Beautiful house and gardens. Purchase tickets online before you visit. Parking is very limited…read more Grounds are grass, mulch and stairs. Not accessible. Only the lower floor of the house is accessible. Take the garden tour. It provides much information about the family, building the home and gardens and the architects/designers. Well worth the time. The property is on a hill so wear your walking shoes. A dirt 'one way' road leads past the house, to the dirt parking lot, then down the hill off the property. The lower part of the road, off property, is very rutted. (it happens to drive right past Norman Rockwell's grave site) Early spring the gardens are beautiful. The staircase from the cutting garden to the house is gorgeous. A leisurly walk down the Linden walk then curves around to a stroll in the wood. Many little gardens areas. Plan to spend at least two or three hours.

Another really underrated museum and estate in the Berkshires, the gardens and grounds are amazing…read more You have a wonderful view of the valley below and the house has a lot of stately charm. The tour guide we had was fantastic and is probably one of the best ones I've had for a museum tour. He was informative but kept it light. I didn't feel like he was flooding the zone with information to flex. There's some Asian/Chinese flavor in the home and the surrounding gardens, as the Choates had a keen interest in Asia. There's significant walking up and down, so keep that in mind, and not a ton of parking. This summer cottage is worth a visit, especially if you're interested in estates during the Gilded Age.

28th June 2026 Lenox, MA…read more Be prepared to be awed as you enter the 50 acre estate and sanctuary of the famous author Edith Wharton, named The Mount, it is a rather remarkable example of the magnificent oasis she created in 1902, during the height of the Gilded Age. The Mount located in Lenox, MA, served as her primary sanctuary when she was in her 40s, and at the peak of her fame as a Pulitzer prize winning Author, which was extremely rare for a woman at the time. Wharton penned literary classics such as, 'The House of Mirth' here. Today, the property operates as a vibrant cultural center featuring guided house tours, art exhibitions, and sprawling formal gardens which are oft rented for large weddings. We were thrilled to get a glimpse of the vast well-maintained garden grounds and mansion. It is definitely worth a visit whilst in the Berkshires. Entry is $20, which includes a one hour guided tour, but do stay to linger and explore the magnificent grounds of this stunning estate that was refurbished to its glory after millions of dollars were donated in the 1990s, and are continued in the present. Please enjoy my photos, and thank you for reading.

Took the tour. It feels like you are rushing through - so much information is given. The tour lasts…read moreand hour and it hardly seems enough to cover three floors of house. After the tour we were free to wander at our leisure. The gardens are well manicured. A video in the house shows the history of the property and photos of restoration inside and out. Gives a real appreciation of the restoration work done here. Amazing. The woodland path is lovely, shaded and serene. There were childrens programs going on along the path during our wander. There is also a sculpture event happening with pieces scattered along the paths. Park in the dirt lot by the stables where you can purchase tickets and watch an orientation video. It's about a five minute walk to the house from here. A book walk begins here too-a series of signs, each one page of a childrens book. If you need handicap parking, buy tickets online, drive past the stable and park near the house. Very informative tour. An abunfance of information throughout the house. Cafe with prepared food on the terrace overlooking the grounds. Plan to spend two to three hours.

Things are very much closed up at the home of Edna St Vincent Millay, because of funding issues, I…read morebelieve. They need support in order to re-open, I suspect. Keep an eye out for future chances to experience this stunning site. I hope they get some help from an angel donor or some other source.

