Leverett Peace Pagoda


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 pea-sized town of Leverett. Run by the non-proselytizing Nipponzan Myohoji sect of Buddhism, the Leverett Peace Pagoda was the first in the Western Hemisphere. The centerpiece is a stupa, a 100ft-tall white bell-shaped monument to Buddha – meant to be circumambulated, not entered. Nearby, prayer flags wave above a frog-filled pond.

To get to there from Amherst, take MA 9 west until MA 116 north, then turn onto MA 63 north and follow it 7 miles. Turn right onto Jackson Hill Rd and then right onto Cave Hill Rd. Parking is about half a mile up the road.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Memorial Hall Museum

6.39 MILES

Here's the original building of Deerfield Academy (1798), the prestigious preparatory school in town. It's now a museum of Pocumtuck Valley life and…

2. Historic Deerfield Village

6.56 MILES

The main street of Historic Deerfield Village escaped the ravages of time and now presents a noble prospect: a dozen houses dating from the 1700s and…

3. University of Massachusetts

7.83 MILES

The enormous University of Massachusetts at Amherst illustrates the distinction between public and private higher education in the US. Founded in 1863 as…

5. West Cemetery

8.19 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…

6. Emily Dickinson Museum

8.43 MILES

During her lifetime, Emily Dickinson (1830–86) published only seven poems, but more than 1000 were discovered and published posthumously, and her verses…

7. Beneski Museum of Natural History

8.71 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…

8. Mead Art Museum

8.82 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…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/massachusetts/pioneer-valley/attractions/leverett-peace-pagoda/a/poi-sig/1110643/1335769",
      "position": "superzone"
    }