Williamstown, MA Road Trips

Williamstown is a lovely historic town that's well worth a visit. There are quite a few tasteful 18th-, 19th- and early 20th-century buildings, on and off campus.

Aside from the following museums, you can enjoy walking around downtown Williamstown, looking at the outsides of buildings and walking into some of them, such as churches, if you visit when they are open. 1 Williams College Museum of Art, 15 Lawrence Hall Dr, ☏ +1 413 597-2429, fax: +1 413 458-9017. W-Sa 10AM-5PM. Ste 2. One of the finest college art museums in the country with over 10,000 pieces, including a significant collection of Prendergast paintings, a Sol De Witt installation, and paintings by Hopper and Warhol in the permanent collection. WCMA's building was once the Williams College library and features a unique octagonal rotunda. Free. (updated Nov 2021) 2 Clark Art Institute, 225 South Street, ☏ +1 413 458-2303. Tu-Su 11AM-5PM. An excellent museum with over 30 paintings by Renoir and canvases by Monet and Pissarro in their collection. In 1950 Sterling and Francine Clark chartered the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute as a home for their extensive art collection. Opened to public in 1955, the Institute has built upon this extraordinary group of works to become one of the most beloved and respected art museums in the world, known for its intimate galleries and stunning natural environment. One of the few institutions in the United States that combines a public art museum with a complement of research and academic programs, including a major art history library, the Clark is now a leading international center for research and discussion on the nature of art and art history. Adult $20, under 18 free. (updated Sep 2020)

Hiking: Pine Cobble There are countless hikes in the Williamstown area, but one of the most popular is certainly Pine Cobble. The Williams Outing Club publishes the North Berkshire Trails guide, available at Water Street Books (26 Water Street, ☏ +1 413 458-8071), the local bookstore, for $12. A trail description of Pine Cobble is available here. The trail (estimated time: 1 hour) climbs a hill north of Williamstown overlooking the Purple Valley and arrives at an expanse of quartzite rock exposed by glaciers long ago. Lansing Chapman Skating Rink at Williams College, ☏ +1 413 597-2433. Latham Street. Call for hours. Williams College Tennis Courts, ☏ +1 413 597-3151. Lynde Lane. Call for reservations. Williamstown Theatre Festival, ☏ +1 413 597-3400, +1 413 458-3200 (Sep-May), [email protected]. Late Jun-Aug. The Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF) is a renowned festival that presents around two hundred plays, both classic and new productions, every summer on its stages, in addition to readings, workshops, and other special events. The festival was founded in 1954 and since then, a number of productions have gone to Broadway, Off-Broadway, and to theatres around the US. Roger Rees is WTF's artistic director, whom some television viewers may know as Lord John Marbury, the British Ambassador on the television show "The West Wing." Notable actors who have acted at WTF include Gwyneth Paltrow, Blythe Danner, Olympia Dukakis, Christopher Reeve, Marisa Tomei, Ron Rifkin, Richard Chamberlain, and Chris O'Donnell.

1896 House Pub, ☏ +1 413 458-1896, [email protected]. Rt. 7. Daily 5PM to close. Pub food. Chef's Hat Restaurant, 905 Simonds Road, ☏ +1 413 458-5120. Tu-F 6:30AM-2PM, Sa 6:30AM-3PM, Su 7AM-3PM. Great breakfast place. Chopstick's Restaurant, 412 Main Street, ☏ +1 413 458-5750. M-Th 10:30AM-10:30PM; F Sa 10:30AM-11PM; Su 11AM-10:30PM. Fine Japanese, Korean, Chinese. Colonial Pizza, 243 Main St, ☏ +1 413 458-4009. Su-W 11AM-1AM, F Sa 11AM-2AM. Coyote Flaco, 505 Cold Spring Road, ☏ +1 413 458-4240. Tu-Th 4PM-10PM; F Sa 4-11PM. Mexican/Spanish. Margaritas! Cozy Corner Restaurant, 850 Simonds Road, ☏ +1 413 458-3854. M-F 11AM-9PM; Sa 11:30AM-9PM; Su noon-9PM. (Rte. 7). Seafood, Italian. Dining Halls, Williams College (Williams College Campus). The dining halls at Williams College seem to be open to everybody. There are three dining halls: Driscoll, Whitmans (Paresky), and Mission. Follow the link for menus and hours. All except Whitmans are all-you-can-eat buffets. These cost $12 for dinner and $7 for lunch. At Whitmans you can buy different courses separately, but the most expensive will only be $12 as well. At night, there is a snackbar in Paresky, and every night except Sunday and Monday there is pizza in the basement for $7 (really good). 3-12. Gala (formerly Yasmin's Restaurant), 222 Adams Road, ☏ +1 413 458-9611. Breakfast 7AM-10AM, lunch noon-2PM, dinner 5:30PM-9PM, Su brunch 10AM-2PM. Beautiful courtyard/garden setting. Gourmet cuisine and great wine list.

