A List Of Things To Do In Our Area
The Fine Arts Center
http://www.umass.edu/fac/
The
UMass Fine Arts Center seeks to engage audiences in the arts, embrace
diversity, and uphold the highest standards for arts education.
Comprehensive in scope, the Center offers the region's only mix of
classical music, dance, theater, jazz, Broadway, special events, and
gallery exhibitions.
The Mullins Center
http://www.mullinscenter.com
Opened
in 1993, the 9,000 seat Mullins Center is the University of
Massachusetts state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility. It contains an
Olympic-size practice ice skating rink available to students for free
skating. In addition to Ice Hockey, and the Men's and Women's
basketball teams, the Mullins Center has hosted such diverse events as
Sesame Street on Ice and David Copperfield; speakers Maya Angelou, Elie
Wiesel, and Bill Cosby; and rock concerts ranging from Metallica and
Smashing Pumpkins to Alanis Morisette, Phish, and the Indigo Girls.
Western Mass Blitzin Bears
http://www.blitzinbears.com
Who Are the Western Mass Blitzin? Bears?Entering
their sixth year, the Springfield Blitzin? Bears have become one of the
premier Minor League Pro-Football teams in the New England area and on
the East Coast. January of 2004, two prominent local business owners,
formed the "Western Mass Blitzin' Bears" a community-oriented
non-profit corporation. Their intention is to bring the highest caliber
of football into Western Mass. The Blitzin' Bears are now in the NAFL,
the largest league in North America.
The Northampton Center for the Arts |
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The Basketball Hall of Fame |
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The Big E
http://www.thebige.com
Each
September, one million plus guests enjoy free entertainment, major
exhibits, a Mardi Gras parade, The Big E Super Circus, the Avenue of
States, Storrowton Village Museum, animals, rides, a daily parade,
shopping and foods from around the world for 17 glorious days during
New England's most colorful season.
The Iron Horse
http://www.iheg.com/iron_horse_main.asp
The
Iron Horse Entertainment Group (IHEG) presents live music and
performing arts events in Northampton, Massachusetts at The Iron Horse
Music Hall, The Calvin Theatreand Performing Arts Center, Pearl Street
Nightclub, and an outdoor summer series at The Pines Theater. Iron
Horse Presents produces a regular schedule of concerts at other venues
throughout New England.
The Emily Dickinson Homestead
http://www.dickinsonhomestead.org/
The
Dickinson Homestead, where Emily spent all but 15 years of her life,
was mentioned frequently in her intensely idiosyncratic and strikingly
modern poetry. Devoted Dickinson readers visit the Homestead and The
Evergreens, the Italianate home built next door by Emily's brother
Austin Dickinson, to walk today where Emily walked and to see what
Emily saw.
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
http://www.picturebookart.org/home/index.asp
The
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is a new museum celebrating the
art of the picture book. Founded by Eric Carle and his wife Barbara,
the Museum is for visitors of all ages: children and families, teachers
and librarians, scholars, and everyone interested in the art of the
picture book.
Fall Foliage
Greater Springfield/Franklin County
The
secondary roads of Rt. 116 and Rt. 9 wind through rolling countryside
and hill towns. Rt. 116 passes through the picturesque towns of Conway
and Ashfield; Rt. 9 leads through the village centers of Cummington and
Goshen and the college towns of Northampton and Amherst. Scenic routes
143 and 112 travel through rolling New England countryside in the towns
of Goshen, Chesterfield, Worthington and Huntington.
The Berkshires
Follow Rt. 7 North from Sheffield to
Williamstown. Rt. 8 runs from Sandisfield to Dalton and is a superb
route between two state forests. Rt. 183, from Great Barrington to
Lenox, follows the Housatonic River and passes through small villages.
