BIFF 16, Berkshire International Film Festival 2022, is just weeks away with a fantastic lineup of films, guests, and special events you won’t wnt to miss! June 2nd through the 5th in both Great Barrington and Lenox, MA.

Berkshire International Film Festival returns with a hybrid event in 2022, including both in-person and virtual screenings. This year’s festival presents screenings from 30 countries around the world. The schedule includes 27 feature films, 25 documentaries, 15 short films, and 13 animated shorts. A curated selection of the feature and short films at the festival will also receive virtual screenings.

The four-day, Berkshire International Film Festival has been a Berkshires tradition since 2005. The event serves as a venue for filmmakers to both present their work and interact with the audience. A variety of big name actors, directors, writers, and producers attend every year, such as this year’s special guest, Alfre Woodard.

Berkshire International Film Festival 2022

BIFF 16 will kick off on Thursday evening, June 2nd, with an exclusive Opening Night Cocktail Party for all sponsors, filmmakers, and appropriate pass holders. This is followed by with the screening of Art & Krimes By Krimes, a documentary about an artist who created secret, monumental works of art while in federal prison. Director Alysa Nahmias and artist Jesse Krimes will be in attendance.

Friday commences the screening of the festival’s films at a variety of venues, including The Mahaiwe, The Triplex Cinema, and The Linde Center at Tanglewood. Friday also features the Female Filmmaker Panel at the Mahaiwe with Kristi Zea, Mary Mott, Kestrin Pantera, and Britt Rentschler.

Saturday’s big event, beyond the continues festival screenings, is the Tribute to Alfre Woodard. Actor Alfre Woodard has won or been nominated for nearly every entertainment industry award possible, including a record 17 Emmy nominations. Saturday’s tribute includes a talk with the actor, followed by a screening of her film, Juanita.

Closing night features a special screening of Pretty Problems, including a Q&A with the writer, director and cast at the Mahaiwe. This will be followed up by the Closing Night Party next door at Number Ten restaurant.

Other special events during the weekend include the popular BIFF Tea Talks, panel discussions. and GWFF USA’s Juried Prize Award.

Best of all, festival events are all less than a half an hour’s drive from our Berkshires bed and breakfast, The Inn at Stockbridge. Enjoy your time at the festival, attending screenings and talks, then it’s just minutes to the comforts of your room The Inn at Stockbridge. Fantastic!

BIFF 16 Special Events Schedule

June 2
5pm to 6:30pm – Cocktails and Dinner by the Bite
7pm – Opening Night Screening: Art & Krimes By Krimes/Next Great Filmmaker Award at The Mahaiwe

June 3
1pm – Female Filmmaker Panel

June 4
5pm to 6:30pm – Cocktails and Dinner by the Bite
7pm – Special Tribute to Alfre Woodard
8pm – Tribute Screening of Juanita

June 5
11am – Juried Prize Brunch at Number Ten
7pm – Closing Night screening of Pretty Problems
Closing Night Party at Number Ten

Visit biffma.org for the schedule, tickets, and more. You can also follow the festival on Facebook.

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Save gas and enjoy the ride aboard Amtrak’s Berkshire Flyer with passenger rail service from New York City to Pittsfield! Weekends, July 8th through Labor Day weekend, 2022.

No one enjoys struggling in traffic and now you can cut all the stop-and-go on the Thruway out of your getaway with the Berkshire Flyer. Turn those hours of driving hassle into a relaxing and scenic ride through the Hudson River valley.

Enhance your travel experience by choosing Business Class and reap the benefits of exclusive amenities. Leather seating with footrests, complimentary non-alcoholic beverages, fully refundable tickets, and a 25% point bonus for Amtrak Guest Rewards members. Now that’s style!

All Aboard The Berkshire Flyer

The Berkshire Flyer takes you from New York’s Moynihan Station to the Intermodal Transportation Center in Pittsfield, MA in just over 4 hours.

The train departs from New York on Fridays at 3:16pm to arrive in Pittsfield at 7:12pm. It heads back to New York from Pittsfield at 3pm on Sunday, arriving at Penn Station at 7:05pm.

