Area Guide

Sports

The Berkshires are  a year-round haven for outdoors enthusiasts.

When the snow falls, skiers and boarders flock to nearby Jiminy Peak, Berkshire East on the Mohawk Trail, and Mt. Snow in Southern VT.  With "no skill required" family fun, both Mt. Snow and Berkshire East also offer Tubing.  Increasingly popular, nordic skiing, the Berkshires offers many cross-country trails through the woods at The Clark, Hopkins Forest as well as Cross Country ski areas including Stump Sprouts and Notchview.

February 10-12, 2012 the Berkshires welcomes the Bay State Winter Games.  This competition, including alpine ski at Bousquet in Pittsfield, Figure Skating in Williamstown at  Lansing Chapman Rink on Williams College campus, and Masters Ice Hockey in North Adams at the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink.  February 11th, Bay State Skate will feature skaters from around the state in an exhibition performance.    

In the Spring and Summer, the county's many tennis courts and golf courses welcome you, including the renowned Taconic Golf Course, just minutes from the hotel, or Waubeeka Golf Links an 18-hole public golf course at the base of the Taconic Mountain Range.

White Water Rafting, Rock Climbing and Canopy Ziplines are exhilerating adventures within just a short drive along the the Mohawk Trail.

Jiminy Peak has the Mountain Adventure Park.  Take a thrilling ride down the mountain on the Mountain Coaster or the Alpine Slide.  Bring your Mountain Bike for some great trail riding.  Try the Giant Swing and so many other family activities.  

In the fall, the simple beauty of the changing colors can be appreciated from a trail in the woods - or a window by a fire. Hike the Appalachian Trail, take a walk, push a stroller, ride a bike, or rollerblade on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. Hike to the top of Massachusetts highest peak, Mt. Greylock. The Clark has 140 acres of beautiful hiking trails and Geo-caching.

.

Other Museums

Hancock Shaker Village The Shakers called this community "The City of Peace." Hancock Shaker Village is a welcome retreat from today's hectic pace that offers so much to see and do. This beautifully restored village, set amongst acres of farm, woodland and pasture, is home to the premier collection of Shaker buildings and artifacts. Graceful Shaker furniture, craft and household items 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, innovation and design.

The Berkshire Museum There’s something for everyone. Offering a unique blend of exhibitions, galleries, and attractions for families of all ages. See exhibitions, fine art, and sculpture from around the world. Explore the touch tank and aquarium. Be amazed at our collection of artifacts from Native American cultures and ancient cultures of Egypt, China, and more. Marvel at the technology that awaits in the new Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation.

Spa

InTouch Massage & Day Spa. A day spa located on Water Street in Williamstown, offers massage therapy, facials, skin care, a full service hair salon, private outdoor hot tub and more. www.intouchdayspa.com. 

Tsubo Massage, also in Willliamstown, offers massage plus a variety of therapies and accupuncture.  www.tsubomassage.com

Theatre

Williamstown Film Festival, The Williamstown Film Festival was founded in 1998 to fill a cultural gap in a part of Massachusetts known for its world-class museums, theater, music, and dance - the Berkshires. Because film seemed the missing link in an artistically rich region, some two dozen local residents and graduates of Williams College felt strongly that a film festival could bridge the gap

The film festival is celebrated annually in late October.

Barrington Stage founded in 1995, is a not-for-profit professional theatre company in the Berkshires (MA), with a three-fold mission: to produce top-notch, compelling work; to develop new plays and musicals; and to find fresh, bold ways of bringing new audiences into the theatre, especially young people. Main Stage performances are scheduled June-October. 

Williamstown Theater Festival, Running from mid- late June through mid-late August, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Tony-Award Winning Summer theatre has been bringing terrific stage performances for over 50 years.

Berkshire Theater Festival

Main Stage Performaces are scheduled June-October.  Berkshire Theatre Festival's mission is to sustain, promote and produce theatre for its community through performance and edulational activities.  BTF remains dedicated to producing theatre that recognizes its vererable past, while providing a home for the next generation of American theatre's creative artists.

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 a new generation of students and scholars to discover the resonance of Shakespeare's truths in the everyday world, demonstrating the influence that classical theatre can have within a community.

Music

Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra- annually draws over 350,000 visitors. Each 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.

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, is one of the world's most prestigious arts organizations, home to America's longest running dance festival, a National Historic Landmark, and an incomparable experience for audiences and artists. Every year visitors, dancers, choreographers, composers, teachers, experts, and novices interact, discuss, and explore the art of dance with more than 50 dance companies performing on three Festival stages and more than 200 free performances, talks, tours, events, art and photography exhibits, and more.