The region's most innovative center of learning is Hampshire College, 3 miles south of Amherst center on MA 116. Students here don't pick a major in the regular sense of the word; rather, the school emphasizes multidisciplinary, student-initiated courses of study. Aside from the Eric Carle Museum, there is not a ton to see here, though campus tours are available for would-be students.
Hampshire College
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
16.12 MILES
It was Springfield where, in 1891, a young Canadian physical education instructor called James Naismith first invented basketball. The game is celebrated…
15.55 MILES
This innovative museum is dedicated to the life and work of Springfield native Theodore Geisel, aka Dr Seuss. On the 1st floor, interactive exhibits use…
3.8 MILES
For a peek at Amherst's colorful past, make your way to the West Cemetery, between Triangle St and N Pleasant St. Here you'll find the graves of Amherst's…
26.79 MILES
Historic buildings from throughout the region have been moved to this site to re-create a New England town from the 1830s, with 40 restored structures…
5.29 MILES
The nation's oldest women's college, founded in 1837, is in the center of South Hadley, the southernmost and sleepiest of the Five College towns. The…
11.99 MILES
The world can always do with a little more peace. A group of monks, nuns and volunteers are doing their part in an unexpected spot in the woods near the…
Springfield Armory National Historic Site
15.29 MILES
This National Historic Site preserves what remains of the USA's greatest federal armory, built under the command of General George Washington during the…
21.84 MILES
Stones trapped swirling in the roiling Deerfield River have been grinding into the rock bed at this location ever since the ice age. The result: 50 near…
Nearby attractions
1. Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
0.36 MILES
Co-founded by the author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this superb museum celebrates book illustrations from around the world with…
3.08 MILES
Founded in 1821, Amherst College has retained its character and quality partly by maintaining its small size (1850 students). The scenic campus lies just…
3.19 MILES
A small but scintillating collection of art works that span the globe, ranging from American and European paintings to Mexican pottery to West African…
4. Beneski Museum of Natural History
3.31 MILES
Kids will dig the enormous woolly mammoth and dinosaur skeletons at this museum on the campus of Amherst College. Exhibits focus on the geological history…
3.37 MILES
This mountaintop park, at the summit of Mt Holyoke, peaks out at a rather modest-sounding height of 942ft. But that's high enough to earn the visitor…
3.37 MILES
At the summit of Mt Holyoke, a former hotel dating from 1861 is now a museum and visitor center. Old photographs show Summit House as it was in its heyday…
3.58 MILES
During her lifetime, Emily Dickinson (1830–86) published only seven poems, but more than 1000 were discovered and published posthumously, and her verses…
3.8 MILES
For a peek at Amherst's colorful past, make your way to the West Cemetery, between Triangle St and N Pleasant St. Here you'll find the graves of Amherst's…
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