Pittsfield’s Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center is located at 1 Columbus Avenue, just under a half hour from The Inn at Stockbridge.

Transport The People offers shuttle service to and from the Pittsfield Intermodal Center for a flat fare of $20 to most destinations. Advance reservations are recommended: (413) 443-7111 or (800) 639-9605.

Car rentals, taxis, bus, Uber, Lyft, and other services are also available.

Staying On Track

Once you’re here, there’s no end to the fun that can be had.

Tanglewood, Mount Greylock, The Norman Rockwell Museum, Berkshire Botanical Garden, Jiminy Peak, MASS MoCA, Hancock Shaker Village, shopping, dining, and so much more!

Best of all, the Inn at Stockbridge is within easy driving distance of all that the Berkshires have to offer. Of course, you may be tempted to stay in, once you get a load of all our inn’s perks and amenities. Things like our heated pool, lush gardens, nightly happy hour, and home-cooked breakfasts.

So go ahead, let us be your home away from home for your next Berkshires getaway. We can’t wait to see you!

Learn more about the Amtrak Berkshire Flyer and get your tickets here.

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Looking to get out into the great outdoors during your Berkshires getaway? The Stockbridge Bowl, a popular destination for boating, swimming, fishing, and more is less than 15 minutes drive from Inn at Stockbridge.

A wide variety of outdoor recreation is readily available here in the Berkshires. Hiking, biking, skiing, lakes, mountains, and more. Of course, once the mercury starts creeping up the thermometer, people make a beeline for the water. While the Berkshires are home to quite a few bodies of water, one of the largest and most popular is the Stockbridge Bowl.

The Stockbridge Bowl, aka Lake Mahkeenac, is a 398-acre man-made reservoir with approximately six miles (9.6km) of shoreline and a maximum depth of 48 feet (14.6m). The reservoir was built in the late 1800’s and remains contained by a 340-foot long (100m) earthen dam. Kwuniikwat Island, a small, three-acre island, is located at the southwest end of the lake.

Though Stockbridge Bowl is man-made, at over 100 years old, the lush and lovely area looks completely natural. A wonderful area to explore, boat, hike, or just relax and take in the expansive views.

Over 400 homes and a few historic Berkshire “cottages” surround the lake. Many are on the water, including the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and Seranak, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer lake house.

Visiting Stockbridge Bowl

Stockbridge Bowl is located north of Stockbridge, MA at 55 Interlaken Road, Lenox, MA.

Getting to the Bowl from our Berkshires bed and breakfast is a breeze. Head north on US-7 to pass through Lenox, MA to reach the lake. This route will take you past Edith Wharton’s The Mount, Ventfort Hall, Tanglewood, and other attractions. You can also choose to head south on US-7 from the inn. This route will take you through Stockbridge, MA, Naumkeag, Berkshire Botanical Garden, and The Norman Rockwell Museum, to name but a few. Either route will get you to the Bowl in 15 minutes or less.

Activities at the Bowl include swimming, boating, fishing, and, in winter, skating and ice-fishing.

Those looking to get out on the water will discover a the area is home to a number of outfitters with kayaks, canoes, SUP boards, and more for rent. The lake’s double concrete boat ramp is located near the northwest shore parking lot.

Looking to get some fishing in? Great idea! The lake is home to largemouth bass, rock bass, yellow perch, rainbow trout, brown trout, and lake salmon. Again, local outfittes can provide you with all the fishing gear you need. Do be sure to acquire a Massachusetts fishing license and familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations before you throw your line in the water.

Swimming and sunbathing is best enjoyed on the southeast shore’s sandy beach complete with lifeguards, changing rooms, and restrooms. You’ll also find picnic tables and playground equipment nearby.

Bullard Woods, Gould Meadows, and ​Kwuniikwat Island

Wildlife and hiking enthusiasts will enjoy exploring the trails of Bullard Woods. Bullard Woods is a 52 acre stretch of woodlands located along the northeast shore of the Bowl. The woods, originally part of the Highwood manor house estate, are owned by Tanglewood and open to the public.

