Easthampton is the perfect example of a small Massachusetts city with all of the characteristics for which the state is famous—a leafy, urbanised area with charming homes and a vibrant artistic community, as well as a wide selection of walking trails among its parks and orchards. Additionally, for those with an interest in history, there is plenty to see here, from its storied architecture to the wealth of museums and galleries. After a day’s enjoyable stroll through the town, of course, you’ll want to have a proper, wholesome meal, and there are plenty of places to get food that is true to the local cuisine. Below, in our rundown of things to do in Easthampton, you’ll find options for all of the above—and you’ll surely be tempted to check out this handsome town.
1. Get a window on the past at Easthampton Historical Society
The history of the Easthampton area is long and storied, and nowhere is it better preserved than here in this charming Victorian-era building filled with rooms that offer plenty of perspectives on that history. Opened in 1976, this former family home comprises of rooms that showcase the history of medicine, education, and industry in the region as well as give a snapshot of family life through the ages. A wonderful and informative perspective on local history awaits all groups who come and visit.
Easthampton Historical Society
Address: 7 Holyoke St, Easthampton, MA 01027
Website: Easthampton Historical Society
Opening hours: Mon: 1pm - 3:30pm (closed Tue - Sun)
Price: Call for price
2. See nature's wonderful bounty at Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary
Spanning a considerable acreage of Massachusetts terrain, Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary is an essential visit for anyone interested in nature. It offers a home to a range of wildlife, including species as diverse as the root-borer beetle, a plethora of snakes, and local waterfowl such as ducks and geese. There are also plenty of opportunities to spot rare species of flowers and trees thanks to the particular type of soil, rich in loam, that the local area boasts.
Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary
Address: 127 Combs Rd, Easthampton, MA 01027
Website: Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 9am - 3pm (Sun opening depends on season)
3. Enjoy a taste of America at Riffs Joint
Few American traditions are more important to their adherents than the Great American Diner, and Riffs is a particularly popular Easthampton take on the classic tastes, sights, and sounds of the genre. Delicious burgers and heavily filled sandwiches are among the fare on offer, and sides include a huge serving of classic American French fries. Along with the usual drinks, there is also a spectacular range of cocktails on the menu, with something to suit every palate.
Riffs Joint
Address: 116 Pleasant St #158, Easthampton, MA 01027
Website: Riffs Joint
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 9am - 10pm; Sat - Sun: 11am - 11pm
You might be interested in these Airbnbs!
4. Bring the outdoors indoors at Mill 180 Park
Mill 180 Park is a unique attraction that sums up the best of Easthampton’s innovation and commitment to the human experience. As the name suggests, it’s a park—green spaces and nature all around you. The twist is that it’s indoors—a hydroponically grown garden space that features lush grass, plenty of places to sit, and even a soundtrack of noises from the natural environment. With an on-site restaurant called Refrectory serving options to suit every dietary need, this is a chilled spot that you’re sure to appreciate.
Mill 180 Park
Address: 180 Pleasant St #217, Easthampton, MA 01027
Website: Mill 180 Park
Opening hours: Wed & Sat: 10am - 6pm; Thu - Fri: 10am - 10pm; Sun 11am - 6pm (closed on Mon - Tue)
Price: Free
5. Get inspired at Paragon Arts & Industry Building
Easthampton is a haven for the artistic individual, and a visit to Paragon Arts & Industry Building will be a slice of heaven for anyone who has an interest in visually innovative works. The building itself is a shared space—it functions as a studio, a gallery, and a general creative space—but every Sunday, it also hosts an evangelical Pentecostal church. You could say that it’s an eclectic spot! With a welcoming vibe and an interesting visual experience everywhere you look, this is certainly somewhere worth visiting.
Paragon Arts & Industry Building
Address: 150 Pleasant St, Easthampton, MA 01027
6. Test your wit and wisdom at Puzzled Escape Games
The popularity of escape rooms has gone stratospheric in recent years, and Puzzled is Easthampton’s intellectually stimulating option in the field. There are varying themes of rooms to enjoy—one requires you to solve the mystery of a missing professor of the occult, while another sees you trying to escape a dangerous cartel. A family option, The Lost Wand, is set in the Massachusetts Academy of Magic and requires your group to put your sorcerers’ abilities to the test to free the school from the clutches of an evil wizard. At Puzzled, you can be confident of fun for all the family.
