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Virtual Berkshires

Posted on February 01, 2021Written by Lindsey Schmid
Updated on March 21, 2023

Live Mount

Until You Can Visit in Person, Visit The Berkshires Virtually

Updated: February 3, 2021

If you are not able to physically visit the Berkshires, why not explore all the amazing experiences, cultural treasures, and outdoor beauty that this dynamic region has to offer virtually! Enjoy this digital discovery of online sites and bring the Berkshires into your living room!


Takeover Thursdays #intheBerkshires

Live broadcast at The Mount.UPCOMING: 413Shirts on Feb. 2 at 4PM.

Check out these takeovers by Berkshire institutions on Visit The Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.  Each showcases an iconic Berkshire destination during a live broadcast. The virtual tours include The Mount, AsiaBaraong Gallery, Barrington Stage Company, The Red Lion Inn, Berkshire Botanical Garden, Berkshire Museum, Mass Audubon Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Hancock Shaker Village, Naumkeag, and more.


From Our Partners (alphabetical listed):

Barrington Stage Company

View American Son – which had its World Premiere at BSC in 2016 – on Netflix. Visit their YouTube channel to enjoy their new BSC@Home series (which goes behind-the-scenes with artists and staff), as well as highlights and previews from past productions and special performances like Mr. Finn’s Cabaret. Plus, kids are invited to take part in improv and theatre games by following BSC’s Education Department on Facebook and Instagram.


Berkshire Botanical Garden

Berkshire Botanical Garden.

Berkshire Botanical Garden is offering a lush slate of online programing for plant lovers – examples include Sustainable Garden Care, Organic Vegetable Gardening, and Kombucha at Home, among many others. Check out their offerings here.


The Berkshire High Road

Through this video (and beautiful website), explore a county-wide, continuous network of trails linking towns to nature.


Berkshire Historical Society

Each year, the Berkshire Historical Society uses its collections of photographs, manuscripts, and artifacts to tell stories of the Berkshires’s past. Check out the exhibits and community stories now.


Berkshire Innovation Center

Check out  STEM Week 2020: Live@TheBIC. STEM Week is an annual statewide effort to boost the interest, awareness and ability for all learners to envision themselves in STEM education and employment opportunities.


Berkshire Museum at HomeVirtual gallery at Berkshire Museum.

Check out a number of virtual exhibitions at the Berkshire Museum. You can explore a selected collection of 2D and 3D works that together create a rich and colorful experience. Additionally, the Berkshire Museum has a YouTube channel offering fun and educational online experiences including Daily Doodles, What’s in the Basement?, and Daily Discovery. Enjoy learning about art, history, and natural sciences from your couch!


Berkshire Paint & Sip at Home

Taught by local painter Michelle Iglesias, each Berkshire Paint & Sip at Home video provides step-by-step instructions for you to follow along with. Find the perfect painting now!


Berkshire Playwrights Lab

Berkshire Playwrights Lab joined with four other theaters to form #Theatre5Alliance, an organization to bring the arts to people’s homes and to highlight the importance of keeping local theater alive. The alliance includes Berkshire Playwrights Lab, Durango PlayFest, Laguna Playhouse, NJ Rep and Seven Angels Theatre. These 6 original monologues are written and performed by Kim Brockington, Jodi Long, Joe Mantegna, Alfred Molina, James Pickens, Jr., and Tony Shalhoub. Tune in here.


Canyon Ranch Recipes at Home

Canyon Ranch Cooking at Home.

Canyon Ranch chefs believe in the power of food. Check out their videos and recipes for easy-to-prepare, all-healthy dishes you can make at home.


Chesterwood

Daniel Chester French was considered the “greatest monument sculptor in post-Civil War America.” His work left an indelible mark on America—most notably the Lincoln Memorial. Many of French’s works were created in the Berkshires at Chesterwood, French’s country retreat in Stockbridge, MA. Enjoy this segment broadcast by WGBY TV’s  “Connecting Point” which highlights the unique outdoor experience at this historic artists’ home and studio in the Berkshires.


Clark Art Institute

The Clark offers virtual programming.

Virtually visit the Clark’s extensive collection of art on their website which offers videos of staff engaging with the collections and exhibitions. New content is added regularly. You can also explore their online library and digital assets collections.


Edith Wharton’s Library"Weekend Book"

Explore the famous writer’s impressive literary collection, now available in digitized format. The site allows readers to search for books contained in Wharton’s library at The Mount, her historic estate in the Berkshires.


The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

While The Carle is temporarily closed, there are plenty of ways to connect through the following online resources: Art Studio Blog, Bookshop Blog, Online Videos, Distance Learning, Virtual Educator Workshops, and more!


Camp GD with General Dynamics Mission Systems

Grades K-2 | Oreos and Milk from General Dynamics Mission Systems on Vimeo.

