Our History

Western Massachusetts’ Berkshire County is nestled between two small mountain ranges formed from glacial deposits—the Hoosac Range to the east and the Taconic Range to the West—which create a natural boundary separating the area from Vermont, New York and Connecticut. For thousands of years, the rolling hills and lush landscape of the Berkshires have beckoned visitors, from ancient native American tribes to, in the 17th and later centuries, farming and industrial settlers from England, Ireland, Holland and Germany.

Home to both peaceful valleys and the Commonwealth’s highest peak, Mount Greylock, the Berkshire’s rural lifestyle and contrasting natural features have attracted creative personalities—writers, including Hawthorne, Melville, Bryant and Thoreau; artists, such as Norman Rockwell and Daniel Chester French; and hundreds of other performers and craftspeople—for generations.

In the Gilded Age of the late 1800s and early 1900s Southern Berkshire County became the summer playground of the wealthy, who built grand mansions they dubbed "cottages." As the era’s great wealth faded, so did the fortunes of the cottages. Many of these homes have now been restored and revived as lodging facilities, spas, restaurants and museums.

Today, the Berkshire region is a cultural mecca of museums, historic sites, art, dance and music venues such as Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home; MASS MoCA, the country’s largest contemporary art center; the Norman Rockwell Museum, featuring the artist’s original studio; and the renowned Williamstown Theatre Festival, to name a few.

In addition to arts and cultural venues, the Berkshires offers outstanding opportunities for golfing, hiking, backpacking, biking, fishing, whitewater rafting, canoeing and kayaking. Wintertime sports include alpine and cross country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. Visitors can also discover an incredible range of retail establishments, from antiques dealers to outlets to myriad specialty shops.