"Lord, I recall my little town Coming home after school…read moreFlying my bike past the gates of the factories" (Simon and Garfunkel) Being my Birthday and Mother's Day, we wanted to enjoy the day with a small trip to a different place with some fun sights. Which brought us to Shelburne Falls in the foothills of northwestern Massachusetts' Berkshire mountains, around 15 miles from the Vermont border. It's a gorgeous little village on the Deerfield River with a definite Bohemian-artsy-counterculture progressive flair that reminded me a lot of Collinsville, CT or Great Barrington, MA. Main Street, Deefield Avenue, Water Street and Bridge Street represent the town's central business district which is loaded with restaurants, vintage shops, new age stuff, and plenty more. We had a blast wandering around town, visited A Heart for Art to pick up a unique wedding card, and stopped at Baked for lattés, a scone, and a macaroon. We walked over to the amazing Glacial Potholes and the Bridge of Flowers, probably the two biggest attractions in town. We caught the Bridge at a bad time, because the flowers were temporarily removed, and in the custody of "foster parents" while the soil in the flower beds was being replaced. The lovely lady at A Heart for Art told us the Bridge should be restored to its intended condition within the week. One of the very cool things we saw in town were the many beautiful mosaic tile murals celebrating local history. These colorful works of art are scattered throughout downtown, so keep your eyes open as you wander around. We fully intend to return to this sweet little village, stroll the Bridge of Flowers in full bloom, and enjoy everything else that Shelburne Falls has to offer.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! 5 STARS! It's Time to jump into The TimeMobile & scour the Earth & take you…read moreto places from a different time that you won't believe still exist! We have set the dial to the early1900's in Shelburne Falls MA. Shelburne Falls is a historic village in the towns of Shelburne & Buckland in Franklin County, Massachusetts This village looks like it's been plucked out of a novel from a far away time. It's a living & breathing time capsule. Time has indeed been turned backwards here. Instead of reading about history, you can come down to Shelburne Falls & actually be immersed in it & experience it for yourself! Now you can see what life was like a hundred years ago. Here's some of the really Cool Things to See & Do: walking across The Bridge of Flowers, a former trolley bridge that has been transformed into a garden oasis over the Deerfield River open from April through October. Then there's the Glacial Potholes & The Salmon Falls. There is also a Trolley Museum; & The Baker Pharmacy & soda fountain shop that serves ice cream just like they did more than a hundred years ago. There's a diner, some restaurants including pizza shops & a coffee shop. There's Bookstores, a Vintage Clothing store, a newsstand, & a community newspaper called the West County Independent that serves Shelbourne Falls & surrounding communities . They have a grocery store, a natural foods store & a country doctor. They have a Library, an artists' gallery & a Visitor's Center. This is also home to the second oldest bowling alley in America dating back to 1906 . And then there's the Mohawk Trail for hiking & exploring. They've got a lot more to do also but I'll leave that up to you to uncover. Most of the places are all walkable without driving in your car from place to place. And don't forget to stop on by the gift shop nearby called Native Views with souvenirs, Native American Merch, Local Foods & items & a Cool 20 ft tall Indian statue & teepees. Shelburne Falls has 2 listings as a Historic Site. First A 26-acre area has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Shelburne Falls Historic District. Secondly the Odd Fellows' Hall has also been listed on the Register. Because of the vibrant cinematic texture & rich history of the village, Hollywood has fallen in love with Shelburne Falls with lot of movies being filmed here. Here's a list "The Holdovers, Labor Day, Dexter: New Blood, The Judge, Winterbeast Video, Cryptid, The Wych Elm, Fragments of A Ghoulish Mind, Four Pins , The Earth Rejects Him, Fearful Devotion, Hank, American Playhouse Pigeon Feathers Episode. There's lots to do in Shelbourne Falls so you can spend the whole day here. On your traveling adventures, you'll discover that they have quite a few things that are inexpensive & even Free Stuff too including Free Parking! You can see my individual reviews of some of them for more detailed information. What a Really Cool Fun One of a Kind Unique Place! It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

Not really a business but a rare bridge!! Beautiful setting with good vantage points for…read morephotography of the bridge and general area.

One day while exploring Western MA, we drove through Conway and came upon this bridge spanning over…read morethe Deerfield River. This historic truss bridge built in 1882 is such a unique structure and the views from the bridge are incredible. For the past few summers we have made it a point to stop by this bridge to not only marvel in the views, but to swim under the bridge. On either end there are parking lots, and often the water is moving slow enough that swimming here is a blast. Last Fourth of July we parked one of our cars here and ended up tubing down the river. This was a great place to start and parking was great because it was off the road. In the end, we love traveling to this bridge especially when it is snowing. One of our other favorite parts of this area is that the train passes by the bridge and listening to it pass as you are spending the day swimming here is relaxing.

