Experience how new life has been given to what once was an abandoned relic. Visit the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMoCA) (413-662-2111; http://www.massmoca.org), 87 Marshall Street, North Adams. An abandoned 19th century factory has been transformed into one of the largest centers of modern art in the United States.

View Impressionist, Old Master, and American paintings, sculpture, and English silver at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (413-458-2303; http://www.clarkart.edu), 225 South Street, Williamstown.

While in Williamstown, visit the Williams College Museum of Art (413-597-2429; http://www.wcma.org; 15 Lawrence Hall Dr. Suite 2), where there is always something interesting.

Dig for dinosaur bones or learn to use a Geiger counter at the Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Route 7, Pittsfield (413-443-7171; http://www.berkshiremuseum.org). Art, history, and science are presented with a large variety of hands-on activities for people of all ages.

More museums: Norman Rockwell Museum, (800-742-9450 or 413-298-4100; http://www.nrm.org), 9 Glendale Rd., Route 183, Stockbridge; Hancock Shaker Village (800-817-1137 or 413-443-0188; http://www.hancockshakervillage.org), Route 20, Pittsfield; and the William Cullen Bryant Homestead (413-634-2244; http://www.thetrustees.org/bryanthomestead.cfm), 207 Bryant Road, Cummington.