PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire County Historical Society will host a day of free, family activities on May 16 from 11 am - 4 pm to celebrate the opening of its summer season.  

 

Starting that day, hourly guided tours of Herman Melville's historic home will be offered Thursday - Monday with the first tour beginning at 10 am, and the final tour at 3 pm. 

 

Tickets are required for tours and can be purchased at berkshirehistory.org by using the BOOK NOW button, or on site. This event is sponsored by Massachusetts Cultural Council and Housatonic Heritage.

 

Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides, 11 am - 2 pm - A team from Four Seasons Stables in Lanesboro will ride around Arrowhead's field.

 

Silk Screening, 1 - 3 pm - Pittsfield's Penny Arcade Press will be on site demonstrating

 

silkscreen printing with water-based ink. Prints made using this traditional, hand-pulled method will be available for purchase in the museum shop.

 

Children's Story Hour, 2 pm - Explore new children's books based on works by Herman Melville - Call Me Moby by Lars Kenseth and Bartleby by Matt Phelan.

 

"Herman Melville in the Berkshires" Book Launch with author John Dickson, 4 pm

 

According to a press release:

 

The Berkshires have long attracted artists and writers, drawn to the mountains, rivers, forests, and lakes of Western Massachusetts. Herman Melville first came here as a young boy and was so inspired by the surroundings that he returned to live here for thirteen years during one of the most productive writing periods of his life. He finished his masterpiece, Moby-Dick, in his first year here, seated in his study with a view of Mount Greylock. "His first love," is the way his cousin described his relationship to his adopted home. He wandered on foot and horseback to all corners of the county, tapping into the Berkshires in his art. The places he explored are sprinkled through the pages in his stories. Herman Melville in the Berkshires reveals the connections between Melville's writing and the beauty of the landscape that inspired him. This program is co-sponsored by OLLI at Berkshire Community College.