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Your perfect day trip to The Berkshires is ready! Yes, it is easy to plan a full day of fun in just a few minutes when you come to this bucolic, culturally rich spot in the rolling Massachusetts mountains. Art, culture, food, and history are all waiting! Here are seven essential spots around Pittsfield and Lenox to add to your itinerary!
Haven
Let's start this itinerary with the best place to bite in the Berkshires! This cafe and bakery is a favorite among locals who have come to know it for its friendly service, amazing coffee, and great selection of fresh, healthy breakfast options. The fact that many of the ingredients used in the foods and confections here are sourced locally from organic farmers is the icing on the cupcake! While it's always worth coming in just to grab a pastry or drink, Haven also has incredible daily breakfast and lunch menus. There's also no better place for weekend brunch in The Berkshires! Top picks here include the overstuffed egg sandwiches, croissant French toast, and smoked salmon toast.
The Mount
The Mount is an iconic turn-of-the-century estate built by Edith Wharton that defines The Berkshires art and culture scene. While the home's interior serves as a museum and cultural center, the grounds have been turned into a public park hosting festive events. More than 100 special tours, poetry readings, and music performances happen each year at The Mount. A highlight of any visit is a tour of Wharton's library that offers visitors a glimpse into the author's interests, insights, and personal relationships.
The Marketplace
This chef-driven restaurant offers clean eating in The Berkshires. There's no better place for a fresh sandwich or salad when it's time to take a break from sightseeing. For something hearty, go for the popular Bartholomew's Gobble sandwich stuffed with house-roasted turkey, herb stuffing, greens, tomato, and cranberry mayonnaise. The Naked Granny salad made with field greens, green apples, goat cheese, tomato, red onion, spiced pecans, and balsamic vinaigrette has a perfect crisp! The Marketplace serves fresh pastries and desserts daily.
Pontoosuc Lake Park Beach
Return to nature at this city park featuring a beach and swimming area. Perfect for families, Pontoosuc Lake Park Beach offers plenty of picnic spots and shade on hot days. This expansive lawn of this waterfront park is perfect for watching waterfowl and other local wildlife enjoy the open area alongside you. The park is especially beautiful during the summer and fall seasons.
The Berkshire Museum and Aquarium
This popular museum has fun for all ages, where history, culture, nature, and science come together in enthralling exhibits that celebrate lifelong learning. The museum welcomes a number of rotating exhibits and collections each year. In addition, the institution's permanent exhibits contain more than 40,000 objects. A highlight of any visit is the 3,000-square-foot Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation, which celebrates world-transforming innovations and inventions. A stop at the museum's Animals of the World in Miniature collection lets you explore micro versions of the world's animals and their habitats. In addition, there's an aquarium on the campus featuring more than 100 unique species! Get ready to meet chameleons, turtles, poison dart frogs, tarantulas, arthropods, tropical fish, and many more critters that occupy land and sea.
District Kitchen
A wonderful dinner at District Kitchen is the perfect way to fuel up during a day trip to The Berkshires. Famed for its made-from-scratch dishes, District Kitchen delights with a menu that includes slow-roasted cod loin, bone-in pork chop, mushroom rigatoni, and spice-encrusted Norwegian salmon. There's also a great selection of wines, beers, and cocktails.
Barrington Stage Company
Don't miss a chance to see a live performance at the iconic Barrington Stage Company. The stage here has been home to countless award-winning productions since opening in 1995. This theatre company welcomes more than 60,000 patrons annually. Productions occur around Pittsfield at the Boyd-Quinson Stage, the St. Germain Stage, and Mr. Finn’s Cabaret. Tickets for the current season's shows can be purchased from the Barrington Stage Company's online box office.
Plan Your Perfect Berkshires Day
With so much to do in a day in The Berkshires, you might consider extending your day trip into an overnight one! If you do, make time to visit a popular steakhouse Pittsfield MA locals love for one of your meals. You'll also have more time to shop at local shops and galleries.
