Museums, Galleries & More

Amherst College is home to seven museums and galleries, including the Mead Art Museum, the Beneski Museum of Natural History, the Emily Dickinson Museum, the Russian Center Art Gallery, the Eli Marsh Art Gallery, Wilder Observatory, and Bassett Planetarium (currently closed for renovations), as well Archives and Special Collections, which exhibits rare and historical materials year-round. 


Mead Art Museum

Mead Art Museum

The Mead houses Amherst College’s extensive art collection, and offers free admission and more open hours than any other college art museum.

Beneski Museum interior

Beneski Museum of Natural History

One of New England’s largest natural history museums, the Beneski boasts three floors of exhibits with more than 1,700 specimens on display, and tens of thousands of specimens available for research.

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson Museum

The Colleges Emily Dickinson Museum offers guided tours and events that amplify Dickinson’s revolutionary poetic voice from the place she called home.

Eli Marsh Gallery

Eli Marsh Gallery

Located in Fayerweather Hall, the Eli Marsh Gallery displays contemporary works in various mediums by student, faculty, alumni and visiting artists.

Russian Center gallery

Russian Center Art Gallery

Located in the Amherst Center for Russian Culture in Webster Hall, the Russian Center Art Gallery displays art, books and archival materials from the Thomas P. Whitney ’37 collection of Russian art. 

Wilder Observatory

Wilder Observatory

Through an 18-inch refracting telescope, see the moon, planets, asteroids, comets, multiple stars, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, and more.

Archives

Archives & Special Collections

The College Archives & Special Collections in Frost Library houses and displays rare books, written materials of unique value, historic photographs, sound and moving image recordings and much more.