Berkshires

Naumkeag

Stockbridge

48 acres

Experience Gilded Age style and splendor at this marvelous estate renowned for its elegant gardens and rare Berkshire “cottage.”

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Plan Your Visit
  • Overview
  • Ideas for Your Visit
  • Admission & Hours
  • Directions & Contact Info
  • What You'll Find
  • Facilities & Accessibility
  • Property Map
  • Regulations & Advisories

Overview

Naumkeag is a public garden and historic home in the heart of the Berkshires, Massachusetts.

This 48-acre architectural masterpiece is, at its heart, a family home. In 1884, Joseph Choate, a prominent New York attorney and U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, and his wife, Caroline, hired the famous architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White to design a summer retreat. The result was a 44-room shingle-style home, where several generations of the Choate family lived until daughter Mabel Choate bequeathed it to The Trustees in 1958.

Winterlights at Naumkeag

Tickets are now on sale for Winterlights!
Open Wednesdays–Sundays* 4:30pm-9pm, from November 29–January 4
*Closed on December 25, Open on January 1
**Additional days available December 23 and 31 –October 27

Get Your Tickets

 

Ideas for Your Visit

Our daily schedule and program offerings vary depending on the season, please visit “Admission & Hours” for more information. Pre-registration for tickets is required for our fall, winter and spring events, and is strongly encouraged for general admission in the summer.

Winterlights

Get Tickets

Open Wednesdays–Sundays* 4:30pm-9pm (last ticket sale and entry at 7:30pm), from November 29–January 4
*Closed on December 25, Open on January 1
**Additional days available December 23 and 31 –October 27

  • Pre-Registration Required, tickets will not be sold on-site
  •  Property closed outside of Winterlights hours
  • Winterlights closed Monday/Tuesday
  •  First floor of the house open in limited capacity
  •  Visit the ticketing page for more detailed FAQs

Questions? Email winterlights@thetrustees.org

Admission & Hours

The house and grounds are currently closed to General Admission as we prepare for Winterlights

Winterlights Tickets

Open Wednesdays–Sundays* 4:30pm-9pm (last ticket sale and entry at 7:30pm), from November 29–January 4
*Closed on December 25, Open on January 1
**Additional days available December 23 and 31 –October 27
• Pre-Registration Required, tickets will not be sold on-site
• Property closed outside of Winterlights hours
• Winterlights closed Monday/Tuesday
• First floor of the house open in limited capacity
• Visit the ticketing page for more detailed FAQs

Email winterlights@thetrustees.org with any additional questions

To schedule a group tour, contact kknisley@thetrustees.org. We welcome school and youth groups for experiential educational programs. Please visit our Education Page for details and to initiate a visit request.

Directions & Contact Info

5 Prospect Hill Road
Stockbridge, MA 01262
Telephone: 413.298.8138
E-mail: naumkeag@thetrustees.org

Get directions on Google Maps

Directions

From Points East:
Mass Turnpike (I-90), Exit 10. Take Rt. 102 West approx. 5 mi. into Stockbridge. Turn right onto Pine St. and bear left onto Prospect Hill Rd. Follow for 0.5 mi. to entrance and parking (20 cars) on left.

From Points West:
I-90 East to Exit B3, NY Rt. 22 South. Take 1st left onto Rt. 102 East. Follow approx. 7.5 mi. to Stockbridge. Turn left onto Pine St., then bear left onto Prospect Hill Rd. Follow directions above.

 

 

 

What You'll Find

Naumkeag encompasses a bucolic country estate including its 44-room “cottage” and 8-acres of formal gardens, as well as acres of meadows and farmland. Due to its age as well as steep, uneven terrain and multiple sets of stairs, Naumkeag is not wheelchair- or stroller-accessible.

Hours change seasonally as we host variety of annual programs, including the Daffodil and Tulip Festival, the Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show, and Winterlights. Parts of the house may be open depending on the time of your visit. The gift shop and concessions are open seasonally.

 

Facilities & Accessibility

Due to the age of the site and its steep and uneven terrain, Naumkeag is not ADA compliant and is not wheelchair- or stroller-accessible.

Please contact aduquette@thetrustees.org with questions.

Restrooms are available when the property is open.

Property Map

A self-guided landscape tour brochure provided with admission to house and/or gardens. Download a trail map here.

Please Note: This trail map is only accurate during the summer season. If you are visiting the property during one of our signature festivals or private events the parking, access to the property, and other features will be different. Keep an eye on social media or the FAQS/confirmation emails for your event for the most updated information.

 

Regulations & Advisories

  • Naumkeag is not ADA-compliant, due to the age of the site. There are many stairs, a steep hillside, uneven footing, etc.
  • Hunting is not permitted at this reservation. Learn more about hunting on Trustees properties.
  • Dogs are not allowed.
  • Mountain biking is not allowed on the reservation.
  • Naumkeag is a non-smoking property
  • PHOTOGRAPHY: We ask that photographers or their clients become Contributing Level Members before conducting portrait sessions at this property.  Click here for more information, and to request permission for any portrait sessions. The Trustees of Reservations reserves the right, and may give permission to its designated photographers and videographers, or to outside media, to photograph or video visitors and program participants at all its facilities and properties.
Before Setting Out
More to Explore

Revitalized Gardens of The Trustees

Discover revitalized public gardens and historic houses at our special places across Massachusetts.

 

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History

Since the 1870s, Joseph and Caroline Choate had summered in Stockbridge with their young family. Like so many others, both then and now, they fell in love with the Berkshires and decided to build a summer retreat of their own. In 1884, Choate sought the advice of his friend, Charles McKim, of the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White. The result was Naumkeag – a gracious 44-room “cottage” with breathtaking views over the Housatonic River Valley.

Learn more
The View From Here
See What People Say

"We went today to see the gardens and grounds only (covid) and it was really great. The Trustees did a great job staggering the people so it wasn’t crowded and we could still enjoy the wonderful gardens."

Sirigil, From Needham, MA

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