For those of you planning an extended stay or vacation in the Amherst area, or in the Northeast, the following places of interest have been noted, along with distances from the U Mass campus. Please continue to check back here, as we add further ideas to enhance your trip northeast.

Amherst Area

Amherst History Museum.
House built circa 1750 and maintained as a museum since 1916.

Amherst College Museum of Natural History & Bassett Planetarium.
Art, books, Natural and human history of many periods and cultures.

Broadside Bookshop, Northampton, MA
Voted best independent bookstore in the Pioneer Valley, 2007 (Valley Advocate Reader's Poll).

Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
With our great offerings, you're not going to want to go Friday or Saturday night, but there are live music options for Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday here. A limited food menu (as I recall) is offered.

J.A. SKinner State Park / Summit House. Hadley, MA.
This 390-acre state park graces the top of Mount Holyoke, and overlooks the scenic Connecticut River Valley. While you are here, at least try to see this. The Summit House was a hotel located here over a century ago; it has been restored, and lunch is offered in a timely setting.

Northampton's Pride and Joy. Northampton, MA.
Independent GBLT bookstore.

Amherst Chamber of Commerce provides this page for the standard tourists.

Invoking the East

Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachussets. 39 miles.
This is a recreation village based around the 18th to mid 19th century colonial life. Potters, smiths, weavers and others dress in period, and explain their crafts and their ways of life in early New England. Contains an extensive bookstore of historical materials.

Boston. 94 miles.
The largest nearby city, Boston is only a couple of hours or so away (depending on how you drive), and boasts an extensive Chinatown, some fantastic museums, an aquarium, and Fenway Park for the baseball fans.

Salem. Massachusetts.
This is a hike (and the coastal traffic can be horrendous), but for those with time, what better place to consider the history of percieved witchcraft?

Invoking the South

Mark Twain House, Hartford, Connecticut. 52 miles. Reasonably close to the Hartford airport. On adjoining grounds is the Harriet Beecher Stowe house.

Invoking the West

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. Becket, Massachusetts. 42 miles.
Dance and other performances.

Appalachian Trail.
90 miles of trail cross western Massachusetts from Connecticut into Vermont. Trails here are of easy to moderate difficulty.

Invoking the North

Historic Deerfield. Deerfield, Massachusetts. 17 miles.
A museum village celebrating New England life, with ten museum buildings. Current special exhibit is Celebrating the Fiber Arts.

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservancy. Deerfield, Massachusetts. 17 miles.
Fantastic butterfly conservancy, far superior to the one in NYC's Museum of Natural History. It's right on the main drag through Deerfield.

Yankee Candle Outlet. Deerfield, Massachusetts. 17 miles.
For your fancier candle needs. People come in for miles to visit it.