All Aboard for Kid-friendly Stops in Franklin County
Hampshire County has more than its share of colleges and the kid-friendly museums which accompany them. But Franklin County is no slouch in the kid-friendly department, either. It does have museums, but it’s also got plenty of less-usual attractions.
Greenfield is a great place to start, sitting as it does at the convergence of I-91 and the Mohawk Trail. In the center of town, tucked away down a hill, you’ll find the Energy Park. It’s a very train-centric spot, and therefore a bit of a magnet for the toddler-age set and older. The youngest visitors will enjoy the train play structure, and older kids can check out a full-sized caboose. The park has exhibits focusing on sustainable energy, and there’s a stage where local musicians often put on shows.
For more transportation-themed fun, there’s also the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum up Route 2. Not only does it also focus on railroads, it offers rides in an actual 1896 trolley and an antique pump car.
While you’re in the neighborhood, it’s always a rewarding to stroll across the town’s famous Bridge of Flowers. Kids can meander across amid well-labelled examples of various flowers, and for extra intrigue, visit the town’s other bridge to look across at the Bridge of Flowers, a lovely sight from afar. And the oft-mentioned Glacial Potholes are very nearby, too.
Kids who visit Historic Deerfield get a dose of colonial life; in Greenfield, they can jump ahead in time and see what Valley life was like as the Industrial Revolution changed things in the 19th-century. It may sound a bit staid, but don’t be fooled – The Museum of Our Industrial Heritage makes exhibitions about tools and machines fun for the younger set via demonstrations. Visitors can see how things worked, and sometimes even make a nut and bolt with vintage threading tools.
In keeping with the old-school theme, Franklin County is one of the spots where you can still find a very New England sport: candlepin bowling. It’s hard not to notice that candlepin is a lot tougher than standard bowling. But the ways it differs – much smaller balls, three rolls per frame, and smaller pins – make it a bit more accessible to the young set. This very regional form of bowling isn’t as eay to find, either, but Shelburne Falls Bowling Alley and French King Bowling Center in Erving have you covered.
