3 stars for the art and considering the environment we don't think it's appropriate housing for contemporary art; based on numerous factors such as the Sprague Electric Company probably being the real culprits that contaminated Southern Vermont & the Village of Hoosick Falls as well. They say art heals trauma & we've read from some local Facebook group comments in reference to Mass Moca being a injustice by not giving back to the community though there not the ones that polluted the Berkshires. This museum does increase traffic though that's nothing in reference to the local drug traffic issues. The local roads/streets are not designed for tourism & it's the largest Moca but it's in the smallest City of the State of Massachusetts. read more

As a North Adams resident and member, I have always recommended MASS MoCA to friends and colleagues, having enjoyed numerous days inside and outside of the museum with my two daughters for all of their lives. However, I am truly disgusted with the museum's COVID vaccination policy for children. My children will not be able to enjoy art and culture because they will not be vaccinated (which should be a personal family choice). They are not a threat to any of the other patrons when even vaccinated adults frequently test positive. We diligently used hand sanitizer, were socially distanced, and wore masks at all of our visits, not complaining about the closure of the music room, removal of comfortable chairs, and limitation in Kidspace. But this is too much. When will you rescind this terrible policy? read more

They recently installed a Sol LeWitt retrospective & opened up new gallery space to house it. Fantastic!! http://www.massmoca.org/lewitt/ Great space, great art--well worth a visit, wherever you are! read more

I have been to quite a few Museum's , never have I felt like I was robbed of my money. Until now. This is the most over rated Museum I have been to. Saw everything in less than one hour. There was nothing special about any of the exhibits.On the plus side the building's themselves were very interesting. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more

Everything is wonderful, everyone is perfect, art is very awesome. This is a bucket list quality art destination for art lovers of all stripes. Sol Lewitt wall drawings were consistently surprising even though I'm very familiar with his work -- there's just tons of it and innovation was around every corner. Very good cafe and gift shop too. Wear your most comfortable shoes -- we did 10,000 steps in 5 hours of active viewing and we probably saw only 75% of the exhibits. read more

Mass Moca - Sol Lewitt! - Performing Arts Near Me - North Adams, Massachusetts

What a great time we had exploring the grounds of Mass Moca! 3 floors to be exact. Probably one of the best museums I've been to. I would totally recommend it. My husband and I drove about 4 1/2 hours just to check this place out & it was totally worth it. read more

This place is ridiculous. But it's great. I will be up-front and say that I just don't get modern art. I think it's weird. I don't usually find it aesthetically pleasing. It confuses me. I am more apt to mock it than to enjoy it. This might actually be totally consistent with the goals of modern art? Despite this, I always enjoy a trip to Mass MoCA. The place is huge - I keep finding new exhibits I've never seen, and I have seen exhibits on maps that I know I've never been to but can never figure out how to find. It makes every trip an adventure! Which is fun. I usually like to come hang out for an hour or two. The kid area is really fun - some cool art, and lots of interactive things for little people. There is a cafe with nice big windows. I have heard tell it's a great place to come drink some coffee and get some work done, and I can totally believe it. I'll have to try it out for myself soon! read more

Flew into Logan on the red-eye, rented a car and drove the 3 or so hours out to Western Mass to check out Mass MoCA. I was definitely glad to have made the trip. I enjoyed the drive, as New England is so very different from California...the landscape, architecture, climate and people. The weather was gorgeous and this made all the difference. Now, about the museum. Few museums in the world can boast such a decadent waste of space. I say "waste" because most museums couldn't house such enormous works of art in their interior (MoMA, the Met, and Centre Pompidou excepted). I'm a lover of art...especially modern art....contemporary art ranks second for me. This is an interesting contemporary collection, which is always evolving and changing, but I wouldn't make a special trip to come out here from the west coast again. If I lived in Boston or Upstate New York I would definitely journey to North Adams for a weekend, once a year or so, and I'm glad I did this once. A great museum for kids to enjoy. Parking is plentiful, super easy and free. The gift shop has some interesting items to check out. Stay in one of North Adams' uber hip and artsy B & Bs for the weekend if you need a break from the brownstone and concrete-n-glass landscape of Boston. A roundtrip day excursion is possible, as well, if you get an early start. Either way, enjoy! read more

