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All the United States Massachusetts Amherst

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Amherst

11 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Amherst, Massachusetts

Updated September 23, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Amherst

Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

Amherst, Massachusetts

Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

Founded by the famed children's book artist, this museum spreads an appreciation of the arts through picture books.
A replica of her small writing table.

Amherst, Massachusetts

Emily Dickinson's Bedroom

The mighty room where the poet spent most of her life is available to rent for an hour or two.
Hitchcock’s “stone book.”

Amherst, Massachusetts

Hitchcock Ichnological Cabinet

This exhibit is one of the largest and most well-preserved collections of Jurassic-era trackways in the United States.
Stearns steeple

Amherst, Massachusetts

Stearns Steeple

The monumental steeple on Amherst College's campus has no church attached to it.
Winter sunset scene at Simeon Strong House.

Amherst, Massachusetts

Simeon Strong House

The owner of one of the oldest homes in Amherst had a unique request before the home could be turned into a museum.
What happens when you press “the button.”

Amherst, Massachusetts

The Rausch Mineral Gallery

A unique collection of more than 250 rocks and minerals located on a university campus.
Taxidermied butterflies.

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Entomology Collection

This miniature museum is home to a vast array of insects.

Amherst, Massachusetts

Henry Street Salamander Tunnels

One of the first amphibian migration tunnels in the United States encourages a tradition that has inspired Amherst residents for decades.
See All 11 Things To Do in Amherst
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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

12 Places in Massachusetts Where Literature Comes to Life

Massachusetts is a lit-lover's paradise. From landscapes that have moved writers to wax poetic about beans to story-inspired sculpture parks and shops stacked with volumes new and old, the Bay State would also be aptly named the Book State. Here are 12 places to celebrate writers or the places that inspired them.

View Itinerary

Explore Amherst, Massachusetts

A
Universities 5
Museums 3
Poetry 2

Amherst Leaderboard

Places Added

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    4
  2. Johnmeszaros
    2
  3. alyssajkh
    1
  4. anntwe
    1
  5. TheDiscoveryService
    1
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Add an unusual place to Amherst.

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    1
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    1
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    1
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Places Visited

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    10
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    8
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    7
  4. Amalia Wompa
    7
  5. sjyosko
    6

Recent Amherst Activity

  • heybabayaga

    wants to go to Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

    1 day ago
  • heybabayaga

    wants to go to Emily Dickinson's Bedroom

    1 day ago
  • heybabayaga

    wants to go to Graves of David and Mabel Todd

    1 day ago
  • linzopd

    wants to go to Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

    about 14 hours ago
  • linzopd

    wants to go to The Rausch Mineral Gallery

    about 14 hours ago

Stories About Amherst

For more than a century, people have traveled to Amherst to see where Emily Dickinson lived.

How a TV Show Brought New Fans (and Furniture) to Emily Dickinson's House

The poet’s home-turned-museum has embraced its pop-culture moment.
by Elizabeth Minkel
September 23, 2024
The cake reveals much about Dickinson’s life and times.

The Messy History of Emily Dickinson's Black Cake Recipe

It reveals an unexpected side to the poet's personality and the brutality that brought a Caribbean dish to New England.
by Reina Gattuso
August 20, 2021

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