On August 5, 1850, Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne met and hiked to the top of Monument Mountain beginning what would be a long and close friendship.  On that day, they also hiked Ice Glen, a small but stunning glacial ravine in Stockbridge. Berkshire County Historical Society volunteers will lead a leisurely stroll through Laurel Park, across the Housatonic River, and up into the hills of Ice Glen walking through giant boulder fields and enjoying cool ravine scenery! Adventurous hikers…

Join us for an evening of Pittsfield ghost lore in this talk by Robert Oakes, author of Ghosts of the Berkshires and ghost tour guide at The Mount and Ventfort Hall. In addition to Pittsfield ghost stories, Oakes will discuss Herman Melville's own "strange fancies," and the ghost writings of his friend and frequent Arrowhead visitor Nathaniel Hawthorne. The talk will be followed by a lantern-lit tour o Arrowhead. Use the BOOK NOW button to purchase tickets;  $20 for BCHS…

The “noble train of artillery,” also known as the Knox Expedition, was an expedition led by Continental Army Colonel Henry Knox to transport sixty tons of heavy weaponry that had been captured at Fort Ticonderoga to the Continental Army camps outside Boston—a journey of 300 miles—during the winter of 1775–76.  To commemorate the 250th anniversary of this monumental journey, which passed through Berkshire county, BCHS welcomes costumed living-history  interpreters from Fort Ticonderoga to Arrowhead. Learn about the expedition and how…

In late December 1840, adrift in his personal life, 21-year-old Herman Melville arrived in New Bedford, Massachusetts, preparing to embark on a South Seas whaling voyage. His diverse experiences and adventures in the course of the ensuing nearly four years would profoundly shape him and his writings. During this time, young Melville toiled as a foremast hand in the uniquely demanding and colorful social world of a whaleship on three different vessels and also served for more than a year…

Berkshire Museum and the Berkshire County Historical Society are proud to present “Fall Fest”, a FREE all-ages event at Herman Melville’s Arrowhead in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on Saturday, October 11, 10:00AM – 4:00PM! This event will celebrate the season with a variety of crafts, games, and hands-on activities for children and adults to enjoy, as well as offering guests the opportunity to unwind and enjoy the fall colors on the scenic grounds at Arrowhead. Participating Organizations: Baseball in the Berkshires Berkshire…

The art of documenting an event or person’s life, whether in film or in print, is the subject of this conversation between author Debby Applegate and author/filmmaker Laurie Gwen Shapiro.  Laurie Gwen Shapiro is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist whose writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, New York, The Daily Beast, Slate, and others. Shapiro is the 2021 winner of the Damn History Award for “The Improbable Journey of Dorothy Parker’s Ashes” for The New…