Marcia Halio, who drove up from Delaware with her husband to visit their daughter at Williams College in neighboring Williamstown, says she is very impressed by the level of art in Building 6. This was our sixth museum after a visit to NYC and the colorful Sol LeWitt wall paintings was my hands-down favorite exhibit, which I know I will never forget (it's also great for photos).“We want to make it impossible for people to visit MASS MoCA and the northern Berkshires and to leave after a few hours or even a day,” says MASS MoCA’s founding director, Joseph Thompson. “We want them to take the time to stay and shop around town and buy two to three meals before heading back home.” The ancient wood floors and brick walls-and glass windows offering views of the low-flow Hoosic River at this juncture, offer wonderful character and make it an exciting space all around. Unlike most museums, the staff members do not stand sentinel in every room but friendly, moving from room to room in their red polo shirts and are available to help you find your way. In general, the space is used well with large installations that are nicely showcased here. The spaces are enormous and it is fun to wander.though sometimes maze-like in trying to figure out where you are among the numerous buildings. This is a destination museum that is so worth the effort-from the approach in the parking lot to the upside-down tree installation (you have to see to believe) to the immersive experience of being in the massive galleries. It would have been nice if they were in tune to make playing with them more fun. We also enjoyed seeing the musical instruments made out of "found" materials. We also enjoyed the explorations of light in the John Turrell exhibit. Then you emerge into the mountains and finally in a room with images projected on the floor and ceilings were you walk on water and watch images turn into a dancer and then become abstract again. ![]() ![]() As you emerge from the forest, you see a giant cloud of chandeliers topped with statues and imagery exploring the concept of whether or not there's racism in heaven. You walk through a forest of sparkly ornaments and as you look closer, you begin to see bullets and guns amidst the sparkling beauty. We didn't have a lot of time so we asked which exhibits were the best in the massive museum and thoroughly enjoyed the Nick Case exhibit which was an exploration into racisim, violence and identity and it was an incredible immersive experience. ![]() I'm not usually a fan of modern art but this place was awesome. There is not much else to see in North Adams but there is another museum in Williamstown in Williams College. So North Adams is a better day trip than an overnight trip. ![]() The Williams in is an established but worn hotel in nearby Williamstown and only a few old-style strip motels in between. Note there seem to be two decent places to stay in North Adams. Cafe is available but in our experience, can't consistently handle the load and there is a long line to order. So navigating within the museum is difficult. If there are signs to identify galleries and buildings they will be VERY hard to find. Navigating within the museum requires a floor plan map and only a poor version of the map was available in mid-June. Traffic signs to this complex and its parking are few and far between in the city. But in that many galleries are empty, the many buildings and square feet will not keep a visitor from seeing it all in 2-3 hours. You know by now this museum is for contemporary art and is very big.
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