Chesterwood

So fascinating to tour his beautifully restored home and studio and see the actual molds used to cast his final design of the Lincoln Memorial. Grounds are peaceful and beautiful.

It was a beautiful visit to learn more about the work of this prolific sculptor. The tour of the residence is limited to a few rooms on the first floor and outdoor spaces. The studio is the star of this site, and you can visit on your own, or for an extra cost, take a guided tour. Either way, don't omit visiting the studio. There are several picnic tables with a terrific view to use near the parking lot.

A gem of a historical house/studio museum in a magical setting in Stockbridge. While I did not tour the house, the Collections Gallery and Studio were amazing. Also did the short Woodland Walks and steep Ledges Trail whose panoramic mountain views at the top was sadly obscured by leaves still being on the trees.

Chesterwood was the summer home of Daniel Chester French. French was a renowned sculptor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His most famous work is the sculpture of Abraham Lincoln seated at the Lincoln Memorial. Other famous French works include the Minute Man and John Harvard sculptures. The self guided tour of Chesterwood includes the gardens and the artist's studio. After checking in at the gift shop there is a short introductory movie that is shown about the life of Daniel Chester French. After seeing the movie there is a small museum that depicts many of the sculptures that French made. There are an array of models and paintings to be seen here. At the studio there is a docent who can answer any questions you may have. They also have a nice book of the different works that French completed. The studio has many different sculptures and models that French worked on and completed. French's equipment and tools can be seen in the studio as well. There are some very nice walking trails in the woods surrounding the home. These trails include contemporary sculptures that are interesting. It is best to wear sneakers or hiking boots for some of these trails, as the walk in some areas is somewhat steep. There is a house tour that can also be booked online. The house tour lasts about an hour and you see where French lived and learn a little more about him. Be sure to get tickets online for any tour that you're considering. The estate is both interesting and beautiful. Chesterwood is not all that far way from the Norman Rockwell Museum and together these two places are a great combination. Stop by Chesterwood to learn about and see the works of America's greatest sculptor.

Once you recognize Daniel Chester French, you will see his sculptures on any major gilded age building. While the exhibits on DCF were of interest, I enjoyed the sculpture installation throughout the grounds more. Entry to the house requires a separate ticket and a tour.

We bought our senior tour tickets online. The tour was utterly incredible. Our docent was himself a painter and brought a personal perspective to his comments about Daniel Chester French's work. The museum and visuals were historically informative. The tools were on display, and the visuals showed how sculptors work. Letters of commission were there, as well. The studio out back has been turned into an artists display. The large house/ workshop out back shows the incredible scale in which Daniel Chester French worked. The large doors and railroad tracks used to transport both marble and statues were silent testament to his era and the history of the place. The flower gardens were picturesque and well tended. There was also a woodland path for walking and reflecting on the history. The statues both on the lawn and in the studio were magnificent. There is a gift shop where one can buy replicas of statues. There are canvas stools available for those who would enjoy sitting during a presentation. The hills framed everything in a peaceful way.

The first greeting by the gift shop attendant was friendly and engaging. We were introduced to the grounds map and told about the guided tour. The tour was highly educational and intriguing. The grounds were beautiful and manicured. Highly recommended for all art affecionados. We made use of our local library's free passes.

I have mixed impressions visiting this museum. The entrance fee of $20 per adult seemed excessive given small footprint of exhibition gallery and mansion being under renovation. However, gardens, views from the property and trails added another star to my review. I recommend to try Ledges trails for hiking (hiking boots are recommended) although trail markings are only for start / end of the trails.

I was up in the Berkshires the other week and found out about Chesterwood whilst searching online for music and poetry events. Turns out they had an hour long poetry reading event curated by Voices of Poetry, an amazing poetry group run by Neil Silberblatt. I drive in, parked in the free lot, bought a ticket in the main building and explored for a bit before the event began. The poetry reading featured Chard di Niord (poet laureate of Vermont), Patrick Donnelly (director of the Poetry Center at the Frost Place), Shanta Lee (recipient of the Arthur Williams Award for Meritorious Service to the Arts), Hilde Weisert, winner, 2017 Gretchen Warren Award (New England Poetry Club) & 2016 Tiferet Journal Poetry Award. Every single poet was super talented and covered a large range of topics. Now I've been to my fair share of poetry readings however the talent and environment here really set this one apart. The backdrop and setting of the grounds is absolutely gorgeous. There is a short trail that you can hike and also plenty of beautiful walking paths, with plenty of sculptures, artwork, fountains and incredible trees/flowers for your viewing pleasure.

This is a wonderfully bucolic estate to visit. Beautiful grounds as well as a great exhibit about the foremost American sculptor. Think Lincoln Memorial.

We stopped at Chesterwood to visit. The grounds are absolutely stunning! There's a very short easy hike with an awesome view. There's a harder hike which we didn't try. The gardens were very pretty even though it was the off-season and not a pretty flower time. We didn't do the tour which takes you inside the workshop. We did see outdoor sculpture of Lincoln. We were anticipating going to the house yet it was under construction and the website didn't reflect that. The house is beautiful it's a shame we didn't get to see it. This is a quick stop if you are in the area.

