Amherst, 80 miles (129 km) west of Boston and 40 miles (64 km) north of Hartford CT, is also the birthplace of poet Emily Dickinson, "the Belle of Amherst." Her house is now a museum open to visits.

The center of Amherst is the broad swath of tree-bordered green lawn called the Town Common, bordered by South Pleasant Street (MA Rte 116), Boltwod Avenue, Main Street and College Street (MA Rte 9).

The information booth on the Town Common in Amherst can furnish you with a handy map and guide.

Take a tour of Amherst College, founded in 1821. Contact Amherst College, Converse Hall (tel 413-542-2000).

The sprawling campus of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) takes more time to see, but there is a free PVTA bus line you can use, and an excellent campus map.

Here's What to See & Do in Amherst.

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