Hancock Shaker Village — Attraction in Hancock

What a lovely, lovely place. I'd been here for a few special events but this was my first opportunity to take a good long time to wander the grounds. I learned so much and the folks working or volunteering here or there were more than willing to share or show what they know. Yep, it was a Christian religious site and that is emphasized in part of the presentations. Go here knowing that for the Shakers this was a religious vision that included art, inclusion, ecology, equity, and service.

A few more things to think about as a visitor...

The grounds are bigger than I thought they were and go on both sides of the road. I spent about 90 minutes there and probably saw about half the property. Either plan ahead to see what you want to see or plan more time than I did to see the whole thing.

Although the visitor's center is accessible, there are board walks throughout the property, and there is an accessible trail, know that there are still a few places that can only be accessed by stairs or walking across uneven grass. Considering the emphasis here is the history of the place, they've done a tremendous job with making the facility as accessible as possible while maintaining historical integrity.

Finally, know that a good bit of your time will be spent in between places outdoors and in some buildings without heat or cooling. Dress more like you would for a day hike than a trip to a museum.

This is a special place here in the Berkshires. In the middle of so much hopeless, divisive, and discouraging news it's good to come to a place where people sought - and for a while found - a vision for a more...

This place was absolutely awesome and a great educational tool. I've spent time with the Amish and the Quakers, but never with the Shakers. It was my understanding that the Shakers were celibate and so they just faded away due to the lack of reproductions. I learned that there were more factors involved than just celibacy. Most of us in the U.S. have been exposed to Shaker style furniture and household items, but for me it was thrilling to be in a self contained Shaker village and surrounded by so many artifacts that were produced by Shakers, not reproductions. The quality of their workmanship is to be admired. We saw some wood inlay furniture that was nothing short of perfection, and to imagine that everything was made by the hands of Shaker people and not by computerized robotic laser woodworking machines. I'm sure my wife had to tell me a time or two that I needed to close my slack jaw. It was also very educational to learn how the Shakers religion & beliefs differed from the Amish & Quakers that I'm more familiar with. Coming here to the Hancock Shaker Village took us about 300 miles away from our New England coastal road trip, but it was definitely worth the extra miles and time. Hopefully we can come back for a 2nd visit when we make our next road trip up to Saratoga Springs. Kudos to all the volunteers and employees who have worked so hard to restore and maintain this Shaker jewel...

This is a great place for a family day trip. There is a lot of interesting history to be learned from the written placards (so be aware that you will do LOTS of reading). For example, the uploaded photo here is of an ironing board that is actually a repurposed tombstone. In 1931 the Shakers decided to have a community graveplot in lieu of individual graves. So what do you do with the old tombstones? Well, as it turns out, lots of things (including using them as ironing boards)!

For those visiting with younger kids, there is still plenty to do that is more hands-on. Most certainly you would want to visit the animal barn, which holds a variety of friendly farm animals, and the discovery center where kids can practice milking a (fake) cow, try on Shaker outfits, and even enjoy some scheduled storytimes.

I deducted a star (and even considered more) due to the total lack of accessibility around the village in general and to most of the buildings. While it is understandable that these are historic sites, any persons using a cane or wheelchair or those with other mobility restrictions will find their activity options severely limited. One in our party had great trouble entering and exiting the buildings. Many patrons would be much happier with steadier walkways and perhaps wheelchair accessible ramps for some of the key sites.

Overall, if you're visiting this area Shaker Village is an...