Totally worth the trip. I suck for taking so long to visit. The space is interesting. So many old mills around Western Mass, it was cool to see how this one got put to use. Definitely will be back. read more

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Definitely check this out, whether you live in the area or not! Hidden in the corner of Massachusetts, this museum is an absolute gem. The only reason it can be so great is because it is in the middle of nowhere and has a huge old mill space to fill with art. The layout is quite confusing, so make sure you check off things on the map and get to see everything. Sections of the museum are connected by rickety raised walkways that you can see from the windows and wonder how they are still standing, but once you are in the sturdy parts, you forget about all that. The building itself is SO COOL! All the walls are brick covered with layers of paint, and you can feel the history of the space as you walk through the galleries. The space itself is huge, and perfectly formatted for large-scale installations. Some of the art rises three stories, and almost all of the pieces utilize the building very well, changing the space drastically to fit the needs of the piece. Almost all of the pieces create environments for the viewer, causing different feelings based on the desires of the artists. The exhibits are sometimes interactive, and the museum is definitely kid-friendly. There is an "Art Bar" where kids can try their hand at crafting and a whole kids exhibition section in the same room. Mass MOCA is a must-see if you have the smallest interest in art! read more

Loved all the art. Very unique spot. The tour was not my cup of tea and I would have enjoyed it more if I just walked around and read the stuff on the wall and did it on my own. The guide made it a walking conversation about art instead of an informative walk where he tells us all about the artists and creation of work, etc. I got tired of listening to the other two participants wax on about what they thought of it. I have a preference toward the lecture style tour where you participate by asking questions more so. We did learn a lot about the last exhibit of Sol Le Witt which was very interesting. Loved Xu Bing's stuff too. read more

Mass Moca - Awesome art! - Performing Arts Near Me - North Adams, Massachusetts

The service was horrible. Very racist man came and made us leave the cafe and made us eat on the floor upstairs. I think because we had a black man. I have rights and I can't believe they told me to eat in the corner just cause I can't buy food I don't have money and the made me sit with a ball of Tin foils and told me to be quite. 10 out of 14 of us ordered food. I can't believe the service ere I don't think I'll ever come back and then they took my foil just really. read more

This is a fantastic museum! The building itself is an interesting maze of bridges and staircases. The exhibits are given enough room to stand out on their own. I've been to museums where the art is packed together so tightly that it can be a bit distracting or overwhelming. I thought each work was given enough room to "breathe." Even though I wouldn't describe the majority of exhibits as purposefully interactive (although some are), they all have a unifying theme of inviting the audience to participate in some way. I felt compelled to hang up the traditional way of "consuming" art that I am accustomed to, and instead really become engaged with each exhibit. It's a must-see if you're in the area, and a recommended destination if you're outside the area and looking for a fun way to spend a half day. read more

Beautiful space. My SO bought a yearly membership here and I'm glad he did. The exhibits are absolutely breathtaking..lots of little hidden rooms. Wonderful, thought provoking exhibits that literally blew my mind. read more

Mass MoCA is a delight. They have so many interesting pieces and installations. I love walking in there because they have such a wide variety of events and showings. It is cool and inspiring. After I go there I cannot wait to go home and write/make art! I am looking forward to Bibliothecaphilia which is an upcoming event. read more

