Great Things to Do in MA

Make the Berkshires your summer destination, where all paths lead to fun! Get outdoors on a hiking trail, bike path, or mountain lake and leave your cares behind. Pack a picnic lunch filled with bakery fresh sandwiches to share under a shady tree before heading off to enjoy live theater or music. Bask in the aura of days gone by at gilded age mansions and museums. Find farmers’ markets and independent crafters tucked into the 30 towns and 2 cities throughout the County. You can truly create your own Berkshires experience, again and again. Find us on Facebook @Visit the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts and Instagram @visittheberkshires.

Crab Apple Whitewater, a family-run company now spanning three generations, brings decades of know-how to your next rafting adventure. With whitewater rafting trips on the Deerfield and Millers Rivers in Massachusetts, trips range from gentle to exhilarating—perfectly suited to your group’s energy and experience level. Choose from full-day or half-day rafting excursions, or let younger adventurers (ages 5 and up) hop into inflatable kayaks known as Funyak. Knowledgeable guides enhance the journey with fun facts about the region’s wildlife, water systems, and history. Back at base camp, unwind with changing rooms, a snack bar, paddle board rentals, and a patio overlooking the scenic Deerfield River.

Crab Apple has been operating since 1983, and also has locations in Maine and Vermont.

Discover the perfect blend of outdoor adventure and cultural richness at Huttopia Berkshires. Nested on 123 acres with stunning views of Jiminy Peak, this four-season destination offers hiking and mountain biking trails through the beautiful Berkshire Mountains. Take a refreshing swim in the heated pool, explore nearby Bash Bish Falls’ 40-foot cascades, or challenge yourself at Berkshire East’s aerial adventure park with zip lines and treetop obstacle courses. Just 2.5 hours from Boston and 3 hours from NYC, it’s the perfect gateway destination to the region’s vibrant arts scene, charming towns, and endless natural beauty.

Downtown Great Barrington is known for its many boutiques, art galleries, coffee shops, and gourmet restaurants. A shopping or dining stroll in the downtown should include a visit to the adjacent Housatonic Riverwalk. The paved path that ambles alongside this busy Berkshires waterway is an all-volunteer restoration project of the Great Barrington Land Conservancy. After your riverside stroll, take in some evening entertainment in Great Barrington at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, the Triplex movie theater, or the town bandstand, site of free concerts.

We love the cheeky slogan of Montague Bookmill: “Books you don’t need in a place you can’t find.” Housed in an Industrial Revolution-era gristmill aside the Sawmill River at 440 Greenfield Road in Montague, The Montague Bookmill is a cozy melding of old-fashioned bookstore and the most comfortable living room you've ever known. The collection includes thousands of books on every imaginable subject, many with deeply slashed prices. Open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Number of visitors at one time and duration of visits is limited during the pandemic.

The Bridge of Flowers was once a decrepit railroad bridge, before it fell into the hands to local gardeners. They draped the bridge in living gardens of flowers, shrubs, and trees that delight people from spring to fall. It’s a walk through a gorgeous garden above a rushing river with a lovely town on the side. The bridge is in Shelburne Falls, off Route 2 (the Mohawk Trail). It spans the Deerfield River and connects the towns of Shelburne and Buckland. It is generally open to the public from April 1 - October 31.

Starting June 21, 2024, the bridge will be closed for repairs until further notice. For updates and information on the upcoming Art Exhibit and Sale (Aug. 17-18, 2024) to benefit the Bridge of Flowers, click here.

Pittsfield is a lively town centrally located between other stars of the Berkshires, like Stockbridge, Lenox, Williamstown and North Adams. The downtown is a fun place for dining, browsing and shopping. If you need a gift, the options here are delightful: Circa, is a place to fine mid-century antiques, and a selection of vintage clothing and jewelry. Paul Rich and Sons Home Furnishings has made a name for itself selling high-quality furniture. Museum Facsimiles Outlet Store is a fun and unique place to find fine picture frames, framed mirrors, hand printed letterpress and silkscreen greeting cards, all at wholesale pricing.Everything is made here, not imported! Custom framing.

Tucked away in a shaded area of Eastern States Exposition, Storrowton Village Museum, at 1305 Memorial Avenue in West Springfield is a permanent reminder of New England life in bygone days. The Village is an authentic, recreated village of nine 18th- and 19th-century buildings from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, assembled around a traditional town green. A tour of Storrowton offers an intimate look at Early American living with all the ingredients for a meaningful historic experience. Storytelling and activity programs run throughout the year.

Campo De Fiori, meaning “field of flowers,” is a perfectly delightful garden shop at 1815 North Main Street in Sheffield. The phrase garden shop only begins to touch on the charms of this space, filled (but not crammed) with plants, succulents, and garden-related pots and accents like terracotta planters, carved stone, forged iron, cast bronze, distinctive lighting and zinc. Campo de’ Fiori designs and manufactures all of the items, made by the hands of skilled artisans. The shop’s name comes from a piazza in Rome where the owner’s mother used to buy fresh flowers and vegetables, and the atmosphere is distinctly Mediterranean. Perfect place to shop for gifts for any garden-loving person. Open daily.