Area attractions for Western Ma.

There are so many wonderful attractions, history and much much more in Western, Ma. If you are considering relocating here are some great ideas and hot spots that you and your family will enjoy.

There are lots of ways to have fun at the Children's Museum in Holyoke! No matter what you're interested in or how old you are...you are invited to come and explore!

At the Children's Museum, exhibits are designed by education professionals (all former kids themselves) and are hands-on, participatory, exciting, and FUN thinking-doing-discovery activities. When you visit, also look for:

• Many-Sided Mirror
• Storyboard
• Puppet Theater
• Magnetic Board
• Feltboard
• Optical Illusions
• Drafting Table

Educational text in each exhibit area offers suggestions to increase fun and learning.

Visit the zoo in Forest Park Springfield~

The mission of the Forest Park Zoological Society is to promote public awareness and appreciation for indigenous and exotic animals, and to provide educational programming for all ages that encourages understanding and respect for the natural environment. The animal collections and gardens enhance our perception of the natural world, and emphasize the importance of bio-diversity.

The Zoo is committed to inspiring conservation of our natural resources and protection for threatened and endangered species. The Forest Park Zoological Society will continue to maintain the highest standard of animal care and facility maintenance, and promote comprehensive educational programming opportunities for its members and the regional community.

Magic Wings~ South Deerfield, MA

This is a fantastic hands on experience with mother nature's butterflies/ Here is some general information and history about Magic Wings.

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens, opened in October of 2000, consists of an 18,400-square foot facility that includes a 8,000-sq. ft. glass conservatory filled with butterflies, moths and tropical vegetation. We commemorated our new expansion in a Grand Opening ceremony June 26, 2004. The sun shines through the glass walls and heats up the conservatory to an 80-degree tropical-like environment all year round. The heart-shaped pond with Japanese koi graces the center of the conservatory. The sound of the waterfall, peaceful music and hundreds of butterflies fluttering freely through the air creates a tranquil and serene atmosphere. It has become a sought-after romantic place for weddings, for which we can provide a justice of the peace. Visits anytime throughout the year are delightful. It's truly amazing inside, for no matter how many people are enjoying the conservatory, it's still a peaceful sanctuary for all. Enter through the main entrance into our plant-filled atrium.

During cold winter days, a blazing fire is ongoing in the imposing fieldstone fireplace, beckoning you to shake off the chill of the day. Perched over the admissions counter is a 12-foot butterfly kite. On the wall is a handmade quilt by dottie case that includes the words Magic Wings 5 times. Can you find them?

Once you've paid your admission fee, you enter into our exhibits and display area where butterfly videos are presented. Browse through the various exhibits showing the history and evolution of butterflies. Did you know that butterflies and moths were possibly around during the dinosaur age? Did you know that a butterfly egg is the size of a pin head? Did you know that a caterpillar (also called a larva) eats its egg as soon as it hatches?

On the back wall is a poster of the Butterfly Alphabet, by Kjell B. Sandved, and on the front wall is the 4' x 6' original painting of Butterflies USA, by Alan James Robinson, commissioned especially for Magic Wings.

Through the double doors lies the conservatory. Your first glimpse is one of awe. Some 3,000 butterflies of all colors, shapes, sizes and varieties go dancing past. Our Flight Attendants are scattered throughout the conservatory, waiting to help you identify the many different butterflies. Brilliantly colored koi rise to the surface of the pond to greet you. Along the sides of the paths, we've tucked park benches for you to sit and relax and watch for as long as you need.

Leaving the conservatory, you enter the unique Magic Wings Gift Shop. Here you will find everything for the butterfly lover from novelty and gift items, to greeting cards and educational books, videos and posters, to T-shirts and sweatshirts, jewelry, mirrors, and even butterfly playing cards. We've also included our own unique glass globes -- no two alike -- that are truly amazing works of art.

Moving into the adjacent building from the atrium through the vestibule, you enter the Magic Wings Food Court. Lunch is served daily here with choices from homemade soups (delicious!), sandwiches and hotdogs (with all the fixin's), salads and beverages. The beverages are self-serve, so grab a tray, select your drink and then move along to the order counter and select from our varied menu. There are several options available for you to sit and enjoy your meal or snack; outside in the gardens if the weather permits, in our Art Gallery Café, or go back out into the atrium to one of the chairs and tables placed there.

At this end of the building, you can also browse through our garden shop. If the weather permits, you can exit out the double glass doors and across to our Iron Butterfly Outdoor Gardens. In the field, our gardens are filled with nectar flowers, which attract native butterflies.

The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum~ All aboard!

The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum's primary mission is to foster interest in the history of railroading in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts through the provision of safe, educational, and entertaining tourist train rides between Lenox and Stockbridge. The museum resumed tourist excursion service over 10 miles of track owned by the Housatonic Railroad in the spring of 2003. During 2005 the Museum repainted locomotive 8619 in an adaptation of the New York, New Haven and Hartford switching locomotive paint scheme. Three passenger cars that match our existing fleet were leased from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and were moved to Lenox from where they had been stored in Holyoke. A 12:15pm departure was added from Lenox to Lee to offer a shorter 45 minute trip for our youngest riders. Track upgrade work by the Housatonic Railroad allowed 25 mph operation over much of our trip, this shortened travel time for the Stockbridge round trip to 1-1/2 hours. The museum continued to connect with the free trolley operated by the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority allowing connections to other Berkshire area attractions from the museum's excursion trains.