Single-day road trip ideas for art lovers near Boston
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Summer is the season for road trips in the Northeast. Check out three awesome itineraries for art enthusiasts looking to get out of Boston for a day of cultural exploration.
TO THE NORTH
The basic idea: Pay a visit to one of Greater Boston’s best outdoor art spaces and explore the little-known Lowell art scene.
Morning: Pack a lunch and get an early start to your day. Head northwest on Route 2 and pull off at Lincoln, about 30 minutes from Boston.
Spend the morning exploring the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, a 30-acre art institute located on Flint’s Pond. On the inside, the museum is currently hosting several well-received exhibits, including “Overgrowth,” an exhibit that features various works that tackle the topic of growth and expansion.
Be sure to allow plenty of time to explore the deCordova’s outdoor sculpture park, which includes about 60 sculptures across the grounds. Get close to several large-scale artworks and be sure to take plenty of pictures.
Lunch: The deCordova allows visitors to eat on the grounds so unpack your lunch and enjoy a picnic surrounded by some of the museum’s outdoor sculptures. If you didn’t pack a lunch, there’s a café on site.
If you’d like to go elsewhere for lunch, head north to Concord where there are plenty of excellent dining options including Trail’s End Café, Country Kitchen and Nashoba Brook Bakery.
Afternoon: Travel north on Route 3 and get off at Lowell, another 30 minutes away. The former mill town and fourth-largest Massachusetts city offers several artistic outlets to explore. Stop by the Brush Art Gallery & Studio or Western Avenue Artists’ Studios, where several contemporary artists live and display their works to the public. Lowell is also home to the Whistler House Museum of Art, the birthplace of artist James McNeil Whistler.
Dinner: Grab dinner at a local favorite like Good Thymes Family Restaurant, Priya Indian Cuisine, Blue Taleh or El Potro Mexican Grill.
Get on Interstate 93 heading south when you’re ready to head home. You’ll be back in Boston in about 40 minutes.
TO THE WEST
Take a tour of the Norman Rockwell Museum, which is currently hosting the exhibit “Rockwell and Realism in an Abstract World.”
The basic idea: Explore some hidden gems in Northampton before delving into the art scene of the Berkshires.
Morning: This jaunt to Western Massachusetts involves lots of driving so it will help to start the day early. Get on the Mass. Pike and head west towards Northampton.
Explore some of the city’s best art institutions, including the Don Muller Gallery, which holds the works of over 300 jewelry makers, and the R. Michelson Galleries, which features photography by science fiction icon and Massachusetts native Leonard Nimoy and paintings by renowned children’s author Dr. Seuss.
Lunch: Northampton has plenty of excellent choices to grab lunch. Some of the city’s top-reviewed restaurants include the Foundry, Haymarket Café or Filos Greek Taverna.
Afternoon: Get back in your car and head west again towards Stockbridge in the Berkshires, about an hour away from Northampton.
Take a tour of the Norman Rockwell Museum, which is currently hosting the exhibit “Rockwell and Realism in an Abstract World.” The exhibit also includes the works of several other contemporary artists including Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Roy Lichtenstein and Jeff Koons.
Stockbridge is also home to the Schantz Galleries, a contemporary art exhibit that features instillations by more than 50 globally recognized glass artists including Dale Chihuly, William Morris, Dan Dailey and Lino Tagliapietra.
Dinner: Head north and have dinner in Lee, about 10 minutes away. Eat at one of Lee’s best-reviewed restaurants like 51 Park Restaurant & Tavern, Salmon Run Fish House, Timothy’s Grill and Pizzeria or Sullivan Station Restaurant.
Pay your check and get on the Mass. Pike heading east back to Boston. You’re just over two hours away from home.
TO THE SOUTH
The Rhode Island School of Design Museum houses about 100,000 objects including ancient art, paintings, prints, sculptures and photographs.
The basics: Familiarize yourself with the artistic side of the Ocean State.
Morning: Head towards Providence, Rhode Island by traveling south on I-93 and I-95. Providence is just over an hour away from Boston.
Stop by the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, which houses approximately 100,000 objects including ancient art, paintings, prints, sculptures and photographs. The museum is currently hosting “All of Everything: Todd Oldham Fashion,” an exhibit that features more than 65 works by the acclaimed fashion designer and RISD graduate.
Lunch: Grab lunch at the museum’s on-site restaurant, Café Pearl. Or if you want to explore Providence further, visit a well-respected eatery like Ocean State Sandwich Company, Salted Slate, Flatbread Company or Harry’s Bar & Burger.
Afternoon: Head south on I-95 towards Newport, Rhode Island, about 45 minutes from Providence.
Visit the Newport Art Museum, which is currently hosting several interesting exhibits, including “This Newport,” featuring photography by Thomas Palmer and “Still Life Lives,” featuring still life painting by early 20th century artists from the Rhode Island School of Design and the Art Association of Newport.
If Newport is too far away for your taste, stop by the Bristol Art Museum in Bristol, Rhode Island instead. Just get on I-195 heading south to get to Bristol, about 30 minutes from Providence.
The Bristol Art Museum is currently hosting “Contemporary Women Artists” in its main galleries. The exhibit features the works of Elizabeth Alexander, Meris Barreto, Wendy Edwards and Jessica Straus.
Dinner: If you’ve ventured to Newport for the afternoon, grab dinner at one of the city’s most-respected restaurants like Midtown Oyster Bar, Pour Judgement Bar and Grill, Mamma Luisa Italian Restaurant or Malt.
If you opted to visit in Bristol, stop by Ton Phoon, Pomodoro Pizzeria, Quito’s or Judge Roy Bean Saloon.
Pay your bill and head north. Boston is about an hour and a half away.
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