Take in the natural scenery in Deerfield, Massachusetts, a small, beautiful town in Franklin County.
Explore its picturesque countryside.
Observe and study its well-protected wildlife.
With centuries-old houses, the town has many fascinating stories to tell.
Moreover, many places here have their unique charm, like a large candle store or a loaf-shaped mountain.
For fun activities and fantastic attractions, read on for the best things to do in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
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With 11 historic houses, Historic Deerfield will genuinely make you feel like you’ve taken a step back in time.
Your adventure will start at the Hall Tavern, where the Visitor’s Center is located.
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Afterward, you can take your time viewing each of the antique homes, with various furniture, textiles, and more that come from a different time.
If you love learning about history, you’ll have a wonderful trip here, as the tour guides are well-informed and are more than willing to impart their knowledge.
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This museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 am to 4:30 am.
However, you can always walk along Old Main Street, lined with tall trees, at any given time and day.
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Memorial Hall Museum, located in the former Deerfield Academy, holds a fine collection of furnishings, paintings, textiles, and Indian artifacts.
It opened in 1880 and is one of the oldest museums in the USA.
There are 19 rooms filled with exhibits to explore, and you can enter the museum from 11 am to 4:30 pm on Tuesdays to Sundays.
They offer school programs where the kids will enjoy fun-filled activities.
Also, they can provide customized group tours as well.
If you want to buy a gift for a loved one, check out their museum store, full of great finds.
Starting in the mid-1800s, the Williams Farm Sugarhouse made quality maple syrup for a long time.
In the sugaring process, trees are tapped to extract the sap.
Then, they boil the sap until it reaches a specific density.
They offer their maple syrup online as well, along with maple candy and maple cream.
You can purchase four different grades of maple syrup suitable for various purposes.
For great recipes, get yourself a copy of their maple syrup cookbook.
Aside from buying maple syrup, you can also dine in their restaurant, where you can treat yourself to pancakes, waffles, and more.
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You’ll have a great vantage point atop Mount Sugarloaf.
You can see lush trees below, and you’ll have overlooking views of the Connecticut River Valley.
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All sorts of outdoor adventures await here.
Go for a hike amid flora and fauna.
Ride a mountain bike and feel the rush as you traverse the varying landscapes.
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If you want a more laid-back activity, you can set up a picnic, and you can grill delicious meat here too.
If you’re coming with a large group, you can reserve the pavilion, which can hold up to 30 guests, for a fee.
Littering and alcohol are prohibited here.
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The Connecticut River Valley is home to fascinating dinosaur remains, some of the first in the USA, and impressed with dinosaur footprints.
The Jurassic Roadshow, which started in 2010, showcases these and provides a learning experience for visitors.
If you have a rock or fossil you want to know more about, there are professional paleontologists and geologists that can help you.
It’s an excellent opportunity for everyone to learn about these majestic creatures.
The handmade chocolates and specialty candies in Richardson’s Candy Kitchen are made with love and care, ensuring tasty treats look pretty.
You’ll find all sorts of boxes and containers, perfect if you’re looking for a lovely gift.
You can see everything from case chocolates to holiday treats.
You can even get a cute stuffed animal.
If you can’t take your pick from all the great choices, you can always get a gift card.
Not only that, these goodies are all available online through their website too.
You can visit the store from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm on Wednesdays to Saturdays.
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There are thousands of species of butterflies in Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory.
These colorful creatures fly all around you, making for an enchanting scene.
They are grown in nurseries situated in the conservatory, and you can observe the chrysalis.
Aside from butterflies, you’ll also find colorful reptiles, birds, and other kinds of insects.
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For a fun experience, you can interact with some of them or watch them from a distance.
It’s a great place to visit with the whole family and provides the perfect opportunity to learn more about the environment.
If you want to come here, they accept walk-ins from 10 am to 5 pm from Tuesdays to Sundays.
It’s also closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
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Chug down a pint of your favorite beer in the Berkshire Brewing Company, standing since 1994.
Its beers are all-natural – unfiltered, unpasteurized, and with no chemical additives or preservatives.
They undergo a long process to deliver a fantastic taste.
Head to the taproom, open on Thursdays from 4 pm to 9 pm, Fridays from 3 pm to 9 pm, Saturdays from 1 pm to 9 pm, and Sundays from 1 pm to 7 pm.
Choose from a wide selection of delicious beers, including ales, IPAs, and more.
Or, you can also avail yourself of its beers to-go.
They are available from 9 am to 4:30 pm on Mondays to Wednesdays, 9 am to 8:30 pm on Thursdays, 1 pm to 8:30 pm on Saturdays, and 1 pm to 6 pm on Sundays.
Visit its website to order.
You can also order kegs, but you’ll have to call 24 hours in advance.
Offering 40 varieties of apples and 50 varieties of peaches, Clarkdale Fruit Farms is a great place to visit if you want fresh, juicy fruits.
It has been open since 1915 and aims for sustainable agriculture.
In addition to apples and peaches, there are a lot of other fruits available, including nectarines, plums, pears, and more.
Remember that some varieties of these fruits only grow during a particular season.
You can check their website for more info on this.
They are pressed from October to February if you want to try their apple ciders.
The farm store is open from 9 am to 5 pm on Fridays to Sundays.
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The Deerfield Inn is a historic hotel providing quality service since 1884.
From the traditional twin bedroom to the king suite, its rooms feature private bathrooms and have an antique feel, with wooden furniture and bright, vintage-themed wallpaper.
Champney’s Restaurant and Tavern, the on-site dining option, offers mouthwatering meals from breakfast to dinner and has a good selection of drinks.
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It also has a bar and fireplace, creating a cozy atmosphere perfect for lounging.
