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fun for kids in the berkshires

Note: all telephone numbers are area code (413) , unless otherwise noted

Berkshire Visitor’s Bureau
800-237-5747 
www.berkshires.org

Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce
528-4284
www.SouthernBerkshires.com

Lenox Chamber of Commerce
637-3646 
www.lenox.org

 

Nature Preserves/Hiking/Canoeing/CrossCountry Skiing/ Outdoor Activities

Appalachian Trail  528-6333 – from Sheffield to Clarksburg
Ashuwillticook Trail (Cheshire) 442-8928  -11mile paved  bike and walking trail
Bartholmew’s Cobble (Ashley Falls) 229-8600 – nature trails, canoe trips, museum  www.thetrustees.org
Bash Bish Falls State Park (Mt Washington) 528-0330 – hiking, waterfalls
Beartown State Forest  (Monterey) 528-0904 hiking trail, beach, boat ramp
Canoe Meadows (Pittsfield/Lenox) 637-0320 hiking, sanctuary www.massaudabon.org
Housatonic River Walk (Gt.Barrington)  (enter behind Brooks- 197 Main St) – up close and personal by the river
Housatonic River -Outfitters 528-8811 –canoe rentals and guides
Monument Mountain Reservation- 298-3239 3 mile hike  and views from the top
Mt Greylock-(Lanesboro) 499-4262- 5 state view from highest peak in Mass.  Drive or hike to summit.
Mt Washington State Forest -  528-0330
October Mt State Forest (Lee)  243-1778
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (Lenox) 637-0320 day camp, nature walks, educational programs –1400 acres.  www.massaudabon.org
Pittsfield State Forest 442-8992   Balance Rock (Lanesborogh)
Race Brook Falls (Sheffield) rt 41 –trail and waterfall
Kennedy Park (Lenox) –hiking, ski trails (behind Arcadian Shop)
Tyringham Cobble (Tyringham) 298-3239 –hiking, nature
Berkshire Mt Llama Hikes (Lee)   243-2224

Boating/ Swimming/Fishing

Berkshire Fishing Club (Becket) 243-5761 private stocked lake
Benedict Pond (Monterey) beach, boat ramp 528-0904
Gaffer’s Outdoors (Sheffield) 229-0063 canoe rental on the Housatonic
Goose Pond (Lee)
Green River – rt 23 1mile west of GB – old-fashioned swimming hole
Laurel Lake, Lenox & Lee  Beach– beach, boat ramp
Lake Garfield, Monterey
Onota Lake (Pittsfield) boat rentals 442-1724
Stockbridge Bowl, Stockbridge – town beach, boat ramp
Card Lake, West Stockbridge town beach
Zoar Outdoors 800-532-7483 white water rafting                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Downhill Skiing – 
(ski conditions 800-237-5747/ 413-499-7669)

Bousquet (Pittsfield) 442-8316  - www.bousquets.com
Butternut Basin, Gt.Barrington 528-2000  “ski-wee”  www.skibutternut.com
Brodie  Mountain (New Ashford) 443-4752(snowtubing park www.skibrodie.com
Jiminy Peak (Hancock) 738-5500     wwwjiminypeak.com
Otis Ridge (Otis) 269-4444 www.otisridge.com
Catamount (S.Egremont) 528-1262  -  catamountski.com

Cross-country Skiing

Canterbury Farm (becket)  623-0100
Cranwell Resort (Lenox) 637-1364
Kennedy Park (Lenox)

Animals , Farms and Pick your own

Eastover Resort, (Lenox )637-0625- American Bison roam the grounds, civil war memorabilia
Farmer’s Markets May-October-  Great Barrington (Sat.-am) Lenox & Sheffield –(Friday pm) 
Green River Farm (Williamstown) 458-2470 pick yr own, petting zoo
Rawson Brook Farm –(Monterey)  see goats milked
Highlawn Farm (Lee) 243-0672 – visit cows, watch milking
Howden Farm (Sheffield) 229-8481 – pumpkins & hayrides  (October)
Ioka Valley Farm (Hancock) 738-5915 –pick berries, pumpkins, apples, hayrides, petting zoo
Otis Poultry Farm 269-4438  www.OtisPoultryFarm.com
Taft Farms ( Great Barrington) 528-1015 – berries, corn
Undermountain Farm (Lenox) 637-3365 –lessons and trail rides
Windy Hill Farm (Stockbridge) 298-3217  apples
Blueberry Hill Farm (Mt Washington) – 528-1479
Berkshire Botanical gardens (Stockbridge) 298-3926  15acres of gardens trails, sculpture,  fall   harvest festival,summer craft fairs wwwberkshirebotanical.org
Whitney’s Farm Stand (Cheshire) 442-4749 corn maze, pick berries, pumpkins, hayride, petting zoo      