Bullard Woods offers a series of short hiking trails, including one that leads to some picnic tables near on the shore of the Bowl. Another trail leads to and through nearby Gould Meadows, a 95 acre conservation property with a public trail and water frontage on Stockbridge Bowl.

Kwuniikwat Island is the three-acre island located at the south end of Stockbridge Bowl. The island has a public dock, picnic tables, and lots of wildlife. Birders, in particular, come to see the blue herons, green herons, osprey, loons, cormorants, ducks, geese, and bald eagles.

Learn more about the Stockbridge Bowl online at thesba.org Let us know if we can be of any assistance with gear, directions, or suggestions for your day’s itinerary.

Inn at Stockbridge is here to help you make the most of your Berkshires adventures!

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Fans of the Bard (or just good theater) visiting the Berkshires will not want to miss an opportunity to attend a Shakespeare & Company production. 2022 marks the celebrated company’s 45th season, which is already in full swing and runs through October 30th.

Shakespeare & Company, founded in 1978, is a Berkshires’ cultural institution and one of the largest Shakespeare Festivals in the country. The company puts on a full program every year, including works by both Shakespeare and other authors. The 2022 season, for example, includes 6 non-Shakespeare works.

More than just performances, Shakespeare & Company also provides actor training programs for professionals and students, alike. The internationally recognized curriculum helps actors with vocabulary, focus, and intuition. Past alumni include such stars as Bill Murray, Keanu Reeves, Sigourney Weaver, Richard Dreyfuss, and Andie MacDowell.

One of this year’s non-theatrical highlights are the Free Friday Talks. These free, spring and summer lectures examine the various themes presented throuhgout the 2022 season. Free Friday Talks are hosted by Shakespeare & Volunteer Company member Ann Berman and feature various directors, cast members, and others involved with the production. Fascinating and fun!

2022 Season Schedule

Much Ado About Nothing: July 2 – August 14 at The New Spruce Theatre
by William Shakespeare | Directed by Kelly Galvin | Featuring: Gregory Boover, Caroline Calkins, and Gina Fonseca

An Iliad: June 3 – July 3 at the Tina Packer Playhouse
by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare, based on Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ | Directed by Jeffrey Mousseau | Featuring MaConnia Chesser

Plays In Process: July 9 – August 7 at the Tina Packer Playhouse
Featuring: Tamara Hickey, Bonita Jackson, Bella Merlin, and Annette Miller

A Walk In The Woods: July 15 – September 4 at The Roman Garden Theatre
by Lee Blessing | Directed by James Warwick | Featuring Allyn Burrows and Jonathan Epstein

Hymn: July 22 – August 28 at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre
by Lolita Chakrabarti | Directed by Regge Life | Featuring: “ranney” and Kevin Craig West

Measure For Measure: August 19 – September 18 at the Tina Packer Playhouse
by William Shakespeare | Directed by Alice Reagan | Featuring: Ariel Bock, Nehassaiu deGannes, Ally Farzetta, and David Gow

Free Friday Talks: April 22 – August 26 at the Rose Footprint Theatre
Hosted by Ann Berman

Golden Leaf Ragtime Blues: September 23 – October 30 at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre
by Charles Smith | Directed by Raz Golden | | Featuring: Glenn Barrett, Kevin G. Coleman, and Kristen Moriarty

Shakespeare & Company

Shakespeare & Company plays are held in a variety of venues in Lenox, most on the company’s 34 acre Kemble Street campus at 70 Kemble Street. Concession stands offer light fare both before and after the shows. Both the Tina Packer Playhouse and the Elayne P. Bernstein Theater offer outdoor spaces with tables for a picnic, snack, or drink.

Best of all, it’s all just 5 minutes from our Berkshires bed and breakfast, The Inn at Stockbridge.

Those after a truly Shakespearean experience should consider a stay in our Shakespeare Suite. The Shakespeare Suite features a 4-post king-sized bed, fireplace, and double whirlpool tub, making it one of our most romantic offerings. It’s also adjacent to our fitness center, so you’re never too far from a good workout or relaxing massage. How’s that for comfort and convenience?

Visit www.shakespeare.org for a full schedule, tickets, and more information. You can also visit the theater company on Facebook.