A ten-minute uphill walk to this tower that mental patients were ordered to build for physical…read moreactivity/to alleviate their illnesses. Sadly, when it was done, many started jumping off the top to their deaths, so of course I had to visit and see what this was like. Parked in the ski slope Farm Retreat parking lot and walked to the trailhead across the street. Worth seeing and hiking up to the tower as it's so quick, though you can't enter the tower/climb up it. Visitors put wildflowers at the base of the tower by the sealed door which was so nice. 5 stars!!!!

Since it was a beautiful day out we decided to take a little hike during lunch and thought that the…read moreRetreat Tower would be the best spot to go. This was the first time we have hiked up to the tower and we have to say that we were not disappointed. The walk itself was fairly low impact and didn't take very long. Once we got to the top we enjoyed sitting by the tower while taking in the serenity of the wood. Overall it was a great experience and we would totally hike here again.

This house is where the pre-treasonous Benedict Arnold recuperated after being wounded at the…read moreBattle of Bemis Heights. The house is an interesting landmark for what it represents historically. It is not open to the Public.

This was such a fun experience! Better than I expected in such a small town. The trolley was built…read morein 1896, and it was restored in the 90s and is functional! The museum is super cool and very small, but worth checking out. At the time of writing this, tickets are only $5 each. Well worth it. It's run by all volunteers too. There's several train pieces on the property including a caboose that you can go inside, as well as 4 or so other pieces that you can see and read about but aren't safe to go inside yet. There's also a hand cart you can operate which is so fun! It really picks up speed too. The trolley ride itself is fun! The tour guide has a ton of knowledge and explains the history of trolley cars, trains, and freight at the time the trolley was in operation. This was such a neat experience!

Having traveled to the Trolley Museum in Maine we have seen a ton of different trolleys, but this…read moretiny museum in Shelburne Falls is a great local attraction. This museum has a few trolleys which have not been restored, but they have Trolley Car No. 10 which was a locally run trolley. The staff and conductors here are polite and more than willing to tell you the history of Car 10. Overall, this tiny museum has a ton of history attached and I love the fact that it is located in such a beautiful area.

Came across this place as two cyclists passing through. Karen, who was sitting at the front desk,…read morewas excited to tell us about the place and teach us something new about the region. Beautiful and informational education center that is fun and interesting for adults and children alike!

It's great for a quick visit with kids. Some of the displays are at little ones eye level and they…read morecan see under the water. Helpful park ranger type people who work there love to chat about the exhibits. Pretty views of the river. Interesting and informative information.

Located in Rindge Nh such a beautiful place tranquility peaceful and quiet over looking the…read moremountains the alter is built out of natural stone the property is beautiful kept. The bell tower rings . The museum is dedicated.to Veterans both women and men as well I strongly recommend the Cathedral of the Pines

A beautiful resting place for ash burial. Also used for weddings. The staff is exceptional and all…read moredetails for the burial went smoothly. The grounds are well kept up and heavenly. I loved all the flowers and plantings. A very peaceful and beautiful place. You must visit to appreciate the grounds.

The Smith Bridge is located in the small town of Colrain. It's right off Route 112, which happens…read moreto be a Massachusetts Scenic Byway - so your whole drive is pretty and the covered bridge is just the icing on the cake! It's a pedestrian only bridge. So I was only able to walk over it. Bummer. Since I love driving over covered bridges. According to the website coveredbridgemap.com, @The Arthur A. Smith bridge was beautifully restored in 2006. It spent the previous 15 years rotting in a cornfield." Now I'm pretty happy for Arthur that his namesake bridge is no longer rotting in a cornfield. But I do wonder - who was he? And more importantly, how did he get a bridge named after him. And a covered bridge no less?

It's a bridge, it's old but had a million dollar restoration a few years ago. Nice little place to…read moretake a dip in the North River

The bridge is named for Eunice Williams and there's a story. On February 29, 1704, 300 warriors…read morefrom the French army along with members of the Abenaki and Mohawk tribes attacked Deerfield, Massachusetts, killing 56 and taking 112 prisoner. Eunice Williams, her husband Reverend John Williams, and five of their seven children were among those captured. As a captive unable to make the journey back to Canada, she was killed here on March 1. The covered bridge was built in 1972 to replace the 100-year-old covered bridge that had been destroyed by a fire set by vandals three years before on Halloween night in 1969. It is a single lane bridge and my Sprinter van would not fit. I parked illegally nearby, walked the bridge. Locals say that the bridge is haunted. I was here during the late afternoon hours when it was still light. I stood quietly on the bridge and listened. No ghosts appeared. [Round number review 22700 overall - 1677 of 2024 - 1226 in Massachusetts]

This covered bridge was named for Eunice Williams, who was killed in the "Deerfield Massacre". She…read morewas wed to the Revered John Williams, who went down in history as the "Redeemed Captive". This was all gathered from the signage around the bridge, I imagine the story is very interesting if you look it up in scholarly books and websites. The bridge itself has room for one car at a time, so be patient and take turns. Observe stop signs. It seems perfectly sound to travel across. Unfortunately, no ghosts were observed on this trip.