North Adams
North Adams is located in the northwestern corner of “The Berkshires”, a rural county in the mountains of western Massachusetts renowned as the premiere visual and performing arts destination in New England. North Adams has museums, galleries, parks and festivals, farm-to-table food, indie music, outdoor recreation, fine and casual dining, one-of-a-kind retail, gorgeous fall foliage, historic architecture, a “Top Ten College” ranked by U.S. News and World Report, and a friendly, small town vibe.
North Adams is approximately 3.5 hrs to NYC, 2.5 hours to Boston, and 1.25 hours to Albany International airport.
Visit Explore North Adams for local information and events calendar.
North Adams is home to:
- Mass MoCA The largest museum of contemporary visual and performing arts in the United States.
- The Berkshire Art Museum
- MCLA Gallery 51 The gallery of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
- Fresh Grass Music Festival
- Bang on a Can Summer Festival
- Natural Bridge State Park
- Outdoor concerts at Windsor Lake
- Cascade Falls Hiking trail
- Mt. Greylock State Reservation Drive Notch Road up to the tallest peak in Massachusetts.
- North Adams Artist Coalition Connect with the local artist community
- North Adams Farmers Market Locally grown seasonal produce, maple syrup, honey, eggs and more
Williamstown, just minutes away, is home to:
- The Clark Art Institute
- Williams College Museum of Art
- The Williamstown Theatre Festival
- Williamstown Rural Lands Area hikes
The Berkshires Region
All of the following are within easy driving distance of North Adams.
Art Museums
- Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge
- Berkshire Museum of Art and Science in Pittsfield
Performing-arts Institutions
- Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox
- Shakespeare & Company in Lenox
- Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield
- The Berkshire Theatre Group in Pittsfield
- Berkshire Playwrights Lab in Great Barrington
- Jacob’s Pillow America’s first and longest-running dance festival, in Becket.
- Berkshire Opera Festival in Great Barrington
- Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington
Historic House Museums and Gardens
- Chesterwood
- Naumkeag
- Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio
- The Mount
- Herman Melville Arrowhead Museum
- Ventford Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum
- Hancock Shaker Village
- Berkshire Botanical Gardens
Additional Berkshires Attractions
- Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health
- Jiminy Peak
- Zoar Outdoor
- RambleWild
- Hiking trails from beginner to advanced
- Massachusetts State Parks, Western Region
- Berkshire Scenic Train Rides
Nearby Vermont Arts Institutions
- Bennington Center for the Arts
- Bennington Museum
- Oldcastle Theater Company Bennington, VT
- Southern Vermont Arts Center Manchester, VT
- Brattleboro Art Museum
Press About North Adams and the Region
“Bohemian and beautiful, the Berkshires have been a pastoral escape for artists fleeing city life for decades.”
Conde Nast Traveler, 2021
North Adams, Massachusetts: The Perfect Blend Of Food, Culture, And Mother Nature
YahooLife BuzzFeed, 2023
Art New England 2021 May/June Issue, gives a shout out to the Eclipse Mill Gallery
In the Berkshires, A New Generation is Putting Down Roots, Conde Nast Traveler, 2021
How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in the Berkshires Hypebeast, 2021
If you build it … North Adams The Berkshire Edge, 2020
Mass Moca, the museum that almost wasn’t, celebrates 20 years The Art Newspaper, 2019
Betting on the Berkshires, The New York Times, 2018
The New Summer Spot in the Berkshires Vanity Fair, 2018
Top Six Things to Do in Williamstown and North Adams MA: Astounding Art and More in the Northern Berkshires Huffington Post, 2017