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The 2022 Williamstown Theatre Festival season schedule is off and running! This year’s shorter schedule includes appearances by acclaimed Tony winner, actor, and director James Naughton, award-winning stand-up comedian Alex Edelman, a short play by actor, director, and playwright Tim Blake Nelson, and much more!

The Williamstown Theatre Festival has been bringing the finest actors, directors, designers, plays, and playwrights to the Berkshires stage since since 1955. Its training program for upcoming stage performers and producers is considered one of the nation’s very best. The festival is continually nominated for numerous awards and received a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 2002.

2022 marks the return to indoor performances for Williamstown Theatre Festival but also sees a reduction in the number of shows presented each season. This year’s season, for example, presents only three shows, rather than the typical seven.

The 2022 season also includes two special concerts and the popular Fridays@3 reading series. This latter series features plays in development, read aloud by brilliant actors. The readings are immensely entertaining for audiences and a great way to develop and discover new work.

Best of all, Williamstown Theatre Festival is less than an hour away from The Inn at Stockbridge, on the Williams College campus in Williamstown, MA.

Williamstown Theatre Festival 2022

PRODUCTIONS –
Man of God – July 5 to July 22
A Killer New Comedy Thriller by Anna Ouyang Moench – 90 minutes, Nikos Stage

We Are Continuous – August 2 to August 14
A World Premiere WTF Commission by Harrison David Rivers

Just For Us – August 3 to August 6
Hilarious anecdotes from Alex Edelman’s life – performed by Alex Edelman – Main Stage

Fridays@3 Reading Series on the Nikos Stage:
Abortion Road Trip by Rachel Lynett – July 8
God Save The Queer by Zackary Grady – July 15
And Then We Were No More by Tim Blake Nelson – July 22
tiny father by Mike Lew – August 5

SPECIAL EVENTS –
Most Happy in Concert – July 13 to July 31
Songs from Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella – 70 minutes, Main Stage

Jimmy Naughton & Friends – August 7
Benefit concert starring two-time Tony Award winner and legendary Festival actor and director James Naughton. – Main Stage

Williamstown Theatre Festival is located on the Williams College campus, at 1000 Main Street, Williamstown, MA. Visit wtfestival.org for more information and tickets. You can also find the Festival on Facebook.

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Art and mid-century modern design enthusiasts alike will enjoy visiting the Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio in Lenox, MA. The historic home and studio of two famous artists has been preserved as it was during their lifetime.

Fans of mid-century modern design and abstract art will likely recognize the names of Suzy Frelinghuysen and George L.K. Morris. The two artists were instrumental in the rise of abstract art’s popularity in America. They also maintained a home and thriving studio, here in the Berkshires. A home and studio filled with their art and furnishings that you can tour!

Even better yet, the historic house and studio are less than 5 miles from The Inn at Stockbridge!

A Little History

George L.K. Morris (1905 – 1975) was an American artist and writer, best known for his Cubist sculptures and paintings, as well as promoting abstract art during the 1930s and 40s. Suzy Frelinghuysen (1911 – 1988), was an American artist and opera singer. The two artists married in 1935.

George Morris inherited the property in Lenox from his family, and built his studio there in 1930. Morris took inspiration from Le Corbusier while designing the studio and it is one of the oldest Modernist buildings in Massachusetts.

The house, a two-story stucco and glass block structure, was added in 1941, after Morris and Frelinghuysen married and is considered an early example of Mid-Century Modern architecture. Cost overruns forced Morris to sell a Picasso, “The Poet,” to Peggy Guggenheim, who used it to jump-started her museum in Venice.

The couple lived and worked in the house and studio up to their deaths. Morris passed away in 1975, the victim of an automobile accident. The couple’s home and studio, complete with original furnishings and artwork, were preserved as a museum after Suzy Frelinghuysen’s death in 1988.

Visiting the Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio

The Frelinghuysen Morris House is a Bauhaus-inspired, two-story stucco and glass block Modernist structure that stands in stark contrast to its Gilded Age neighbors.

The house and studio embody the artistic and stylistic innovations of Modernism and remains unchanged since the couple’s lifetime. Inside you’ll find a foyer cloaked in locally sourced marble and an Argentinean leather floor in the living room.

