Touring the Berkshires with Children

Day trips with children can be great fun, for them and for you. Here in western Massachusetts, there are literally hundreds of day trip destinations. Your choices will depend on your interests, the season, and the number and age of your children or grandchildren. Here are some sure-to-please suggestions. Always call ahead for admission information, driving directions, hours of operation, and current programs.

Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield

Wally, the life-size Stegosaurus, will greet you on your arrival at the Berkshire Museum. Inside, children can put on goggles, become amateur archaeologists, and dig for fossils in the “Dino dig” or get their hands wet exploring the touch tank filled with star fish, baby crabs, and other slippery underwater creatures.

There are cool, life-size collections to look at, from North American animals and feathered birds to a mummy from ancient Egypt. In the afternoon, travel to Stockbridge and join one of the interactive workshops for youngsters at the Berkshire Botanical Garden or the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Animagic – Museum of Animation

A great indoor experience awaits you in Lee at Animagic – Museum of Animation. You’ll spend a couple of amazing hours learning how make your own clay animated film – complete with music and subtitles! You can even bring your new video home and return on another day to add more!

Ioka Valley Farm in Hancock

Young children (and grandparents of all ages) will absolutely love Uncle Don’s Barnyard at Ioka Valley Farm in Hancock. This working farm lets children experience agri-entertainment, from petting farm animals to riding a wooden tractor. Families are welcome, for a nominal fee, to pick strawberries in June and pumpkins and Indian Corn in the fall.

Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield

Kids 12 and under are free at this family friendly affordable attraction. There’s plenty of free parking, a great Welcome Center, and the Café at the Village offers indoor and outdoor seating with homemade soups and sandwiches, often using Shaker recipes. Begin your tour with the video; it explains all about the Shakers.

Check out the printed schedule of working artisans for crafts, cooking and agricultural demonstrations. No doubt children will want to see the animals! From there, they can step inside the Discovery Room where they can dress up like Shakers, learn to milk a cow, weave a pattern on a loom, or play a Shaker game.

When stomachs growl, the Florence Gould Café is the place to go, but if you prefer to bring your own picnic, there are outdoor tables too. Pathways from the center of the Village lead to the Gift Shop, where shelves are stocked with everything from cool-looking T-shirts and wooden tops to books, Shaker furniture making kits, and food items.

Berkshire Scenic Railroad and Museum, Lenox

Open on weekends from the end of May to early October, Berkshire Scenic Railroad features vintage cars that run from the historic Lenox Station to Lee and Stockbridge. Each trip is narrated by a uniformed conductor. The shorter trip, 45 minutes, is to Lee and back, and the longer trip is to the station in Stockbridge. After the ride, step inside the historic Lenox Station, now a museum full of railroad memorabilia including a large model railroad display.

Western Gateway Heritage State Park, North Adams

In the Northern Berkshires, there is a very intriguing museum that is… free! The Visitors Center inside Western Gateway Heritage State Park, North Adams features a model rail display, a video re-enactment of the building of the historic Hoosac Tunnel, and other railroad memorabilia. Stop for a burger and fries at the Freight Yard Pub. For one last burst of energy before the end of the day, take the kids to see the Natural Bridge in North Adams. Melting glaciers left a natural boulder-type arch – the only marble dam in all of North America…Older kids and fit grandparents can even hike Mt. Greylock. At 3,491 feet, it’s the highest peak in Massachusetts.

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