Thanksgiving Special

Although our Pub is closed Thanksgiving Day, we invite you to the Williams Inn for their famous

Thanksgiving Buffet!

Over 100 delectable items!

 http://williamsinn.com/thanksgiving.html

Add $75 to your 1896 House Inn room

or Suite Rate /double occupancy

Kids under 10 add $18.00 each

Kids under 5-Free

includes tax & gratuity.

Check out our other packages at http://www.1896house.com/romanceandspecial_packages.htm

Make a reservation at http://www.webervations.com/magic-scripts/resbook.asp?memberid=1896 or call 413-458-1896 or Toll Free:  888-999-1896

What a time to visit Williamstown, stay at the 1896 House Inn and eat yummy food at the 6' House Pub. 

The Guthrie Family Rides Again

At the The Colonial Theatre (less then 40 minutes from the 1896 House)

111 South Street

Pittsfield, MA 01201


Please click here for directions from the 1896 House to the Colonial Theatre

Saturday, November 19 8 pm

For over four decades, Arlo Guthrie has toured the world winning a broad and dedicated following. In addition to being an accomplished musician, Guthrie is a natural-born storyteller whose hilarious tales and timeless anecdotes are woven seamlessly into his performances.

http://www.thecolonialtheatre.org

Get tickets at https://tickets.thecolonialtheatre.org/TheatreManager/1/login&event=0

There is a good chance that Arlo will sing Alice's Restaurant, which has become a Thanksgiving day tradition,  being played by radio stations across the country on Thanksgiving. Check out Alice's Restaurant on Youtube at  http://youtu.be/LNLE5z7jNaM

The Motorcycle Song, Arlo Guthrie

Now is the time to start thinking about skiing!

Many of the downhill Ski areas offer snow tubing, snowshoeing and cross country skiing parks and areas.

Several of the resorts are aiming to open up in Mid November! So dig out your goggles and your gloves, the ski season is just around the corner!

Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort‎ (about 20 minutes from the 1896 House)

37 Corey Road

Hancock, MA 01237

(413) 738-5500

http://www.jiminypeak.com‎

• Elevation: 2380 feet
• Vertical rise: 1150 feet
• Number of acres: 170
• Number of trails: 45
• Number of lifts: 9
• One six-passenger high-speed summit lift, the Berkshire Express
• Two quad chair lifts, Widow White’s Quad and Whitetail Quad
• Three triple chair lifts, the Novice, Summit and Cricket Triples
• One double chairlift, the Grand Slam Double
• Two surface lifts
• Special Mountain Features
• The Mountain Coaster! Jiminy's Coaster was the first in the Northeast and only the second in the country when it was installed. Operates daily during the summer months and 1 pm - 7 pm Weekends and Holidays througout the winter season. (Please note this is a change from the time listed on the 10/11 trail map)
• Three Terrain Parks, with various hits and rails for skiers and snowboarders, 1 glade trail, 2 mogul runs.
• Longest run: Left Bank, 2 miles
• Average annual snowfall: 100 inches
• Snowmaking: 96% snowmaking coverage, 350 tower and other guns.

Pineridge Cross Country Ski Area‎  (about 40 minutes from the 1896 House)  Cross Country Skiing

1463 Plank Road

Petersburgh, NY 12138-5631

(518) 283-3652

http://www.pineridgexc.com‎

• 35km groomed trails
• 15km ungroomed trails for snowshoeing & skiing
• 4km lighted trails for night skiing
• 20km skating trails
• PSIA lessons offered daily
• Complete ski rentals
• Special group programs available
• Complete retail shop

Prospect Mountain Ski Area‎ (about 35 minutes from the 1896 House)  Cross Country Skiing

204 Prospect Access

Bennington, VT 05201

(802) 442-2575

http://www.prospectmountain.com‎

• 30+ kilometers of trails.

