This part of New England is beautiful, and has a huge amount to offer. There are lakes to swim in, mountains to hike, trails to walk and a lot of other New-Englandy things. Below are a few of our favourite things to do and see.

ACTIVITIES

Amherst Cinema, AMHERST: 

Independent Cinema

The Montague Bookmill, MONTAGUE: 

Converted mill with a book store, cafe, record store and restaurant, overlooking a waterfall. 

Candlepin Bowling, SHELBURNE FALLS:

A 100 year old bowling alley.  This type of bowling is weird and great and only exists in New England.

The Emily Dickinson Museum, AMHERST: 

Take a tour of the poet's house or something.

Feeding Tube Records, NORTHAMPTON: 

Adam's favorite record store in Florence. Only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Flayvors, HADLEY:

The best ice cream ever, on a working dairy farm. Get some ice cream and then go and play with the baby cows.

Historic Deerfield, DEERFIELD:

Restored 18th century English settlement. Probably fun if you like things like that.

Holyoke Canal Walk, HOLYOKE:

Late 19th Century Industrial Mills and canal. 

The Bridge of Flowers, SHELBURNE FALLS: 

Beautiful walk in one of the hill towns. Extremely picturesque.

Mass MoCA, NORTH ADAMS:

Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams

Smith College Art Museum, NORTHAMPTON: 

Located on the Smith College campus in Northampton

The Eric Carle Museum of Picturebook Art, AMHERST:

Museum dedicated to the work of Eric Carle (of Hungry Hungry Caterpillar fame) and other children's book illustrators.

The Yiddish Book Center, AMHERST:

Cultural center dedicated to the preservation of Yiddish language books and film, on the Hampshire College campus. This was originally an undergraduate student's senior year project.

NATURE

Lake Wyola, SHUTESBURY:

Swimming hole. A swimming hole is somewhere you swim that isn't a pool or the ocean.

Puffer's Pond, AMHERST:

Swimming hole in Amherst

Quabbin Reservoir, BELCHERTOWN:

Hiking and fishing in Belchertown. No swimming, as this is the drinking water for Boston.

Rail Trail Bike Path, EVERYWHERE:

Dedicated bike path over the river and through the woods and fields from Northampton to Amherst.

Summit House, HADLEY:

Hike or drive up to this once luxurious hotel, now state park in Hadley.

Smith College Lake, NORTHAMPTON:

Lake on the Smith College campus. There's a dock, a boat house, and you can swim here.

The Bird Sanctuary, AMHERST:

Beautiful fields and bird sanctuary at the back of the Amherst college campus, next to the Rail Trail Bike Path. Excellent place to visit on the 20th of April (or any other time the mood strikes)