The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, MASS MoCA, is a celebration of contemporary art housed in-and-alongside a sprawling historic industrial complex. The 16 acres and 26 buildings are located in the town of North Adams, MASS and are set alongside the beauty of the Berkshire hills with babbling streams winding through the complex. Listed in the National Historic Register, contemporary art shines in the magic of this space, for twenty years now artists have made use of the long and towering warehouses, bridges, viaducts, and elevated walkways from the building's industrial origins. 

MASS MoCA is the largest museum of contemporary art in the country. Tickets to the museum cover a two-day admission— definitely take advantage of this if you have the time. Break up your museum days with a nearby hike or ride on the Ashuwillticook Trail, just five minutes south in Adams.  

Exhibits change frequently and tickets are required for many of the rotating installations and experiences. In recent years the museum has focused on the intersection of sound and space, reimagining many of the spaces into auditory playgrounds.

The mill’s history morphs into a presence of its own, inviting visitors to step into another world created by the contemporaries -- Sol LeWitt, Walter Fähndrich, Franz West, Julianne Swartz, Anselm Kiefer, and Spencer Finch to name a few-- immersing our senses in a cosmic exploration of color, time, sound, and space. 

Concerts and live installations are offered most weekend nights through summer and fall. The band Wilco, fans themselves of the quirky little town of North Adams, host a music and arts festival every-other-odd-year. Solid Sound Festival features music by Wilco and many other handpicked musical performers. Featuring a full comedy lineup too, activities for families of all ages, delicious local food, craft beer, camping, naturalist activities, and more. 

Occupying about a quarter of the town of North Adams, it’s easy to build your day around a trip to the museum. Within the museum, you’ll find their Lickety Split Cafe, Tunnel City Coffee, and Gramercy Bistro. Brunch fills up quick on Sundays at the Gramercy, make reservations if you’re a crowd. For the ice-cream connoisseurs: be sure to try Lickety Splits ice cream made on campus! 

Some days, after exploring the transcendent world of contemporary art, beer is in order. Luckily enough, the museum thought of that too and built a brewery right inside their campus. Bright Ideas Brewery serves delicious craft brews made on campus at the museum. Right across the street from the museum is the delicious A-OK BBQ for the inevitable hunger that will follow your full and wonderful day in North Adams, Massachusetts.