Fall In Love With The Berkshires
Where nature sets the stage and embraces a treasure of culture and art
SOLD OUT FOR 2024!
WATCH FOR DATES IN 2025
New England's dramatic explosion of color each autumn is truly a sight to behold. The brilliantly colored maple trees attract visitors from around the world. From traveling on a country road to walking through the woods, any outing is certain to be spectacular!
The Berkshires of Massachusetts is noted as a center for the visual and performing arts and is home to an impressive collection of cultural and historic sights. The region was a summer retreat for the newly rich during the Gilded Age. It was also a peaceful, inspiring haven for literary artists such as Herman Melville and Edith Wharton and America’s foremost sculptor of public monuments, Daniel Chester French.
Come along and discover this historic, scenic and inspiring region in Northwestern Massachusetts. Learn from the masters, savor local flavors and let your own creativity come to the surface.
Day One, Sunday, September 22:
Plan to arrive at the Albany International airport by noon. Board your private motor coach, meet your full-time tour manager, and travel across the border and into Western Massachusetts. Immediately upon your arrival, you’ll feel the vibes of creative energy for which this region is renowned. Your soul will be soothed by the pristine beauty and warmed by the charm that seeps in around every corner. Welcome to the Berkshires!
Your first visit is at the Norman Rockwell Museum. The museum is dedicated to the enjoyment and study of Rockwell’s work and his contributions to society, popular culture and social commentary. The Museum is the most popular year-round cultural attraction in the Berkshires and houses the world’s largest and most significant collection of Rockwell’s work, including 998 original paintings and drawings. The exhibit traces the origins and legacy of the Four Freedoms from the Great Depression and World War II to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.
Depart the Museum late afternoon and travel just down the road to the historic Red Lion Inn, your full-service home for 4 nights. The Inn is an iconic landmark whose warmth and character express timeless tradition while its vibrant personality brings the best of the Berkshires to life.
It is one of the few American Inns that have operated continuously since before 1800. Among noted guests are five presidents: Cleveland, McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Coolidge and Franklin Roosevelt. Other guests have included Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Cullen Bryant, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Thornton Wilder and more modern legends from John Wayne to Bob Dylan.
Accommodations offer a wide variety of individually decorated rooms each with its own character and charm. Once you have checked in, there will be time to enjoy a refreshing beverage served on the expansive veranda or in Widow Bingham’s Tavern. A long tradition has been the presence of adorable cats and kittens, the Inn’s furry mascots. Keep an eye out, you might just spot one doing its best to greet you in the lobby. The culture of the Inn’s front porch is arguably the most sought-after seat on the property.
Early evening, gather in the lovely dining room for a welcome reception followed by an included dinner. Surrounded by soft candlelight, crystal chandeliers, antique China and colonial pewter, dining in the Main Dining Room is like taking a step back in history to the Gilded Age. The menu features a blend of traditional favorites and contemporary interpretations of classic New England cuisine.
Day Two, Monday, September 23:
Following breakfast at the Inn, board the coach and set out for a day immersed in art, history and natural beauty. Your first stop is at Chesterwood, the summer home, studio and gardens of America’s foremost public sculptor, Daniel Chester French, sculptor of the Minuteman Statue and the Lincoln Memorial. Explore this hidden Berkshire gem on a tour of the nine-bedroom residence and wander through the trails studded with his fabulous sculptures throughout this 122-acre estate.
Completed in 1901, the nine-bedroom residence incorporates several architectural styles and contains antique furnishings that were either family heirlooms or bought by the sculptor at local antique auctions.
The Chesterwood landscape perfectly reflects Daniel Chester French and his interests; it is a combination of New England agricultural heritage and the influence of classical European ideals and culture.
The Studio Garden, designed in 1898, was created to be an integral part of the French family’s social and recreational life at Chesterwood. Here the Frenches held tableaux vivants, costume balls and parties at which the artist might display a work-in-progress.
French developed the Woodland Walk designed as a classroom of nature, instilling a love of the outdoors in his young daughter. Contrasting with the charming order of the garden, the woodland trails were the sculptor’s celebration of the estate’s wild beauty.
