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Cultural Attractions
Hancock Shaker Village
Routes 20 & 41, Hancock, MA 01237; (413) 443-0188
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 15 minutes
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, perhaps the most famous of all Shaker buildings, is a testament to Shaker innovation and design.
Tanglewood
297 West Street, Lenox, MA 01240; (413) 637-1600
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 20 minutes
In addition to the concerts of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, there are weekly chamber music concerts, Prelude concerts and Open Rehearsals, the annual Festival of Contemporary Music, and almost daily concerts by the gifted young musicians of the Tanglewood Music Center. The Boston Pops Orchestra appears annually, and in recent years the Tanglewood Jazz Festival has been added to close the summer. The season offers not only a vast quantity of music but also a vast range of musical forms and styles, all of it presented with a regard for artistic excellence that makes the festival unique.
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute
225 South Street, Williamstown, MA 01267; (413) 458-2303
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 15 minutes
Surrounded by 140 acres of expansive lawns, meadows, and walking trails, the Clark is home to exceptional examples of European and American painting and sculpture, master prints and drawings, English silver and porcelain, and early photographs. The museum is best known, however, for its extraordinary collection of French Impressionist paintings. The Clark also houses one of the finest art reference libraries in the world, the Williams/Clark Graduate Program in the History of Art, and the Williamstown Art Conservation Center.
Williamstown Theatre Festival
PO Box 517, Williamstown, MA 01267; (413) 458-3200
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 15 minutes
The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a summer-long celebration of theater that brings together a vast and impressive array of artists and offers audiences varied cultural experiences. Every summer, WTF presents approximately two hundred performances of classic and new plays on its Main and Nikos Stages, Free Theatre, Cabaret, and countless readings, workshops, and other special events including a program for youngsters in North Adams called the Greylock Theatre Project. Since the Festival was founded in 1954, many WTF productions have transferred to Broadway, Off-Broadway and to regional theatres around the nation. Of equal import, 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.
Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival
358 George Carter Road, Becket, MA 01223; (413) 243-0745
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 30 minutes
Jacob's Pillow presents and preserves a wide-ranging variety of dance forms, a diversity unparalleled among American dance festivals. The Pillow's national status was underlined in 2000 with two noteworthy distinctions: it was included on the Dance Heritage Coalition's list of America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mass MOCA87 Marshall Street, North Adams, MA 01247; (413) 662-2111
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 25 minutes
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 an extraordinary historic factory campus and the patrons, workers and tenants who again inhabit it. MASS MoCA displays the whole cloth of art-making, presentation and participation as 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 generous allocations of time and space impossible in conventional theatrical settings. MASS MoCA's vast galleries and expert fabrication staff give visual artists the tools and time to create works of scale and duration impossible to realize in the time and space-cramped conditions of most museums. Mass MOCA endeavors to expose our audiences to all stages of art production; rehearsals, sculptural fabrication, and developmental workshops are frequently on view to the public, as are finished works of art.
Norman Rockwell Museum
9 Glendale Road, Stockbridge, MA 01262; (413) 298-4100
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 25 minutes
The Norman Rockwell Museum houses the world's largest and most significant collection of original Rockwell art. Highlights include enduring favorites from Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers, the powerful Four Freedoms, and the nostalgic Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas. The Norman Rockwell Archive contains more than 100,000 photographs, letters, and other rare mementos.
Shakespeare & Company
970 Kemble Street, Lenox, MA 01240; (413) 637-1199
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 20 minutes
Founded in 1978, 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.
Berkshire Museum
39 South Street (Route 7), Pittsfield, MA 01201; (413) 443-7171
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 15 minutes
The Berkshire Museum enriches, educates, and inspires through diverse collections of art, natural science, and history, as well as dynamic educational programs and special exhibitions. From American art by Hudson River School artists to an aquarium housing both native and exotic fish, reptiles, and amphibians, from an interactive dinosaur dig to the mummy of Pahat, the Berkshire Museum is a window on the world for all ages.
