Skiing

Bousquet Mountain has a brand new ski base lodge. Take a peek inside.

The new ski lodge opened Feb. 11.

The new base lodge at Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield. Mill Town

February 17, 2022

2 minutes to read

A 90-year-old ski destination in the Berkshires, one of the oldest in the country, just opened a contemporary base lodge that’s steeped in nostalgia.

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Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield, a 200-acre ski area set in the Taconic Mountain Range, opened a new lodge Feb. 11 after 10 months of construction. Owner Mill Town Capital did not provide the cost of the project.

The company described the lodge as a “contemporary/Scandinavian aesthetic with a hint of industrial.” The building’s “endless” windows and mountain views are “the star of the show,” Mill Town wrote.

The black exterior with cedar trim stands out against the white snow, and inside the two-story 17,500 square-foot lodge featuring blonde wood, there’s a lobby, communal spaces, a ski rental and tune up area, and a new restaurant with panoramic views of the mountain, according to the company.

The new base lodge at Bousquet Mountain.

Bousquet Mountain, founded in 1932, is the oldest existing ski area in the Berkshires.

The property was once a mink farm that belonged to Clarence J. Bousquet, who turned it into a ski area when the farm failed during the Great Depression, according to the mountain’s website.

“Bousquet has a rich history, and was the first ski area in America to offer night skiing, thanks to its partnership with General Electric,” according to its website. “Bousquet’s slopes have been graced by the likes of Gerald Ford, and Jackie and John F. Kennedy, and has produced three Olympic skiers.”

Custom wallpaper in the lobby honors the mountain’s past: a mural of more than 400 photos and newspaper articles of the ski area through the decades.

“The rich history and nostalgia of Bousquet is the focal point and main source of art + decor,” according to Mill Town.

Throughout the building, visitors can view enlarged, framed photos featuring skiers and riders of the past. The neutral color scheme keeps the view as the main focus and the many windows welcome as much natural light as possible.

“The space feels clean and uncluttered but still approachable,” Mill Town wrote.

The new Lift Bistropub, on the second floor of the lodge, offers a year-round full-service bar and restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The dining room seats 66 people and the bar seats 44.

The menu at Lift Bistropub includes appetizers such as wings, nachos, and lobster poutine. Hungry skiers can also order soup, salad, flatbread, burgers, chicken, and fish and chips.

Seating inside Lift Bistropub, located on the second floor of the lodge.

The bar serves skiers and riders local beers, as well as cocktails and wine.

“The panoramic views seen by way of large windows around the bar and second floor deck are priceless,” according to Mill Town.

Guests who spend time on the second-floor deck can watch skiers and riders while enjoying the mountain view.

Bousquet has a summit elevation of 1,818 feet, a vertical drop of 750 feet, 23 trails, two chair lifts, two magic carpets, and a terrain park.

The communal and multi-purpose spaces where skiers and riders can slip into and out of their gear and warm up by the fireplace “emulates a food hall atmosphere,” according to Mill Town.