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    Norman Rockwell Museum

    4.5 (178 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Norman Rockwell Museum Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Norman Rockwell Museum

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    Iconic Christmas
    Stephanie G.

    Very interesting museum and very crowded museum. But if you can come in fall, all the better. It's a beautiful property in a rustic part of Massachusetts. Admission is pricey, but it was only $5 more to do the studio tour, but I recommend it. It's only 20 minutes but it's a short walk from the museum, and it's exactly how Rockwell left it, so it's really interesting to hear more about him and see his workspace. When I went, there was a Mad Magazine exhibit, and the inspiration to their humor from Rockwell's was apparent. There are a lot of his original works, and downstairs there is a video and a wall collage of all his Saturday Evening Post covers. There was a range of humor, insights, family, inspiration, fears, unity, Americana all across the board. His wit was unmatched, and his painting style is sophisticated seeing the brush strokes up close. Mad takes a lot of that tongue in cheek humor and carried through its publication, so this temporary exhibit really made the visit so valuable. The gift shop has a ton of Rockwell merch, so it's worth leaving some time for that. Even though the drive feels like it's not near anything else, I can see the quiet mountainy landscape can give a nice painting space vs. his time in NYC. It's worth the trek to make it out to this museum.

    Shirley N.

    What a great museum. Included in our New England fall foliage itinerary. All of Norman Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers are here. As well as his Four Freedoms. Plus his original work studio that was relocated here. And so much more of his illustrations and works. Two weeks ago there was a MAD magazine special exhibit also. If you want to see his studio it's another ticket timed visit. There's a walking trail that leads you down to a river. The cafe was closed the day we visited.

    Natalie S.

    Really enjoyed the Madd magazine exhibit. It's a very large exhibit covering all the years the magazine was published Enjoyed seeing the Rockwell paintings. The grounds are beautiful, worth walking (apple trees) for the vistas. The tour of his studio requires another fee. Really!!

    Dan R.

    "Gotta hurry on back to my hotel room Where I got me a date with a pretty little girl from Greece She promised she'd be there with me When I paint my masterpiece" (Bob Dylan) The masterpieces are everywhere, and you'll recognize the images because you've seen them your whole life. The group of baseball umpires looking to the skies with their palms outstretched, checking to see if the rain has stopped. The police officer sitting on a diner stool talking to a little runaway boy. The young Black girl walking bravely with a police escort as she integrates a school and ignores the splattered tomato and racist graffiti on the wall. The laborer standing tall in a town hall meeting to speak his mind on a local matter. The Norman Rockwell Museum will simply awe you as you walk through the galleries and see these magnificent works of American art. The recurring themes I saw touched on family, children, technology (a worker installing a TV antenna to mark the birth of TV), patriotism, politics, equality, and human rights. Two exhibits really stood out. There's an auditorium where we saw a short film on the life of Rockwell, but what we saw on the screen paled in comparison to what we saw on the auditorium walls. Neatly mounted on three sides of the room were 323 framed covers of the Saturday Evening Post magazine - every one had a Rockwell painting on its cover, spanning the years from 1916 - 1963. Incredible! The other exhibit that affected me was a circular room with just four paintings, based on an inspirational World War Two speech by President Roosevelt. Rockwell summarized that speech with "The Four Freedoms" - Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. That room and its four iconic images had the feel of a shrine or a place of worship to me. The museum also has a rotating display spotlighting other artists. The current exhibit showcases the work of Tony Sarg (1880-1942), a children's artist and puppeteer. The Sarg exhibit was terrific. Another unexpected high point was an interaction with a security guard who sternly asked me, "Sir, are you wearing a NY Giant sweatshirt?" When I said yes, he deadpanned,"you have to leave. " Then he smiled and lightened up as we had a nice conversation about the dismal seasons the Patriots and Giants were having.

    MADA exhibits
    Tiffany H.

    We had a perfect day to visit. Outside grounds are so well manicured! Can spend a nice afternoon. $25/ adult admission. There's a small souvenir store. When I went early Oct MAD mag exhibit was there. I needed a whole day to read through all the exhibit. So funny. It was packed when we went on a Saturday.

    Amanda L.

    Such a beautiful museum in a beautiful area. It's small but worth the stop. The museum staff is incredibly welcoming and informative.

    Amanda B.