Your visit includes tours of the buildings, grounds and collections. You will also witness final works in bronze and marble. Take a break and enjoy an included boxed lunch served in the lovely picnic area. At the end of your visit, make certain to visit the gift shop.
Your last stop of the day is at Naumkeag, an architectural masterpiece built by Joseph Choate, a leading 19th-century attorney. Caroline Choate was a trained artist interested in women’s education, co-founding Barnard College.
Their daughter, Mabel Choate, inherited Naumkeag in 1929, and for the next 30 years worked with landscape architect Fletcher Steele to create the magnificent gardens for which Naumkeag is now known, including the world-famous Blue Steps.
The 44-room “cottage,” is filled with original furniture, ceramics and artwork. The entire estate was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 2007. Its designation was made for the architecture and content of the house, which are well-preserved examples of a Gilded Age country estate, and for the innovative landscape design work of Fletcher Steele. Your visit includes a guided garden tour and a self-guided tour of the main floor of the house.
Return to the Inn late afternoon. There will be time to relax and refresh or take a seat on the porch and watch the world go by. Dinner is included and served in the Inn’s Main Dining Room.
Day Three, Tuesday, September 24:
Today’s adventure takes you deep into the Berkshires as you travel north to Williamstown, home of Williams College. Williams is a private, liberal arts college, and one of the best, non-ivy league colleges in the nation.
Upon arrival, visit the Clark Art Institute, home to the world-renowned Sterling and Francine Clark collection of American and European Art. The Clark is one of only a handful of institutions globally with a dual mission as an art museum and a distinguished center for research and higher education.
Embark on a one-hour, docent-led tour with a focus on floral and landscape art. After the tour, there will be time to explore on your own and to visit the gift shop. You may want to have a snack at the on-site café, as you will have a late lunch today.
Depart Williamstown and travel to Lenox, home of the Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum. The town of Lenox was the center of the social season in the Berkshires during the Gilded Age, the period between the Civil War and the First World War. The house was built in 1893 for George and Sarah Morgan, sister of J. P. Morgan. Its exterior is brick with brownstone trim, containing approximately 50 rooms in a total of 28,000 square feet of living space, including 9 main bedrooms and 10 servant's bedrooms, 7 bathrooms and 17 fireplaces. The house was originally set within a large landscaped garden of 26 acres, since reduced to 11.7 acres
After the Morgans' deaths, the house was rented for several years to Margaret Vanderbilt. Later it served as a dormitory for Tanglewood music students, a summer hotel, the Fokine Ballet Summer Camp, and community housing for a religious organization. After years of sitting in a state of disrepair, in June 1997, the mansion was rescued by the Ventfort Hall Association who since, have been repairing the damage, as well establishing a national museum of the Gilded Age within its walls.
Your visit includes a guided tour of first two floors of the house followed by an afternoon tea, complete with sweet and savory treats and served in high style in the lovely dining room.
Depart the mansion and get ready for a most unique experience when you arrive at the Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is set amidst more than 1,000 lush acres that feature varied trails that wind through forests, meadows, wetlands and along the slopes of Lenox Mountain.
Upon arrival, meet Ami Jean, a certified naturalist through Mass Audubon, and your Forest Bathing and Mindful Outdoor Guide. Along with Ami Jean, you will unplug as you take a rejuvenating stroll through the forest that allows you to connect deeply to the healing powers of nature. Saunter along woodland trails, while immersing yourself in the sights and sounds all around you, allowing you to become acquainted with life in the forest. Forest bathing has been proven to reduce stress, strengthen the immune system and help restore a sense of balance.
After the tour, return to the Inn for time to refresh. Dinner is on your own this evening. You may choose to dine in the Main Dining Room, the Inn’s Widow Bingham’s Tavern, or venture out to one of the local eateries located within walking distance of the Inn.
Day Four Wednesday, September 25:
Board the coach after breakfast at the Inn and travel just a few minutes to the Berkshire Botanical Garden, one of New England’s oldest public gardens. A showcase of horticulture and garden design and a “museum of living things,” Berkshire Botanical Garden features dozens of display areas that are educational, functional and highly ornamental, with plant collections emphasizing plants that are native to the Northeast. The gardens have evolved and expanded over the years in breadth and variety, with its newest, "Lucy's Garden," featuring topiary animals and other 'live' sculptures. Embark on a self-guided tour and make certain to save time to visit Center House Art Gallery.