Historic Homes and Berkshire Cottages

Arrowhead (Pittsfield) 442-1793  museum and former home of Herman Melville www.mobydick.org
Chesterwood (Stockbridge) 298-3579 –summer home of Daniel Chester French- the sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial –museum, house, and gardens. Seasonal www.chesterwood.org
Frelinghuysen-Morris House & studio ( Lenox) 637-0166 abstract art, gardens, and Bauhaus studio.  Seasonal   www.frelinghuysen.org
Mission House (Stockbridge) 298-3239 - 1739 home, Indian museum and gardens     www.thetrustees.org
The Mount –summer home of Edith Wharton (Lenox) 637-1899 – gardens and 1902 restored house www.edithWharton.org
Naumkeag (Stockbridge) 298 3239– 1880’s Stamford White designed 26 room mansion from the gilded age, and 8 acre gardens. Seasonal www.thetrustees.org
Santarella (Tyringham) 243-2819 Thatched-roof “Gingerbread House” -historic sculpture studio and gardens
Ventford Hall (Lenox) 637-3206 – museum of the gilded age in 1893 mansion www.gildedage.org

Museums

AniMagic –animation museum (Lee)- hands-on, view models, films etc.  by appt. 243-2051
Colonel Ashley House  (Ashley Falls) 298-3239 1775 house-seasonal www.thetrustees.org
Bidwell House (Monterey) 528-6888 1750 home , gardens and trails www.bidwellhousemuseum.org
Clark Art Institute Williamstown) 458-2303  Renoir, Degas and lots more www.clarkart.edu
Crane Museum of Papermaking (Dalton) 684-6481
Berkshire Museum (Pittsfield)  443-7171 history, natural history and art www.berkshiremuseum.org
Hancock Shaker Village (Hancock) 443-0188  - 1800’s village, round barn , farm, gardens, and animals www.hancockshakervillage.org
Mass Moca  - (N. Adams) 664*4111- largest contemporary art museum in the world, theater, dance, film, music, -kid’s events, hands-on  Kidspace Gallery – www.massmoca.org
Norman Rockwell Museum (Stockbridge) 298-4100/ 800-742- 9450 – art museum and original artist’s studio  www.nrm.org
Trolley Museum (Shelburne Falls ) 624-0192
Williams College Museum of Art (Williamstown) 597-2429  www.williams.edu/wcma
Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum Lenox)  637-2210 June-Oct-  train  rides and historic station  www.berkshirescenicrailroad.org
W.E.B. Du Bois  Museum (Great Barrington) 5644-9595  dedicated to Great Barrington famous native son

Misc. & Events

Baker’s golf Center (Lanesboro) 442-6102 outdoor mini golf
Berkshire center for Contemporary Glass (West Stockbridge) 232-4666 –watch glass blowers
The Cove - bowling and indoor miniature golf (Gt. Barrington)  528-1220
David Grover – kid’s concert- Sat. mornings – summer - Great Barrington Bandstand
Waconah Park –(Pittsfield)   minor league baseball in the summer
Hopkins Observatory & Planetarium-Williams College 597-2188 museum & observatory
Jiminy Peak Alpine Slide (Hancock)  738-5500 summer
Berkshire South Community Center- (gt Barrington) 528-2810  indoor pool, kids programs, fitness center www.berkshiresouth.org
IS183 Art School of the Berkshires –classes and day camp 413-298-5252 www.IS183.org
Parades: countywide –Memorial Day, and July 4th
Holiday events: Festival of Trees (Berkshire museum), Stockbridge Main St. at Christmas (reenactment of  1956 Rockwell scene)

Movies

Triplex: (Great Barrington) 528-8885 independent , foreign, and mainstream films www.thetriplex.com
Images Cinema: Williamstown -  -458-5612 www.imagescinema.org
Little Cinema : Pittsfield  -  443-7171  www.berkshiremuseum.org
Hoyts Cinema : Lanesborough Mall)  -  433-2558 

Performing Arts

Colonial Theater (Pittsfield) 997-4444 concerts, plays, musicals
Jacob’s Pillow (Becket) 243-0745 summer dance festival- free children’s programs www.jacobspillow.org
The Mac-Haydn Theatre –(Chatham, NY) 518-392-9292 - musicals for kids www.machaydentheatre.org
Mahaiwe Center for Performing Arts (Gt. Barrington) 644-9040 –music, dance, theatre, movies and more.  www.mahaiwe.org
Robbins-Zust Family Marionettes 698-2591 www.berkshireweb.com/zust
Shakespeare & Co. (Lenox) 637-1199  - performances of Shakepeare, classic and modern plays www.shakespeare.org
Tanglewood (Lenox)  637-5165/  617-266-1200 summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra,  classical, popular, and jazz concerts. www.bso.org  /  www.tanglewood.org
Berkshire Theater Festival (Stockbridge) 298-5576 – children’s plays- seasonal www.berkshiretheatre.org
Barrington Stage (Pittsfield) 413-499-5446 www.barringtonstageco.org
Williamstown Theater Festival 597-3400 www.WTFestival.org

Nearby and Worth the drive

Old Sturbridge Village,( Sturbridge, Ma.)  800-733-1730 Apr-Oct  -Colonial Era village reproduction
Dinosaur Footprints (Holyoke, Ma.) 413-684-0148  190 million years old…really
Holyoke Children’s Museum 413-536-5437 -   hands-on educational fun
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (Amherst, Ma) 413-586-8934- exhibits, puppet shows,storytelling
Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory (Deerfield, Ma.) 413-665-2805- both indoor and outdoor gardens