Sturbridge and The Pioneer Valley

We’ve compiled the best of the best in Sturbridge and The Pioneer Valley - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

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  • 1. Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

    If you have kids in tow—or if you just love children's book illustrations—"the Carle" is a must-see. This light-filled museum celebrates and preserves not only the works of renowned children's book author Eric Carle, who penned The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but also original picture-book art by Maurice Sendak, William Steig, Chris Van Allsburg, and many others. Puppet shows and storytelling events are among the museum's ongoing programs. Children are invited to create their own works of art in the studio or read classics or discover new authors in the library.

    125 W. Bay Rd., Massachusetts, 01002, USA
    413-559--6300

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $9, Closed Mon. and Tues.
  • 2. Historic Deerfield

    With 52 buildings on 93 acres, Historic Deerfield provides a vivid glimpse into 18th- and 19th-century America. Along the tree-lined main street are 12 museum houses, built between 1720 and 1850, some with original doorways. Four are open to the public on self-guided tours, and the remainder can be seen on guided tours that begin on the hour. The Frary House displays arts and crafts from the 1900s; the attached Barnard Tavern was the main meeting place for Deerfield's villagers. Other houses depict 18th-century life, including everything from kitchens to adult cradles for those who had fallen victim to tuberculosis. Also of note is a one-room schoolhouse, an old burial ground, and the Flynt Center of Early New England Life, which contains needlework, textiles, and clothing dating back to the 1600s. The visitor center is located at Hall Tavern, 80 Old Main Street. Plan to spend at least one full day at Historic Deerfield.

    Old Main St., Massachusetts, 01342, USA
    413-775–7214

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $18, Closed Mon. and Tues.
  • 3. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

    This 80,000-square-foot facility—named for Canadian phys-ed instructor Dr. James Naismith, who invented the game of basketball in 1891 during his five years at Springfield's YMCA Training Center—showcases plenty of jerseys, memorabilia, and video highlights. High-profile players such as Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the NBA and Nancy Lieberman of the WNBA are among the nearly 300 enshrinees, but the hall celebrates the accomplishments of players, coaches, and others at all levels of the sport. In addition to displays chronicling basketball history, the hall has a soaring domed arena where you can practice jumpers, walls of inspirational quotes you can view, dozens of interactive exhibits, and video footage and interviews with former players. The hall is easy to find: look for the 15-story spire with an illuminated basketball on top.

    1000 Hall of Fame Ave, Massachusetts, 01105, USA
    413-781–6500

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $28
  • 4. R. Michelson Galleries

    In an unassuming former bank lies a large multifloor gallery filled with the works of many artists, but the collection's crown jewel is the room filled with the work from dozens of children's book illustrators. Originals by everyone from Maurice Sendak to Mo Willems are featured, as well as a Dr. Seuss area that includes a few sculptures along with his illustrations.

    132 Main St., Massachusetts, 01060, USA
    413-586–3964
  • 5. Bridge of Flowers

    From April to October, an arched, 400-foot trolley bridge is transformed into this promenade bursting with color and a wide variety of flowers.

    Water St., Massachusetts, 01370, USA
    413-625–2544
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. Emily Dickinson Museum

    The famed Amherst poet lived and wrote in this brick Federal-style home. Admission is by guided tour only, and to say that the tour guides are knowledgeable would be a massive understatement; the highlight of the tour is the sunlit bedroom where the poet wrote many of her works. Next door is The Evergreens, the imposing Italianate Victorian mansion in which Emily's brother Austin and his family resided for more than 50 years.

    280 Main St., Massachusetts, 01002, USA
    413-542–8161

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $16, Closed Mon., Timed tickets required
  • 7. George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum

    The museum houses a fascinating private art collection that includes a salon gallery with 19th-century American paintings by Frederic Church and Albert Bierstadt, as well as a Japanese antiquities room filled with armor, textiles, porcelain, and carved jade. Lovers of architecture will appreciate the Italian palazzo-style building, built in 1896, with fully restored original Tiffany stained glass windows—the windows are rare examples of Tiffany work commissioned for a museum building.

    Chestnut St., Massachusetts, 01103, USA
    413-425–9289

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $25, Ticket price includes 5 museums
  • 8. Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and Gardens

    This glass conservatory glitters with more than 4,000 butterflies. Kids love the butterfly nursery, where newborns first take flight. Outside is a three-season garden filled with plants that attract local species. There's also a snack bar and gift shop.

    281 Greenfield Rd., Massachusetts, 01373, USA
    413-665–2805

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $16, Closed Mon.
  • 9. Memorial Hall Museum

    Located in the middle of Historic Deerfield, this stand-alone three-story museum displays Native American artifacts, as well as quilts, furnishings, and crafts from the early settlers. Highlights include the farm equipment, period rooms, children's room, and the military room with rifles and Revolutionary War jackets.

    8 Memorial St., Massachusetts, 01342, USA
    413-774–3768

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free
  • 10. Mount Holyoke College

    Founded in 1837, Mount Holyoke was the first women's college in the United States. Among its alumnae are poet Emily Dickinson and playwright Wendy Wasserstein. The handsome wooded campus, encompassing two lakes and lovely walking or riding trails, was landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted, the co-designer of Manhattan's Central Park.

    50 College St., Massachusetts, 01075, USA
    413-538–2000
  • 11. Mount Holyoke College Art Museum

    The 24,000 works in the college's collection include Asian, European, and American paintings, as well as sculpture and contemporary art from around the world. The coins and numismatics exhibit is definitely worth a look. On summer Wednesdays and Sundays, the Skinner Museum, a church packed full of the eclectic collection of a wealthy mill owner, is open.

