Around 190 million years ago, the Pioneer Valley area was a subtropical swamp inhabited by carnivorous, two-legged dinosaurs, and a large cluster of their footprints is preserved in situ on the west bank of the Connecticut River. The prints here, some 134 in all, represent three distinct species. It's a cool sight and just a two-minute walk from the road.
From Northampton, go south on Pleasant St/US 5 for about 5 miles. The small parking lot is on the left-hand side.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
10.24 MILES
It was Springfield where, in 1891, a young Canadian physical education instructor called James Naismith first invented basketball. The game is celebrated…
9.7 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…
11.14 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…
28.71 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…
2.92 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…
18.97 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
9.51 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…
25.57 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…
2.92 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…
4.58 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…
4.6 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…
5.31 MILES
Founded 'for the education of the intelligent gentlewoman' in 1875, Smith College is one of the largest women's colleges in the country, with 2600…
5. Smith College Museum of Art
5.36 MILES
This impressive campus museum boasts a 25,000-piece collection. The collection is particularly strong in 19th- and 20th-century European and North…
5.39 MILES
Visitors are welcome to explore Smith College's collection of Victorian greenhouses, set opposite Paradise Pond, which are packed to the brim with odd…
7. Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
7.35 MILES
Co-founded by the author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this superb museum celebrates book illustrations from around the world with…
7.68 MILES
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…
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