Berkshire East Ski Area‎   (about 45 minutes from the 1896 House) Downhill Skiing+

66 South River Road

Charlemont, MA 01339

(413) 339-6617

http://www.berkshireeast.com‎

• Base Elevation: 660 ft (201 m)
• Summit Elevation: 1,840 ft (561 m)
• Vertical Drop: 1,180 ft (360 m)
• Skiable Area: 400 acres (162 ha)
• Annual Snowfall: 110 in (279 cm)
• Snowmaking: 100 %
• Number of Lifts: 6
• Uphill Lift Capacity: 6,200 per hour
• Types of Lifts: 2 Surface Lifts, 1 Double Chair, 2 Triple Chairs, 1 Quad
• Number of Trails: 45 Longest Run: 13,200 ft (4,023 m)
• Trail Ratings (Trail ratings indicate the relative difficulty of the runs within a given ski area and are not meant to be used for comparison between ski areas.)
• Easiest Easiest: 30 %
• More Difficult: 35 %
• Most Difficult: 35 %
• Alpine Skiing: Yes
• Snowboarding: Yes
• Restricted Areas: No
• Heli-Skiing: No
• Leash Required: Yes
• Snowcat Skiing: No
• Night Skiing Trails: 18
• Terrain Park: Yes
• Cross Country: No
• Snowboard Elements: Yes
• Half Pipe: No
• Snow Tubing: Yes
• Snowshoe Trails: No
• Expected Opening Date: mid-December 2011
• Expected Closing Date: end-March 2012

Mount Snow Resort  (about an hour and 10 minutes from the 1896 House) Downhill Skiing+

89 Pisgah Road, West Dover, VT

(802) 464-8501 ‎

http://www.mountsnow.com

November 19

Tentative Opening Day!

• Mountain Areas: Main Mountain, North Face, Sunbrook, Carinthia
• Total Acreage: 467
• Base Elevation: 1,900’
• Summit Elevation: 3,600’
• Vertical Drop: 1,700’
• Total Lifts: 20
• Tree Terrain Acreage: Available on all four mountain faces.
• Ability Level: 15% green circle, 70% blue square, 15% black diamond
• Hours of Operation: 9am – 4pm midweek; 8am – 4pm weekends/holidays
• Snowmaking Coverage: 80%
• Terrain Parks: 100-acre Carinthia – 10 terrain parks, including 2 pipes
• Average Annual Snowfall (since 1977): 156”
• 2008-09 Snowfall: 173”

Lifts

• Lift capacity: 30,370 people per hour
• Total Lifts: 20
• Six Passenger Bubble Chairs: 1
• High-speed Quads: 3
• Fixed Quad: 1
• Triples: 6
• Doubles: 4
• Rope Tow: 1
• Magic Carpets: 4

Bousquet Ski Area‎   (about 45 minutes from the 1896 House) Downhill Skiing+

101 Dan Fox Drive

Pittsfield, MA 01201

(413) 442-8316

http://www.bousquets.com‎

Trails

• 23 (Including 1 Glade)
• Lifts
• 3 Double Lifts, 2 Carpet Lifts
• The Mountain
• 750 Vertical Feet, 200 Acres on Yokun Ridge
• Snowmaking
• 85% Coverage
• Terrain Parks
• Bousquet will have 3 Terrain Parks for the 2010-2011 Season. The main park will be on Harris. A beginner park will be located on Lower Beeline and a small rail park will be located on Russell.

Notchview Reservation‎  (about 45 minutes from the 1896 House)  Cross Country Skiing

83 Old Route 9

Windsor, MA 01270

(413) 684-0148

http://www.notchview.org‎

With more than 3,000 acres of rolling terrain, Notchview offers an idyllic escape for winter sport enthusiasts, especially cross-country skiers looking for a brisk outing. Seventeen kilometers of trails are groomed and track-set for classical cross-country skiing; eight kilometers are groomed for skate skiing. A separate trail system is groomed for “skijoring,” or skiing with dogs. You can also go off track and explore the backcountry, or snowshoe alongside the ski trails.

Nordic Skiing: 40 kilometers (25 miles) of cross-country ski trails:

By Type:

• classic skiing groomed: 16km
• skate skiing ungroomed: 11 km
• ungroomed trails: 11 km
• dog loop: 2 km
• snowshoers: alongside any ski trails
• By Skill Level:
• 7 beginner trails: 11 km
• 11 intermediate trails: 18 km
• 7 expert trails: 11 km

 Check out some of our ski packages at http://www.1896house.com/id59.htm 

*prices subject to change

Come stay this weekend and catch a plane and flick!

Some terrific packages at the 1896 House to take advantage of this coming weekend.

Take advantage of the nice fall weather and catch some lovely foliage while it lasts.

