This is a lovely venue. I can't believe I've lived here over 20 years and never been. This year the…read moreFab Faux performed there instead of where we usually see them. I purchased first row mezzanine which is where we prefer to sit in most venues. I don't care for orchestra where I can not see over the person in front of me. So I was very surprised when we found our seats to see just how far back the mezzanine is, and that the orchestra seats are graduated upward so there is no one directly in front of you. The show that we saw is not big on visual, but the acoustics are phenomenal. The Fine Arts Center allowed this music to soar. For future shows though I would sit closer in the orchestra. Prior to the show there was a party on the plaza with desserts, live music, and a cash party. A fun way to start the evening, thank you.

A very nice theater in the middle of campus where they usually host UMass cultural shows and…read morenon-alcoholic parties here. Had some fun moments here while I attended Zoomass.

My kind of venue. Small enough to still pack a big show with the right amount of people…read more Honeycomb played 11/30/24 and put on one hell of a show with his guests. I parked down the street in a lot which was a two minute walk so easy access.

I hadn't been to the Drake and was excited to check out the venue for a show…read more It's a small, intimate space on the second floor. The stage is all of a 6" rise off the floor puts you face to face with the band. the back of the venue is dominated by a large well stocked bar. There are a number of chairs / benches around as well for those that feel inclined to sit. The drink prices are very reasonable as well which is a bonus. It is a pretty low ceiling spot, earplugs may be in order if you don't want tinnitus in 20 years lol. Great spot, looking forward to going back.

As an undergrad at UMass we used to come to this auditorium to see shows ranging from a capella…read moregroups to live music from famous artists such as the Portuguese singer Mariza. Most recently we are attending the Celtic Nutcracker. The auditorium in Stockbridge Hall is a bit warn down and outdated, but the seats are fairly comfortable and you have a decent view of the stage from any of the seats. The staff here had always been polite and in our many visits we have enjoyed the performances here. Parking at times can be a bit tricky on UMass' campus, but their is a fairly large parking lot behind the hall which is fairly empty at night or during the weekends. The best time to see a show here is during the campus' vacation because parking and traffic is a breeze. The only real critique I have is that the bathrooms are a bit outdated, but if you have the chance to see a show here I would take the opportunity.

They are not clear and do not advertise their policies on their web site. I drove 3 hours to visit,…read morethinking if the great Yiddish stories that I read from the advice of, and guided by the wisdom of, my great uncle. It was only when I arrived -- in the Summer of 2022 -- that I found they had a mask policy that prevented those of us with medical conditions that make such things dangerous from entering. They have the right to exclude whoever they wish, but to do so without clearly advertising the exclusionary policy is irresponsible. Shame on these curators.

This is a national treasure, from the beautiful, Eastern-European-synagogue-inspired exterior…read morearchitecture; to the open, delightful layout with many side areas for exploration; to the centerpiece of rescued books, each one a treasure and available to be handled, browsed and bought; to the enlightening and enthusiastic tour guide; to the theater with clips of Yiddish cinema. Of particular interest to people with connections to Yiddish language and culture, it should fascinate anyone with an interest in history and people.

They no longer have the lounge but the Friday night $5 shows remain the best deal around if you…read morewant to see a range of performers.

Re: performance: So funny. They often include audience participation, which makes the performance…read moreway more fun. And they don't resort to "dirty jokes " to get a laugh.

The university's art museum is free, though they did ask me for a zip code for some reason as I was…read moreobviously not local. It was bigger than it looked from the outside; not what you'd find in a major city by any means but there were several rooms and there was enough content there to spend the better part of an hour on in brief. Some people were having academic conversations that may well have lasted longer. Their principal exhibition was a variety of Native American (and Australian) works which provided a robust overview of a wide variety of cultures. Some of the other exhibitions were kind of screechy and political and didn't really offer much as art, but they rotate exhibits and some variation in quality is expected. The parts where they let art speak for itself were worth visiting.

Hello!! A James Baldwin exhibit!!! Say no more. I'm not a huge fan of fossils and antiquity, it's…read moreimportant but bores me. But photographs and art and letters from someone like my boyfriend Baldwin!!! I'm all in. Amhurst is small and there's not a ton to do. This gives you an excuse to walk around campus and save some brain cells.

My child took the swimming lessons a few time. She really enjoys it. The instructors are great and…read morecaring and really great with kids. Regarding the swimming facilities, they are generally great. Some downsides are: (1) middle school pool temperature is slightly lower than normal at least for the time we went (2) there is no private shower room at men's locker room. This is pretty awkward when my husband takes my daughter to swim lessons.

We love the small group sizes, it's less intimidating for our child and they get more one on one…read morewith the instructors. There are year round lessons so our child can keep practicing the skills they've acquired during the class and learn new ones. We've signed for more lessons and have recommended the class to friends and neighbors.

I want to kick this review off with a fact nugget- I knew NOTHING about Emily Dickinson (except…read morethat she was a poet) before I planned my trip the prior week to visiting the museum. This was a learning experience. It was Mother's Day weekend and also the museums 41st annual poetry walk to celebrate the anniversary of Emily's death. This is really what caught my eye- I love special events. So here are two review in one: Poetry walk Review: You report to the home, pick up a pamphlet that identifies the poem that will be read at each stop along the way along with a map of the stops and your daisies (her favorite flower.) Note: you are asked to pre-register online for the event (I mean they need to know how many pamphlets and daisies!) Off you go! We knew we were going to make it for maybe one stop and the cometary (last stop) due to an early morning tee ball game I wasn't going to miss. So that's what happened, we were able to stop at one poetry stop right outside the cemetery where they read two poems aloud and people were able to ask questions. The final stop is visiting Emily at her family plot in the West Cemetery (take a look at that mural on your left as you start waling into the cemetery with Emily in the center.) As we neared her tombstone, they were passing out cups of lemonade for a noon toast to Emily. They told some facts about the cemetery, a song was song that was inspired by Emily's writing and then one of her poems was read. We then raised our glasses and cheers to the woman herself. After the toast, everyone took their daisies and gently placed them on or around her headstone or the gate to the family's plot. It was nice to walk back through town as we grabbed lunch and then scooted back to the house for our 2pm pre-purchased entry into the house. Very nice event. The House Review: First off- no parking on site. Based on my experience- I would suggest not visiting the house during the week when college is in session! Around the house most parking spots are permit parking only for the college. With the event happening as well, it was hard to find parking. The Dickinson house has bene restored to Emily's writing hay day. As much as we did not have a guided tour (those happen in the morning) there were people stationed in each room who were a wealth of information. I had a lot of questions and they were not stumped and answered beautifully. I learnt a lot from all these fine folks who were just so interested in her, the family and the historical aspects. Thank you! (I really asked a lot of questions.) Austin's house, The Evergreen House, next door is preserved. Very different from Emily's. One has frozen in time and one has been reinvigorated to present the time. Walking through Austin's home was quite interesting as well. Their art is very interesting. I do enjoy how the museum opted to treat each house differently. I have mixed feelings after my trip about Emily and her poems especially the heavy editing but none the less very impressed with the museum and the people working there- vast amounts of knowledge that they were easily willing to share.

Who run the world? Girls!!!…read more Sadly, Emily Dickinsons pomes didn't get any attention until after her death. typical!! This museum is about an eight minute walk or less from the edge of the University or the downtown area. The only way to enter it is with a tour, and they only allow 10 people so make sure to reserve it in advance. You can do the Gardens self guided tour on your own, and the museum shop is always open. I walked over from my hotel, my beautiful early spring day, and enjoyed all the mass of colonial homes.