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City in Massachusetts, United States
Photo: AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Amherst is a town in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. Amherst is home to about 35,000 residents as well as the campuses of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, and Hampshire College. A usually pleasant mix of students, academics, and retirees makes it a quintessential New England college town.
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Amherst Art Alliance gallery located in Amherst Cinema complex. Opening receptions first Thursday every month.
Birthplace and home of Emily Dickinson, and dedicated to celebrating her life and work. Four tours are offered.
Amherst College. Free.
Amherst College.
Univ. of Mass.
A 1750-era house and 18th-century gardens is the Historical Society's backdrop for the telling of local history by guided tour. Adults $4, Seniors, students and children $3, under 6 free.
World's only museum devoted exclusively to Yiddish literature and culture. Theater, gardens, exhibits, gallery and English-language bookstore.
Collections of picture book art from around the world.
Museum dedicated to contemporary art, open since 1975.
Amherst's only non-profit movie theater. Very modern with small but very nice theaters playing primarily independent films. Tickets range from $6.50 to $8.50, offering discount prices for students and members.
145 Fine Arts Center. Located on the UMass campus, this center offers a variety of arts and education programs year round with excellent prices. Make sure to check out their calendar of events when you're in the area. If you're a student at one of the Five Colleges, don't miss your chance to attend a great performance for $7-15.
The Mullins Center is home to UMass Athletics as well as the latest rock and pop bands who frequently make this center a stop on their nationwide tours. There is also a public skating rink as a fun alternative. Just make sure to check their schedule as the rink hours are pretty irregular.
Scenic ten-mile paved trail passing through the towns of Amherst, Hadley, and Northampton. Great for biking, jogging, roller blading, or just walking along. There are many places to get on and it's a great way to spend the day with your family, friends, or even on your own, with rest places and picnic tables along the way. There is also an extension now that you can get on in Northampton, pick up your bike and go over the railroad tracks, that takes you to Look Park in Florence.
1089 North Pleasant, St. Visitors to the Simple Gifts Farm in North Amherst, MA can now use their cellphones to take self-guided tours that explain what’s happening at 15 stops around the 32-acre farm. Stops include information on the organic vegetable, livestock including chickens, cattle, pigs, and sheep, as well as farm history and ecology. Maps are available at the top of the parking lot.
Open daily until 1AM, weekends until 2AM. An Amherst icon serving pizza by the slice. Their cheese pizza is OK but people really come here for their specialty slices such as their chicken blue cheese (white pizza topped with buffalo chicken and blue cheese), quesadilla (chicken, cheese, and pico de gallo topped with tortilla chips), and steak burrito (steak, rice, and beans). Many vegetarian slices too. $3 a slice.
Boltwood Walk. Giant burritos made from fresh ingredients. Tacos and quesadillas are also on the menu, but the burrito will run you about $6 and you won't be hungry afterwards.
Open daily 11:30AM until 1AM. This place makes chicken wings as an art form. You can get boneless or traditional wings in aptly named sizes such as "747" or "DC-10". Their buffalo sauce has five levels of intensity but their other flavors, such as honey barbecue and teriyaki, are great too. There are an insane number of beers on tap, and you can get delivery too (wings, not beer). Their delivery business is named Wings (549-9464). $5-$10.
41 Boltwood Walk. Right behind Antonio's next to Thai Corner. Offers Vietnamese and Korean dishes consisting of rice noodle soups, appetizers, salads and noodle dishes. Great for lunch or something warm to eat on a rainy day. The owner is very friendly and your meal will probably run you $7-10.
Unique breakfast place and cafe. For breakfast try their stuffed French toast (corn flake encrusted, fruit filled French toast)
Open for lunch and dinner, this independent sub shop makes astonishingly good subs and pizza, and you can easily get a meal there for under $10. The owner is friendly, and the place is kept spotlessly clean.
Shredded chicken burrito is a must! Authentic Mexican food and atmosphere. They make their own salsa and tortillas chips, they offer a great selection of Mexican beer and there are so many different food choices you will have more than one favorite. There is also a park across the street or tables set up to eat outdoors on a nice day.
Amherst is a college town, so of course this place exists. Not exactly high class, but you get tasty, cheap falafel/gyros with friendly service
Open daily 11:30AM until 1AM, dinner stops at 10PM. American and pub fare. Great appetizers, try the fried pickles. ABC brews and serves a full selection of their own beers including seasonal brews and standards like the North Pleasant Pale Ale. $10-$20.
