Perennial Favorites And New Things To Love About Adams, Mass.
Although the “talk of the town” is the Greylock Glen — the rolling hills, ponds and forest at the base of Mount Greylock, Massachusetts’ tallest mountain — the town of Adams has more to offer while you wait for completion of this new resort destination.
Development of the Glen has long been in the works, and I mean long — for decades, projects have been proposed and abandoned: ski resorts, golf courses, condominium complexes. But during the past two years, a new project received $9.3 million in support from the state, and construction crews finally broke ground this spring.
The first step in the Greylock Glen Resort project is an outdoor center, which is slated to open in 2023. It is meant to encourage recreation, ecotourism and environmental education, and will include an equipment retail/rental shop, a four-season café, classrooms, and other amenities. Future plans include an outdoor amphitheater, an environmentally friendly lodge with room for conferences, and a year-round camping area.
Proposed Greylock Glen outdoor center
While the Glen project is being built, visitors can still take advantage of the site’s multipurpose gravel trail, the 1.7-mile Glen Meadow Loop, which is ideal for leisurely walking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. A handful of other, more strenuous trails are also open for mountain biking, hiking, and skiing, including the famously steep and rocky Thunderbolt Trail. Even on the hottest of summer days, the Peck’s Falls swimming hole is always shady and ice cold.
When you make it to the top of Mount Greylock, whether by foot or by car, stop into Bascom Lodge for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or just to sip a beer or glass of wine while you watch the sun set. The Lodge is open Wednesdays through Sundays until October 22, when both the building and the road to the mountain close for the season.
The rail trail begins (or ends) in Adams, and includes a newly paved section running from the former Berkshire Mall to the Allendale Shopping Center in Pittsfield. An even newer section, the Williamstown Bike Path, has recently been completed, with plans to connect the two trails through North Adams in the near future. The 12-plus-mile paved trail runs through idyllic forest and marsh, along the Hoosic River, and past Cheshire Lake. Keep your eyes peeled and you might see beavers, turtles, frogs, deer, and a plethora of swimming and flying avian species.
Well-known local chef Xavier Jones (formerly of BIGG Daddy’s Philly Steak House in Adams and Pittsfield) has partnered with Warren Dews Jr. to re-open the Firehouse Café on Park Street. The restaurant, serving Mediterranean small plates, debuted earlier this summer in what was, until 1960 — you guessed it — the town’s fire station. Customer favorites include crab cakes, falafel bites with creamy dill sauce, sesame-crusted ahi tuna, and “man candy” — fried pork belly tossed in bourbon sauce and dusted with a house spice rub. For those missing Jones’ former menu, cheesesteaks are available on Tuesdays.
Adams Theater, Incubator, and Poseidon Coffee
Serving as the town’s movie house from 1937–1967, the long-dormant Adams Theater is undergoing a complete renovation thanks to its new owner, founder and executive director Yina Moore. The 12,443-square-foot building is intended to provide the community with year-round arts programming, as well as serve as a collaborative partner for local businesses and community needs. To that end, Moore has opened a co-working, art, retail, and event venue just next door while the theater undergoes its updates. The Adams Incubator, open daily from 9 a.m.–6 p.m., has already played host to artist meetups, workshops and lectures, and more events are on the docket.
Inside you can also find an outpost of Poseidon Coffee, with the larger portable coffee kiosk and espresso bar parked at the Adams Visitors Center. Serving lattes, frappes, ice cream and more, Poseidon opened its windows last August and serves Thursdays through Sundays from 9 a.m.–1 p.m., spring through fall.
As part of its recently launched crowdfunding campaign, the Adams Theater is holding a benefit concert Friday, Nov. 11 with Two Piano Journey.
And more:
One-hour, round-trip Fall Foliage train rides leave from the Adams Station (across the street from the Visitors Center) on weekends, from September 17–October 23. Family-friendly Halloween trick-or-treat rides are scheduled for October 29 and 30, and train rides with Santa begin November 25 and run through December 18.
54th Annual Ramble & RambleFest
The popular yearly event includes the Ramble (a hike to the top of Mount Greylock) on Monday, Oct. 10, and the RambleFest party the day before, Sunday, Oct. 9 from 12–5 p.m. The Fest, held on the Visitors Center lawn, features food and drink, local vendors, live music, and kid-focused fun.
Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum
Adams is the birthplace of one the country’s most well-known suffragettes. Winter hours for the little museum honoring a big personality are Friday-Sunday from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., with tours available by request. Also, be sure to check out a new statue of Anthony on the Town Common. Installed in 2020, the statue features a standing adult Anthony above a seated younger version as she is imagined to have looked when she lived in Adams.
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