Looking for things to do in Western Mass?

I spent four years in the Pioneer Valley as an undergraduate at Mount Holyoke College and consider the area to be my second home. I became an adult in Massachusetts and sneak back every chance I get, as half of my heart (and most of my friends) still live there.

Top 10 Budget-Friendly Things To Do in Western Mass

These were my favorite things to do in area when I was an undergraduate. I hope you have as much fun as I did!

See also:

• A Quick Boston Trip: the Ultimate 48 Hours in Boston Itinerary
• 10 Short Day Trips from Boston on Every Budget (from a Former Local)

Emily Dickinson Museum

280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002

The Emily Dickinson Museum is one of the main draws in the area and one of the most interesting things to do in Western Mass. Before visiting, I’d only heard snippets of Emily’s history while memorizing her poems in elementary school. Wasn’t she a reclusive spinster who wore a wedding dress for most of her life?

Absolutely not.

As it’s based in her former home, the museum does an excellent job of humanizing Emily’s eccentric story. You leave feeling like you knew her, often with her poems etched on your heart.

Mount Holyoke College Tour

50 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075

I’ve only included this on the list because I’m an alumna and Mount Holyoke is the best thing that has ever happened to me. If you are looking for things to do in Western Mass, it’s likely you’re in the area for a college tour, so be sure not to miss the best of the bunch.

Emily Dickinson even attended for 10 months, so we can definitly claim her.

Wondering about other inspiring alums? Prepare to be amazed.

See also:

• The Best Things about Mount Holyoke: 25 Reasons To Apply

Eric Carle Museum

125 W Bay Rd, Amherst, MA 01002

While time travel is still technically impossible, you can get pretty darn close to reliving your childhood with a visit to the Eric Carle Museum. My sister and I first visited while I was an undergraduate at Mount Holyoke in 2012. We started our tour in the museum’s screening room to watch Knuffle Bunny, an animated version of the children’s book by Mo Willems.

It’s about a girl named Trixie who travels to the Netherlands to visit her Grandparents and forgets her beloved bunny on the plane. Trixie learns important lessons about loss and maturity through her distress and my sister and I, thinking about our childhood lovies, sobbed.

The museum also has a craft studio you could spend hours in, a library brimming with the best in children’s literature, and galleries that are equal parts nostalgic and inspirational. I make it a point to visit each time I’m in the area.

See also:

• 3 Things To Do in Nashville with Kids (Or The Young at Heart!)
• Traveling with Braces: Do’s, Don’ts, and Dental Emergencies

Yankee Candle Village

25 Greenfield Road South Deerfield, MA 01373

There are two bad things about Yankee Candle Village:

• It smells like a bakery, flower shop, and your grandmother’s house all at once.
• It’s much like a Target in that you go in for one thing and come out two hours later $50,000 in debt.

However, there are two good things about Yankee Candle Village:

• It smells like a bakery, flower shop, and your grandmother’s house all at once.
• It’s much like a Target in that you go in for one thing and come out two hours later $50,000 in debt.

My favorite part (besides smelling the candles and getting to write a letter to Santa) is the life-size Bavarian Village, where it’s Christmas all year round. Be sure to stick around for the snowfall!

Brunch in Northampton

Brunch in Northampton is one of the best things to do in Western Mass. When people say, “This is the future that Liberals want,” I honestly think they’re talking about the pancakes…

The best brunch spots in Northampton, Massachusetts are as follows:

• Everywhere.

There you go. That’s my comprehensive list. Just go to Northampton for a meal and you’re all set with any choice.

But, if I had to choose, I would sent you for

Waffles at Sylvester’s 

111 Pleasant Street, Northampton, MA 01060

7AM – 3PM, 7 days a week.

In the morning, I’m making waffles, February 2018.

or maybe for some

Scrambles at the Green Bean

241 Main Street, Northampton, MA 01060

7AM – 3PM, 7 days a week.

and finally a short drive to Hadley for

Salad at Esselon

99 Russell Street, Hadley, MA 01035

Hours vary.

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory

281 Greenfield Rd, South Deerfield, MA 01373

Magic Wings is what I imagine heaven to be like. And also the uncanny valley. As soon as you walk in, you’re surrounded by movement, even in your peripherals. But because the constant fluttering comes from butterflies, and not bats, bugs, or other beasts, it’s okay.

It’s probably the most peaceful place I’ve been and definite childhood fantasy fulfillment. The only downside was, despite wearing a bright orange shirt and floral perfume, none of the butterflies wanted anything to do with me.

See also:

• Worried about Missing Your Flight? 9 Tips for Tight Airline Connections
• Flying Etiquette: 7 Ways To Avoid Being “That Girl” on Flights

Skinner State Park

10 Skinner State Park Rd, Hadley, MA 01035

Mount Holyoke has this amazing tradition called Mountain Day. During the fall semester, sometime between Convocation and the start of October Break, our president wakes up early and declares Mountain Day with 100 chimes of the bell in the clock tower.

Classes and commitments before 5:00PM are cancelled and students are encouraged to climb the mountain in nearby Skinner State Park, where our President is waiting at the summit with ice cream and special Mountain Day hats.

Part of the fun of Mountain Day is almost dying on the steep hike to the summit, but if you are simply visiting the area, feel free to drive up to the top. There’s a parking lot and unmatched views of the entire Pioneer Valley.

Wistariahurst Museum

238 Cabot St, Holyoke, MA 01040

Full disclosure: I interned at Wisty throughout my collegiate career. But really, this only means you should take my recommendation to visit even more seriously!

The museum is the former home of the Skinner Family, led by William Skinner (and later by his daughter, Belle), who made thier fortune in silk manufacturing, and is the embodiment of the area. It’s one of the best things to do in Western Mass because the beautiful home not only weaves the silken story of a family, but of a city. Of entrepreneurship and loss. Of new beginnings and old traditions. Of hope.

Wisty offers both historical tours of the building, as well as cultural events like lectures, concerts, and galas throughout the year.

See also:

• Why I Eat McDonald’s in Italy (and Pretty Much Everywhere Else)
• Five Uber Drivers You Meet on the Road (+What You’ll Learn from Them)

Basketball Hall of Fame

1000 Hall of Fame Ave, Springfield, MA 01105

The joke here is that I hate basketball, so I never went inside; however, my friends like to tease me because one night, while riding with them on the Interstate 91 (totally sober!) I noticed a glowing orange orb through the clouds.

“Wow, the moon is so bright tonight! It’s so low! Y’all, look!”

Turns out, I made my friend slow down so that we could get a good look at the giant basketball that marks the entrance to the parking lot.

If you like sports, it’s a can’t miss (or so I hear).

Mass MoCa

1040 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247

If you’re looking for something a little weird, a little cool, and fully awesome, then you should head to Mass MoCa, or the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. The collection is breath-taking and is a real contender against the MFA in Boston.

See also:

• Funny Snapchat Captions: Museum of Fine Arts Boston Edition

Bonus: Seasonal Leaf Peeping in Western Mass

If you’re looking for things to do in Western Mass in the fall, the Pioneer Valley and the Berkshires have some of the best leaf-peeping spots in New England!

Pin it: