Needed to visit an art museum for a final assignment requirement and came here by default, because…read morethe museum closer to my house was closed for summer maintenance. When I pulled up, I was happy to see how convenient their parking lot was. I was eligible for a student discount and paid $10 for my admission, my professor could have scored me a free pass, but coming here spontaneously left me no time to obtain one; it's considered charity, so I wasn't upset about it. I told McKayla at the front desk it was my first time visiting and she enthusiastically showed me everything I needed on a map. I like that the space wasn't overcrowded with people, because that would have triggered anxiety. I was surprised to see they had work by Andy Warhol, an artist I am familiar with. They had a wide selection of older and newer pieces of work. I ended up choosing to do my report on Lilly Martin Spencer's 'This little pig went to market' oil on cut arch board 1857. She was the breadwinner of her household which was rare at the time and portrayed women in a respectable way; that won me over. Overall, I am happy the universe brought me here and I got a 105%, extra credit for submitting early!

Writing a review about a art museum is like the last thing I would expect to do but it's 5 stars…read morejust because I was able to get in for free All because uhart and ccsu have programs here or something like that (just for fact I attend uhart). I mean in 2020 they made a program at this university that gets you in to these museums for no cost? How is that not cool?

If you're in the Catskill area and want a huge park with lots of trails, you must visit! I did not…read moreget to explore all of it, but I definitely want to come back. The top by the historic house has a beautiful view of the river and mountains.

5/19- 5/20/26 Visits:…read more -5/19/26: We came for the special Fredrick Church 200th b-day exhibit. The paintings were wonderful to view. I'm taking one star off. The male tour guide was underwhelming to say the least. He did admit that it was his first tour. I believe for Church's 200th birthday exhibition, a paying customer would've expected the guide to give an overview on the artist and a description of his paintings. All we received was a a person walking the group into a couple rooms. I even tried to question him about one of the paintings. He basically threw the question back at me. -5/20/26: We took an electric car tour throughout the 5 mile narrow hilly estate. Price $40 and totally worth it! Ellen was our tour guide and driver. Brava to Ellen! She was extremely thorough and knowledgeable about the entire Fredric Church estate. A wonderful gift shop is available on the premises.

My husband and I went to see what was inside this museum and we thoroughly enjoyed it! There were…read moreso many things to view not only from Norman Rockwell but other artists as well that were very much related to the issues that Norman Rockwell covered that I feel are still relevant today. This museum has two floors of viewing rooms, a cafe, a museum store, and pathways to visit other sites outdoors related to this museum. I even rang the bell you ring if you have enjoyed what was viewed. We enjoyed this museum and will recommend it to others as well.

First class museum venue for Rockwell's (and other artists) displayed art. Was looking forward to…read moremost personable aspect of museum by touring Rockwell's studio. studio tours are guided - with time spots Supposedly given out first come. NOT true: even though bought studio tour online beforehand and arrived at near opening 10:10am was told that all the first 3 hours of tours were entirely reserved for bus groups, so 1st available tour wasn't really until 1pm. Even though The buses hadnt even all arrived yet. many other early arrivals were dismayed about this undisclosed, contradictory way of reserving tickets to only bus groups while the rest of us were expected to wait hours, even though we had arrived first. Museum needs post days and times when group tours take up the studio tours

Grounds are lovely. Home is as well maintained as funding allows…read more Please donate to the preservation of this home.

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.

The Beneski Museum of Natural History is on the Amherst College campus and is one of those smaller…read moremuseums that consistently surprises visitors who arrive without strong expectations. We walked into a building that is modern and elegantly designed, spotlessly maintained, and organized in a way that made navigation intuitive across the three floors. The collection spans three floors and covers fossils, dinosaur skeletons, mineral and gemstone specimens, and an extensive dinosaur track collection with particular connections to the Connecticut River Valley, which produced some of the most significant dinosaur trackways in North America. The dinosaur material is the centerpiece. Two full mammoth skeletons, a T. rex skull, and a range of other fossil specimens give the collection a visual impact that larger natural history museums with more resources and more famous specimens would be proud to have. The dinosaur tracks are a specific strength and the connection to local geology adds a regional dimension that makes the collection feel distinct rather than generic. Staff and professors associated with the collection were present and willing to answer questions in depth, which gave our visit a more engaged quality than a self guided tour at a larger institution typically offers. The museum is free and open to the public, which makes it an easy addition to any visit to the Amherst area without any planning required. For a small college museum that delivers a world class fossil collection in a beautiful modern space, the Beneski Museum of Natural History is a hidden gem in western Massachusetts and well worth a stop. It is the kind of place where you go in for a quick look and end up spending an hour without realizing it.

It's is such a gem! A must see. It's a free museum with a room full of mammal fossils, another of…read moredinosaurs, and a hallway of rocks and gems. You can easily spend an hour or more here, which makes it a perfect stop especially if you're looking for something indoors on a hot or cold or wet day. Our kids enjoyed the exhibits, the free stickers, and the dino toys they got to explore at the front desk.

If you ever happen to find yourself in South Hadley any time between May and October, and the idea…read moreof wandering amongst scrimshaw trinkets, ruby glass, Americana of uncertain provenance, and assorted mineralia sounds appealing to you, make your way posthaste to this veritable cabinet of curiosities. Assembled in a deconsecrated church literally uprooted and brought to South Hadley during the displacement of five towns caused by the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir, this museum collection is amongst the quirkiest places Western Massachusetts, a distillation of the local ethos circa 1870. Did I mention that admission is free?