Take Richmond Rd., off Rt. 183, just south of Tanglewood, and stop at
the overlook for views of Stockbridge Bowl and the southern Berkshire
Hills. Rt. 43 East, off Rt. 7, is the lower road to Williamstown, and
passes through lovely farmland. Rt. 23, from Great Barrington to
Monterey, and then right onto Tyringham Rd., takes you through the
Tyringham Valley and eventually to Lee.
Mohawk Trail - http://www.mohawktrail.com
The
Mohawk Trail, which runs 63 miles along Rt. 2 from Orange to North
Adams, is one of the state's most popular foliage routes. Excellent
"up-country" viewing sites include: the Whitcomb Summit; the hairpin
turn before North Adams; the 10-mile drive to the summit of Mt.
Greylock; the French King Bridge, Millers Falls; the Bissell Covered
Bridge, Charlemont; and the enchanting Bridge of Flowers, Shelburne
Falls.
The Hippodrome
http://www.hdrome.com/index2.html
The
Hippodrome is a multi-entertainment complex located in the former
Paramount Theater in downtown Springfield and is the largest nightclub
in western Massachusetts with a capaciltity of 2,450 people. Also
available for private functions.
The Holyoke Mall
http://www.holyokemall.com/
Western
Massachusetts' premier shopping location is home to over 200 specialty
stores. Located convenientally off Interstate 91 exit 15, the Holyoke
Mall is home to such great stores as Filenes, The Christmas Tree Shop,
Target and H&M.
Jacob's Pillow
http://www.jacobspillow.org
Celebrating
its 70th season in 2002, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival attracts
visitors from all over the world. Founded by dance pioneer Ted Shawn in
the 30's, the Pillow was recognized as one of America's Irreplaceable
Dance Treasures, and named to the National Register of Historic Places.
Jacob's Pillow is located in the Berkshires town of Becket in Western
Massachusetts.
Jones Library
http://joneslibrary.org
This
unique public library serves local residents and visitors in a colonial
style building opened in 1928 with its much loved "living room"
atmosphere. Recently renovated, the Jones Library contains Emily
Dickinson, Robert Frost, and Robert Francis exhibits and a wealth of
historical information about Amherst and the Pioneer Valley.
Look Park
http://www.lookpark.org
Look
Park is located on the Berkshire Trail (Route 9) in the Florence
section of Northampton, Massachusetts, in the heart of the Pioneer
Valley. Look Park, consisting of over one hundred and fifty acres, is a
gift to the City of Northampton from Mrs. Fannie Burr Look. This living
memorial to Frank Newhall Look was first opened to the public in 1930.
Magic Wings
http://www.magicwings.net
Magic
Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens consists of a 14,400 square
foot facility that includes a 4,000 sq. ft. glass conservatory filled
with butterflies, moths and tropical vegetation. Walking into the
conservatory on a cold wintry day is sheer joy. A peaceful sanctuary
for all who enter.
Mass MoCA
http://www.massmoca.org/
MASS
MoCA exhibits some of the liveliest, most evocative - and provocative -
art being made today in a beautifully restored 19th century factory.
Critics have awarded MASS MoCA the nation's most coveted architectural
and historic preservation honors for the breathtaking renovation of its
19th century factory buildings and its thought-provoking, visually
stunning exhibitions have put it on the "must-see" list of art lovers
from around the world.
The Museum of Fine Arts
http://www.quadrangle.org/MFA.htm
The
Museum of Fine Arts features 14 galleries of paintings, sculpture and
works on paper. Six galleries are devoted to American art from the 18th
through the 20th centuries. You'll also find European paintings from
the 14th through the 20th centuries, including stunning works by
Chardin, Tiepolo, Gericault, and Corot. The Impressionist Gallery
boasts works by Degas, Pisarro, Gauguin and Monet. A fine Dutch and
Flemish collection includes paintings by Ferdinand Bol and one of the
earliest signed works by Jacob van Ruisdael.
Museums 10: Ten outstanding Museums in one gorgeous place
http://www.museums10.org
Museums10 puts it all together in one spectacular
location for you: great art from every period, fascinating historical sites,
world class collections of rocks and dinosaur bones illustrating the geologic
history of the Connecticut River Valley, and books, books, books.