After your visit, arrive at Edith Wharton’s home, The Mount. Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was born into a tightly controlled society at a time when women were discouraged from achieving anything beyond a proper marriage. Wharton broke through these strictures to become one of America’s greatest writers. Author of The Age of Innocence, Ethan Frome and The House of Mirth, she wrote over 40 books in 40 years, including authoritative works on architecture, gardens, interior design and travel. She was the first woman awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Yale University and a full membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Edith Wharton designed this spacious turn-of-the century home that was built in 1902. It is a National Landmark and a cultural center that celebrates her intellectual, artistic and humanitarian legacy.
Upon arrival, embark on a docent-lead tour of this magnificent home and learn of Edith’s achievements and her literary legacy. A guided garden tour follows. The tour recounts the history of the estate’s structures and plantings, and reflects Wharton’s passion for gardens and beauty.
Following the tours, gather for an included picnic lunch served on the grounds. After lunch, there will be time to visit the gift shop and bookstore.
Depart The Mount and travel back in time to a much simpler and unadorned way of life that you will witness at the Hancock Shaker Village. This living history museum, with 20 authentic Shaker buildings, brings the Shaker story to life and preserves it for future generations.
The Shakers are one of the most intriguing religious movements in American history and considered among the most successful utopian societies ever to have flourished in this country. A religious order whose members believe in pacifism, celibacy and communal living, Shaker religious expression took the form of singing and ecstatic dance, which is why they were called the “Shaking Quakers,” or “Shakers.” The Shakers have made important contributions to American culture in their art, architecture, craftsmanship, music, government, agriculture and commerce. They are renowned today for their plain architecture and furniture.
Hancock Shaker Village began in the late 1780s, when nearly 100 Believers consolidated a community on land donated by local farmers who had converted to the Shaker movement. The Hancock Shakers erected communal dwelling houses, barns, workshops and other buildings, and developed a large and successful farm. Today they operate a vibrant working farm that continues the Shaker tradition by practicing a distinctive kind of farming, based in both historic Shaker farming principles and modern regenerative agriculture.
The Shakers were avid gardeners who saved the best seeds to cultivate the following year. They followed the path of the Shaker Seed Company including distributing, packaging and cataloging seeds, all of which changed the horticultural business model forever.
Upon arrival, you will be joined by a local guide and head out on a Historic Shaker Farm and Garden Tour. The Shakers invested great thought, time and labor in their gardens. They were the first to package seeds and well known for their fine herbal remedies, as the tour reveals. After the tour, you will have time to visit the buildings, exhibits and amazing the Shaker Mercantile.
For the ideal ending to your day in the Village, gather for a Shaker Supper and Song. They make you “kindly welcome” in true Shaker fashion with this unique dining experience. Dinner begins with the singing of a Shaker grace followed by a bountiful Shaker-inspired supper.
Day Five, Thursday, September 26:
After breakfast, enjoy some leisure time at the Inn. Board the coach about 10:00 am and travel back to the Albany International Airport where you will arrive about 11:00 am. Flights should be scheduled to depart early afternoon.
Your Package Includes:
4 Nights accommodation at the historic Red Lion Inn
4 Breakfasts
2 Lunches
1 Afternoon High Tea
3 Dinners
Admission to the Norman Rockwell Museum
Guided tour at Chesterwood
Guided garden tour at Naumkeag
Docent-led tour at the Clark Art Institute
Guided tour at the Ventfort Hall Mansion
Forest Bathing Experience with private guide
Admission to the Berkshire Botanical Garden
Guided house and garden tour of The Mount
Guided farm and garden tour at Hancock Shaker Village
Services of a full-time tour manager
Private motorcoach transportation throughout the tour
Baggage handling for one piece of luggage per traveler
Taxes and gratuities (NOTE: Gratuities for the coach driver, tour manager and local guides are not included and are at your discretion based on service.)
Pricing Information:
Per person double occupancy: 1,950.00
Per person single occupancy: 2,439.00
Prices and itinerary are subject to change.
Prices do not include airfare to and from the Albany International Airport.
Copyright2024ArtInBloomGardenTours, Inc.