    Lower Lake Rd., Massachusetts, 01075, USA
    413-538–2245

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free, Closed Mon.
  • 12. Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum

    Take a ride on an old-fashioned trolley from 1896 at this tribute to the old Colrain Street Railway Combine No. 10, which was the first car on the Shelburne line in the early 20th century. A car barn and rails host other trolleys being restored, including a PCC, the last trolley built in Massachusetts.

    14 Depot St., Massachusetts, 01370, USA
    413-625–9443

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: All-day trolley pass $4
  • 13. Six Flags New England

    With more than 160 rides and shows, this massive attraction is the region's largest theme and water park. You can visit Looney Tunes town and climb aboard DC Superhero rides such as Batman: The Dark Knight and Superman: The Ride, which is more than 20 stories tall and has a top speed of 77 mph. New rides are added frequently, like the Wicked Cyclone, a hybrid wooden structure with a steel track, and the Fireball, a seven-story loop coaster. Visit in autumn to catch Fright Fest haunted events and attractions.

    1623 Main St., Massachusetts, 01001, USA
    413-786–9300

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $50
    View Tours and Activities
  • 14. Smith College

    The nation's largest liberal arts college for women opened its doors in 1875, funded by a bequest from Sophia Smith, a local heiress. Renowned for its School of Social Work, Smith has a long list of distinguished alumnae, among them activist Gloria Steinem, chef Julia Child, and writer Margaret Mitchell. One of New England's most serene campuses, Smith is a leading center of political and cultural activity. The on-campus Lyman Plant House is worth a visit. The flourishing Botanic Garden of Smith College covers the entire 150-acre campus.

    College La., Massachusetts, 01063, USA
    413-584–2700
  • 15. Smith College Museum of Art

    A floor of galleries with natural light, an enclosed courtyard, and artist-designed restrooms and benches make up this museum, whose permanent collection's highlights include pivotal paintings by Mary Cassatt, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Georgia O'Keeffe, Auguste Rodin, and Georges Seurat. More recent acquisitions include African, Asian, and Islamic art.

    20 Elm St., Massachusetts, 01063, USA
    413-585–2760

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $5 (free 2nd Fri. of month 4–8), Closed Mon.
  • 16. Springfield Museums

    Museum/Gallery

    This complex of museums in the Quadrangle includes five impressive facilities (single admission), plus a free sculpture garden. The George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum houses a fascinating private art collection that includes a salon gallery with 19th-century American paintings by Frederic Church and Albert Bierstadt, as well as a Japanese antiquities room filled with armor, textiles, porcelain, and carved jade. The Museum of Fine Arts has paintings by Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Winslow Homer, and Georgia O'Keeffe. The Springfield Science Museum has an Exploration Center of touchable displays, the oldest operating planetarium in the United States, dinosaur exhibits, an extensive collection of stuffed and mounted animals, and an African Hall through which you can take an interactive tour of that continent's flora and fauna. The Museum of Springfield History tells the story of the town's manufacturing heritage, including bikes and memorabilia from the former Indian Motorcycle Company, which was headquartered in Springfield. The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, opened in 2017, offers a look into the Springfield childhood of Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) and a wide range of interactive exhibits and wall drawings, all among rooms so colorful that the museum is like walking into a Dr. Seuss book. Also amid the Quadrangle is the free Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, an installation of bronze statues depicting scenes from Geisel's famously whimsical children's books. Born in Springfield in 1904, Geisel was inspired by the animals at the Zoo in Forest Park, where his father served as director.

    220 State St., Springfield, Massachusetts, 01103, USA
    413-263–6800

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $18, Tues.–Sat. 10–5, Sun. 11–5, $25
  • 17. The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum

    Opened in 2017, this museum offers a look into the Springfield childhood of Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) with a wide range of interactive exhibits and wall drawings, all among rooms so colorful that the museum is like walking into a Dr. Seuss book. Part art gallery, part hands-on children's museum, the second floor re-creates Geisel’s studio and living room (with the furniture and art materials he actually used); you'll see never before publicly displayed artwork.

    21 Edwards St., Massachusetts, 01103, USA
    413-425–9289

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $25, Closed Mon.
  • 18. The Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History

    Learn about the town's manufacturing heritage, including bikes and memorabilia from the former Indian Motorcycle Company, which was headquartered in Springfield. The Firearms Collection includes more than 1,600 firearms, with the largest collection of Smith & Wesson guns in the world. Board game lovers will enjoy the Hasbro GameLand exhibit, which honors Milton Bradley, who after moving to Springfield in 1856, created "The Checkered Game of Life."

    21 Edwards St., Massachusetts, 01103, USA
    413-425–9289

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $25, Ticket price includes 5 museums
  • 19. The Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts

    This small gem of a museum houses a comprehensive collection of American, Asian, and European paintings, prints, watercolors, and sculpture. The Currier & Ives (active 1834–1907) Collection is the largest holdings of lithographs in the nation.

    21 Edwards St., Massachusetts, 01103, USA
    413-425–9289

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $25, Ticket price includes 5 museums
  • 20. The Springfield Science Museum

    Scientists young and old will enjoy taking in a show at the oldest operating planetarium in the United States. There are also dinosaur exhibits, an extensive collection of stuffed and mounted animals, and an African Hall through which you can take an interactive tour of that continent's flora and fauna. There's also a small aquarium, where you'll see fishes from tropical reefs around the world as well as frogs, turtles, snakes, and spiders from the rain forests.

    21 Edwards St., Massachusetts, 01103, USA
    413-425--9289

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $25, Includes admission to 5 museums

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