🔅 Boston with Kids | MASS MoCA

In October, due to some unexpected events at home, I returned to China for half a month. After coming back to the U.S., I faced various emergencies, basically missing the fall foliage season. I thought about heading to the western part of Massachusetts to maybe catch some autumn leaves 🍁, but I ended up chasing just loneliness 😔. I decided to visit MASS MoCA in North Adams, a town I’ve always wanted to see because it’s reminiscent of Beijing’s 798 Art District. This town, located at the intersection of three states, is so close that you can cross all three states in just a day with a step on the gas. Here, there’s an art center converted from a factory, with a vast area and numerous exhibitions, making it hard not to love this place. It’s one of the largest centers for modern visual arts in the U.S. The contemporary art pieces here are quite avant-garde and offer a unique perspective. Our family is pretty art-illiterate; the old man has a particular disdain for modern art, and the kid is only interested in things that move. Fortunately, the exhibitions here are diverse enough to make the little one find joy in walking through the art galleries. Surrounded by numerous exhibits, there’s a Kidspace on the second floor, which is like a creative laboratory. It focuses on experiential learning to spark the kids’ curiosity about art. Very nice staff members introduce the children’s works here and provide kids with craft materials to freely create and express themselves. Among the exhibitions we saw, the child’s favorite was “Cosmic Latte,” a light-based work that seems to bring the starry sky into the museum. In an 80-foot-long gallery, 150 specially made LED lights are suspended from the ceiling, making you feel like the light colors are the same yet different as you walk beneath them. The second favorite was the two huge revolving glass doors. At first, we thought they were just decorations, but the staff said we could try pushing them, and they spin, offering reflections of the outside scenery through the glass, revealing a different view. Our little one got completely hooked on spinning this big guy, fascinated by the principles of motion and mechanics. The entire art area is vast, and it does take time to see everything. We didn’t leave until closing time at 5 pm, arriving at 2 pm, and there were still many exhibitions we didn’t get to see, not to mention the outdoor parts. There are several cafes and restaurants in the park, making it possible to spend a whole day there. 🚗 The distance is a bit far, so choose wisely; it’s about a 3-hour drive from Boston. 🎟️ Admission: $25/adult,$10/6-16 years old, free for under 5, tickets available on-site ⏰ Hours: Closed on Tuesdays, otherwise open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm #MustSeeExhibitions #BostonLife #BostonWithKids #BostonFoodAndFun #AmericanLife #WeekendGetaways