Steepletop was poet Edna St Vincent Millay's home before she passed away in 1950. According to the…read morenice man we spoke to here, the Millay Society opened the house and grounds up to the public in 2009-ish. What's here now is the house itself, which is only open for guided tours, the gardens, a small historical gallery with the poet's family tree, photographs, and heirlooms, and a Poetry Trail into the woods, leading to Millay and her family's burial site. Admission was a bit more than I expected, but I'm not sure why (why it surprised me, that is... not why it was more than I thought). Maybe it's just been a while since I've been to a historical site, but it was $10 to view the gallery and grounds; guided tours of the garden or the house would have been $16; and a combination of the two comes to $25. According to the website, reservations are required for the tours. Walking the Poetry Trail alone is free. As you come up East Hill Rd from Rte 22, you'll see the Millay Colony for the Arts on the left. That's not it. Keep going until you see the sign for the Millay Society at Steepletop. The gravel driveway is very tight, but I don't think they get a lot of traffic. There are signs directing you to the side of the house, where you enter and go up some stairs to the office. My friend and I did the gallery/grounds thing. The man working there was amazingly informative and loved to tell us everything he knew, but he was also happy to step back and let us browse on our own. The family tree that sprawled across an entire wall, though it was packed with information, seemed a little chintzy, created with printouts and typed with not always the best grammar -- a bit disappointing for an author's home. In addition to the family history, you can find books from Millay's own collection, a piano she grew up with, a couple of garments -- one real, one a replica -- and a few other family mementos. When we had fully saturated the gallery's displays and our host's brain, he pulled out a big cardboard map to show us the layout of the gardens. It wasn't until then that I realized the building we were in as not the actual Steepletop house. But it was not going to be hard to find. We memorized the map (why they don't have a version you can take with you, I have no idea) and ventured across East Hill Rd and up a soft incline to the house. All we could do was wander around the outside, but we were interested enough to do so. The Millay Society is in the process of restoring both the house and the gardens to their previous condition, and at the moment the gardens are in an odd in-between state where some bits are meticulous and well maintained and others are rustic and overgrown. But the swinging gates, the weather-stained sundial and other stone features, and grassy areas like the one that used to be a circular badminton court all still have a quaint and beautiful feel, even in their disrepair. The swimming pool has seen better days. And hopefully will see better ones to come. One intriguing stop in the garden area was Millay's writing cottage. It's small and musty and was the only building we encountered that didn't have its windows blocked from the inside, so we peeked in. A couple of desks are inside, one with a pile of papers and a composition book. The Poetry Trail is charming. It takes about 20 minutes to roam from the road to the burial area. Every so often, a passage of poetry by Millay appears on a post. The distance between poems is just right for letting the previous one sink in. Eventually we reached the burial site and found Millay and her husband Eugen Boissevain's graves easily enough. Millay's mother, sister, and brother-in-law are supposed to be there, too, but we didn't spot them right away (and it had started raining, so we weren't going to spend much time searching). Millay and Boissevain's flat gravestones were scattered with leaves and fit right into the unmanicured grove. I'm in this area once a year and might try a guided tour at some point. Whether you're a Millay fan or just Millay-curious, this little historic site is worth coming a little bit out of the way to check out.

It is a charming house. The property has beautiful gardens and the hiking trails are easy and some…read moreaccessible and some are flat. Nice wide open spaces

Sometimes Yelp is missing something ..and clearly it is a review of this amazing and I mean amazing…read morestep back into history museum. how it has no reviews actually surprised me so I will attempt to offer you a decent one first of all it is near the town of Great Barrington (listed as one of the THE best small towns in America) with greatness nothing comes cheap admission is $10 (6/19/15) but you get your own personal guide let me back track a bit follow the signs off Main Rd in Monterey to find it when you think is not there just keep going down the unpaved road and there it is in all its colonial era glory you park a bit away and walk up the hill to the majestic front imagine its 1770 and how isolated this house was we rang the bell and were warmly greeted by our tour guide Joe yes this is how it works you are taken on a tour of the home Joe knows everything about this house and I mean everything now about the house it has been restored to its 1700s glory just go visit and you will see what I mean touch history the doors are original touch history the fireplaces walk up the stairs to the bedrooms you will learn about the recent history how it was lovingly restored you will learn about the preacher and his family that once lived there i just love history and if you do you will love this place too ps there is no gift shop PTL a real experience no junk for sale just history here

I am so glad I added this house to our itinerary. Thankfully the house was saved so we can all…read moreenjoy it! Sadly, it occurred after some of the interior demolition was begun. Our docent tour guide was very enthusiastic and informative. She made the tour so much fun. The tour includes a history of the property from it's construction, to it's use as a dorm for musicians, a dance school and movie set. Very interesting. The staircase with it's musicians gallery, the butler safe and original bathrooms are all part of the 'modern' amenities included in this home. There is an unimaginable amount of restoration that has been done to this property and restoration continues, including on the day of our visit when the salon, used as the gift shop, was having it's floors restored. The home's furnishings are, for the most part, donated or loaned to the museum and they are doing a nice job staging everything. The visit begins with a short film after which you begin your guided tour. The collections on display includes some beautiful clothing items. Really lovely. The fireplaces throughout the house a beautiful as well. The kitchens have not yet been restored and they are working on some of the upstairs rooms as well. It is truly amazing what they have been able to do, bringing this home back to life. The museum hosts fund raiser events, including 'Tea's' and you can rent the facility for private events. Definitely check that out! I would love to attend a Tea here.