Furnishings include works by Modern masters like Frankl, Deskey, and Aalto. You’ll also see artworks by Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Georges Braque, Joan Miro, and Henri Matisse. Frelinghuysen and Morris also contributed their own work, in the form of frescoes and murals, on the walls of the house.

The Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio is located at 92 Hawthorne St. in Lenox, MA, less than 10 minutes away from our Berkshires bed and breakfast, The Inn at Stockbridge.

The museum is open 10am to 4pm, Thursday through Sunday, June 23 to Columbus Day. Visit frelinghuysen.org for more information. You can also find the museum on Facebook.

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Get a sweet taste of classic, small town America in the Berkshires this fall at Lee Founders’ Weekend and Lenox Apple Squeeze 2022. Both beloved, annual festivals are back on the calendar this year after a pandemic pause. Founders’ Weekend is set for September 16th through the 18th and Apple Squeeze is scheduled for September 24th, 2022.

Summer is a great time of sun and fun that no one likes to see end but, let’s face it, it’s only 3 months long.

Luckily for us all, summer is separated from winter’s chill by the fall. Autumn is quieter than summer with cooler temperatures and changing leaves, but still lots of bright, sunny days.

While there’s never a bad time to visit the Berkshires, our stunning fall foliage and end of season festivals make us a favorite fall destination.

Best of all, Inn at Stockbridge is smack-dab in the middle of all the excitement and the perfect home base for all your Berkshires adventures.

Lee Founders Weekend 2022

September 16-18, 2022

Lee Founders Weekend 2022 celebrates the 245th birthday of Lee, MA with three days of delicious food, lively music, and good, old-time fun. Highlights include a parade, street fair, a 5K, food tastings, fireworks, and more!

It all kicks off with Taste of Lee, an al fresco street party on Main Street, on Friday September 16th. Come sample the delectable offerings of Lee’s finest chefs, restaurants, and food vendors. Friday also sees live music and an eye-popping fireworks show.

Saturday events include the Lee Founders’ Day 5K, followed by the popular Hometown Parade. Cheer on the runners, then attend the parade for floats, marching bands, classic cars, clowns, and more. If you can attend only one Founders’ Day event, this is it.

Learn more at www.leechamber.org.

Lenox Apple Squeeze 2022

September 24, 2022

Lenox Apple Squeeze is known as “the best fall festival in the Berkshires” and is the first harvest event of the season. The annual event is typically held over two days with farm stands, arts and crafts, sidewalk sales, food, drink, live entertainment, and more!

This year’s event, while reduced to only one day, still promises much of the fun of past festivals. In addition to nearly 150 food, business, and craft vendors, Apple Squeeze will also see a 5k, kids activities, wagon rides around town, and live music.

Don’t forget that food, though. In fact, feasting may be the real main event! Attendees will have many opportunities to enjoy apple-themed treats. Freshly harvested apples, hot and cold apple cider, apple pie, applesauce, apple donuts, and other delicious apple treats. Yum!

Visit lenox.org for more details.

So go ahead. Spend an exciting day soaking up all that glorious fall foliage, attending a festival, or just shopping, dining, and site-seeing. Our Berkshires bed and breakfast waits nearby with afternoon wine and cheese and other welcoming amenities. Fall fills up fast, however. Book your stay now while we still have rooms available!

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Summer is coming to a close but don’t fret. That just means it’s nearly time for Berkshires fall foliage season! This year’s peak colors are expected around mid-October, and are expected to be more vibrant than ever.

Summer can be a lot of fun but it also often seems to go by so quickly. Luckily, cool and colorful autumn is always trailing right behind, a multi-hued pageant of natural beauty. That’s especially true here in the Berkshires.

The Berkshires fall foliage season typically begins mid-to-late September and peaks in early-to-mid October. This year, however, we’re expecting a warmer autumn than usual. That means the fall’s annual color change will occur a little later than usual and will likely be exceedingly colorful.

Fall always draws lots of eager leaf peepers to the area, and who can blame them? The seasonal show is truly fabulous and there are numerous ways to take it in. Fall foliage drives, hiking, biking, paddling, and more.

