Housed on the grounds of the old Sprague Electric Company in North Adams, MASS MoCA’s grounds span 13 acres and encompass a vast complex of 19th-century factory buildings that occupy nearly one-third of the city’s downtown business district. The museum’s 26 buildings allow for 110,000 square feet of open, flexible gallery space and exhibits of work by many of the most important artists of today.
Since opening in 1999, MASS MoCA has become one of the world’s premier centers for making and showing art. With annual attendance of 120,000, it ranks among the most visited institutions in the United States dedicated to new art. More than 80 major new works of art and more than 50 performances have been created through fabrication and rehearsal residencies in North Adams.
Highlights of the MASS MoCA’s early tenure have included installation of Robert Rauschenberg’s The ¼ Mile or Two Furlong Piece, exhibition of James Rosenquist’s massive Swimmer in the Econo-Mist, and a Wall Drawing Retrospective of Sol LeWitt’s work, now on display on three floors through 2033. (KCE)
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Information
- Public Transportation: Good (accessible by BRTA buses 3, 31, and 33)
- Handicapped Accessibility: Good
- Hours: Winter/Spring (through June 24) Wednesday–Monday 11 a.m.–5 p.m., closed Tuesdays. Summer Hours (July–August) open every day 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
- Admission: $15 Adults; $10 Students; $5 children (6–16); Free for children (5 and under) and members. Combo Tickets: with Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge $25; with Clark Art Institute in Williamstown (through October) $25. Groups of 10 or more receive discounted tickets for $13.50 Adults; $9 Students; $4 elementary, middle, and high school students; Free for children 5 and under
- Tour: Fall/Winter/Spring Tours (through June 24) are free with admission and available weekdays at 2 p.m.; weekends and holidays Noon (LeWitt tour) and 3 p.m. (Highlights tour). Summer Tours are free with admission and available weekdays 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m.; weekends and holidays every hour from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. The 1 p.m. tour Thursday–Sunday focuses on LeWitt. All other tours are general highlights
- Membership: Individual membership is $65 (Dual/Family $95). Benefits are tiered with every member receiving unlimited free gallery admission; a 10% discount at MASS MoCA performances, Lickety Split Cafe, Hardware: the MASS MoCA Store, MASS MoCA by Design, and The Porches Inn; free admission to exhibition openings; and a subscription to MASS MoCA’s seasonal event calendar.
