Founded in 1821, Amherst College has retained its character and quality partly by maintaining its small size (1850 students). The scenic campus lies just south of the town common. Get information on guided campus tours or pick up a self-guided walking tour brochure at the admissions office. There are also a few museums on campus, including the small but fantastic Mead Art Museum and the equally fascinating Beneski Museum of Natural History.
Amherst College
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
19.19 MILES
It was Springfield where, in 1891, a young Canadian physical education instructor called James Naismith first invented basketball. The game is celebrated…
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18.63 MILES
This innovative museum is dedicated to the life and work of Springfield native Theodore Geisel, aka Dr Seuss. On the 1st floor, interactive exhibits use…
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28.07 MILES
Historic buildings from throughout the region have been moved to this site to re-create a New England town from the 1830s, with 40 restored structures…
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0.51 MILES
During her lifetime, Emily Dickinson (1830–86) published only seven poems, but more than 1000 were discovered and published posthumously, and her verses…
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5.93 MILES
This mountaintop park, at the summit of Mt Holyoke, peaks out at a rather modest-sounding height of 942ft. But that's high enough to earn the visitor…
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Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
3.43 MILES
Co-founded by the author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this superb museum celebrates book illustrations from around the world with…
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0.73 MILES
For a peek at Amherst's colorful past, make your way to the West Cemetery, between Triangle St and N Pleasant St. Here you'll find the graves of Amherst's…
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8.31 MILES
The nation's oldest women's college, founded in 1837, is in the center of South Hadley, the southernmost and sleepiest of the Five College towns. The…
Nearby attractions
0.19 MILES
A small but scintillating collection of art works that span the globe, ranging from American and European paintings to Mexican pottery to West African…
2. Beneski Museum of Natural History
0.3 MILES
Kids will dig the enormous woolly mammoth and dinosaur skeletons at this museum on the campus of Amherst College. Exhibits focus on the geological history…
0.51 MILES
During her lifetime, Emily Dickinson (1830–86) published only seven poems, but more than 1000 were discovered and published posthumously, and her verses…
0.73 MILES
For a peek at Amherst's colorful past, make your way to the West Cemetery, between Triangle St and N Pleasant St. Here you'll find the graves of Amherst's…
5. University of Massachusetts
1.2 MILES
The enormous University of Massachusetts at Amherst illustrates the distinction between public and private higher education in the US. Founded in 1863 as…
3.08 MILES
The region's most innovative center of learning is Hampshire College, 3 miles south of Amherst center on MA 116. Students here don't pick a major in the…
7. Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
3.43 MILES
Co-founded by the author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this superb museum celebrates book illustrations from around the world with…
5.92 MILES
At the summit of Mt Holyoke, a former hotel dating from 1861 is now a museum and visitor center. Old photographs show Summit House as it was in its heyday…