Spend an hour here and you'll feel like you've discovered something (rather than having it all…read morehanded to you in one church-shaped package by Mr. Skinner). Hunting around this museum is an adventure unto itself. Every nook or cranny has something worth looking at. The staff is super-nice, although they aren't going to know a lot more about every object than is written on the ID cards -- and most items don't have cards! It can get pretty hot on a sunny day without a/c in the building, so beware of that. I love oddball little museums, and this fits the profile perfectly. One guy who really liked collecting crap donated said crap, and here it is! Enjoy!

This is an awesome museum founded in 2012. They have a small parking lot on the backside of the…read morebuilding. The customer service was friendly. This place is welcoming to people from all walks of life, it feels very inclusive. Tip: we got discounted museum tickets from the library. We easily spent three hours there and my children loved everything minute of it. Children are encouraged to pretend play. Exhibits are created for kids ages 1 to 10. Everything was hands-on, educational, and invokes the different senses. The Museum was organized by room and theme. We went to the dentist, grocery store/garden, diner, bank, tree house, a stage, music room. There was an area you can "paint" with a wet brush on the wall. A mini firetruck, a maker space, a toddler area, and various exhibits. The interactive floor was another favorite. There was an area where kids can drive on mini cars. They have many events. You can even host a birthday party there. I'm very appreciative of their Asian Culture exhibit; there's a Japan, China, and South Korean display. Overall, we had a fun time playing with the kids there.

This place was amazing. Staff as well as product inside. They have everything u need and are…read morearound all the time freshening the rooms. We spent 5 hrs (8 yo & 4 yo)

Visiting family here from Austin Texas and needed something for the kiddo to do while here. Took…read morehim here, he had a blast. I mention Austin because we have this place called the Thinkery which I can compare this with. The Thinkery is relatively new, super expensive, and very pretentious. Whereas this is much older, and while some parts are missing/broken, it had charm, character, was well priced and was accessible to all. My fav part was the large climbing structure. Would visit again when in the area.

Who would have thought that there was such a hidden gem in Holyoke. I absolutely love this place…read more At first I was a little hesitant about coming here based on the limited pictures and reviews. I am not going to lie, I don't spend much time in the Holyoke area, so I was a little skeptical when I was driving past all these abandoned buildings. The parking isn't bad and a few quarters take you a long way here. I know people are little dubious about the street parking, but I have never had an issue, aside from a few of the parking meters being inoperable. There are also two garages that are across the street from the facility and the pricing for that is also fair. Remember bring change!!! I had to learn that the hard way. When I went into the building, I amazed. It is such a cute little facility. It is two stories, but the top level is more of a sitting area. You pay to get into the facility downstairs. There are elevators if you are wondering. The staircase is the way I like to go down because there is an artsy little metal dog that is there and my son always wants to check it out. Before you enter there is a little area where you can hang your coats. People normally leave diaper bags and lunches there. I always pack a little snack for my guy and leave it there. The restroom is also in this area. No food and water is actually allowed in the museum, unless you are heading to the back for a scheduled birthday party. The prices to get in are super cheap. I paid at the cash register and the cashier stamped our hands. After that we were free to roam. There are numerous play stations in this museum. They have an astonishing climbing area, a water works area, a building room, a mini construction site, an airflow center, bubble makers, shadow room, ambulance, fire truck, costumes, grocery store, theatre, a small slide, a toddler area... We can literally spend hours here. My son enjoyed himself so much that I decided to get a family pass, we have been here about every other week since my first trip here. I even booked his party this summer here. I can't wait for all his friends to play with him here. Mom and dad are getting a little sick of climbing through the playscape with him. LOL. Honestly, this is a great place for your kid to exert their energy. I wish I came here sooner, it would have been a more active winter. I recommend all parents to bring their little people here.

What a hidden gem off the Taconic parkway! I would enever have guessed this was here unless I…read moresearched for things to do while going on a weekend roadtrip. This place is open pretty much 365 and if the welcome center is closed, you can still walk around the grounds. Wonderful, funky, weird, unsettling, thought-provoking sculptures strewn over a large parcel of land and it's free too. We went in late Dec so it was cold, muddy and a few of the cool interactive pieces were closed.. whomp whomp. Also be aware of the dog 'landmines' as it seems a lot of owners do not bother to pick up. Will be back in the spring!

Awesome sculpture walk! About 50 pieces scattered in the fields and woods on the property. Get a…read moremap at the visitor's center and start your hunt! Wear comfortable shoes- it can be muddy in shaded areas. And wear a hat on a sunny day to keep the sun and flies off of you. Afterwards, rest in the cafe with a cold drink and discuss your favorite pieces. Great day trip for sculpture lovers!

It's a great museum for parents to take their kids... A great aquarium! Parking is good on…read morestreet.

Recently reopened after an extensive renovation with an aquarium being a central feature. The hall…read moreof curiosities is very interesting, their art collection is extensive, and natural science displays make this a very well rounded museum. They could use more educational explanations of the displays or offer explainers in the halls. Congratulations to them on a good renovation.