“Flick & Feast" Package

During the slower season, sometimes it's just nice to relax! Take your date to dinner and a movie! Enjoy top foreign and independent films at our local "Images" movie house, then stretch the evening with a casual meal in our "so cozy" tavern!   For current showings, visit www.imagescinema.org .Includes 2 tickets, a glass of house wine or a pint of microbrew for each of you & a $35 Pub Gift Card.

ROOM OR LUXURY SUITE PLUS $59

Playing this coming weekend: The Rum Diary, play Friday, 10/28 – Thursday, 11/3

A new film based on the book by Hunter S. Thompson

Starring: Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart, Richard Jenkins

Paul Kemp is a freelance journalist who finds himself at a critical turning point in his life while writing for a run-down newspaper in the Caribbean. Paul is challenged on many levels as he tries to carve out a more secure niche for himself amidst a group of lost souls all bent on self-destruction. Based on the book by Hunter S. Thompson.

Flight & Picnic Package

Here’s your chance to get a panoramic aerial view of the beautiful Berkshires!  Take a 20-30 minute scenic flight with your licensed & experienced pilot over the many steeples of North Adams, Mass MoCA, the gorgeous Williams College campus, Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts, and over the quarry in Adams.  From the air, select the perfect spot to enjoy the picnic that the ‘6 House Pub has packed for you!  Then, motor along to that hideaway location!  Just gorgeous during foliage time!

Includes flight and picnic:

2 Wraps:  Select tuna salad, turkey club wrap,

or

roast beef with horseradish each day

2 pickles & 2 bags of potato chips

2 Chocolate Brownies

2 Granny Smith Apples

2 Bottles of Spring Water

$109 for 2 people.

$149 for 3 people.

Includes tax and gratuity.

Add bottle of house wine or 2 cans of beer  

 $10 additional

Make a reservation at http://www.webervations.com/magic-scripts/resbook.asp?memberid=1896 or call 413-458-1896 or Toll Free:  888-999-1896

What a time to visit Williamstown, stay at the 1896 House Inn and eat yummy food at the 6' House Pub. 

Old Hopkins Observatory & Mehlin Museum of Astronomy

Visiting the 1896 Inn in the next month and half is a great time to take advantage of visiting the local Planetarium. Late Fall and early winter weather conditions make for perfect atmospheric conditions for star and planet viewing. Grab an early dinner at the 6"House Pub or visit the Bar after the Planetarium shop for an even nightcap.

The Hopkins Observatory is the oldest existing observatory in the United States and houses the earliest Alvan Clark telescope.  In 1834, Prof. Albert Hopkins went to England, with the permission of the trustees of the college, to search for astronomical apparatus.  On his return, he enlisted some of his students to build a permanent observatory, which they constructed by hand from 1836 to 1838.  That building is now the planetarium.  It was originally located in the center of the quad but was moved to the far end in 1908 and to its present location in 1961.  Some of the original equipment from the 1834 trip to England still survives in this building.

Milham Planetarium Fall Schedule

Fridays at 7:30pm through Dec. 9

Reservations: 413-597-2188 or mcr4@williams.edu

http://astronomy.williams.edu/

Astronomy students at the college will host free shows for the public on the following Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m.: November 4, 11, 18; and December 2, 9.  Audiences will be treated to shows from the high-precision Zeiss Skymaster ZKP3/B opto-mechanical planetarium projector, installed in April 2005.

The Zeiss Skymaster is capable of demonstrating phenomena including: retrograde motions of the planets, phases of the moon, the varying temperatures/colors of stars, locations of neighboring galaxies, the mythological figures and zodiacal signs ascribed to constellations, the Southern Hemisphere’s sky, comets, artificial satellites, and much more.

Fall ’11 shows will be hosted by Williams College students Pushpanjali Giri ’14, Matthew Hosek ’12, Soraya Membreno ’12, and Muzhou Lu ’13.  Jay Pasachoff, Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy, is director of the Hopkins Observatory.

*Photo courtesy of Williams College

Fall Foliage In Williamstown!

The Berkshires are scheduled to reach peak foliage colors this coming weekend of Oct. 14 – 16, 2011.

What a time to visit Williamstown, stay at the 1896 House Inn and eat yummy food at the 6' House Pub. Sit outside by the firepit and drink a cocktail or a hot mulled cider.

