Art and History Locations You Should Visit In Massachusetts While Elevated

From music to food and from art to nature, the areas around our cannabis dispensaries in Hudson, Framingham, and Pittsfield are known as premiere destinations in New England. Here’s a little factoid to cement the area’s OG status: did you know that 413 was one of the first 86 area codes created by AT&T in 1947? It’s true!

What are the best art and history museums in Western Massachusetts? 

Our picks are: 

1. The Joseph Allen Skinner Museum 
2. The Storrowtown Village
3. Amherst Museum of Natural History 
4. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art 
5. The DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum

Read on to learn what makes each place unique and why you should want to visit.

The Joseph Allen Skinner Museum 

As anyone who has been to our area - or read our blog about cannabis in the Berkshires - knows, Western Mass really has it all. Of course, we’ve all heard of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and the Norman Rockwell Museum - both are amazing places to visit while elevated to be inspired by incredibly important works of art. But Western Mass is home to a number of smaller (and sometimes quirky) museums that combine to give us the reputation as an artist’s haven, for example, the Joseph Allen Skinner Museum.

Man, is this place cool.  Joseph Allen Skinner, who is famously said to haunt the Forestdale Cemetery in Holyoke (that’s a tour you can take with the Wistariahurst Museum which is another great place to visit), spent a lifetime collecting the nearly 7,000 objects you’ll see here. As part of Mount Holyoke’s art museum, you’ll find everything from glass and ceramics to minerals and fossils. But make sure not to miss the 115-pound meteorite from Canyon Diablo, Arizona - not something you see every day! 

‍

The Storrowtown Village 

Ok, we know this one technically isn’t an “art” museum, but it has an herb garden - no, not that kind, but enough to put them on our list. Plus, if you’re from the area, you probably went here on a field trip as a kid: we’re here to tell you that Storrowtown Village is a great place for adults to have some fun and learn about the rich history of our area. 100 years ago, Boston-based philanthropist  Helen Storrow (yes, Storrow Drive in Boston is named for her, too) paid for the nine antique buildings that make up the 19th-century village to be transported and reconstructed here. Take the time to experience the buildings on your own, or check out the website for a virtual tour if you’re interested in exploring from home! 

‍

Amherst Museum of Natural History 

Start your tour of The Beneski Museum of Natural History with the Beneski Photographs of Emeritus Professor of Astronomy George Greenstein, if you can catch it - it’s a great primer for what you’ll find on the exhibit floor below. In addition to the paleontology and anthropology exhibits on display, especially interesting is the Ichnology exhibit. Ichnology is the study of tracks and traces. Did you know there’s an 8-acre preserve in Holyoke, called “Dinosaur Footprints in Holyoke”, where you can see and touch real dinosaur tracks formed during the early Jurassic period? 

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art 

Eric Carle, the world-famous author and illustrator of children’s books like “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” and “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?,” lived in Northampton for over 30 years of his life. The Eric Carle Museum in Amherst is the perfect place to spend an afternoon and learn about this local legend. While of course, the museum has interactive exhibits designed to keep the kiddos entertained, it is a place for art lovers to celebrate no matter what their age, and, in the words of Eric Carle “We wanted a place where art made for children could be understood as art.” 

‍

The DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum 

No list of amazing places to visit for art in Massachusetts would be complete without mentioning this Metro-West gem. The DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum features amazing outdoor sculptures on the gorgeous grounds of the Museum, with plenty of space to roam and explore. There are 30 acres of manicured grounds/forests featuring at least 50 sculptures at any given time. Pack a lunch and picnic here - and bring your camera for some Instagram-worthy photo ops.

For more information on finding and preparing to visit the best nearby Massachusetts dispensary before your art tours, check out our Frequently Asked Questions page. You can also check out our online menus for Framingham, Hudson, and Pittsfield to find what is available at your favorite cannabis dispensary in Massachusetts! We had a lot of fun compiling this list and hope you have fun exploring!

If you want to read more about this subject visit our popular content:

• Recreational and Medical Cannabis in the Berkshires
• My Visit At Temescal Wellness Dispensary of Framingham, MA
• My Visit At Temescal Wellness Dispensary of Pittsfield, MA
• Discover The Best Cannabis Dispensaries Near Worcester, MA