During our July visit to the Berkshires, we visited the Berkshire Museum, in the heart of Pittsfield. The museum contains a number of different exhibits covering art, history and natural science. Founded in 1903 and inspired by the American Museum for Natural Science, the Smithsonian, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Zenas Crane wanted to provide the people of Western Massachusetts with a similar type of institution.
Visiting the Berkshire Museum
One of the things I noticed immediately about the Berkshire Museum is how kid-friendly it is! There’s nothing worse than dragging 3 active boys into a museum and getting a death stare! Thankfully, we were very warmly welcomed at the Berkshire Museum, and the boys were encouraged to explore!
The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. year round (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Admission is $13 for adults, $6 for children (ages 18 and under) and FREE for children 3 and under!
Exhibits and Collections
There are so many different things to see at the Berkshire Museum including the following: Rocks and Minerals, the World in Miniature, Window on the World, Berkshire Backyard, Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation and the Spark! Lab (an educational and interactive place for kids to solve problems using the materials and resources provided in the exhibit).
Other current exhibits include Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies (through August 28) and Finding Raven: Art and Stories from the Northwest Coast (through October 30). The boys had SO MUCH fun excavating the egg fossils and dressing up in the Dinosaur Eggs and Babies exhibit. It was so nice to have interactive things for them to do while the adults pored over the exhibits and accompanying information! At the Finding Raven exhibit, the boys could also make a craft associated with the exhibit–once again great for keeping little hands busy.
Our last stop was in the basement for the aquarium to check out fish, turtles, lizards, snakes and a tarantula! I really was impressed with how kid-friendly the museum was— from the interactive play activities to the little step stools for kids to peer into the World In Miniature scenes. Check it out when you’re in the area!
Little Cinema
The Little Cinema hosts regular screenings of foreign and independent films (and has been for over 60 years!). You can find the monthly listing HERE. General admission is $7.50 ($5.00 for members).
We all had a great time at the museum, and we would love to return again on our next trip to the Berkshires!
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