Past Events

Take a leisurely stroll over uneven terrain to retrace the excursion Herman Melville took with Sarah Morewood and other friends in the summer of 1851 to Balance Rock in Balance Rock State Park within Pittsfield State Forest. Explore the history of the site and how it made its way into Melville’s prose. Finally, we will wander through the woods and along the streams that feed into the headwaters of the Housatonic River.  1.5 hours – 1 mile Driving north on…

Join BCHS and collaborators Berkshire Opera Festival and Tanglewood Learning Institute at the Linde Center for Music and Learning for an evening of selections from the opera Billy Budd, Sailor paired with readings by Ryan Winkles from the classic novella.  This 1951 opera is scored by Benjamin Britten with a libretto by authors E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier. The evening begins at 7 pm with a celebratory toast and "taste of history" provided by Berkshire Cider Project. Our friends…

Enjoy the fall season at Arrowhead with a food truck, music, hands-on activities, local history and preservation exhibits, Revolutionary War reenactors, ice cream from SoCo creamery, cider tastings, and more. FREE (Tickets for house tours required)

Tyringham resident John Hanson will give a walking tour of interesting gravestones in the Becket Center Cemetery. Hanson has been studying early New England gravestones and epitaphs for years and has published and lectured extensively. On this tour, he will discuss the iconography of the stones, share some noteworthy verses, and discuss what they tell us about early New Englanders’ attitudes towards life and death. Meet at 55 YMCA Road, right on Route 8. $15 Members, $20 Non-Members Tickets can…

In celebration of our exhibition on Berkshire photographer Arthur Palme, join Berkshire native photographer Bella Vendetta of Bella Luna Rosa Photo Studio on a guided group photo tour. Amateur, professional, hobbyist, and all folks who are curious about nature photography are invited to join us for this free event.  We'll walk from the side lawn of the Arrowhead up to the wooded area a bit and back down again. Plenty of opportunity to take beautiful fall photos of a historic and…

Historic presenter Muriel Dyas portrays Berkshire-born Susan B. Anthony as she describes her life from her birth in Adams, MA through her years of social activism. Temperance, Abolition, and Women's Suffrage along with other fascinating stories of her life will be shared with historical accuracy and humor. Guests are also invited to sample a treat made from the Suffrage Cookbook. Muriel Dyas had been a historical reenactor for the past 25 years representing scandalous women throughout the centuries. She is…

Some say that Riverside Cemetery in North Egremont is haunted. Mysterious tales have been written about this ancient cemetery bordering the Green River. It is the final resting place for some very interesting people, famous folks, and local legends. Join historian Gary Leveille for a walk through one of the older cemeteries in Berkshire County. Park carefully and meet at the cemetery entrance off Route 71. $15 BCHS Members, $20 Non-Members Tickets can be purchased by clicking the orange “Book…

Have you ever wondered about the strange symbols that can be found on old gravestones? Join us as we explore the history, customs, myths and lore surrounding American cemeteries and the Rural Cemetery Movement through the lens of one the most unusual cemeteries in Massachusetts – the Hillside Cemetery in North Adams. $15 BCHS Members, $20 Non-Members, Free for North Adams Residents Tickets can be purchased by clicking the orange "Book Now" button on the lower left of our homepage:…