If you want to bring along your significant other for a date, you can avail of the romantic package, complete with a bottle of wine, chocolates, flowers, and Deerfield Inn robes.
Check out their website for their rates.
You can also buy gift certificates for your loved ones.
You’ll find all the ingredients you need here in Atlas Farm Store.
It features products from the main farm and other suppliers in the region.
If you want a savory dinner, you can buy meat and fish.
For vegans, there are vegetables available.
Get yourself refreshing beverages.
To add to these, the farm store also has flowers, crafts and gifts, and much more.
You can visit any day of the year, and the farm store is open from 8 am to 7 pm.
If you want a more convenient way of ordering, you can call the store for next-day curbside pickup, available from Tuesdays to Saturdays.
For an exciting time with the whole family, pay a visit to the Rock, Fossil, and Dinosaur Shop.
You’ll be on the hunt for fossils and gems in a vast outdoor area surrounded by trees.
Lifelike dinosaur sculptures are present in every corner, creating a back-in-time feel.
There’s even a gold panning section where you can scout for treasures in the dirt yourselves.
You can book birthday parties here and have a blast with your family and friends.
It offers a fun and educational experience.
After exploring and enjoying the activities, check out its store for gemstones, fossils, and unusual rocks.
The Rock, Fossil, and Dinosaur Shop is open from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
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As the largest candle retailer globally, Yankee Candle offers tons of different kinds of candles.
What’s great about these candles is that they come in all sorts of scents and sizes and come from natural fragrances and oils.
The Yankee Candle Flagship Store, located in South Deerfield, features candles, interactive exhibits, and a candle-making museum.
Tourists of all ages will enjoy making candle sculptures in Wax Works, its activity center.
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During the Christmas season, you can attend its annual gala, where Santa Claus comes hovering down on a helicopter.
Furthermore, this fantastic place only closes during Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, making for a wonderful destination all year round.
You can visit from 10 am to 6 pm, and you can also check out their website if you want to order their products online.
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The Old Deerfield Craft Fairs comprises three annual events – the Fall Arts and Crafts Festival, the Holiday Sampler, and the Spring Sampler.
However, only the Fall Arts and Crafts Festival takes place in Deerfield.
You can attend the Holiday Sampler and the Spring Sampler near West Springfield.
You can ride free shuttle buses to the Fall Arts and Crafts Festival, during which you can enjoy multiple activities.
Observe the showcased art pieces created by over 100 artisans.
The art pieces are woodworkings, pottery, paintings, photography, and more.
Grab a bite of the specialty food, which you can eat inside a food tent.
If you want a family-friendly activity, you can craft items too.
The Old Deerfield Craft Fairs is a project of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association.
Old Deerfield Country Store’s got you covered for quirky finds and lots of giftable items.
Upon entering the store, shelves and shelves of various products greet you.
You’ll have a wide range of Polish Pottery goods to choose from.
You can get kitchen equipment and different kinds of home décor.
It features unique calendar towels with numerous designs.
If you collect Coca-Cola products, you can find those here as well.
Also, if you love getting your mind to work, you can buy all sorts of puzzles.
There’s something here for everyone, and for your convenience, they have an online store as well.
The store is open daily on Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 5:30 pm and on Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.
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About 15 miles long, the Pocumtuck Ridge Trail runs north to south along the ridge.
South Sugarloaf Mountain in South Deerfield marks its southern terminus.
The northernmost tip of it may be seen atop Greenfield, Massachusetts’ Rocky Mountain.
Most of the path is located on the ridgeline, providing excellent opportunities to take the scenery to the east and west.
The majority of the course runs through protected habitats.
You may observe the path marked by blue blazes, which include infrequent blue square metal markers with the trail’s name and a hiker emblem engraved on them.
Located on the western edge of town, Stillwater Bridge spans the Deerfield River and provides access to Old Deerfield.
Many people use it as a launching point for a quick water journey down the Connecticut River.
It’s a great place to spend the day relaxing and taking in the sights, especially if it’s hot outside.
Going down to the river is a little challenging because there are no stairs, only forests.
Feel free to take pictures of the stunning scenery!
Constructed in the 1750s, the Frary House now represents the Colonial Revival house of Miss C. Alice Baker.
It still possesses the same antiques, needlework, basketry, and ironware as it did in the 1890s.
Baker, an educator, collector, and scholar in the field of antiquity, completed restoration work on the Frary House in 1892.
Through a guided tour, visitors of Frary House may learn about her role in promoting the Colonial Revival in Deerfield, her antiquarian interests, and the town’s thriving arts and crafts scene.
The guide is also knowledgeable and makes the experience fun for all ages.
Ciesluk’s Market is a family-run market.
The produce it sells comes from local farms.
However, its primary specialty is deli.
Here, an extensive deli with Boars Head meats is at your disposal.
It also features deli salads with pasta and potatoes, delicious baked goods from a well-stocked bakery, and party sweets like cupcakes and cake pops.
It also provides daily meal specials and hot soups.
You may also find a wide variety of beers and wines here.
Antiques At Deerfield is an antique and vintage business run by a collective of dealers in South Deerfield.
You may find it between Historic Deerfield and Deerfield Academy, both approximately two miles to the south.
The antique store has been operating in this location since the ’90s. Dealers and others have been able to stock up on goods at affordable prices throughout the years.
The business also purchases items from auctions, estate sales, and private sales.
It features two spacious rooms stocked with a wide selection of items, which many people will like and find helpful.
Buy something for yourself or as a gift for a loved one!
Deerfield takes you back in time, dotted with historic houses that tell exciting stories of the town’s past.
It’s filled with activities that are great for the whole family.
And, it offers natural sceneries that will enchant every traveler and beautiful local wildlife.
For a fantastic vacation here, check out the list of the best things to do in Deerfield, Massachusetts, mentioned above.
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