Images Cinema
50 Spring Street, Williamstown, MA 01267; (413) 458-1039
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 15 minutes
Images Cinema, a non-profit community movie theater, presents a wide range of independent, foreign and classic films which impact filmmaking and our culture. Images Cinema is dedicated to the exploration of film as an art form, a source of entertainment and an educational tool.
Berkshire Botanical Garden
Routes 102 & 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262; (413) 298-3926
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 25 minutes
The Berkshire Botanical Garden offers visitors a peaceful refuge of natural beauty, stunning display gardens, exciting community events, and informative classes for all ages and levels of skill and knowledge. The collections (over 3,000 species and varieties) emphasize plants that thrive in the Berkshires and are displayed in an informal, country setting. The display gardens are laid out on a residential scale to inspire and inform the home gardener.
The Colonial Theater
111 South St., Pittsfield, MA 01201; (413) 448-8084
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 15 minutes
The Colonial Theatre is one of America's finest turn-of-the-century theaters to survive intact. Designed by noted theatre architect J.B. McElfatrick, the Colonial was of a class above most playhouses of the day. Noted London theater consultant, Louis Flemming called the Colonial "one of the greatest acoustical houses in the entire world." McElfatrick designed about 350 theaters around the country - 66 in New York City alone - but the Colonial is one of only a dozen still standing. The Colonial provides a venue for local and regional performers, ensembles and theater groups, as well as national touring artists. Programming includes nights of comedy, jazz, blues, folk and rock concerts, evenings of dance, Broadway shows, screening of foreign and classic films, lectures by authors and world-renown speakers, family entertainment, and country, classical, gospel, and classical performances.
Williams College Concerts
Williams College, 54 Chapin Hall Drive, Williamstown, MA 01267; (413) 597-2415
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 15 minutes
The Williams College Music Department presents more than 100 events each year, free of charge, by students, faculty, and visiting artists including the Thompson Concert Series, World Music Series, and the Williamstown Jazz Festival.
Williams College Museum of Art
Williams College, 15 Lawrence Hall Drive, Williamstown, MA 01267; (413) 597-2429
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 15 minutes
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.
Recreational Attractions
Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort
Brodie Mountain Road, Hancock, MA 01237; (413) 738-5500
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: less than5 minutes
The Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort offers several amenities for your enjoyment, including:* The largest ski and snowboard resort in Southern New England with the only high-speed six passenger chairlift in the region;* Three terrain parks and a half pipe for skiers and snowboarders;* Forty-three trails, day and night skiing, equipment rentals, lessons, and children's programs;* Summer Mountain activities for the whole family including the Alpine Slide, Euro-bungee, Climbing Wall, Zipline, mini golf, and Scenic Summit Ride;* Shopping and dining in the Village Center and Country Inn;* Outdoor heated swimming pool;* Indoor and outdoor whirlpools;* Exercise room and game room.
Mount Greylock State Reservation
Rockwell Road, Lanesborough, MA 01237; (413) 499-4262
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 10 minutes
At 3,491 feet, Mount Greylock is the highest peak in Massachusetts. Arriving at the summit by foot-trail or auto road you may see a panorama of five states, visit the Veterans War Memorial Tower, or relax in rustic Bascom Lodge which also offers overnight accommodations and meals. The reservation has over 70 miles of trails, including a section of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. The campground on Sperry Road offers 35 campsites and 5 group campsites. Also available are 5 remote trailside backpack shelters, picnic sites and a pavilion.
Waubeeka Golf Links
137 New Ashford Road, Williamstown, MA 01267; (413) 458-5869
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 10 minutes
This is a very scenic public course with views of the many mountain ranges that surround the local area. Water comes into play on many holes. The greens are large and undulating. Waubeeka Golf Links was ranked #35 public golf course in Massachusetts by "Golf Boston Travel & Leisure Magazine", summer 2002, and also ranked # 93 public golf course out of 700 public courses in New England by "Journal of Golf" spring 2002.