Puzzled Escape Games
Address: 116 Pleasant St #141, Easthampton, MA 01027
Website: Puzzled Escape Games
Opening hours: Wed - Thu: 4pm - 10pm; Fri: 4pm - 11:30pm; Sat: 10am - 11:30pm; Sun: 10am - 9pm (closed on Mon - Tue)
Price: 25 USD
7. Eat and drink the best at Coco & The Cellar Bar
Whatever your dining preferences, Easthampton will have something for you. There is no shortage of traditional diners, of course, but at Coco & The Cellar Bar, the experience is more along the fine-dining line of things. Fresh, locally sourced ingredients are the order of the day, and that means you can enjoy tasty starters like arugula salad or papas Veracruz, while the main courses include a skillet-roasted cod so perfectly prepared that every forkful will taste like heaven. With more traditional fare like classic macaroni and cheese also on offer here, all tastes are catered to.
Coco & The Cellar Bar
Address: 95 Main St, Easthampton, MA 01027
Website: Coco & The Cellar Bar
Opening hours: Wed - Thu: 5pm - 11pm; Fri - Sat: 5pm - 12am; Sun: 4pm - 9pm (closed on Mon - Tue)
8. Appreciate the beauty of Nonotuck Park
One of the things for which Massachusetts is most famed is its verdant, peaceful environment, and this is perhaps best exemplified by Nonotuck Park, where 40-foot (12-meter) pines line the sky and offer a remarkable backdrop to a range of activities for all ages. A children’s play park offers fun and games for the little ones, while there is ample space for barbecue grilling, picnicking, swimming, and walking along with much, much more. Keen amateur photographers will also be delighted to take the opportunity of preserving great shots of the atmospheric skyline.
Nonotuck Park
Address: 1 Daley Field Rd, Easthampton, MA 01027
Opening hours: 7:30am - 7:30pm (daily)
9. Sample high-quality beer at Fort Hill Brewery
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Fort Hill Brewery started in Easthampton in 2014, although its opening was in fact the culmination of four years of research, site hunting, and construction by its owner. The location that was chosen, at the base of Mount Tom, was no accident. The excellent quality of water in the area was ideal for the best quality of beer. Five years on, Fort Hill Brewery (named for the road on which it is located) produces a range of high-quality beers brewed in the German tradition and offers tours and tastings to a grateful crowd.
Fort Hill Brewery
Address: 30 Fort Hill Rd, Easthampton, MA 01027
Website: Fort Hill Brewery
Opening hours: Thu - Fri: 4pm - 7pm; Sat: 2pm - 8pm; Sun: 2pm - 6pm (closed Mon - Wed)
10. Pick fresh fruits at Park Hill Orchard
The bucolic joys of Park Hill Orchard are a perfect way to while away a bit of time in a charming atmosphere. You can take a walk around the orchard itself and pick your own fruit—from a range of apples, raspberries, peaches, and cherries among many others. You may also prefer to get the same fruits, freshly picked, from the farmers market—which boasts stalls serving hot food as well, including cider donuts fresh off the frier. On warmer days, meanwhile, the cider slushy is a refreshing treat.
Park Hill Orchard
Address: 82 Park Hill Rd, Easthampton, MA 01027
Website: Park Hill Orchard
Opening hours: 10am - 6pm (daily)
11. Take in a show at Easthampton City Arts+
Easthampton, as we have addressed, has a thriving arts scene, and the beating heart of that scene can be found in Easthampton City Arts, an organisation housed on Main Street and which offers opportunities for local artists of all kinds. The people behind the project are involved in putting on and hosting regular shows and exhibitions, and they organise an annual festival by the name of Cultural Chaos—a hub event that showcases the best local musicians, dancers, creators, and much more (including local restaurants).