The Red Herring, 46 Spring Street, ☏ +1 413-458-2808. Open every day. Located underneath the movie theater in town, it's a cozy location to grab a beer after class. Dancing usually occurs on Thursdays, upstairs. Waterstreet Grill. see above under food. Much classier (and more expensive) than the Red Herring.

Howard Johnson Express Inn, 213 Main Street, ☏ +1 413-458-8158. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Jacuzzi Rooms, Business Center, Free wireless Internet Access, Free Breakfast, Outside Pool, Free Parking, TV with cable HBO, Near to Williams College. The Orchards Hotel, 222 Adams Road, ☏ +1 413 458-9611, toll-free: +1 800-225-1517, [email protected]. $170-325. The Williams Inn, On the Green, Jct. Rtes. 2 & 7, ☏ +1 413 458-9371, toll-free: +1-800-828-0133, [email protected]. $140-280. (updated May 2015) Howard Johnson Express Inn, 213 Main Street, ☏ +1 413-458-8158. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Jacuzzi rooms, business center, free Wi-Fi, free breakfast, outside pool, free parking, TV with cable HBO. 37 rooms. $49-225. 1896 House - Brookside and Pondside (Route 7), ☏ +1 413 458-1896, toll-free: +1-888-999-1896, [email protected]. 30 rooms. $69-219. Berkshire Hills Motel, 1146 Cold Spring Road (Route 7), ☏ +1 413 458-3950, toll-free: +1-800-388-9677, [email protected]. 21 rooms. $69-159. Cozy Corner Motel, 284 Sand Springs Road, ☏ +1 413 458-8006, [email protected]. (Route 7). 12 rooms. $50-125. Green Valley Motel, 1214 Simonds Road (Route 7), ☏ +1 413 458-3864, [email protected]. 10 rooms. $40-85. Maple Terrace Motel, 555 Main Street, ☏ +1 413 458-9677, [email protected]. 17 rooms. $55-145. Northside Motel, 45 North Street, ☏ +1 413 458-8107, [email protected]. 33 rooms. $49-139. The Stratton Inn of Williamstown, 62 Stratton Road, ☏ +1 843 270-6157, [email protected].

From the South or West: From I-87, take Exit 6; drive 45 minutes east on NY/MA Rt. 2 into Williamstown. From Taconic Parkway: Take NY Rt. 295 East to NY Rt. 22 North to NY Rt. 43 East (which becomes MA Rt. 43 North) to US Rt. 7 North into Williamstown. From the North (Vermont): Follow US Rt. 7 South to Williamstown. From the East (Boston): Take Mass. Pike (I-90) to Exit 2 (Lee); US Rt. 20 West. This will merge with US Rt. 7 North, which you follow into Williamstown. There is a bus direct from Port Authority (New York City) that takes about 5 hours, provided by Peter Pan Bus lines.

Williamstown is a small town, and most locations are reachable on foot. For further trips to Vermont or neighboring North Adams, you're best off with a car, although local public transportation can get you around too. Buses run infrequently, so plan well. The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority webpage, with schedules, is at this link .