Anyone interested in the amazing world we live in will enjoy exploring The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA. It’s the Berkshires’ only art, history, and natural science museum with over 40,000 items. Something from almost every continent on the planet, in fact!
There are a great many excellent museums in the Berkshires that are worthy of your attention. MASS MoCA, The Clark Art Institute, The Norman Rockwell Museum, and many others.
The Berkshire Museum stands out as the only museum in the region with a combined focus of art, science, and history. A stroll through the museum’s many galleries reveal works of fine art, carefully preserved natural specimens, and fascinating historical artifacts from around the globe. There’s even an aquarium!
Three Stories of Art, Science, & Nature
There’s so much to see at the museum, you’ll want to set aside at least a couple of hours to see it all.
The first floor includes the Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation, a 3,000-square-foot, interactive exhibit celebrating inventions that changed the world. Animals of the World in Miniature displays an amazing collection of 1/10 scale, animal and plant dioramas by sculptor and taxidermist Louis Paul Jonas.
Visit the Rocks and Minerals Gallery to view a fascinating collection of rocks and minerals, including a 143 pound meteorite! The Berkshire Backyard exhibit introduces you to the plants and animals of the Berkshires.
Visit the museum’s second floor to see the Objects and Their Stories exhibit, a 5,000 square foot, rotating exhibition of items from the museum’s extensive collection. The second floor is also home to rotating art galleries and exhibit spaces. Check here for exciting new and visiting attractions.
The museum even has an Aquarium and Reptile Room, located downstairs, below the lobby. Just wait until you see all the fascinating fish, replies, and amphibians! And did I mention the museum’s Little Cinema, presenting independent, foreign, and documentary features?
You see? The Berkshire Museum truly does have a little bit of everything – and then some!
Visiting the Berkshire Museum
The Berkshire Museum is located at 39 South Street in Pittsfield, MA, just 15 minutes from our Berkshires bed and breakfast, The Inn at Stockbridge. The museum is open Mondays through Saturdays, 10am to 5pm. Sundays, 12pm to 5pm. Learn more on the museum website. You can also find the museum on Facebook.
Pittsfield, MA is home to a variety of other attractions, so it would be easy to make a fun day trip out of your visit. Popular stops like Herman Melville’s Arrowhead, Hancock Shaker Village, Balderdash Cellars, Bousquet Mountain, and many nice restaurants and shops. Let us know what interests you and we’ll help you plan your day.
The Inn at Stockbridge loves sharing the best of the Berkshires with our guests!