Shakespeare & Company - Launching its 34th season in the culturally-rich Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts in Lenox, Shakespeare & Company aspires to create a theatre of unprecedented excellence rooted in the classical ideals of inquiry, balance, and harmony; a company that performs as the Elizabethans did — in love with poetry, physical prowess, and the mysteries of the universe. With a core of over 150 artists, the company performs Shakespeare, generating opportunities for collaboration between actors, directors, and designers of all races, nationalities, and backgrounds. Shakespeare & Company provides original, in-depth, classical training and performance methods. The company also develops and produces new plays of social and political significance. Shakespeare & Company's educational programs inspire ... More >>>

Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute - The Clark’s mission and its geographical location define three essential, interrelated aspects of its character and identity: the quality of its art, the beauty of its pastoral setting, and the depth of its commitment to the generation of ideas.At the core of the Institute is its collections, centered on an extraordinary legacy of Impressionist and Old Master paintings whose refinement and appeal reflects the fact that it has grown from a core group of works carefully and personally chosen by the founders. The domestic and human scale of the galleries, the views out to the pond, surrounding fields, and distant mountains all foster the contemplation and enjoyment of works of art in an intimate and warm setting: an unhurried experience with real works of art... More >>>

Tanglewood - Tanglewood, one of the world's most beloved music festivals and the famed summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra located in the beautiful Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, celebrates its 75th anniversary season, June 22-September 2, with a spectacular lineup of musical guests and programs that spotlight Tanglewood's rich tradition of presenting summertime concerts at their best since 1937. In addition to replicating some of the greatest musical moments of the last 75 years and presenting eight new works in their world premiere performances, Tanglewood's 75th Anniversary celebration will reach out to a worldwide audience by way of international radio broadcasts and first-ever recording and master classes presented through tanglewood.org, including an extraordinary offer of 75 Free Digital Streams featuring many of the most memorable musical events from the BSO's rich archive of recorded Tanglewood performances since 1937. These digital streams will be available free of charge for 24 hours on the day of the release, after which they will be available as... More >>>

The Colonial Theatre - Located in downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts the Colonial Theatre is a Gilded Age architectural gem brought back to life as a performing arts center in the “heart of the Berkshires”. Kept safe behind the temporary wall and ceiling partitions of a retail store for more than 50 years, the ornately appointed and now fully restored Colonial emerged in August, 2006 as a cultural and economic development force in the Berkshires. We invite you to be a part of the on-going movement to maintain this magnificent part of our history and our future. Come tour this architectural icon of another age. Come and enjoy the contemporary entertainment that gives it new life. The theater and lobby facilities are available for community activities... More >>>

Williams College Museum of Art - One of the finest college art museums in the country, the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) houses 12,000 works that span the history of art. Within the broad range of time periods and cultures represented, the collection emphasizes modern and contemporary art, American art from the late 18th century to present, and the art of world cultures. Admission to the museum is always FREE as are a host of educational programs that are available to the public. Open Tuesday through Saturday 10-5, Sunday 1-5 Free admission. Wheelchair accessible... More >>>

Williamstown Theatre Festival - Nestled in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, the Williamstown Theatre Festival is a celebration of theater that brings together a vast array of artists and offers audiences varied cultural experiences. Every summer, WTF presents classic and new plays on its Main, Nikos and Center Stages, Free Theatre, Late-Night Cabaret, and readings, workshops, and other special events including a program for youngsters in North Adams called the Greylock Theatre Project. Of equal importance, WTF's many training programs offer nearly two hundred aspiring theater artists and managers an opportunity to study acting or serve as interns with professional designers, directors and administrators... More >>>