Berkshires Fall Foliage Drives

The Berkshires are an excellent place for a drive no matter what the time of year. Our quiet country roads take you past pleasant rolling hills, cow-dotted fields, and charming New England towns. The beauty of the scenery only increases under autumn’s colorful spell. We think a drive is one of the very best ways to leaf-peep the Berkshires.

Route 7, between Great Barrington and North Adams, offers one of the most popular fall foliage drives in the area. The course passes through Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Lenox, and Pittsfield on its way to North Adams, with no end to attractions along the way. Museums, galleries, orchards, farm stands, antiquing, dining, and much more. In fact, we suggest you plan on making a day of it. You could be just as easy spend a week along this route and still not see it all.

Best of all you can literally “top off” your trip with a drive to the 3,491 foot (1.06 km) summit of Mount Greylock in Adams, the highest point in Massachusetts. The view from the top is always stunning but even more so in autumn’s bright colors.

Does a Berkshires fall foliage drive or day-trip sound like something you’d enjoy? Let us know. We’d love to help you plan your itinerary!

Leaf-Peeping Hiking and Biking

For those looking to get a little closer to the color, the Berkshires are also home to some fabulous hiking and biking trails.

The almost 13 mile-long (20.9 km) Ashuwillticook Rail Trail offers a great variety of lush scenery with parking lots and restrooms along the way. This converted railroad track running between Adams and Lanesborough, is excellent for walking, running, biking, bird-watching … and leaf-peeping!

Other options include Greylock Glen, Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, and Notchview.

Let us know what type of hiking experience your after and we’ll get you pointed in the right direction.

Autumn Boating Adventures

Boating enthusiasts will find plenty of opportunities for a fall foliage paddle trip in the Berkshires.

The area is loaded with lovely lakes, reservoirs, and rivers to explore. Pontoosuc Lake, Onota Lake, Laurel Lake, Goose Pond, and more all offer excellent autumn paddling opportunities. Boat rentals and guides are available nearby.

Whether you’re after a calm float on the surface of a lake like the Stockbridge Bowl or a guided river trip down the Housatonic, the Berkshires have it.

No matter what shape your fall foliage vacation takes, The Inn at Stockbridge is here to help. We can offer advice about where to go, help you make the most of the trip while you’re on it, and are here with refreshing beverages and comfy accommodations once you make it back.

Come, let us share the best of the area with you at our Berkshires inn!

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The Halloween season has officially arrived and with it, the return of Haunted Hancock tours! Visit Hancock Shaker Village to hear ghost stories, learn about Shaker spiritualism, and see areas of the village that are typically off-limits. Great spooky fun!

Hancock Shaker Village may not be the first venue that comes to mind when you think of Halloween but maybe it should be. The nearly 240 year-old settlement has plenty of ghost stories and other uncanny secrets. Tales you’ll hear during your 90-minute, Haunted Hancock tour.

Shakers are a Christian sect that emigrated to the New World in 1774 to escape religious persecution in England. Hancock Shaker community was the third such village in the United States, established in Pittsfield, MA in 1783.

Shakers were quite progressive, practicing pacifism and racial and gender equality as early as the mid-1700’s. They also practiced celibacy, which explains the unique sect’s slow but inevitable decline.

Today, only one of the more than 20 Shaker communities founded in the US remains. Despite this, the Shaker legacy of a firm work ethic and fine, simple craftsmanship continues to resonate.

Hancock Shaker Village was shuttered and sold off in 1960. Like most other Shaker settlements, however, it is seeing a second life as a Shaker museum.

Hancock’s collection of 20 historic buildings and working farm make it the largest Shaker museum on the east coast. The Village is open seasonally, Mid April through November, and hosts a variety of special events year ’round, including Haunted Hancock!

Haunted Hancock Shaker Village

Haunted Hancock is your opportunity for a fun, after-hours adventure of spine-chilling ghost stories, mystery, and fascinating history.

These Halloween tours will take you back in time, down dark paths to some of the spookiest parts of the Village. Spaces that are normally off-limits to tours. Along the way you’ll hear true tales of ghostly sightings and discover why there are hand-carved gravestones in the basement. You’ll also learn about the Shaker attitude toward life, death, and spiritualism.