For the love of STEM, General Dynamics Mission Systems employees and interns have come together and created CAMP GD, a virtual lab packed with fun science experiments suitable for all ages. Click on the video title to see a complete list of materials needed for each experiment. Happy Camping! ADULT SUPERVISION IS REQUIRED


Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio

Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio

Soon you will be able to take a virtual tour of the home of American Abstract Artists George L.K. Morris and Suzy Frelinghuysen, set on a 46-acre estate in the heart of Lenox, Massachusetts. Director Kinney Frelinghuysen will lead a series of vignettes consisting of an episodic virtual house tour and narrated digital deconstructions of selected paintings to enrich the experience of abstract art. Zoom classes in color theory and contour exercises will be also be scheduled.


IS183 Online

IS183 Art Classes online.

Talented Berkshire artists have created online classes, video tutorials, and printable projects to inspire your creativity and encourage you to continue making art at home.


Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive

Jacob's Pillow online Dance Interactive.

The long-running dance festival has, sadly, announced the cancellation of its 2020 season, but this site offers a growing collection of dance videos that were filmed at the Pillow beginning in the 1930s through today. You’ll also find illustrated essays. Beautiful and inspirational playlists include Women’s History, Black Voices, Cultural Diversity and Distinctive Costumes.

You can also explore Virtual Pillow. The fall season includes virtual showings, commissions, community artist partnerships, and COVID-19-compliant Pillow Lab residencies. From October through December, Jacob’s Pillow will welcome a small number of artists to its campus to develop new works, participate in two community partnerships serving the greater Berkshires, and present three online virtual premieres.


KripaluVideo

Now, more than ever, it’s important to take time for self-care and attend to your personal well-being. Kripalu Center for Yoga has launched Virtual Healing Arts Services to offer some of its most popular metaphysical services and on-on-one consultations via the convenience of video. Paying members can access additional, more comprehensive content by registering for online courses, and Kripalu’s YouTube channel offers free videos related to mindfulness, breathing techniques, yoga, and other wellness topics. 


Mass Audubon’s Explore Nature at Home

Nature is everywhere! You don’t need to look further than your own backyard, neighborhood, or local park to discover the amazing wonders of the natural world. New content is added regularly, so check back – especially for activities perfect for kids and the family!


MASS MoCA

Check out this cool virtual tour of MASS MoCA, starting in the Sol Lewitt galleries.


Mount Greylock State Reservation 4:35 minute Orientation Movie 

Mount Greylock is a must-see stop for any trip to the Berkshires. This short video gives a glimpse into the mountain’s magic and history.


Your Virtual Norman Rockwell Museum


Norman Rockwell Museum has been creating new online ways for visitors to discover their extensive collections of art, historical objects, classroom activities, and scholarship. Check out these curated experiences that collect related images, photography, video, audio and history relating to the Museum’s renowned collection of Norman Rockwell’s original paintings, his Stockbridge Studio, as well as the Museum’s vast collection of illustration art. Enjoy!


Shakespeare & Company

Check out Shakespeare & Company’s vimeo channel for Tina Talks, a very special webinar series with Founding Artistic Director Tina Packe that explores Shakespeare’s plays from different angles — revealing the underlying messages, major questions that interested Shakespeare, and how his ability as a dramatist allowed him to express them in action as well as words.


Tanglewood Tales: Life On Stage and Off

This Boston Symphony Orchestra web series follows five BSO musicians and the assistant conductor through their 2015 season at Tanglewood, the Orchestra’s summer home and preeminent summer music festival in the Berkshires.

New BSO Now

Newly recorded hour-long video performances by the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, and BSO musicians in chamber music Along with behind-the-scenes storytelling with conductors, composers, and musicians, plus much more.

BSO at Home

A collection of Boston Symphony Orchestra performances with fans in Boston and around the world – including archived performances, life behind the scenes, and BSO musicians sharing what life is like offstage while they #stayathome.


Williams College Elementary School Resources

The Williams College Center for Learning in Action has some really fantastic videos on BIC’s site (featuring Williams College students) that are fun for kids and grownups alike: read alouds, Zoom Around the World series, mindfulness and art, and more.


Yiddish Book Center

Peruse this extensive online library of digitized Yiddish books (more than 11,000) , archival recordings, audiobooks, recorded short stories, and oral histories. The collection also includes a section for Yiddish Children’s Literature comprising 800 titles.


Video Fun from Visit the Berkshires:

A Virtual Tour of The Beautiful Berkshires

Missing the Berkshires? Take a virtual tour through our rolling hills with stops at world-class culture, outdoor fun, farm-fresh cuisine, luxurious rejuvenation, and more. When the time is right, we can’t wait to see you #intheBerkshires of Western Massachusetts! Visit our YouTube channel here.


Happy in The Berkshires

In closing, the team at 1Berkshire would like to leave you with a smile, through this 2016 music video for the Pharrell Williams classic. Stay happy and healthy, and we hope to see you in person soon.


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