Check out the latest up to date Fall Foliage reports at http://www.foliagenetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=34:northeast-us&Itemid=68&layout=default

Take a Hike!

Fall foliage views atop Mount Greylock, No better place to view the splendor of fall in the Berkshires than from the top of Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusets.

Or Take a Scenic Drive!

Williamstown, Mohawk Trail and Savoy State Forest Loop --- (55 miles)

■ Starting at Williamstown, proceed east on Route 2 into and through North Adams. Natural Bridge State Park is located east of North Adams off Route 2 and 8. This bridge of white marble was created by the waters of Hudson Brook.

■ East of North Adams, Route 2 is also named the Mohawk Trail, used by Native Americans of the Five Nations to pass between the Connecticut and Hudson valleys. At the Hairpin Turn, the trail rises sharply to the Western Summit. There is an observation point to view the mountains of southern Vermont and northwestern Massachusetts.

■ Continuing on Route 2 / Mohawk Trail, the next stop is Whitcomb Summit, the top of the trail, with an elevation of 2,173 feet.

■ Further along, the trail crosses a bridge and turns sharply to the left. Another road leads to the right. Here the visitor has a choice of three routes:

■ The first is to continue along the Mohawk Trail to Charlemont, Shelburne Falls, and Greenfield.

■ The second is to retrace the route back to North Adams.

■ The third is to turn into Savoy Mountain State Forest for a visit to Tannery Falls. To reach the falls, pass through Drury on Route 2, then turn right on Black Brook Road, right on Adams Road, and left on Bannis Road into Savoy Center.

■ From Savoy Center, proceed west on Route 116 to Adams. Pass throughAdams and head northbound on Route 8 to North Adams.

■ Also, East Road, which runs parallel to Route 8, gives a commanding view of Greylock Mountain, towering over Adams, a charming Victorian town with an elegantly restored Main Street.

■ Turn west on Route 2 when leaving North Adams and return to Williamstown

Drive information courtesy of http://www.visit-massachusetts.com/current_category.30/current_advcategory.292/companies_list.html

A little history of the inn and Williamstown, MA

About the 1896 House Inn

The 1896 House was built in 1896 as a milking barn, complete with bull pen, and was turned into a famous restaurant in 1939 and enjoyed an unparalleled reputation for excellence for approximately 40 years. The draw was so great that a lodging facility was built in 1951 to accommodate the patrons. Soon additional guest rooms were added.

Sometime in the 1970's, the lodging portion and restaurant were sold separately and began operating separately.

In 1985, ownership of the 16 guest rooms was transferred to Sue Morelle & Denise Richer from Rhode Island. They began what was to be a 17 year acquisition and renovation period. Upon completion of the original lodging structure, “Brookside”, a second lodging facility across the street became part of the “1896” family and was completely transformed and named “Pondside”. 

In 1995, The 1986 House Barn housing a restaurant was purchased and underwent a total structural and cosmetic rebirth, thereby remarrying the original properties and creating a complex of three buildings on 17 acres with brooks, ponds, and gardens. One actually passes through the 1896 House property when traveling to Williamstown via Route 7, the scenic corridor to it’s south.

In 2000, six new luxury “Barnside Suites” were constructed in the former banquet hall where Williamstown Theatre Festival held its famous Cabaret.  It is here in 1987 that Christopher Reeve first lay eyes on Dana Morosini and fell in love! They entertained in this beautiful space for a couple of seasons!  The Suites are grand, gracious, and as romantic as found anywhere. A full candlelight breakfast is included.

In 2005, the previous restaurant was re-claimed by the owners of The 1896 House and transformed into an unusual, upscale and now very popular Pub. Because the locals have always referred to the 1896 House Barn as either "The "6 House" or "The '96 House", the new Pub was dubbed "The '6 House Pub".

About Williamstown, MA

Originally called West Hoosac, the area was first settled in 1749. Fort West Hoosac, a blockhouse and stockade, was built in 1756. The town was incorporated in 1765 as Williamstown after Ephraim Williams, who was killed in the French and Indian War. He bequeathed a significant sum to the town on the condition that it were named after him and started a free school. In 1791, the school opened, becoming Williams College in 1793. A college town, it is home to Williams College, the Clark Art Institute and the Tony-awarded Williamstown Theatre Festival, which runs every July and August.