This is a FUN museum! Not stuffy or pretentious at all. We thought we would spend an afternoon there but we ended up going back on three separate days. The people who work there are really friendly. The exhibits have enough info around them to let you understand what you are looking at, which I love in a museum because it makes it so much easier to enjoy for those of us that don't have art degrees. One of the many things that makes this place different is that they have enough space to do things that other museums just couldn't do. Here are a few of my favorites in no particular order, by no means a full list. Tip: items marked with a * will require a reservation, don't try to make it the same day they will all be booked. Do it in advance online. "Aloft" and "Chalkboard" by Laurie Anderson* Into the Light* Cosmic Latte In Harmonicity, The Tonal Walkway Maneater (this is a massive collage, it will not actually eat you) "The Couple" and other sculpture by Louise Bourgeois Chrissie Hynde's paintings are fun to see if you're a pretenders fan The installation about the Iraq war and the installation of photographs portraying veterans' experiences are also very moving, of course you wouldn't call them fun. I do recommend seeing them, just be ready. Aside from the art the building itself is very interesting, as is its history. Good food options, good espresso at the coffee shop, good beer at the brewery. It all adds up to a great place to visit. read more

MASS MoCA is a non-conventional art museum on the cutting edge of contemporary art that is located in a former industrial builidng. It is a welcoming site that is has a very open airy, spacious feel. It's exhibits include very large scale impressive installations that take over whole rooms and spark your imagination. It is relatively new having opened in 1999. There is a nice cafe inside the museum serving good coffee drinks. read more

This was a nice break from the rest of the Berkshires. The space of this museum is incredible. Honestly, I enjoyed the space more than the exhibits that were there. read more

I want to move in. I really wish Mass MOCA wasn't so far away from me and I could go much more often. It's really a perfect blend of great art and an interesting space. The converted mill space is ideal for some of the larger installation pieces that take you inside and outside of the museum. There was not a lot of fluff here, everything I saw in my visit was engaging and at times, breathtaking. The cafe is cute and the small museum shop has a limited, but nicely selected inventory. I regret not buying one of the understated T-shirts. I picked up a set of past exhibitions books for very cheap though. I think the thing I like the most about the museum is that you don't get that pretentious feeling you so frequently encounter in modern art museums. There seems to be a sense of community about this place that I really dug. I'll definitely be back! read more

Awesome awesome awesome! But we also hit this place with a few fantastic exhibits. Loved it! The space is so fun to walk through as well - it keeps you moving and you don't even noticed. I'd love to go back when the upside down trees have their leaves on them as well. Students get a $5 discount so don't forget your ID card. read more

MASS MoCA is one of my favorite museums ever. Not only do they attract some of the biggest names in contemporary art, but they have the space to do wild, crazy installations. They change the main warehouse gallery about once a year but the other side galleries change more often. For 2006 the main attraction is called "Amusement Park" by Carsten Hoeller. Can't wait to check it out on my next trip! It's also a great place to take wonderful, cool, funky pictures, of the art, the buildings, etc. They do have sound art all over town...the best of which is in the summer at the nearby Natural Bridge, the only naturally formed white marble arch and man-made white marble dam in North America. They have speakers strategically placed in the abandoned marble quarry to sound off Walter Fhndrich's "Music for a Quarry," at particular times of the day. Great gift store and a tasty little snack bar as well as a nice minimalist designed restaurant called Eleven nearby. They also have excellent performances at the museum. It's a must-see location and worth a day-trip from Boston at the very least. read more

MASS MoCA is quite a gem! :) If you know me well, you would know that I am a museum buff...or at least try to be. I've been to museums in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Philadelphia, DC, New York, and London. The space is like no other. I seriously do not know any museum that would be able to hold the space for a few of the exhibits. One thing to keep in mind is that you *must* give yourself plenty of time to view the whole museum. Phillip H. and I had 1.5 hours and realized while we were walking out that we had not seen the whole museum, like we had thought. Ah well. Next time! :) Notable exhibits: + Sol LeWitt: You will not appreciate this exhibit unless you watch the video about how the exhibit was created. My *favorite* exhibit. And I would hope you catch this exhibit as it will be there until 2033! + Katharina Grosse: As you walk into this exhibit space, you will notice your mouth drop. Seriously. I imagined Superman for parts of the exhibit but you tell me what you see. In the end, all I could think about was how the hell the staff would clean up this exhibit. Haha. + The Workers: Interesting thought. A wee bit disturbing. read more

