Child's Park
This urban oasis is located between Elm Street and Prospect Street and is designated as a place of serenity and quiet reflection. This is a wonderful spot to retreat from the world, enjoy beautiful gardens and bask in the afternoon sun.

Bike Trails
This website provides some information about the Norwottuck Bike Trail that leads from Northampton, over the Connecticut River to Hadley and Amherst. There is also a peaceful shaded bike path from the end of State Street in downtown Northampton to the entrance of Look Park in Florence. It is about 3 miles in length and a favorite of bicyclists, roller bladers and joggers, as well as school children headed to and from JFK Middle School and Jackson Street Elementary School.

The Northampton Fairgrounds (3 County Fairgrounds)
The 3-County Fair is the oldest continuously operated agricultural fair still running in the United States.

In addition to the annual Fair, the facility has been a host to numerous horse shows. The New England Morgan Horse Show, held in July, attracts over 1000 horses from across the eastern states. Other horse shows have included Quarter Horses, Paint, Hunter/Jumpers, Reining and Arabian.

Overall, the 3-County Fairgrounds offers first-class facilities for every event, from craft shows to livestock shows. The facilities are reasonably priced and a complete package price for your event may be obtained.

Walk the Dogs
There are lots of great dog walks in Western Mass. When in Northampton, check out the path around Paradise Pond on the Campus of Smith College, or the popular pull-off on Burts Pit Road near the community gardens with walking trails through farmland that wind around the Mill River. Please remember that Northampton does have a leash law and you are required to pick up after your pet!

Public Parks and Recreation
The Northampton Recreation Department maintains the City's playing fields and recreational facilities. This summer, they will begin construction on a new Skateboard Park at Veterans' Field, the result of a partnership with the community group, S.P.I. N., which raised funds and helped advocate for the federal matching funds to support the project. Check out the Recreation Department Website above for information on recreation programs that are coming up.

Famous Folks
In downtown Northampton, outside of the Court House, you can see the bust of our most well-known former Mayor, Calvin Coolidge. You can also visit the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library Collection at Forbes Library just up the street. In downtown Florence, be sure to visit the Sojourner Truth Memorial Statue and public garden, just down the block from the Lilly Library, and near to the location of the first home Sojourner Truth owned when she lived in Florence for nine years.

Museums
Historic Northampton hosts a museum of local history in historic homesteads on Bridge Street in downtown Northampton.
On the other end of Main Street, plan to visit the Smith College Museum of Art. World class collections and rotating exhibits make this a must-see every time you come to town.

Three County Fairgrounds
Visit the longest continuously running agricultural fair each Labor Day Weekend. There are 4-H livestock shows, a carnival midway and lots of other events. Check out the Fairgrounds website for their calendar of events.

Catch a Flick
Downtown Northampton is home to two movie houses running award winning first-run, foreign and art films every evening. For listings, check out Pleasant Street Theater and the Academy of Music Theatre. Incidentally, the Academy of Music Theare is another historic building - the 6th oldest municipally owned theatre in the nation!

Up, Up and Away
Schedule a breathtaking airplane tour of the scenic Pioneer Valley or a romantic Hot Air Balloon ride at the Northampton Airport.

Shop till you Drop
Dozens of boutiques and one-of-a-kind shops line Northampton's Main Street, as well as numerous restaurants with every type of menu you can imagine! The Downtown businesses also present several annual events, including the Taste of Northampton, Summer Sidewalk Sales, and popular Bag Day in November. For more information, check out the Northampton Chamber of Commerce.

Listen to the Music
There are a number of live music and performance venues in and around Northampton. For the full scoop on what's going on when you get here, pick up a copy of the Valley Advocate, a free local arts and entertainment paper, or the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Also see the Arts & Entertainment pages on this website.