The Paradise City Arts Festival
http://www.paradise-city.com/october/homeoct.html
The
Paradise City Arts Festival is a nationally acclaimed show offers a
spectacular array of contemporary craft and fine art, set amongst the
blazing fall foliage of western Massachusetts along the majestic
Connecticut River. The high caliber of the contemporary craft, art and
sculpture at Paradise City has set a new standard for quality and
diversity.
Pearl Street
http://www.iheg.com/pearl_street_main.asp
Pearl
Street Nightclub features an upstairs Ballroom and a downstairs
Clubroom, housed in a historic 16,000-square-foot brick building built
in 1908. The club features a full bar.
Quadrangle
http://www.quadrangle.org
Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle
Augustus
Saint-Gaudens' statue, "The Puritan", welcomes visitors to the
Quadrangle, home of four fine museums: the George Walter Vincent Smith
Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Springfield Sceience Museum,
and the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.
Six Flags New England
http://www.sixflags.com/newengland
"New
England's Thrill Capital!" Six Flags, located in Agawam, MA, between
Hartford and Springfield, is the largest theme and water park in New
England! Call 877-4-SIXFLAGS or visit our website for directions and
operating hours.
Springfield Civic Center
http://www.civic-center.com
The
Civic Center features family events, sports, concerts, conventions,
trade shows and a myriad of special events. Home of the Springfield
Falcons of the American Hockey League.
The Springfield Science Museum
http://www.quadrangle.org/SSM.htm
The
museum features a Dinosaur Hall dominated by a life-sized replica of
Tyrannosaurus rex; the multi-level R.E. Phelon African Hall with a
mounted elephant, giraffe and other animals, as well as exhibits on
African cultures; the Solutia Eco-Center, an aquarium and live animal
center; Mineral Hall; hands-on exhibits investigating natural and
physical science; Native American Hall; a 100-seat planetarium; an
observatory; and an exhibit on the Springfield-based aviation pioneers,
the Granville Brothers.
Tanglewood
http://www.bso.org/armsOfBSO.jhtml?catName=Tanglewood&area=tgl
Tanglewood,
the idyllic summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, offers
classical, jazz and popular concerts daily June through Labor Day.
Tanglewood is located in Lenox Massachusetts, which is in the heart of
the famous Berkshires. Tanglewood attracts more than 300,000 visitors
each season.
The Volleyball Hall of Fame
http://www.volleyhall.org
The Volleyball Hall of Fame features the Walls of Fame, large panel graphics of the history of the sport,
a regulation half court, displays and exhibits, a touch-screen video
display and a gift shop. It holds two major events during the year -
the Induction in October and the Morgan Classic Tournament in February
at Springfield College. The Hall of Fame is located in Holyoke,
Massachusetts. For more information call (413) 536-0926, e-mail info@volleyhall.org, or go to the website.
Yankee Candle
http://www.yankeecandle.com
Our
spectacular candle and Christmas shops in South Deerfield,
Massachusetts, will transport you to an Old World setting, where it's
Christmas everyday. Wander through the Bavarian Christmas Village,
Kringle Market, Black Forest and Santa's toy Factory, where rooms are
bursting with countless candles, accessories, ornaments and toys.
Linger in the Candle emporium, where you have your choice of scented
candles in more than 175 fragrances. You can dip you own candles, visit
our Candlemaking Museum, snack at the Coffee Haus or Candlewick Cafe,
or enjoy lunch or fine dining at Chandler's Restaurant. It's a day of
fun for the entire family!
The Yiddish Book Center
http://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/
The
National Yiddish Book Center is a vibrant, non-profit organization
working to rescue Yiddish and other modern Jewish books and celebrate
the culture they contain. Supported by 30,000 members, we are now the
largest and fastest-growing Jewish cultural organization in America.