As the owner of another Gilded Age mansion in the Berkshires, Holmesdale, I have a deep…read moreappreciation for the history, architecture, and dedication required to preserve these remarkable estates. My visit to Ventfort Hall exceeded every expectation. The staff was exceptionally professional, knowledgeable, and welcoming, providing outstanding service while sharing the fascinating history of this magnificent home.The ambiance is perfectly suited to the Gilded Age, transporting visitors back to a time of elegance and grandeur. Every detail reflects the care and commitment that has gone into preserving this historic treasure. Whether you're passionate about history, architecture, or simply want to experience one of the Berkshires' finest landmarks, Ventfort Hall is an absolute must-visit.

This is a really interesting living museum and a good place to bring the kids. The round barn is…read morevery interesting. It feels like a carousel when you first walk in. A docent by the entrance is there to tell you about it's construction and answer questions. We headed to the annex to see the animals: baby goats, lambs, piglets and chicks! The Discovery Barn is the place to be for the kids. They have a 'cow' mock-up that you can 'milk'. There are plenty of arts and craft projects there and a staff member to answer any questions. Although not a kid, I did give the cow a try and the staff member answered a bunch of questions about the museum and the local area. The Brick Dwelling has *so much* information! you could spend a lot of time in there reading about the lives of the Quakers. They also have a broom making shop, butter making shop, furniture shop, blacksmith, dorms for non-Quaker workers and so much more. We were given a map of the property with our admission and a list of events happening on site during the day of our visit. Definitely make a plan to see the demonstrations. A very interesting day.

Do visit the vast 750 acre well-preserved Shaker Farm Village in Hancock. Beautiful buildings, each…read morewell maintained and served a purpose in the past. Heritage farm animals abound - (some you can pet!) - we saw Goats, Sheep, Cattle, Hens, Donkeys and Piggies... ** $20 admission ** ** Tour Guides available ** *** Gift Shop & Café *** Thank you!

Interesting. They moved his studio from downtown to museum. Set up just like he had it. Very…read moremeticulous painter. Original Saturday Evening Post cover's in lower level. Everyone who visits will recognize at least one. Beautiful vista of landscape from studio. Beware, closed on Wednesday.

My husband and I went to see what was inside this museum and we thoroughly enjoyed it! There were…read moreso many things to view not only from Norman Rockwell but other artists as well that were very much related to the issues that Norman Rockwell covered that I feel are still relevant today. This museum has two floors of viewing rooms, a cafe, a museum store, and pathways to visit other sites outdoors related to this museum. I even rang the bell you ring if you have enjoyed what was viewed. We enjoyed this museum and will recommend it to others as well.

The home of two very talented artists made for an interesting way to spend a few hours in Lenox!…read moreUnique home in a lovely setting. Our tour guide was so interesting and informative. The home is deep in the woods so you either have to take a golf cart ride or walk in the woods which we did not mind. The property butts up to Tanglewood and we could hear music in the distance. There is a documentary offered which we did not see (it is an hour). Note that it is only open from Mid-June to Columbus Day so check the website for hours and for activities offered.

This is really a gem of a museum, and it shares a property line with Tanglewood. So when you…read morearrive, you park the car and then walk about 1/3 of a mile to the entrance to the house which is on the right. To the left is a building that plays a 20 minute video where you can learn about Suzie Frelinghusen and her husband George Morris who were modern artists in the 1930s and onward. After George's death, the Suzie created a non-profit for the house so that after her death, it would be preserved. This means that the house has the original carpeting and many things that are just as they were originally. In fact, the floor in their library is made of leather, so everyone has to wear booties so as not to damage them. Seeing this house is really like taking a trip back in time, and you get to see a glimpse of their art and how these two lived. Also, in order to see the house, there are tours at the top of each hour. My friend and I were the only two people on the tour, so except an intimate experience. I don't think that it ever gets crowded. Be sure to check out their book collection as well. It was very difficult for me to resist the urge to reach out and open up some of the books! Also, in Suzie's bedroom, she painted herself an extraordinary fresco on the wall. While most of her art is modern, the paintings in her bedroom show her impeccable skill as a landscape oil painter as well.