Cognoscenti come for the blackboard vegetable dishes grown on Mr. Chang's farm, stir-fried with your choice of pork, chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu. Wonderful dumplings and noodles and other Northern Chinese specialties.
It has a decidedly vegetarian feel, but this local deli can make you a mean meat sandwich if that's what you're after. All the bread is baked in their own bakery and all the sandwiches and the raspberry swirl Danish are delicious. There are also take-out dinners and The Black Sheep runs a full catering business as well. Serves a wide selection of fair-trade coffees, espresso drinks, and teas. Internet access is available.
In 1892, George Cogswell bought the land where the Cushman Market and Café is now located. He built a grocery store on the site and the building has remained a market of one kind or another ever since. A comfortable, friendly place with good breakfast and lunch menu. There is also a small, well stocked market featuring wine and beer, local products, and an eclectic mix of gifts. Wi-fi.
Asian food and tea restaurant. Their tea rolls are very tasty and filling. They have a small variety of fine tasting teas. The atmosphere is very chill. They have two rooms of seating, with additional seating outdoors and on mats in front of the window. $10-15.
Great place to eat breakfast.
Open Monday through Thursday 11:30AM until 10PM, Friday and Saturday 11AM until 11PM, Sunday noon until 10PM. A wide selection of Chinese and Japanese food including a full sushi bar and all the tropical cocktails you could want. $10-20. Stick with more Americanized (fried) fare, avoid wonton soup.
While mainly intended for students, UMass dining commons are open to everyone. The four dining commons- Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Worcester, are famous for providing some of the best campus food according to the Princeton Review. It is an all-you-can-eat buffet for $12.50.
The best place to get sushi in Amherst. The food is well prepared and the service is excellent. The atmosphere fits the restaurant very well. Their widescreen television is great for watching the Red Sox game. Try their avocado salad.
An intimate French bistro with a simple but high quality menu, based around local organic ingredients.
Open Sunday through Thursday 11:30AM until 10PM, Friday and Saturday 11:30AM until 11PM, closed Mondays. A good place for lunch or dinner, located in the center of town. Judie's is famous for their popovers, you can even have your sandwich served in a popover. Great soups, salads and dressings, and very interesting entrees. $15-25.
Ste 1.
Pizza, calzones, and subs somewhat cheap. Adjoined by Michael's Billiards.
It's in here as a restaurant and a bar because it's both. The ABC brews and serves a full selection of their own beers. It's not the cheapest place to drink but there are more expensive. A beer or a cocktail will run you $3-4. There is live music on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, with karaoke some Thursdays.
(Route 116). Open until 1AM. The selection of excellent lesser-known brews is the Moan and Dove's claim to fame. Boasting a constantly rotating list of beers you've never heard of, this is a must-see on a drinking tour of Amherst. This bar does not accept out of state IDs without a backup form of identification.
Irish bar with live Irish music on Friday nights, and an interesting menu. The must try menu item are the Irish nachos, although the current ones are not as good as their original recipe was.
Large brewpub serving an eclectic selection of their own brews. Huge bar, comfortable interior, and a patio for the summer.
A favorite among the locals. Rao's roasts its own coffee and also offers a variety of blends of tea. Good place to sit down and hang out. Internet access available.
Extremely high quality coffee, live Jazz on Thursdays.
10 rooms.
Forty rooms and eight suites. An on-site farm to table restaurant 30Boltwood. Owned by Amherst College.
Great location, close to the center of town.
Historical bed and breakfast inn opposite Emily Dickinson Homestead. 15 rooms
A family owned and operated business that has been providing office and school supplies, newspapers and magazines to the local community and nearby collegiate market since 1914. Open daily.
A locally owned, independent bookshop, selling new & used books. Michelin Guide 'Pick'; Boston Magazine 'Best'.
Staff is knowledgeable and unstuffy; a service-oriented business with competitive pricing and high quality selection. Free wine tastings every Saturday, 2 - 5PM.
Apple Orchard and Country Food Market near the Holyoke Mountain Range, where the Atkins Family has been growing apples for over 100 years.
Since 1993 David W. Henion and Barbara Kline have been offering a wide variety of fresh scratch-baked goods. Cafe space for on-premises consumption.
By bus
By plane
The two airports you'll want to look at are nearby Bradley Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks, Connecticut (One hour by car) and Logan Airport (BOS) in Boston (2 hours or more away depending on traffic).
By train
Due to the rerouting of Amtrak Vermonter service, Amherst is no longer served by train. Nearest train stop is in Northampton, 6 mi (10 km) to the west.
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Hartford · International · BDL
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