Things to do in and around Hampshire College.
Go out and experience something new
Being at college is not just about study, although don’t forget studying is the prime reason for going to college! There will be times when you’ll want to relax and see some new things or meet some new people whether on the college campus, online, in Amherst town, in Hampshire Country or even further a field in Western Massachusetts.
The following are not the only things you could try or have a look at, but if you’re stuck for an idea - hopefully they’ll give you a start on what to do.
Close by you could ….
Hampshire College is in a region of Western Massachusetts known as Pioneer Valley, which is often just referred to locally as ‘The Valley’. The college is in the town of Amherst which, in turn is actually in the county of Hampshire. The region is beautiful, a lot of people actually come here for holiday, so you shouldn't miss it.
In total Hampshire County has five colleges that, between them, have ten museums which are collectively known as Museum10. One of these museums is the Hampshire College Art Gallery, which has exhibitions of work by national and international artists as well as exhibitions of contemporary work from within the college. Down in the town of Amherst; the Cinema Arts Centre, on Amity Street, is the place to go if you want to see a movie other than just the usual Hollywood block-busters.
The centre regularly shows international films as well as those from independent and ‘smaller’ US film companies. Also on Amity Street is the Amherst History Museum which takes you through the development of the town from the mid-1700s to modern times.
Not far away ….
As a state Massachusetts is steeped in the history of the USA and as such has many and varied attractions to recommend itself. Smith College, in the county of Northampton to the west of Amherst, has a Botanic Garden which is open daily to the public.
Covering 127 acres it is laid out with a variety of gardens and arboretum that show both indigenous plants and those from around the world. It almost goes without saying that the Fall is a spectacular time to visit the arboretum.
To complement the botanic garden you could also visit the Forest Park Zoo. Also in Western Massachusetts at Smith College, is the ‘Brown Fine Arts Center’. This is the home of the Hillyer Art Library, which as well as being one of the top undergraduate art libraries in the country has a special strength in Renaissance art. To the south of Amherst, still in the Pioneer Valley, is Springfield.
This was the birthplace of the all time children’s favourite author - Dr Seuss. If you visit Springfield be sure to go to the Dr Seuss Memorial Garden which was opened in 2002 and celebrates the life and work of the cartoonist and author. Don't forget to bring your camera!
If you’re into basketball as a sport then a trip to the Basketball Hall of Fame on West Columbus Avenue - Springfield - is an absolute ‘must do’ for you. The hall of fame aims to be one of the world’s finest sports museums as well as performing an educational role about the game. Its hall of fame has 258 individuals and five teams enshrined within it.
A bit further away you could visit ….
Shelburne Falls is to the north east of Amherst and is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Here you can see ancient and historical things like the glacial potholes and the Bridge of Flowers as well as modern sights such as Glowing Glory.
At the extreme western edge of Massachusetts is Mount Washington. This is the site where the highest wind speed on earth was recorded, 231 miles per hour (372km per hour) on April 10th 1934.
So, if you fancy blowing away some cobwebs and re-invigorating your thirst for study, you could have a hike up to the 6288 foot summit to the Mount Washington Observatory and see what the weather is like! However, please make sure you’re properly prepared before you set off as weather conditions on the mountain can change rapidly.
If you really feel like getting away for a day or two ….
The state capitol is, of course, Boston which is a couple of hours drive away. Whilst there are historical and other attractions galore to see there - if you should decide to visit Boston do try and pull in some time at the National Minute Man Museum, which traces the history of the birth of our nation.