Great Barrington, Massachusetts is the Number One Small Town in America according to a Smithsonian Magazine study. This honor is due in large part to the town’s rich cultural and historic heritage. This self-guided walking tour App reveals the history that lies behind Great Barrington’s vibrant Main Street. The story includes

- the conclusion of the bloody King Phillip’s war when the area was still a frontier in the 17th Century;

- the trial that led to the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts in the 18th Century;

- the first practical demonstration of alternating current electric power that began the transformation of American cities and towns in the 19th Century;

- the 20th Century town that attracted Babe Ruth and other famous Americans visitors; and

- today's charming downtown with its attractive shops and restaurants.

The town is still a working town that is attractive to visitors, commerce and industry. Travel writer Fred Halliday wrote for Fodor’s in 1993, “Great Barrington is a place of high, wide and handsome streets, where the art of leisure is practiced; it is both a vacation spot and a 9-to-5 workplace town where much of its product is pleasing people... This is not a dollhouse of a town, with cute little cupboard-like traps of stores for tourists to stroll into... Great Barrington’s pavement is full of atmosphere because its streets are full of unexpected and original offbeat things.”

The tour consists of text, photos, audio descriptions and web links that tell you the story of our remarkable town.

On behalf of the Town of Great Barrington, and with thanks to the Great Barrington Historical Society and the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, we invite you to share our heritage and encourage you to visit and support our local merchants.