Come Out, Wherever You Are: Berkshires Cultural Sites Are Opening Up
Raise your hand if you’re a wee bit nervous about businesses and attractions opening up soon. Raise your other hand if you’re ready to venture out another wee bit. There’s good news on that front: In compliance with the Massachusetts Phase One Reopening Plan for outdoor recreation, six southern Berkshires cultural sites have announced that they will be opening at some point this summer, a few of them in just a week or so. They’re doing it safely and judiciously, carefully planning how best to make their facilities available to the public. Here’s a rundown of the information currently available. Be sure to check with the sites before visiting; as with everything these days, these plans are subject to change. If we’re lucky, “change” will mean these venues will be able to expand what they can offer to their visitors.
Berkshire Botanical Garden plans to open its grounds on June 8. Ground rules: BBG visitors must register online and pick a specific date and time for their visit. They will check in for their visit at an outdoor kiosk in the main parking lot. There will be no access to any BBG buildings or greenhouses, and public restrooms and gift shop are closed for the time being. For admission tickets, go to the website or call (413) 298-3926.
Thanks to a generous grant from The Dorothea L. Leonhardt Foundation, Inc., the BBG is offering free admission to all visitors every Sunday and Monday for the 2020 season. On all other days, admission will be reduced to $7.50 per adult (half off normal admission prices). Children 12 and under and BBG members are free, but still need to register in advance.
Hancock Shaker Village will have a limited opening beginning today, not a moment too soon to see the newborn animals when they’re still babies. Ground rules: Pre-purchased, timed tickets for a specific date and entry time are required. All buildings will be closed, but the baby animals and their mothers will be in new outdoor fenced-in areas. The Village has created a one-way route through the barnyard and Village and gives the option to take a walk on the one-mile Farm & Forest Trail. Kids 12 and under are free. Reserve online or call (413) 443-0188.
Naumkeag
Naumkeag Historic Home and Garden recently opened up its outdoor spaces on a controlled basis. Ground rules: Visitors must sign up to reserve a parking pass online to arrive within a specific window of time. Parking passes are available about 2 to 3 weeks in advance. All visitors above the age of two are required to bring and wear a face covering. The house, café, gift shop and restrooms are closed. Check website for parking passes and more information.
Chesterwood is hoping to open the grounds for self-guided tours by the end of June, and is starting to plan art and wellness programs in collaboration with other non-profit organizations who are looking to move their programming outdoors. Ground rules: No buildings will be open. Timed parking passes will be purchased online. Check the website for updates.
Norman Rockwell Museum is preparing to reopen according to Massachusetts guidelines for Phase III, in mid-July. Plans are being made to allow a socially distanced flow of visitors into the galleries. Check the website for updates.
The Mount has postponed its opening and all special events and programs through June, but the grounds remain open for public use.
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