Massachusetts' 'Town Of Five Villages' Is A Rural Arts Haven With Galleries, Views, And A Dreamy Bookshop

In Massachusetts, "going up to country" generally means heading west. That's because the Atlantic coastline tends to be the hub of business, industry, and education — especially in the Boston area. On the west side of the state, the landscape turns far more rural, culminating in the north-south ridge of the Berkshires, one of New England's most iconic fall destinations with vibrant, leafy views and historic charm. Alongside, on the Interstate 91 corridor, find rural college towns, such as this underrated artsy Massachusetts town with a vibrant downtown and progressive spirit and New England's quintessential college town with a postcard village, rolling hills, and award-winning stays. At the north end, find another arts haven at Montague, aka, the "town of five villages."

The nickname reveals its essential character, geography, and history. Composed of five villages — Turners Falls, Montague Center, Millers Falls, Lake Pleasant, and Montague City — the town sits on the Connecticut River in the upper Pioneer Valley and covers 31.5 square miles with forests, hills, farmland, and traditional New England architecture. Each "village" comes with its own highlight. Turners Falls features a historic district of 19th-century mills, churches, and homes, as well as the namesake falls. Millers Falls echoes this, while adding French King Bridge, a three-arch steel span with excellent views. Montague Center, the original settlement, comes with local farm stands and nurseries, while the more residential Montague City boasts a large hydroelectric plant, Cabot Station. Lastly, Lake Pleasant goes full cottagecore on the shores of the lake.

As many former New England mill towns have discovered, the path to revitalization runs through the arts. Montague is learning that lesson, too, and need only look 44 miles west to North Adams for inspiration. There, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art — better known as Mass MoCA — moved into a derelict industrial complex and helped transform the town into a tourist hotspot, with all the craft brewing and boutique hotel fixings. In Montague, that's manifesting in a number of places. In Turners Falls, Waterway Arts turned a former thrift store into an art studio and gallery. On the other side of town, six new public murals were unveiled in June 2025. And since 2014, Montague has hosted the annual RMP Fest, an open-air, summer music festival. 

The arts and culture centerpiece of Montague is the Montague Mill in Montague Center. This grist mill from 1834 hosts an art gallery, restaurant, music shop, and a world-renowned bookstore. The first, Sawmill River Arts, displays and sells fine art and various handmade goods from 35 area artists. Dining comes care of the Lady Killigrew cafe and pub, while tunes are spun at Turn It Up! But the crown jewel of the mill is the Montague Bookmill, dripping with accolades from press outlets like the New York Times, Boston Globe, and more. The used bookstore counts books by the thousands, all saturated with cozy, scuffed ambiance and under the banner of "Books you don't need in a place you can't find."

Three major airports lie within about a 2-hour drive of Montague — Albany International Airport to the west in New York, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to the northeast in New Hampshire, and Boston Logan International Airport to the east in Boston. There's an Amtrak station 7 miles from Montague Bookmill, across the Connecticut River in Greenfield, a stop on the Vermonter line between Washington, D.C. and St. Albans, Vermont. From there, you can take the local bus 23 to Montague. No direct buses run from Boston, though. As with most places in New England, a car is the most convenient way to reach and explore Montague, regardless of the starting point.

Montague itself contains no hotels, which means you'll have to look outside town. However, you won't need to go far. Greenfield hosts a Hampton Inn and Suites, and nearby Deerfield has the Deerfield Inn. The bulk of options are about 15 miles south in Amherst and Northampton. These include a few in the boutique category, such as the Ellery, Black Walnut Inn, and Inn on Boltwood, as well as chains like Fairfield, Hilton, Hampton, and Comfort. Any trip to rural New England requires keeping a keen eye on the weather, especially in winter and early spring, when snow, ice, mud, and flash floods can occur. As such, be sure any rental cars come with snow tires. In the warmer months, top off the sunscreen with bug spray on any hike and scan for ticks upon return.