New England has many fine museums and aquariums but rarely do you find both in one location. But in Pittsfield, in the heart of the Berkshires, there is the Berkshire Museum, which has three floors that melds together a children’s museum, art galleries, and an aquarium.

Pittsfield has seen a lot of recent investment and development with a mall and shopping centers on the perimeter of the city.

The town center has also benefited from the investment and attracted businesses and a sense of confidence.

The Berkshire Museum sits soundly in the busy city center with an easily recognizable dinosaur model outside. I had an opportunity to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon there with my teenage son the other day and discover this gem of a museum.

Founded in 1903 with generous gifts by Zenas Crane, the wealthy owner of Crane & Co., the entrance fee is a modest $10 per adult and $5 children under 18 – I’m not sure my teenage son liked qualifying as a child.

The set of exhibits on the first floor are very focused on natural sciences and interactive displays. This section is sure to keep the young kids happy as they are encouraged to quiz and create. One section covers a number of innovative ideas to come out of the Berkshires from the minds of its residents – one of those “I didn’t know that started here” surprise walkthroughs.

The Aquarium is on the lower floor and includes a place to inspect creatures in a tidal pool and a fascinating exhibit on horseshoe crabs. Of course there are plenty of tanks with exotic and local New England fish on display, and lots of excitement as each new tank provides fresh discoveries for visitors. My son and I enjoyed the reptile exhibit which is also housed downstairs, especially trying to guess how many boa constrictors there were in one glass case – just count the heads and you’ll be surprised!

The second floor is devoted to art galleries and artifacts from Egyptian tomb robbers, along with exhibits from Greece, Rome, China and Mesopotamia. I marveled at some of the detail on the sculptures on display and the effects of illustrations that looked like photographs. I guess it is one of those times that drive home the limited artistic ability I possess when measured against these artists.

My son and I enjoyed our afternoon at the Berkshire Museum and we were able to see most of it in the two hours we had available. This is a great place not just on a rainy day, but also when you’ve gone overkill on the outdoor adventure activities in the Berkshires, and your kids are in need of a different kind of stimulus and playtime.

The museum is open most days until 5:00pm and free parking is available in lots around the area. For more details on directions, hours, exhibits, and parking check out their official web site here.

For more things to see and do when visiting Massachusetts, check out my Massachusetts destinations section by clicking here.

I appreciate you visiting my blog and another posting on things to do in New England will be coming soon so save time and subscribe to New England Travel Online Magazine RSS feed here and never miss a posting.

Cliff Calderwood
Publisher
New England Travel Online Magazine

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