As someone who has loved and cherished Emily Dickinson's poetry my entire life, I hate to leave…read moresuch a bad review, but it was my honest experience. So, they strongly recommend you order your tickets online to make sure there is enough availability, so I did. However, when we got to the museum, they said something along the lines of our tickets being invalid for some reason. We were a party of elderly and disabled people so if something went wrong on their online system or the ticket order wasn't processed correctly we should not be punished. They refused to let us in, but at least we could walk around the grounds for free, and they were truly very lovely; unfortunately, the people who run the museum are not.

I want to kick this review off with a fact nugget- I knew NOTHING about Emily Dickinson (except…read morethat she was a poet) before I planned my trip the prior week to visiting the museum. This was a learning experience. It was Mother's Day weekend and also the museums 41st annual poetry walk to celebrate the anniversary of Emily's death. This is really what caught my eye- I love special events. So here are two review in one: Poetry walk Review: You report to the home, pick up a pamphlet that identifies the poem that will be read at each stop along the way along with a map of the stops and your daisies (her favorite flower.) Note: you are asked to pre-register online for the event (I mean they need to know how many pamphlets and daisies!) Off you go! We knew we were going to make it for maybe one stop and the cometary (last stop) due to an early morning tee ball game I wasn't going to miss. So that's what happened, we were able to stop at one poetry stop right outside the cemetery where they read two poems aloud and people were able to ask questions. The final stop is visiting Emily at her family plot in the West Cemetery (take a look at that mural on your left as you start waling into the cemetery with Emily in the center.) As we neared her tombstone, they were passing out cups of lemonade for a noon toast to Emily. They told some facts about the cemetery, a song was song that was inspired by Emily's writing and then one of her poems was read. We then raised our glasses and cheers to the woman herself. After the toast, everyone took their daisies and gently placed them on or around her headstone or the gate to the family's plot. It was nice to walk back through town as we grabbed lunch and then scooted back to the house for our 2pm pre-purchased entry into the house. Very nice event. The House Review: First off- no parking on site. Based on my experience- I would suggest not visiting the house during the week when college is in session! Around the house most parking spots are permit parking only for the college. With the event happening as well, it was hard to find parking. The Dickinson house has bene restored to Emily's writing hay day. As much as we did not have a guided tour (those happen in the morning) there were people stationed in each room who were a wealth of information. I had a lot of questions and they were not stumped and answered beautifully. I learnt a lot from all these fine folks who were just so interested in her, the family and the historical aspects. Thank you! (I really asked a lot of questions.) Austin's house, The Evergreen House, next door is preserved. Very different from Emily's. One has frozen in time and one has been reinvigorated to present the time. Walking through Austin's home was quite interesting as well. Their art is very interesting. I do enjoy how the museum opted to treat each house differently. I have mixed feelings after my trip about Emily and her poems especially the heavy editing but none the less very impressed with the museum and the people working there- vast amounts of knowledge that they were easily willing to share.

Sawmill is a truly magical place. Located in Montague, Sawmill is located in the mill area that…read morecontains The Alvah Stone. It's a small but mighty and lovely shop that houses products from 15+ local member artists and 20+ local consignors. The artists take turns running the shop and are very proud of their co-op. If you're even so much as nearby Montague, you simply must stop here. It's really hard to describe such a place. Its jam-packed full of expertly curated paintings, photos, jewelry, scarves, knick-knacks, sculptures, cards and more. No two artists are the same. You can get lost for a very, very long time browsing the selections and getting to know the works of each artist. I mean, just look at my photos below. It is too much fun to turn the corner in the gallery and stumble across something new and colorful. I'm really regretting not purchasing a few wearable art pieces and a pen-and-ink art print of an owl. If you need a gift for someone (or you're like me, and every day is Treat Yo' Self day), Sawmill is a no-brainer of a stop. Not only are you getting an exceptional, handmade gift, but you're supporting local artists and keeping this interesting collaboration thriving. The prices range significantly, but everything here is affordable, and more importantly, uniquely interesting. Love, love, love!

The Arts Cooperative in Shelburne Falls is a great place to stop in at if you are looking for some…read moreunique art to put in your home or office. The shop has a ton of different pieces ranging from paintings to hand crafted jewelry. Some of my favorite pieces were their hand crafted sculptures made from recycled household goods. Overall I think that this is an excellent store, but the cost of the items are a bit high in comparison to some other are shops in the area. That being said, I understand that these artists deserve every penny for the incredible work they do.

What a nice little place…read more Artist co-op, each runs the register 2times a month. Glass, ceramic, metal pieces everywhere. Pretty jewelry, ladies hats, paintings, carved wooden utensils, even a copper cow weathervane. I bought 2 cool coffee mugs, an applewood pestle for cursing herbs, a very pretty glass bowl and some other good stuff. Not too pricey. Cool waterfall across the street. I'd go back. Check it out.