One of the best museums in the area. And I am not a fan of Massachusetts so the fact that I made the first statement is telling. The museum is gorgeous with funny little trees outside and an open, inviting vibe throughout. Everything is clean, clearly marked and has a great flow. The visiting exhibitions are well-chosen. The best one I ever saw was a bunch of old carnival rides, in a dimly (very dimly) lit space, running at a super slow speed. Loved it. Definitely a great way to spend a few hours! read more

I am not a "museum" person. My friend and I have travelled all over and whenever she says we're going to spend the day at a museum I often get a bit gloomy. MaSS MoCA is not your ordinary museum though. First, it is in a quaint little town in the Berkshires called North Adams. A lovely little place, and has the feel of being far from it all, even though it really isn't that far from Boston. MaSS MoCA has one primary building and then a variety of other connecting buildings. In addition, it has plenty of outdoor space for exhibits and festivals (i.e. Solid Sound). In my visit the other day, I saw such things as: hundreds of tennis balls being dropped 30 feet into a huge container, bits and pieces of old films in 35mm, Sol LeWitt's incredible wall drawings/paintings, and more. Sol LeWitt's wall creations are truly a marvel. I highly recommend going to the bottom floor that highlights his early years. Not much color there compared to the other floors, but it details the pencil marks and lines that demonstrate the effort that went into creating his works. read more

Awesome. "The Workers" installation is riveting for anyone who is remotely interested in the death of the modern hand laborer. As usual, the large spaces are filled with engaging work, if nothing else they are something to talk about! I usually can't bring my dad here because sometimes, whatever you see, is just that ridiculous. He sometimes laughs at loud, and I can't help but join in. Whether you're an art snob or a newbie there is always something here that you're never going to experience anywhere else. Mass MoCA is ephemeral in the purest sense. It's hard to say that about most entertainment these days. read more

We went here after the Clark Institute and I liked it even more! So much to see and so interesting. Even good for people like me who are not that into art and are not too knowledgeable. I loved this place and can't wait to go back sometime. read more

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I love this museum so much. We went today and saw some really great work. This was only my second time coming here, and the first time was maybe 6 years ago, but both times I have been so pleased with the experience. We went to their restaurant today and had an amazing meal outside, I highly recommend eating there if you get the chance, there are not too many options in the area and the food there was really yummy (all 3 of us loved our meals) and they had quality mojito's for only $5. which you can't beat. What a beautiful space, inside and out. I can't wait to go back, hopefully this time I will not wait 6 years. read more

Great space - a re-purposed industrial building, keeping some of its quirky architecture and a generous courtyard for summer concerts. The galleries are generously spaced to be able to show a few different installations and has many programs to keep bringing you back. The parking is plentiful and the quaint cafe area is not as uppity as many other museums. The art shows here are very well curated and presented in a manner that takes advantage of the unique building. Sol LeWitt's work is the centerpiece and the videos on the making of make for a nice break while strolling through the complex. The surrounding areas are nice so, despite it's location, the trip is well worth it. My only disturbed moment was seeing the poor maple trees in their "topsy-turvy" upside-down planters... they literally look like they're in pain. read more

I love this place, even if its located like 3 hours drive from Boston into Bumfck, MA. Also besides the fact theres like 2 restaurants in the entire city to eat at. That being said, MOMA is awesome. Its got a huge space in an old factory so there's more than enough real estate for HUGE pieces and just great presentation. I don't know if I would come here again, but if I could teleport here I would. Personally, I think its a lot more interesting that MFA in Boston. read more

Had to fight off Sewer flies in my food and drink. Sad for a quaint cafe with good food read more

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This is such a great place. Great ideas great music and great food nearby. It's definitely not a stuffy museum. The largest contemporary art museum in the United States. read more

I will sing the praises of Mass MoCA forever. Some exhibits are a hit, some had great promise and didn't quite fulfill, and some misses. So it's good to visit about twice a year. But that still warrants 5 stars. One thing that always strikes me is how the art respects the heritage of the area, and the factories that used to be on the campus. Truly lovely. The drive out seems to prepare you for the experience. I'm the kind of visitor MassMoCA probably loves. My family has a membership. I buy stuff in the gift store, and I eat in the cafe. I just wish it wasn't so darn far away from Boston. They have a lot of night events and concerts that I wish wish wish I could attend. read more

