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Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, MA

Photo: Bestbudbrian, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsHistory BuffFamily Favorite

Hancock Shaker Village

1843 W Housatonic St · Pittsfield, MA

Why you should go…

Hancock Shaker Village preserves a Shaker community that was organized in 1790 and closed in 1960, now an open-air museum and National Historic Landmark District. You can walk among 20 historic buildings, extensive gardens and a working farm, with hiking trails and craft demonstrations. The centerpiece is the 1826 Round Stone Barn, built so ox-drawn wagons could drive in on the upper level, unload hay and leave without backing up. Each spring the farm hosts its Baby Animals celebration.

  • #living history museum
  • #shakers
  • #historic farm
  • #round barn
  • #berkshires

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Hancock Shaker Village, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Theatre & Events
    Iconic

    Tanglewood

    $25–$50

    Spread a picnic blanket on the lawn and hear the Boston Symphony Orchestra play its summer season in the Berkshires.

    6.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Theatre & Events

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Norman Rockwell Museum

    $25–$50

    See Norman Rockwell's original paintings, including the Four Freedoms, and step into his studio on a Berkshires campus.

    9.9 mi awayMore like this

  • Theatre & Events
    Date Night

    Jacob's Pillow

    Free

    A hilltop dance center in the Berkshires hosting a summer festival on indoor stages and an outdoor stage.

    16 mi awaySwitch it up: Theatre & Events

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Ski Butternut

    $50+

    Family-friendly Berkshires ski area with 22 trails, tubing and terrain parks.

    17 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    The Clark Art Institute

    Under $25

    See French Impressionist paintings by Renoir, Monet and Degas, then walk trails across 140 acres of Berkshires meadow and woods.

    20 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    MASS MoCA

    $25–$50

    Wander huge contemporary art installations inside a converted 19th-century factory complex.

    22 mi awayMore like this