The Creative Person’s Guide to North Adams

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A weekend itinerary for artists, makers, collectors, and curious minds

Looking for a weekend that feeds your creative side? North Adams is the kind of place where a great exhibition can lead to a mountain hike, a coffee can turn into a long conversation, and getting a little lost might be the best thing you do all weekend.

Set in the northern Berkshires, North Adams brings together contemporary art, mountain landscapes, independent restaurants, live music, bookstores, galleries, and a community full of people making interesting things.

Here’s our ideal creative weekend itinerary, with Porches Inn as your home base. 

Friday: Arrive, wander, get inspired

3:00 PM | Check in at Porches

  • Settle into your room at Porches right across the street from MASS MoCA.
  • Take a walk around the property, grab a drink, or find a cozy spot to sit and decompress.
  • Our advice? Don’t over-plan. Leave a little room for whatever catches your eye.

5:00 PM | Wander downtown

Head into downtown North Adams and let yourself explore.

  • Browse The Bear & Bee for a beautifully curated mix of new and used books
  • Stop into G.J. Askins Bookseller at the Eclipse Mill, an especially good stop for artists, collectors, and anyone who likes getting lost in stacks of old books.
  • Wander along Main and Eagle Streets and keep your eyes open for galleries, studios, public art, vintage finds, and unexpected details.

7:00 PM | Dinner at PUBLIC

  • For a perfect first night, head to PUBLIC eat+drink downtown.
  • It’s the kind of place that works equally well for a casual dinner, a cocktail, or settling in for a long conversation about everything you saw that day.

9:00 PM | Back to Porches

Head back to the Inn and make the most of the evening.

  • Grab a nightcap.
  • Sit by the fire.
  • Take a dip in the heated pool and hot tub and visit the sauna.
  • Or simply retreat to your room and enjoy the art of rest. 

Saturday: Art, coffee, and the mountains

8:30 AM | Coffee at Tunnel City

  • Start your morning at Tunnel City Coffee, conveniently located right at the MASS MoCA campus.
  • Grab a cortado, latte, or freshly brewed coffee and take your time. This is your official permission to sit with your notebook for a while.

10:00 AM | Spend the morning at MASS MoCA

  • Make your way into MASS MoCA and give yourself several hours to wander.
  • The enormous former mill buildings are part of the experience. For anyone looking for the best places for artists in Massachusetts, this is the obvious starting point.
  • Before you leave, browse the MASS MoCA gift shop and the Research & Development Store for art books, design objects, editions, and other things you probably didn’t know you needed.

1:30 PM | Lunch at Casita

  • Stay on campus and head to Casita.
  • With Mexican inspired food, natural wine, mezcal, and margaritas, Casita brings plenty of personality to lunch or an early afternoon drink.

3:00 PM | Get outside

  • Time to change mediums.
  • Take a short drive or hike to Natural Bridge State Park, where a dramatic marble chasm offers a completely different kind of visual experience.
  • Or, for an easy nature escape close to town, head to Cascade Trail for a walk to the waterfall.
  • Bring your camera. Bring a sketchbook. Or bring nothing.

5:00 PM | Golden hour at Mount Greylock

  • For one of the area’s best views, drive up to the summit of Mount Greylock
  • It’s a particularly good place to watch the light change across the valley.
  • This is where an artist getaway in the Berkshires starts to feel like the real thing.

7:30 PM | Dinner and drinks

  • Head back into North Adams for dinner.
  • Try Grazie for Italian comfort food and cocktails, or return to PUBLIC if you weren’t quite finished with it the night before.

9:30 PM | Live music or a quiet night

  • Check the calendar at Studio 9 before your trip. North Adams has a rich music scene, and the best nights often involve catching a performance you didn’t plan on seeing.

Sunday: Books, coffee, and one last adventure before check-out

The creative person’s short list

If you only have time for a few stops, make them these:

There are plenty of places to escape for a weekend, but North Adams offers something a little different. It’s a place where art and nature live side by side. Where old industrial buildings have become creative spaces. Where you can spend the morning looking at contemporary art and the afternoon walking through the woods. 

Come for the exhibitions. Stay for the mountains.

Book your stay at Porches Inn