At Brook Farm Inn, we’re always interested in literary links to the original Brook Farm, for which the inn was named.  Brook Farm was a utopian farm experiment — the original hippie commune, perhaps — that was founded by the Transcendentalists in the 1840’s.   Hawthorne, Emerson, Margaret Fuller, and other famous intellectuals of the era were involved.  Nathaniel Hawthorne immortalized the farm in The Blithedale Romance, a fictionalized account .  (You’ll find a copy in each of our guest rooms.) The photo shows how the site looks today, in what is now West Roxbury.

This summer, The Mount is presenting a series of literary lectures, Mondays at 4 PM.  They all sound fascinating.  The one that connects most to Brook Farm is the lecture  about Eden’s Outcasts, a dual biography of Louisa May Alcott and her father, Bronson Alcott.  Although not involved with Brook Farm, they were part of the Transcendentalist community, and their lives were fascinating.   We recommend the book, and the lecture!

At Brook Farm Inn (Lenox Massachusetts) the garden is getting lush and colorful.  Irises are open,  annuals are looking happy, and the pool is open as well. Guests this weekend enjoyed the hammock, too.

Starting tomorrow night,  and continuing  on Fridays through the summer and early fall, you can enjoy a special haunted twilight tour at The Mount in Lenox Massachusetts, home of Edith Wharton.   The author herself was rather superstitious, and the house has eaves, nooks and woods to explore, in this after-hours guided tour of the house, stables, and grounds (including the pet cemetery).  To quote the Berkshire Eagle, “you can expect tales of death, betrayal, and desolation, as well as some quotes from Edith Wharton’s own ghost stories.”  At Brook Farm Inn, we can’t wait to experience it!  Stay posted — we’ll let you know if we experience shivers and chills.

Barrington Stage Co., just 15 minutes from Brook Farm Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts, is offering a great deal for our spring and summer guests.

After being closed for 2 years, the road to the highest peak in Massachusetts will be opening today.  The newly repaired road makes it possible for you to drive to the top of Mt. Greylock, where you’ll find Bascom Lodge, a visitors’ center.  The view from Bascom Lodge is incomparable, and on the way are scenic overlooks. The drive there from Brook Farm Inn,  in Lenox,  is about  1/2 hour. Link here for more information. http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/mtGreylock/

The weather is great, and the hours we’ve spent gardening  at Brook Farm Inn, in Lenox Massachusetts, are paying off!  So everything looks green — just the right weather for hiking, or relaxing among our flowers and trees.  Also, here are some suggestions for theater performances this weekend, to keep you busy every evening.

Berkshire Theatre Festival performs  The Faith Healer, “An intenseluy powerful play by one of Ireland’s greatest playwrights.”

Shakespeare & Co. opens Romeo and Juliet tonight.

Mixed Company in Great Barrington offers “April in Paris,” a delightful comedy. 413-528-2320.

The public is invited to see and hear Peter Bergman, Director of the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society, this Saturday, 3:00 at Brook Farm Inn.  This celebration of the poet’s life and work, “The Four Seasons of Edna St. Vincent Millay,” will benefit the Millay Society’s restoration of Steepletop, the poet’s home in the Berkshires.  Peter Bergman is not to be missed!  Reservations for seats are recommended at 800-285-7638 (POET).  Link here for more information. www.brookfarm.com/poetry.html

Since no trip to the Berkshires is complete without visits to the Clark and Tanglewood, Brook Farm Inn in Lenox Massachusetts is glad to announce that the two venues have paired to offer the perfect package of art and music. For only $45 (a 25% savings) you can purchase two Clark admissions and two Tanglewood lawn tickets. Clark admission tickets are valid June 7 through September 7; Tanglewood lawn tickets are valid for all BSO and Boston Pops concerts (excludes Popular Artist Series).

 You may purchase ticket packages in any quantity – and it is easy, one stop shopping. Visit clarkart.edu or tanglewood.org or phone the Clark’s box office at 413 458 0524. 

 This summer the Clark presents Dove/O’Keeffe: Circles of Influence, an exhibition exploring the early abstract work of iconic American painter Georgia O’Keeffe and the great modernist painter Arthur Dove. O’Keeffe has long been the subject of fascination by critics and art lovers alike, and this exhibition (exclusive to the Clark) adds a new chapter to the ongoing interest in her work. Through the Seasons: Japanese Art in Nature will be presented in Stone Hill Center. Both exhibitions open on June 7.

 Also at the Clark are free summer band concerts on Tuesday evenings in July. In August you can enjoy a series of chamber music concerts on Tuesday evenings; purchase  your tickets early as the series sold out last summer. A robust schedule of lectures, films, and events completes an exciting summer at the Clark.

At Brook Farm Inn, we know that  Church Street Cafe, in Lenox Massachusetts,  is among our guests’ favorite restaurants.  Tonight it will open for the season.  So check out the menu at www.churchstreetcafe.biz.   And when you stay with us, we’ll be glad to arrange dinner reservations for you at the restaurant.