Haunted Hancock’s 90-minute walking tours include uneven terrain and several flights of stairs. The tours are spooky – but not THAT spooky and are suitable for visitors aged 12 and up.

Haunted Hancock Tours are available at 7pm, Thursdays and Fridays in October. Dates include October 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, and 27-28. Tickets and more information is available online.

Hancock Shaker Village is just a short, pleasant drive from The Stockbridge Inn. In fact, the convenient location of our Berkshires bed and breakfast in Stockbridge, MA puts the best of the Berkshires right at your feet. Berkshire Botanical Gardens, the Norman Rockwell Museum, Jacobs Pillow, Tanglewood, Jiminy Peak, and more!

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Many guests plan to visit a museum or two during their visit but aren’t sure where to start. We can understand that. There are many must-visit museums in the Berkshires and only so much time to see them, after all.

One of the first considerations is your area of interest. Art fans will find a dizzying array of art museums in the Berkshires exhibiting modern, classical, American, and international art of all mediums. History buffs will find a similarly broad selection of museums to choose from, with an emphasis on our country’s Gilded Age.

Below is a list of the most popular art and history museums in the Berkshires and their driving-distance from The Inn at Stockbridge; all under an hour!

Top Berkshire Art Museums

Norman Rockwell Museum –
Dedicated to the works of Norman Rockwell and the art of illustration. Home to the world’s largest collection of original Norman Rockwell art.
10 minutes from The Inn at Stockbridge at 9 Glendale Rd, Stockbridge, MA. nrm.org

Chesterwood Museum –
The summer estate and studio of American sculptor Daniel Chester French transformed into a fascinating museum of his life and works.
Just 10 minutes away at 4 Williamsville Rd, Stockbridge, MA. chesterwood.org

Williams College Museum of Art –
A college teaching museum known for its large American modernist collection.
50 minutes drive from our Berkshires B&B at 15 Lawrence Hall Dr, Williamstown, MA. artmuseum.williams.edu

Clark Art Institute –
The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute is both a celebrated art museum and a center for research and higher education in the visual arts.
Another 50 minute drive from The Inn at Stockbridge at 225 South St, Williamstown, MA. clarkart.edu

MASS MoCA –
The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the largest centers for contemporary visual art and performing arts in the country.
56 minutes away from our Berkshires bed and breakfast at 1040 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA. massmoca.org

Top History Museums in the Berkshires

Edith Wharton’s The Mount –
Edith Wharton, noted American author, designed both the house and grounds of The Mount as her “first real home.” Now a National Historic Landmark.
Under 10 minutes from our Berkshires inn at 2 Plunkett St, Lenox, MA. edithwharton.org

Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum –
Ventfort Hall is a historic, Jacobean-style mansion and a museum of the Gilded Age.
Just 8 minutes from The Inn at Stockbridge at 104 Walker St, Lenox, MA. gildedage.org

Herman Melville’s Arrowhead –
Arrowhead, a historic house museum, was the home of American author Herman Melville between 1850 and 1863, his most productive years.
15 minutes from the inn at 780 Holmes Rd, Pittsfield, MA. berkshirehistory.org

Bidwell House Museum –
The Bidwell House was built in the 1760s and tells the story of life in the 18th century Berkshires through guided tours.
Just under 25 minutes from The Inn at Stockbridge at 100 Art School Rd, Monterey, MA. bidwellhousemuseum.org

Hancock Shaker Village –
A former Shaker commune, active from 1790 to 1960, now a living history museum preserving and telling the Shaker story.
Only 25 minutes drive from The Inn at Stockbridge at Hancock Shaker Village, Hancock, MA. hancockshakervillage.org

So Many More …

It would be impractical to list every worthy Berkshire museum here, yet there are so many that also deserve a mention. Popular and important institutions like the Berkshire Museum and Berkshire Art Museum, the Crane Museum of Papermaking, and the Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio, to name but a few.

Whatever brought you to the Berkshires, The Inn at Stockbridge is here to help you make the most of it. We love sharing the area with our guests!

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