Experience Gilded Age style and splendor at this marvelous estate renowned for its elegant gardens and rare Berkshire “cottage.”
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.
Through September 4th we are open Thursday-Monday 10AM-4PM, advance tickets recommended but available to purchase at the door when capacity allows. Tickets for the summer season are now on sale!
When you visit this National Historic Landmark, carve out time to explore the superlative gardens created by Mabel Choate and noted landscape architect Fletcher Steele. Take in the Blue Steps, a series of deep blue fountain pools, flanked by four flights of stairs and a grove of white birches. Elsewhere walk through the stunning beautiful Afternoon Garden, Tree Peony Terrace, Rose Garden, Evergreen Garden, and Chinese Garden, each of which evinces beauty while revealing the playful, inventive spirit of collaboration between Ms. Choate and Mr. Steele, which played out over the span of 30 years.
Through September 4th we are open Thursday-Monday 10AM-4PM, advance tickets recommended but available to purchase at the door when capacity allows. Tickets for the summer season are now on sale!
Tickets**Please Note: On Saturday, July 22 we will be closing at 12PM for a private event.**
To schedule a group tour, contact naumkeag@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.
Through September 4th
Thursday-Monday ~ 10AM-4PM ( Last ticket sale at PM)
Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Pre-registration is strongly recommended, with limited availability for ticket sales at the door. Purchase your tickets here!
After Labor Day weekend the house and grounds will be closed in order to prepare for the Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show.
September 28th-October 31st
Wednesday-Sunday ~ 4PM-8:30PM. (Dates and times subject to change)
Pre-registration required.
Tickets will go on sale in early September.
Property is closed during the day.
November 26th-January 7th
Wednesday-Sunday ~ 4:30PM-8:30PM. (Dates and times subject to change)
Pre-registration required.
Tickets will go on sale in early November.
Property is closed during the day.
5 Prospect Hill Road
Stockbridge, MA 01262
Telephone: 413.298.8138
E-mail: naumkeag@thetrustees.org
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.
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.
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.
There is no parking on-site during Winterlights, Shuttles running every 10-15 minutes will bring visitors from the downtown Stockbridge parking area to Naumkeag and back again. No vehicles will be permitted on-site after this time. Drop-offs and walk-ins cannot be accommodated. Contact aduquette@thetrustees.org with questions.
Restrooms are available when the property is open.
A self-guided landscape tour brochure provided with admission to house and/or gardens. Download a trail map here.
on this page
Discover the revitalized public gardens and historic houses at two special places on the North Shore – Long Hill, in Beverly, and Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens, in North Andover.
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.
"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
