Great Barrington

     Southern Berkshire's largest town is one of natural beauty, cultural wealth and historical "firsts." Combined with its convenient location, fashionable shopping district, fine restaurants and recreational opportunities, Great Barrington is and has been a favorite holiday haven for more than 100 years.

Great Barrington's vibrant downtown invites a stroll along its charming tree-lined avenues. Main Street was the first in the United States to have electric lights. Railroad Street is one of the oldest streets in the country, and it offers a bit of "SoHo" in the Berkshires. Just past town hall you'll discover the monument commemorating the site of the first armed resistance against the British, two years before the Revolutionary War. This was also the site of the first slave being freed.

     Extend your stroll to include the riverwalk along the Housatonic River. The public footpath begins at a wooden gate between Brooks Pharmacy and the Riverbank House. Great Barrington also includes the village of Housatonic, with a beautiful old paper mill and a collection of interesting art galleries and studios. Home of the Berkshire Bach Society, the Berkshire Opera Company and the Searles Mansion, there's plenty here to satisfy your cultural appetite.