    I love Norman Rockwell museum! I first went to the museum almost 20yrs ago, and I still love to visit it when I'm in town to see the Saturday Evening Post, all of Rockwell's paintings and the visiting exhibits--currently it's Tony Sarge's work. The grounds are gorgeous and worth a walk around; the lawns provide a beautiful setting for a picnic. Definitely visit if you're in the Berkshires and want to see some beautiful artwork that reflects a calmer time, but captures the humor, as well as dignity of the past.

    Amanda P.

    I didn't expect this museum to be as well organized or as large as it is - I was very pleasantly surprised. Great exhibits. Amazing masterful work - the paintings are very good and must sees in person. Photos do not do justice. Beautiful grounds. Only complaint was that it was a little too crowded when I visited on a weekend afternoon with a reserved tour slot. That's a testament perhaps to the quality experience they offer.

    River on the museum grounds
    Jim W.

    We arrived here around 10:25 a.m. on a Monday. I'd recommend getting here as close to the 10 a.m. opening time as possible. They doe a large business in large tour buses. We got our tickets ($20 apiece) and paid ~ $5 extra for a 20-minute tour of Rockwell's studio (which runs ever 20 minutes). They make you check any backpacks in a locker, so it might be better to leave those in your trunk. When tour buses arrive, the line for the women's restroom can back up into the lobby for a few minutes. The studio tour is timed-entry (though a surprising number of people struggled with this concept so that the docent there kept having to shoo people back out during our tour). The docent was an older, enthusiastic lady. There was just one other couple there, which was apparently unusual / unexpected. Mostly this tour was more crowded. They moved the studio from downtown Stockbridge to this spot when they built the new museum in the 80s. They showed a drawing of the downtown area that Rockwell did (including his original studio in a business there). We walked down a marked path to a large metal bridge over a small river. It was blocked so there could be no car traffic. We had this to ourselves, and it was quite picturesque. We then toured the museum itself. Tour buses kept coming. It was crowded. We both enjoyed it. They had many original works including the Four Freedoms series in a central room. There were also other well-known works (slice-of-life magazine covers, portraits, works related to civil rights, etc.). I liked a large one of the Glynn Canyon Dam and a Navajo family. They give guided tours also, but they lasted an hour and I think there was an additional cost. There is a café under a tent where they sell boxed wraps and sandwiches. The selection seemed limited and we were in the mood for something a step up from this, so we drove a few miles to Stockbridge to eat lunch instead. Overall, I thought this was a highly worthwhile stop.

    Arriving for a private event
    Carol M.

    I was here for a private event. This included a little bit of History, a tour of the museum and a catered dinner. The gentleman from the museum who was tasked with providing a little history and background on Norman Rockwell was engaging and entertaining and knowledgeable. He brought the paintings to life in a way that wouldn't have happened without him. The work of Norman Rockwell is amazing; Creative, interesting and engaging. Prior to coming to the museum I knew that he was incredibly talented but I did not realize the extent of his social activism. He is most well known for his Saturday evening post covers. However, that is just a fraction of his work. The museum also had an exhibit of the work of Kadir Nelson. The majority of his work on exhibit was done during the pandemic. It was incredibly impactful. His work depicts world events particularly surrounding the impact on the African-American community. This event included cocktails and a catered dinner that was absolutely delicious. Began with a squash soup and warm fresh rolls. The entree was a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, stuffing and green beans with fresh cranberry sauce on the side. Dessert was an ice cream sundae bar. This was set up on the soda fountain that allowed us to recreate the picture entitled "Runaway" The entire experience was memorable.

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    Friendly staff, a great collection of pieces. Visited during the winter, would love to go back when the studio is open.

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Norman Rockwell Museum

    How much time should you allow to see the exhibit?

    About 2 hours

    Is this museum accessible for a senior citizen using a walker? I'm taking my 87 y.o. mom for her birthday Saturday.

    Yes, absolutely. Very open floor plan. Elevators are available to access both levels.

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    Review Highlights - Norman Rockwell Museum

    From the paintings to the covers of the Saturday Evening Post, it was wonderful to learn about his life and work.

    Mentioned in 24 reviews

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    Naumkeag House

    Naumkeag House

    4.4
    (38 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    Beautiful house and gardens. Purchase tickets online before you visit. Parking is very limited…read more Grounds are grass, mulch and stairs. Not accessible. Only the lower floor of the house is accessible. Take the garden tour. It provides much information about the family, building the home and gardens and the architects/designers. Well worth the time. The property is on a hill so wear your walking shoes. A dirt 'one way' road leads past the house, to the dirt parking lot, then down the hill off the property. The lower part of the road, off property, is very rutted. (it happens to drive right past Norman Rockwell's grave site) Early spring the gardens are beautiful. The staircase from the cutting garden to the house is gorgeous. A leisurly walk down the Linden walk then curves around to a stroll in the wood. Many little gardens areas. Plan to spend at least two or three hours.

