Emily Dickinson Museum
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8. Amherst Farmers' Market - Late April to Mid-November. 24. Farmers Markets. Amherst Farmers' Market is the longest running market in the area. Started in 1972 by a small group of farmers, the market has expanded to over 40 vendors and includes live music and delicious locally grown and prepared foods.
- Mead Art Museum
Massachusetts (MA) Hampshire County. Amherst. Things to Do...
- Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
#3 of 37 things to do in Amherst. Art Museums. Closed now....
- Mead Art Museum
- Emily Dickinson Museum. The birthplace and lifelong home of the poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) is just east of Amherst Center on Main St. After childhood and a short time at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, Dickinson rarely left this building, seldom greeted guests and later in life hardly left her bedroom.
- Amherst College. The third-oldest institution of higher education in the state blends seamlessly with downtown Amherst. Amherst College is compact, enrolling fewer than 2,000 undergraduates each year, and prestigious, as one of the highest ranking liberal arts schools in the world.
- Hampshire College. Established in 1970 as an experiment in higher education, Hampshire College has a campus with a beautiful setting in the south of Amherst.
- Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (The Carle) With his wife Barbara (1938-2015), the treasured children’s author and illustrator, Eric Carle (1929-2021) founded this unique museum on the Hampshire College campus in 2002.
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- Things to Do at Amherst College
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- Map of Things to Do Near Amherst
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Since Amherst College is such a big part of the town of Amherst, this section is dedicated to unique activities on-campus. If you want to spend more time in the town center and beyond, skip to the next sections (though I still recommend reading this, since you may discover something new about campus, even if you’re familiar with it).
9. Sip a cocktail or mocktail at The Archives speakeasy
This speakeasy is tucked away in the entrance of a realty office. Pull on the handle of the tall, blue filing cabinet on the left, and you’ll be transported to a chic bar. The speakeasy has many unique cocktails and mocktails, plus small bites (I enjoyed their crème brûlée).
10. Hike Bare Mountain
Bare Mountain is a short but steep hike. It’s only 1 mile total (.5 miles out and back), but there’s nearly 500 feet of gain! The views at the top are pleasant. I would definitely bring good hiking or at least walking shoes, and avoid the path in the winter if it’s icy. You used to be able to take a bus close to the trailhead, but it looks like now the only bus is the 36 line that drops you off at Atkins Farms, and from there, you need to walk around a mile along the side of the road to the t...
11. Have brunch at Esselon Café and Coffee Roasting
Esselon Cafe is an elegant, independent cafe powered 100% by solar energy. They’re known for their vegan-friendly brunch, Parisian-style outdoor seating, and ethically-sourced coffee. It was always a joy to eat at Esselon, and it felt like you were almost transported to a different world outside rural Massachusetts.
20. Be enchanted by Montague Bookmill
Montague Bookmill is a charming used bookstore in an 1842 gristmill. The bookstore is extremely quaint, with several cozy nooks where you can curl up and read. They also have a cafe overlooking the river, where you can order sandwiches and drinks. This magical place is around 20 minutes North of Amherst.
21. Hike Mt. Sugarloaf for incredible views
Mt. Sugarloaf in South Deerfield has stunning views of the valley and surrounding mountains. The hike to the peak is only .3 miles long, but it has over 400 feet of gain. Definitely bring good hiking shoes since a couple areas almost feel like scrambling. At the top, there’s an observation deck you can climb to get even better views. Most people take the same path down, but you can also loop around the mountainfor a hike of 1.4 miles total.
22. Ride or walk along the Norwottuck Rail Trail
The Norwottuck Rail Trail is a 10-mile bike path running from Northampton to Belchertown through Hadley and Amherst. It’s extremely scenic, passing through the Amherst Bird Sanctuary, marshes, farmlands, bridges, and more. I often ran towards Belchertown from the Amherst College campus, which had the most wildlife since it was forested and marshy. On one recent stormy run during my five-year reunion, I saw at least five turtles near the bike path! On long runs, I would usually go towards Nort...
To help you plan your itinerary easily, here’s a map of all these things to do near Amherst. Layers are organized by things to do on Amherst College’s campus, in the town of Amherst, near Amherst, and restaurants/cafes/bars.
You can walk to most of the highlights of Amherst, but you’ll want to stay somewhere centrally-located. The best walkable hotels are the Inn on Boltwood and Amherst Inn. The Inn on Boltwood is college-owned and operated, and it’s has a beautiful, historic, and classic New England setting. Amherst Innis a Victorian bed and breakfast that’s more down...
Amherst is a small town, and you could easily pick a few highlights and go on a day tripfrom Boston. I went on a day trip in Fall 2021 and grabbed a matcha latte at Share Coffee, visited Amherst College campus (Memorial Hill), hiked Mt. Sugarloaf, and had a sandwich at The Montague Bookmill. If you’re wanting a true countryside getaway though, I’d ...
Amherst is lovely in all seasons, but it’s most pleasant in the late spring through peak foliage season in fall. In late spring/early summer, there are lots of flowering trees, and temperatures are pleasant without being hot. In the late summer, it’s the perfect time to pick flowers at Book & Plow, eat ice cream on a farm, and go to a swimming hole...
You’ll see lots of farms, farm stands, and fresh food. We hope you’ll join us at the weekly farmers market. While you’re here in Western Massachusetts, try Amherst-brewed beers and wines for a taste of local flavor. Join an ultimate frisbee game on the town common, hop on the bike path, or stretch out with a book and a picnic spread.
- Visit Amherst College. During your visit, take time to wander through Amherst College’s campus, one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Amherst’s campus consists of stunning red brick architecture, a beautiful central quad with views of the Holyoke range in the distance, and several museums worth visiting (more on that later).
- Wander through downtown Amherst. Wandering through the quaint downtown is one of the best things to do in Amherst MA. While this small city is less active than nearby Northampton, you’ll still find several unique shops, boutiques, and restaurants.
- Enjoy the outdoors at the Amherst Town Common. Not far from Amherst College is the Amherst Town Common, a historic green space in the heart of the town.
- Visit the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Among the best things to do in Amherst MA with children is to visit the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
8. Amherst Farmers' Market - Late April to Mid-November. 24. Farmers Markets. Amherst Farmers' Market is the longest running market in the area. Started in 1972 by a small group of farmers, the market has expanded to over 40 vendors and includes live music and delicious locally grown and prepared foods.
Things to Do in Amherst, Hampshire County: See Tripadvisor's 7 972 traveller reviews and photos of 38 Amherst attractions.