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
472 West Mountain Road, Lenox, MA 01240; (413) 637-0320
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 20 minutes
Seven miles of trails that wind through hardwood forest, meadows, wetlands, and along the slopes of Lenox Mountain make this Massachusetts Audubon Society sanctuary an excellent location for hiking. Canoe trips are offered regularly on the Housatonic River and area lakes from mid-May through Columbus Day. Pleasant Valley's thriving beaver population is one of the many fascinating features of this sanctuary. When you walk along Yokun Brook, take note of the lodges of tree branches and mud, where these nocturnal creatures spend their days.
Ashuwillticook Rail Trail
near Route 8, Adams, Cheshire & Lanesborough; (413) 442-8928
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 10 minutes
The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail is a former railroad corridor converted into a 10-foot wide paved path suitable for walking, jogging, biking, and rollerblading. The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail passes through the Hoosac River Valley, between Mt. Greylock and the Hoosac Mountains. Cheshire Reservoir, the Hoosac River, and associated wetland communities flank much of the trail offering outstanding views and abundant wildlife. The trail is 11 miles long, beginning at the Berkshire Mall and ending in the center of Adams. Bike rentals are available at Jiminy this year.
Berkshire Horseback Adventures Aspinwall Adult Equestrian Center
293 Main Street, Route 7A, Lenox, Massachusetts 01240; (413) 637-9090
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 20 minutes
Travel along the beautiful shaded trails of Kennedy Park and Lenox Mountain. Enjoy breathtaking views of Berkshire County. On a clear day you can see the Catskill Mountains of New York and the Green Mountains of Vermont. All this while mounted on a well trained horse guided by a professional horseman.
Ioka Valley Farm
Route 43, Hancock, MA 01237; (413) 738-5915
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: less than 5 minutes
See how real maple syrup is made or have a picnic, pet the baby animals at Uncle Don's Barnyard or take a hayride. Pick your own pumpkins or berries in season and cut your own Christmas tree. There's always something fun to do at Ioka.
Cherry Plain State Park
26 State Park Road, Cherry Plain, NY 12040; (518) 733-5400
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 10 minutes
Located 7 miles north of Stephentown NY, off NYS Rte. 22 on CCC Dam Road, Cherry Plain State Park has 175 acres and features a sandy beach on Black River Pond, with bathhouse and comfort station nearby. Picnic grounds and a boat launch are adjacent to the beach. The park also has bridle paths and hiking, biking and nature trails that serve for cross-country skiing in winter. Anglers fish for bass, bullheads and pickerel and may also ice fish in winter.
Hopkins Memorial Forest
Northwest Hill Road, Williamstown, MA 01267; (413) 597-4353
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 15 minutes
The Hopkins Memorial Forest (HMF) is a 2500 acre (1000 ha) reserve in Massachusetts, New York and Vermont managed by the Williams College Center for Environmental Studies (CES) to facilitate and research and undergraduate teaching activities while preserving and monitoring forest resources, particularly through long-term ecological research. Miles of trails and abandoned roads are available for the casual stroller as well as the more avid hiker and trail runner. Some are long and arduous while others are wide, level and short. Views vary from tree trunk close-ups to vast mountain landscapes to the placid Hoosic River. A four and a half mile figure eight loop is maintained in the winter for classical cross country skiing. The trail is groomed when conditions permit. Snowshoeing is permitted on all trails. Deer Hunting during the two week Massachusetts shotgun season is allowed in the Hopkins Forest.
Restaurants & Shopping
Berkshire Visitors Bureau
3 Hoosac Street, Adams, MA 01220; (800) 237-5747
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 15 minutes
The Berkshire region is a cultural mecca of museums, historic sites, art, dance and music venues such as Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home; MASS MoCA, the country�s largest contemporary art center; the Norman Rockwell Museum, featuring the artist's original studio; and the renowned Williamstown Theatre Festival, to name a few. In addition to arts and cultural venues, the Berkshires offers outstanding opportunities for golfing, hiking, backpacking, biking, fishing, whitewater rafting, canoeing and kayaking. Wintertime sports include alpine and cross country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. Visitors can also discover an incredible range of retail establishments, from antiques dealers to outlets to myriad specialty shops. Visit the Berkshire Visitors Bureau web site or its offices in Adams for comprehensive information about restaurants and shopping as well as links to additional cultural and recreational activities in the Berkshires.