    The Winter Lights show is AMAZING! So creative, great use of all the uniqueness of the property…read more Very well organized. You park in the center of the town of Stockbridge MA which looks straight out of a Christmas romance hallmark movie. Even the town information booth (where you get the shuttle buses- which are school buses) over to Naumkeag House (less than 5 minute ride) looks like the cutest information booth you've ever seen. The buses are heated so after walking around outdoors you're happy to be on the warm bus ride back to the centers of the town. The light show has many nooks and crannies and surprises around every corner. I've been to much larger holiday light shows, and despite the size of this one being a bit smaller than some, it is spectacular and unique in so many ways. The property has a Chinese garden, a beautiful greenhouse (like straight out of frosty the snowman), a beautiful fountain, very large rows of giant evergreen shrubs, and incredible trees (like an arboretum). There are two "snack shacks" where you can get desserts, hot cocoa, hot cider, and even some nice add-ins like peppermint schnapps, bourbon, rum. Walking around looking at beautiful Christmas lights with a spiked hot beverage is magical. One of the snack shacks also has a fire pit with benches all around to sit and warm up by. Perhaps my favorite part...I went with several teens & young adults who don't always appreciate me taking tons of photos...but here...there were SO MANY PHOTO OPS that they didn't mind, and even started asking me to take more photos of them! Fair warning- this property has quite a few steps, so if mobility is a challenge, probably not the best place...even wheel chair accessible would be tough...especially with the school bus shuttles to/from town. Best to call ahead and see what accommodations can be made for accessibility. I hope to come back every year for the winter lights show. A very festive and beautiful thing to do with friends and family around the holidays.

    Photos
    Arborvitae alley
    Arborvitae alley
    Naumkeag House
    Pumpkin season at Naumkeag - 10/3/2025

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    Pumpkin season at Naumkeag - 10/3/2025
    The Mount

    The Mount

    4.6
    (57 reviews)
    4.1 mi

    Took the tour. It feels like you are rushing through - so much information is given. The tour lasts…read moreand hour and it hardly seems enough to cover three floors of house. After the tour we were free to wander at our leisure. The gardens are well manicured. A video in the house shows the history of the property and photos of restoration inside and out. Gives a real appreciation of the restoration work done here. Amazing. The woodland path is lovely, shaded and serene. There were childrens programs going on along the path during our wander. There is also a sculpture event happening with pieces scattered along the paths. Park in the dirt lot by the stables where you can purchase tickets and watch an orientation video. It's about a five minute walk to the house from here. A book walk begins here too-a series of signs, each one page of a childrens book. If you need handicap parking, buy tickets online, drive past the stable and park near the house. Very informative tour. An abunfance of information throughout the house. Cafe with prepared food on the terrace overlooking the grounds. Plan to spend two to three hours.

    Checked out the grounds while staying in the area. This is a beautiful and relaxing spot to walk…read morearound. There's also a trail system behind the main house, which is well worth exploring. Plenty of benches to stop and enjoy the gardens. Look forward to returning here to tour the interior.

    Photos
    Dining room
    Dining room
    The Mount
    Trails

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    Trails
    Chesterwood

    Chesterwood

    4.6
    (14 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    Really lovely and understated estate/museum to visit in an area rich in those, Chesterwood is…read moredefinitely worth a visit. Daniel Chester French was the sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial, and there's a smaller version of the famous sculpture here in his studio. The house he resided in is well-maintained and is quite lovely. The tour guide was informative and friendly. The house tour is worth the admission but the views of the valley puts it over. The garden where the studio is has a nice fountain. I had to leave just before the end of the tour. With the tour, try to have at least a couple of hours so you can get the full feel of the estate.