Watching Randi and her team work is such a treat! I watched them create my one of a kind special…read moreglass vessel. What a great birthday present!

I visit this place every chance I can. The artists there are welcoming and happy for me to wander…read morearound or just sit and watch. Randi blows glass nearly every day and provides gallery seating for visitors to sit and watch. The wonderful thing about this experience is that Randi also teaches and explains what she is doing as she works. The pieces on display are gorgeous. My "want to buy" list expands every time I visit. I highly encourage you to stop in, learn a bit from Randi and Natalie, sign up for the next glass blowing workshop and enjoy the beauty of their work. You will want to visit over and over!

I rarely write reviews, but felt it necessary to share our experience with Snow Farm Art Camp in…read morethe hopes that it may help other families make an informed decision. The pickup process at the end of camp was especially disappointing. There was no greeting or acknowledgment from staff, no effort to personally connect with parents, and no discussion whatsoever about the campers' experience or their artwork. It felt disorganized and impersonal. The "gallery walk," which should have been a proud moment, was chaotic and lacked any structure or explanation. We actually didn't know who was a camper or who was an instructor. We were left to wander through the space without context or guidance, which made it hard to fully appreciate what the kids had spent nearly two weeks creating. Socially, the experience was incredibly isolating for my daughter and her friend. Despite being there for 12 days, they struggled to make connections with other campers. It became painfully clear that they were the only ones not from private schools, and unfortunately, they were made to feel like outsiders because of it. The environment was very cliquey, and there seemed to be little to no staff intervention to help bridge those social divides. Had my daughter not had her one friend from home with her, I likely would have brought her home early. There was very little downtime or effort from counselors to create a sense of community. Days were packed with studio time and started extremely early, leaving kids exhausted and with few opportunities to relax or socialize. Team-building activities or any sort of group bonding could have made a huge difference, but those were noticeably absent. Additionally, some of the camp rules were concerning and poorly communicated. One that stood out was the bizarre rule that campers couldn't enter each other's rooms because the staff would "assume they were having sex." For a teen art camp, this kind of messaging felt inappropriate and unnecessarily harsh. To be fair, my daughter enjoyed the off-campus trips and said the food was great. But overall, this was a very expensive camp experience where she felt left out, unwelcomed, and disconnected, despite doing something she truly loves. That is not acceptable. Camp should be a place where kids feel encouraged, supported, and inspired, not judged or excluded. This was a one and done experience for us. We will not be returning, and I would caution other families to look closely at what kind of environment Snow Farm is really fostering.

my spouse lives loves loves the ouppet workshops…read more loves! loves good teaching good pacing nice setting and learning environment

DISCLAIMER!! I sometimes have work on display here…read more Great gallery, more so than you'd ever expect to find in a small town. In addition to the larger works of art, many hand-made high level craft-type things for sale, occasional juried competitions. Art classes, space for rent for events. Sometimes they hold performances there (disclaimer number 2.... I've performed there), unfortunately not very often these days. Limited hours/days, so check out the website before heading over. http://www.greentreesgallery.com/

This place is AMAZING! There are so many beautiful things there to see that it gives me "analysis…read moreparalysis" trying to decide what to actually buy. Bonus is that the staff is super friendly and helpful as well. This will be a regular stop for me. :)

This is an indoor flea market, not an antique shop. Vendors rent "booths" and display their goods…read more That being said, it's awesome. Three floors of treasures and just crap to poke through. Something for everyone. The prices are fair - not cheap - but I didn't see much that was overpriced. It's a great place to meander through on a cold or rainy day. Lots to see. The staff was helpful and nice. I used the bathroom. It was in the back room and was a sight to see. But it worked for me! You should visit Whitney Hill Antiques if you're in the area. Leave yourself ample time. It took us 2 hours to see everything

I love this gallery. They sell all sorts of great pieces of blown glass (vases, bowls, etc.),…read morejewelry, and other nice gifts at reasonable prices. I've bought many glass ornaments and jewelry here. The gallery space is beautiful (larger and brighter after a recent remodel) with nice views of the Deerfield River. And, you can watch artists at work right next door to the gallery. Another good thing about it: My mom's artwork is on display behind the counter at the front--so check it out! Also check out the Young & Constantin Gallery in Wilmington, Vermont.

this is a nice friendly gallery/clothing/jewelry place .. if you are in town it is worth checking…read moreout. local handmade jewelry is always nice. sad to see the glass blowing place next door is gone, but soon it will be a mexican restaurant.