Williamstown Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 357, Williamstown, MA 01267; (413) 458-9077 or (800) 214-3799
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 15 minutes
Williamstown is situated in Berkshire County in the northwest corner of Massachusetts bordering Vermont and New York, near the highest peak in Massachusetts, Mt. Greylock (3,491 feet). The town covers 46.86 square miles with a population of approximately 8,000, including 2,000 Williams College undergraduates. Nestled in the quiet beauty of the Berkshire Hills, Williamstown is home to an extraordinary variety of cultural attractions and seasonal celebrations, including the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williams College Museum of Art, the annual Williamstown Jazz Festival in April, Williamstown Film Festival, Images Cinema and the annual Holiday Walk Weekend in December. It is the quintessential New England college town, home to Williams College and a place to be any time of the year. Tanglewood, the Norman Rockwell Museum, Edith Wharton’s “The Mount”, Jacob's Pillow and MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art), are in the immediate vicinity. The village also hosts a fine selection of restaurants, antique and art galleries and unique clothing and gift boutiques. A unique and breathtaking combination of natural beauty and spectacular culture, Williamstown is located at the foothills of Mt. Greylock, the state’s highest peak. On a clear day, visitors can see five states from its summit. Some of the many outdoor recreational offerings include the Appalachian Trail, the Natural Bridge in North Adams, Mohawk Trail State Forest, horseback riding, Clarksburg State Forest, two 18-hole golf courses, Hopkins Forest, indoor and outdoor tennis, public swimming at Margaret Lindley Park and the mineral waters of Sand Springs. There are numerous hiking and cross-country ski trails as well as a major ski slope located 15 minutes south of town. Opportunities for hunting, fishing, canoeing, biking, camping and picnicking abound.
Berkshire Mall
Old State Road & Rte 8, Lanesborough, MA 01237; (413) 445-4400
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 15 minutes
Over 70 stores which include JC Penny, Sears, Filene's, Eddie Bauer, Eastern Mountain Sports and Old Navy. Right between Route's 7 and 8 in Lanesborough.
Lee Premium Outlets
50 Water Street, Route 20 East, Lee , Massachusetts 01238; (413) 243-8186
Driving Time from Whitman Woods: 30 minutes
Over 60 designer outlets that are easily accessible just off exit 2 of the Pike.
Restaurants Within Twenty Minutes of Whitman Woods
Family Dining
Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, 179 South Street, Pittsfield, MA (413) 448-2250
Hancock Shaker Village Café, Route 20, Pittsfield, MA (800) 817-1137
Lickety Split at MASS MoCA, 1010 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA (413) 663-3372
Miss Adams Diner, 53 Park Street, Adams, MA (413) 743-5303
Moonlight Diner & Grille, 408 Main Street (Route 2 East), Williamstown, MA (413) 458-3305
Store at Five Corners, Junction of Route 7 and Route 43, Williamstown, MA (413) 458-3176
Sunrise Café, Route 7, Lanesboro, MA (413) 442-7373
The Ground Round, Located in the Berkshire Mall, Lanesboro, MA (413) 499-7147
Bob's Country Kitchen, Route 7, Lanesboro, MA (413) 499-3934
Zucchini's, 1331 North Street, Pittsfield, MA (413) 442-2777