    I was up in the Berkshires the other week and found out about Chesterwood whilst searching online…read morefor music and poetry events. Turns out they had an hour long poetry reading event curated by Voices of Poetry, an amazing poetry group run by Neil Silberblatt. I drive in, parked in the free lot, bought a ticket in the main building and explored for a bit before the event began. The poetry reading featured Chard di Niord (poet laureate of Vermont), Patrick Donnelly (director of the Poetry Center at the Frost Place), Shanta Lee (recipient of the Arthur Williams Award for Meritorious Service to the Arts), Hilde Weisert, winner, 2017 Gretchen Warren Award (New England Poetry Club) & 2016 Tiferet Journal Poetry Award. Every single poet was super talented and covered a large range of topics. Now I've been to my fair share of poetry readings however the talent and environment here really set this one apart. The backdrop and setting of the grounds is absolutely gorgeous. There is a short trail that you can hike and also plenty of beautiful walking paths, with plenty of sculptures, artwork, fountains and incredible trees/flowers for your viewing pleasure.

    Photos
    Chesterwood
    Chesterwood
    Chesterwood

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    Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum

    Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum

    3.0
    (7 reviews)
    6.5 mi

    Cute if you're in the area - no long train rides but they do little minute long rides and blow the…read morehorn which is fun. Very pretty overlooking the pond out back. The little museum inside the old train station is cute, not a ton to see but it is interesting to learn about the trains in the yard. $5 for adults

    Apparently a review for the BSRM could mean the museum itself, the old train ride (pre-2016), or…read morenew train ride out of North Adams, MA (2016+). Having heard that it was scheduled to open, I tried to go in 2015 but they apparently only had one weekend of trips. So, when they announced a scheduled run in 2016 the same weekend as my birthday (Memorial Day) I jumped on it. I am a train nut, so even a bad train yet will still garner a couple of stars here. However, based on our trip in May I can only give it three. Here is why: 1.) It was HOT. VERY HOT. Riding in the train/RDC with no air conditioning, or the ability to open windows, led to most people on our train ride being very uncomfortable. People were visibly sweating. No water was sold on the train, which would have helped. Waiting for the train, there wasn't a "station" of sorts so people gathered in line on the ballast in whatever shade could be found. The only breeze came when the train was moving through the front and rear door, but it just isn't enough. An open riding car would help a lot. And that was just May. 2.) A conductor read from a script about the things we were passing by as the train rolled along. It was nice, but it was hard to hear, even though the entire train is one car long! The speakers need to be turned up. BUT... he also read for nearly the entire trip. Without stopping. It was just a wall of noise that we tried to tune out as we wanted to talk on the train, not listen to someone read something for 80 minutes or so. On the return trip, it seemed like (from the bits and pieces we could make out) that he was just reading the paper in reverse. Some interesting commentary is nice, but it needs to be cut back and louder. I hope they do well. I have heard that the AC was repaired, which would be great. Also, the scenery was less than spectacular (some old factories, some old roads, some trees, etc.) but perhaps in the fall when the leaves change colors it would be really nice I bet. I probably would come back and ride it, but as train rides go it wasn't one of the better ones.

    Photos
    Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum
    Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum
    Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum

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    Animagic Museum of Animation Special Effects & Art

    Animagic Museum of Animation Special Effects & Art

    4.1
    (26 reviews)
    4.7 mi

    I'll second that this is totally the place for a beginner and kids will thoroughly enjoy…read morethemselves. Eugene Mamut has an interesting collection of special effects, and asked some good questions of my 6 year old to let him explain what was going on with each. He showed us some differences between different styles of animation. The video that W made was uploaded on his website for sharing and Will had a great time!

    I was researching things to do in the Berkshires while my classmates and I were vacationing. This…read morepeaked our interest as we're all tech-fascinated people, and my husband was an animation major. It's a free museum visit, but because it's privately run, you have to call them and make special arrangements for them to come and open the museum. The pros: you get a private tour, and hours aren't limited to your usual 9-5. The cons: since it's only run by 2 people, you're really at their mercy when you show up and they may or may not be on there way there still. Admittedly it's nothing fancy, but if you're legitimately into animation, it's a really fun casual tour. They go very old school on some animation techniques. They have a gift shop with some animation trinkets you can buy. For extra money if you have time, you can also create your own animation with them. We opted out of that one. If you're in the area anyway, it's a great place to stop by. Otherwise, I wouldn't go out of your way to travel to the area just for this.

    Photos
    Animagic Museum of Animation Special Effects & Art
    Located across the street from Lee Library and a Church
    Located across the street from Lee Library and a Church
    Mass Illusion was a special effects studio in the Berkshires

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    Mass Illusion was a special effects studio in the Berkshires

    Norman Rockwell Museum - museums - Updated June 2026

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