This is one of my favorite places in all the world. I love art museums and have been to those in NYC, London, and Paris, yet I still love Mass MOCA the best. The first wonderful thing about Mass MOCA is the location, both the town of North Adams and the mill building which houses the museum. The town just feels like it's snuggled in by the surrounding mountains and the views afforded of the city in the Boiler Room of Mass MOCA are stellar. Also, the museum itself is a repurposed mill building. It gives the building an interesting edge and is art unto itself. I particularly like the interplay of the brick with Sol Lewitt's wall drawings. Another, and the most important thing, is the art itself. The museum works on a massive scale and even if you don't typically like art museums this one is a completely different experience in scale and content. Currently, there are huge geometric and colorful wall drawings that make you feel like you're in a funhouse, paintings on toile fabric that move like curtains in the breeze, and a spine-tingling film on a loop about the man who may have made the first movie of sorts, but who disappeared on a train right before his big breakthrough. read more

Though there are already many Yelp reviews of Mass MoCA, I wanted to add my comments. I've visited there a number of times, and my opinion is that the curation of exhibits is inconsistent. Sometimes I see fabulous things that change the way I think about art and/or society. Other times my overall reaction is "Meh." The re-purposed textile factory is interesting in and of itself, so if you've never been there, it's worth a visit to see what has been done with the buildings. Visiting in October 2016, I didn't spend time viewing the Sol Lewitt exhibit galleries; I had seen the exhibit the last time I was there. The Nick Cave installation was fabulous and mind-altering, but most everything else I saw was, well, "Meh." It's worth visiting, and there's always cool stuff in the museum store. But when touring the museum galleries, expect that sometimes what you see will be wonderful... and sometimes it will just leave you wondering. read more

I love this menu! It's very eccentric yet effective. The exhibits are always unique and fun to go to. Many amazing performances, as well. Good food and Great art read more

This museum is pretty impressive. Multiple buildings connected by slanted Bridgeway's. And there is ample parking. There are a lot of separate exhibits, and it is actually pretty hard to navigate, but that is also sometimes interest. I will definitely return. Preferably in the summer. read more

Just an incredible, huge, mind blowing set of exhibits! Lots of modern art but without any pretentiousness. Really amazing spaces, and lots of cafes within the museum. Really worth more than one day, definitely my new favorite art museum! read more

Wow, this is a fun museum! We loved the full-room artwork and the big spaces for installations. The whole museum appealed to our elementary-school-age child--he was really into the big installations in the equally large warehouse rooms. The best thing was the Kidspace. It combined an exhibition on a theme--this time, artwork made with food--with an open-ended art project for kids to do. Kids and parents wandered around looking at the adult artwork and watching videos about it and then sat down and made their own projects. Another thing I got a kick out of (I know, this is going to sound weird!) was the exhibit of silver-print photos of the bathrooms exhibited next to the bathrooms! They also had a reasonably-priced gift shop with a lot of toys and children's books and a nice cafe in the building. I'm amazed that a space for contemporary art can be this kid-friendly. I'm just sorry we don't live close enough to come in for the concerts they have in the summer. read more

Top-notch museum. We spent over three hours combing every inch of this place. The LeWitt exhibition is outstanding. Don't miss this if you're anywhere within 3 hours drive. The factory space it occupies is worth roaming around in, even without the artwork. Such varied media on display ensures something for all tastes. read more

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Never forget to stop at the cafe located inside. Busy atmosphere but great food and friendly service. Was disappointed that they removed the Greek salad from the menu but the Mediterranean has similar ingredient with an added artichoke heart. read more

Mass Moca - Mediterranean salad: greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, hummus, artichoke hearts, olives, and a basil dressing. Side of fresh bread. - Performing Arts Near Me - North Adams, Massachusetts