Easthampton City Arts+
Address: 43 Main St, Easthampton, MA 01027
Website: Easthampton City Arts+
Opening hours: Tue: 12pm - 5pm; Thu: 12pm - 7pm (closed on Wed & Fri - Mon)
12. Revisit your childhood at Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom
For teenagers, Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom is a slice of heaven, offering arcade gaming and modern music aimed at the 13+ market. If you’re a little older, then it’s a valuable and necessary bit of nostalgia. A wall of vintage arcade games, minigolf, and tabletop games such as bumper pool will have you rolling back the years. The minigolf course is illuminated by concert-style lighting, giving everything a pleasantly retro feel. Admission is restricted to those over the age of 13.
Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom
Address: 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton, MA 01027
Website: Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom
Opening hours: Wed - Thu: 4pm - 10pm; Fri: 4pm - 12am; Sat: 12pm - 12am; Sun: 2pm - 10pm (closed on Mon - Tue)
Price: 10 USD
13. Enjoy gourmet creations at Small Oven Bakery
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
This delightful artisanal bakery is somewhere that you’ll certainly want to go if you consider yourself a foodie—or you have anything resembling a sweet tooth. The menu is wide and varied, including gourmet sandwiches brimming with carefully selected ingredients. There are delightful cakes as well, ranging from red velvet to fragrant lavender, all topped with a choice of frostings such as healthy goat cheese and indulgent chocolate ganache.
Small Oven Bakery
Address: 36 Union St, Easthampton, MA 01027
Website: Small Oven Bakery
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 7am - 3pm; Sun: 8am - 3pm
14. Work on your drive at Easthampton Golf
If the minigolf at Prodigy isn’t enough for you, then perhaps a full-sized golf facility will be more to your liking—and it is on offer at Easthampton Golf, where you can get in a round or two on a course that is challenging enough for experienced players while not being too tough for the beginners. If you’re not comfortable playing 18 holes, the course also has a driving range where you can work on your swing to your heart’s content.
Easthampton Golf
Address: 103 Northampton St, Easthampton, MA 01027
Opening hours: 9am - 8:30pm (daily)
15. A real feast for the senses at Brickyard Brook Conservation Area
The beauty of the landscape surrounding Easthampton is clear to anyone who looks at it, and it is good news that this stunning scenery contains within it a number of excellent hiking trails. Some of the best are contained within Brickyard Brook, an area that is found at the intersection of East Street and Clark Street and which is heavily forested, with the brook whose name it bears running through it. Not only are the sights and sounds relaxing, but with the banks being lined by spicebush, cinnamon fern, and witch hazel, the whole place is pleasing to the scent glands too.
Brickyard Brook Conservation Area
Address: 93 Mt Tom Ave, Easthampton, MA 01027
Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)
16. Take a hike at Mutter’s Field Accessible Trail
Visitors to the area who enjoy hiking are truly spoilt for choice, and the city authorities have not rested on their laurels when it comes to providing spots in which to take a pleasant walk. Mutter’s Field Accessible Trail was conceived in 2012 and is a simple trail that offers a nice start to the novice hiker while offering enough visual interest to keep everyone interested. The path offers an accessible picnic site along with flowering gardens and plenty of seating opportunities and also has handy signs to draw attention to places of particular interest.
Mutter’s Field Accessible Trail
Address: 405 - 417 East St, Easthampton, MA 01027
Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)
17. Enjoy the relaxing trails at Broad Brook Meadows Conservation Area
Easthampton lies in close proximity to the imposing Mount Tom, and that peak offers some of the finest views in all of the region—but as well as looking out from there, it’s also quite a special sight to look at from a lower point. Some of the best views of the peak are available from Broad Brook Meadows Conservation Area, a trail of superb tranquility where you can get away from the noise and rush, spot some native birds such as pine warblers and waterthrush, and potentially even see the occasional wood turtle.
Broad Brook Meadows Conservation Area
Address: Brittany Ln, Easthampton, MA 01027
Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)
You'll fall in love with Easthampton
A classic old American mill town, Easthampton has moved with the times, and there are plenty of funky cafes and cool bars—perhaps this has something to do with its proximity to several nearby college towns, including Amherst, one of the Little Ivy campuses. While retaining its links with the past, Easthampton has also embraced the comforts of the modern world, thus making it a welcoming, thrilling place to visit on a break, and somewhere that will soon find a special place in your heart.
History
Get Trip101 in your inbox
Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data
Create an account to