Overview
Lenox is a town in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, about 3 hours from New York City and 2½ hours from Boston. Lenox is an arts-lover's dream, home to Tanglewood. There are also several stately mansions and prestigious boarding schools in the area.
5 sights · 6 things to do · 16 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 25 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Lenox
Ventfort Hall Museum of the Gilded Age
Gilded Age mansion.
Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio
Tanglewood
Summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Tanglewood Music Center, and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute.
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
Over 7 mi (11.25 km) of trails on 1500 acres. Two easy trails to see birds and beavers, and a 3 mi hike to the top of Lenox Mountain for views of surrounding mountains.
Mount Estate and Gardens of Edith Wharton
Elegant 1902 mansion and magnificent formal gardens designed by Edith Wharton, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and authority on architecture, interior design and gardens.
Lenox Athenaeum
Seminars on classical music, theater, dance, literature, and other subjects. Music recitals, private and charitable functions, as well as lectures that promote an appreciation of the history, literature, and the natural …
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 84°F; winter lows dip to about 16°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jul and Jun. (climate data from nearby Albany)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- ALB Albany International Airport, Albany — 38 mi away (major hub). Directions
- BDL Bradley International Airport, Hartford — 42 mi away (major hub). Directions
Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Ventfort Hall Museum of the Gilded Age, Shakespeare & Company
- Lunch Blantyre
- Afternoon Undermountain Farm Riding Stable, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
- Dinner Chocolate Springs Cafe
- Evening Olde Heritage Tavern
Day 2
- Morning Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio, Mount Estate and Gardens of Edith Wharton
- Lunch Church Street Cafe
- Afternoon Berkshire Horseback Adventures, Kennedy Park
- Dinner Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club
Day 3
- Morning Tanglewood, Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
- Lunch Dish Cafe Bistro
- Afternoon Lenox Athenaeum
- Dinner Firefly
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
- From the west (3 hours from New York City): Take the Taconic State Parkway. Exit at "Hillsdale, Claverack, Route 23" and follow Route 23 East to Great Barrington. North on Route 7 through Stockbridge. Left onto Route 7A into Lenox.
- From the east (2½ hours from Boston): Take the Massachusetts Turnpike to Exit 2, marked Lee. Follow Route 20 West about 4 miles beyond Lee then left on to Route 183 into Lenox.
- From the south (75 minutes from Hartford): North on I-91 to the Massachusetts Turnpike West to exit 2; then as above.
Get around
The small downtown area is easily walkable, and Tanglewood is just a mile from the central crossroads. To go farther, you will probably need at least a bicycle if not a motor vehicle.
See
See Lenox Athenaeum
Seminars on classical music, theater, dance, literature, and other subjects. Music recitals, private and charitable functions, as well as lectures that promote an appreciation of the history, literature, and the natural beauty of the Berkshires.
Do
Do Kennedy Park
A compact multi-use park on the site of a former Gilded Age resort home now reverted to forest.
Eat
Eat Blantyre
Mobil Five-Star Award and the Wine Spectator’s 2003 Best of Award of Excellence.
Eat Chocolate Springs Cafe
Pastry Café.
Eat Church Street Cafe
Lunch, dinner. Regional & ethnic dishes. Vegetarian items available. Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.
Eat Dish Cafe Bistro
Breakfast, lunch & carry out daily.
Eat Firefly
Lunch, dinner. Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence”.
Eat Lenox 218 Restaurant
Daily for lunch and dinner. Northern Itaian/American.
Eat Prime Italian Steakhouse & Bar
Great wine list, late night entertainment on weekends.
Eat Seven Hills Inn and Restaurant
Gourmet dining on fine china.
Eat Village Inn
Full breakfast, Afternoon English tea, Candelight dinners.
Eat Wheatleigh
Hawthorne Rd. Year-round. Lunch and dinner daily. Prix-fixe.
Drink
Drink Olde Heritage Tavern
Neighborhood bar, very casual. Pool, darts, jukebox, and pub food.
Sleep
Stay Knights Inn Lenox
Free wireless Internet access, free breakfast, free parking, TV with cable, pet-friendly.
Stay Howard Johnson Express Inn
Jacuzzi rooms, free wireless Internet access, free breakfast, outside pool, handicap rooms, free parking, TV with cable.
Eat Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club
AAA Four Diamond Resort. 107 rooms, indoor/outdoor pools, 18-hole championship golf course, tennis, x-c skiing, 3 restaurants on property.
Eat Gateways Inn and Restaurant
12 rooms. Pricey and worth it.
Stay Whistler's Inn
Go next
Jacob's Pillow dance festival is in Becket, about a half hour's drive from Lenox, depending on traffic.
Nearby
Lee
City / town · 3 listings · 4 mi away
Stockbridge
City / town · 5 listings · 5 mi away
October Mountain State Forest
Park · 31 listings · 6 mi away
Pittsfield
City / town · 39 listings · 7 mi away
New Lebanon
City / town · 21 listings · 9 mi away
Hinsdale
City / town · 21 listings · 10 mi away
Dalton
City / town · 51 listings · 10 mi away
Becket
City / town · 1 listings · 10 mi away
My experience
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