I visited here in October with my Mom. I had never heard of the place but Mom was very excited to check it out and as it was her birthday weekend celebration, I couldn't disagree. Not only was the house tour and the art well worth the price of admission but the hiking trails were beautiful (although perhaps not very well marked). You could easily spend a whole day here exploring the hiking trails and grounds. They also have a beautiful picnic area near the parking lot of you want to bring lunch or snacks. We were glad we had some provisions for a snack as there are no dining options on site. Beautiful vistas and great foliage. I look forward to returning here!

What a beautiful place this is. Fascinating and illuminating of an era and a whole art world.

Loved it here! His studio is even more brilliantly beautiful than the house. And the grounds are lovely and there's a short nature trail, which has a public art exhibit. I prefer this museum to Normal Rockwell. I arrived at 4pm and was gone by 4:45pm, so I didn't spend a whole lot of time. It is $18, but I got a free pass from the Lenox library. Also, on Sunday nights, they have live music and alcohol, similar to what happens at the Mount on Fridays.

I didn't expect much from this place and was quickly put in a foul mood because of the higher-than-expected admission price. I had driven a long way, though, so I thought I'd give it a shot. The main house was fairly boring. I don't remember anything sticking out as exciting or particularly interesting. It was a main hallway and the guide pointed out the rooms branching off it. I don't think we went into any of them - just peeked in from the doorway - and we were rushed through fairly quickly. Waste of time, I thought. Then we went into French's old workshop, where he actually did his sculpting. It instantly made up for the lackluster house tour. I'm not an art aficionado or anything but it was fascinating. The guide did a great job explaining French's process and purpose, his rise to fame, etc. Of course, they emphasize French's Abraham Lincoln memorial and there were several "practice" sculptures in the workshop. We were also treated to several in-progress photos and the like. We went on a nice day so we also enjoyed the garden behind the estate. The shop there also serves as a mini-museum, and it was worth wandering in there too. Outside, there's an earlier Lincoln statue that French did, sort of tucked away, and which definitely gets fewer visitors than the one in Washington, D.C. I recommended it to a colleague who visits lots of historic houses and she agreed that the workshop alone made it worth the admission.

I went to Chesterwood last weekend, and sadly I got quite disappointed. Me and my friends arrived there around 4:20. Our bad, we didn't check the hours, but seriously who think a museum in the Berkshire, in the summer season, close at 5, with last entry at 4:30?? The lady at the front desk was rude and treated us as stupid people. She said something like "why do you think I should be here in the night? For you tourists who don't check the hours before arriving here?" Seriously. We left the ticket entrance building quite furiously and disappointed, but we ended up calm down by walking outside, and admiring the sculptures by Albert Paley around the park. I have no idea if he house, barn, and studios are interested, but I might come back.. I heard so many great things before deciding to visit the place. I just need to pick a day in which I am fairly happy, confident, and ready to deal with those particularly intense visitor service people.

My mom and I have been coming to the Berkshires yearly since I was in grade school, and somehow managed to never have visited the Chesterwood until this year...and I am so glad we did! Tours are held hourly and we managed to jump in on one right when we arrived. I'm usually not one for tours, but this one was special - allowing you to explore the home, art studio and gardens all the while learning about the rich history of the home and of Daniel Chester French and his family. Arlene was our guide and could not have been more wonderful and knowledgeable - she knew everything and brought the home to life through her stories and information. The property is gorgeous and I learned so much in our short hour tour. I would highly recommend visiting Chesterwood, and ask if Arlene is available!

Beautiful grounds. Small, but very informative exhibit in the visitors center about the prolific career of Chester-French. The home and studio were lovely. I see a few people mentioning that they weren't allowed access to the studio or house, but I guess we went on a good day. We were able to access both, and were allowed to take photo's. The house is lovely, but in terms of gaining some insight into his work, the studio was definitely my favorite of the two. My only complaint is the steep admission. $18 seems a little much..especially when there is no discount for students or seniors. Other than that, it was a beautiful afternoon at Chesterwood!

Great example of an artist's preserved studio and house. Can see French's actual tools, pots and pans, etc., for making plaster casts as well as his last statue, in marble. Plus house, kept by the daughter. Sculptures outside. Worth a visit.

Stunning! We were here for a wedding yesterday and even with the rain it was gorgeous. The grounds are very well maintained and the history behind the property is pretty amazing. The studio is beautiful and well preserved. It was a nice set up and view of the home during the tented wedding. I'd go back just to walk the grounds on a nice day!

We have visited Chesterwood in the fall and in the summer and the 100+ acre site is spectacular in both seasons. I'd recommend the Studio, the meandering woodland paths, the changing gallery and/or summer sculpture installations--and a nice gift shop. You come upon the place on a dirt road and are plunged back into the 19th century. The engineering and sculptor's process was nicely explained by guides--they are very personal and usually there is an artist or two working on site on their own scupture projects, which is cool. Kids who are curious will like this place.