Boston Seafood & Market, 160 American Legion Drive, North Adams, MA, (413) 663-8740
Dakota, Route 7, Pittsfield, MA, (413) 499-7900
Sweet Basil Grille, 1575 Pleasant St. (Route 102), Lee, MA, (413) 243-1114
Antonio's Ristorante, 15 Franklin Street, Lenox, MA, (413) 637-9894
Chopsticks Chinese Restaurant, Main St., Williamstown, MA (413) 458-5750
Panda House Chinese Restaurant, Route 7, Lenox, MA (413) 499-0660
Thai Garden, Spring Street, Williamstown, MA, (413) 458-0004
Desperados Mexican Restaurant, Colonial Springs Shopping Plaza, Williamstown, MA, (413) 458-2100
Coyote Flaco Mexican & Spanish Restaurant, 505 Cold Spring Road, Williamstown, MA (413) 458-4240
Sangeet Fine Indian Cuisine, 26 Cheshire Road, Route 8, Pittsfield, MA, (413) 445-6700
Fine Dining
Café Lucia, 80 Church St, Lenox, MA (413) 637-2640
Church Street Café, 65 Church St, Lenox, MA (413) 637-2745
Chocolate Springs Café, The Lenox Shops, 55 Pittsfield/Lenox Rd, Lenox, MA (413) 528-5244
Cranwell Resort Spa & Golf Club, 55 Lee Road, Lenox, MA, (413) 637-1364
Mass MoCA, North Adams, MA, Contemporary Bistro, (413) 662-2004
John Harvard's Restaurant & Brewery, Located at Jiminy Peak, (413) 738-5500 ext. 378
Firefly, 71 Church St, Lenox, MA, (413) 637-2700
Gateways Inn & Restaurant, 51 Walker St, Lenox, MA, (413) 637-2532
Gideon's Restaurant, 34 Holden Street (near Mass MoCA), North Adams, MA, (413) 664-9449
Gramercy Bistro, 24 Marshall St, North Adams, MA, (413) 663-3372
Hobson's Choice, Water St., Williamstown, MA, (413) 458-9101
Mario's, Route 20, New Lebanon, NY (518) 794-9495
Mazzeo's Ristorante, Route 7 South, Pittsfield, MA (413) 448-2095
Mezze Bistro & Bar, 16 Water Street, Williamstown, MA, (413) 458-0123
The Mill on the Floss, Route 7, New Ashford, MA, (413) 458-9123
The Orchards, Main St., Williamstown, MA, (413) 458-9611
Over the Rainbow, 109 First Street, Route 7, Pittsfield, MA, (413) 445-6836
The Pillars, Route 20, Lebanon, NY, (518) 794-8007
Sedgwick Inn and Restaurant, Route 22, Berlin, NY, (518) 658-2334
Taconic Restaurant, 1161 Cold Spring Road, Williamstown, MA, (413) 458-9499
Water Street Grille, Water St., Williamstown, MA, (413) 458-2175
Fast Food
Burger King, Merrill Road and First St., Pittsfield, MA
McDonald's, Allendale Plaza Intersection of Routes 8 & 9, Pittsfield, MA
Subway, 51 Spring Street, Williamstown, MA
Pubs
'6 House Pub (at the 1896 House Inn), Route 7, Williamstown, MA, (413) 458-1896
The Red Herring, Spring St., Williamstown, MA, (413) 458-2808
Christiansen's Tavern, Jiminy Peak at the base of the Triple chair
Olde Forge Restaurant, Route 7, Lanesboro, MA, (413) 442-6797
The Purple Pub, Bank Street, Williamstown, MA, (413) 458-3306
Pizza
Hot Tomatoes Pizza, Water Street, Williamstown, MA, (413) 458-2722
Pasta's Wood Fired Pizza, Route 8, Lanesboro, MA, (413) 499-5562
Powder Hounds, Brodie Mtn. Road at the entrance to Jiminy Peak, (413) 738-5660
Pizza Plus, Cumberland Farms Plaza, Stephentown, NY, (518) 733-5555
Supermarkets, Groceries, PharmaciesThe Country Store at Jiminy Peak, (413) 738.5500 x4120
Stop 'n Shop, 876 State Road, North Adams, MA, (413) 664-8100
Dave's Supermarket, Route 43, Stephentown, NY, (518) 733-5733
Cumberland Farms, Corner of Routes 43 & 22, Stephentown, NY, (518) 733-5555
Brooks Pharmacy, 212 Main Street, Williamstown, MA, (413) 458-4034
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