The first of the Seven Sisters and a member of the "Five Colleges" consortium, Mount Holyoke is a women's liberal arts college, and "the oldest continuing institution of higher education for women in the world." Mount Holyoke has produced numerous Fulbright scholars and has a number of special programs which allow students to obtain multiple degrees from partnered universities across the country.

Hampshire isn't your "ordinary" college. Started in the 1960's, Hampshire is well known for its alternative curriculum. This alternative curriculum includes such features as student designed concentrations, interdisciplinary curriculum, and narrative evaluations (instead of traditional grades). Some strong Hampshire programs include theater, film and visual arts, and produces the most students who go on to earn doctorate degrees in history.

Amherst College is the oldest college in Massachusetts, having been around since 1821. Amherst has 33 different areas of study and students can enjoy a fairly open curriculum. Students are not required to take core classes and instead are able to take classes of their choosing, creating their own curriculum. A member of the "Five Colleges," Amherst students can benefit from taking courses at the other four colleges, Hampshire College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

One of the region's great authors of children's books is Eric Carle, author and artist of the beloved classic Caterpillar. The three galleries of the museum are dedicated to picture book art and children's books. The Eric Carle Museum is a great place to introduce children to art via their favorite picture and storybooks.

The National Yiddish Book Center on the campus of Hampshire College has been open since 1997, a facility open to the public to encourage exploration of Yiddish culture and modern Jewish literature. Over 1.5 million books have been recovered and current efforts include cataloging and scanning some of these historic texts to have online to share with the world. There is an English-language bookstore on sight as well as an impressive film and documentary series.

Come visit the birthplace of one of America's best-loved authors, Emily Dickinson, who was born here in December 1830. The famed poet spent most of her life here composing over 1800 poems. The property consists of two different residences that are open to the public; The Evergreens, home to Emily's brother Austin and The Homestead, where she lived and her impressive collection of poems were found after her death. Visitors can see the house through special guided and audio tours.

Exciting activities await you at Three County Fairgrounds. Formed with the intention of promoting agriculture, agricultural education and agricultural science in the Commonwealth, the Three County Fairgrounds have something to offer adults, children and even the aged. For starters, you can have some fun with live "thoroughbred racing." There is also an annual fair where you can enjoy the merry-go-rounds. Have some of your favorite food here and mingle with the crowd. You never know, you might just meet some interesting people who can make your day a memorable one!

Music lovers will never be disappointed with Pines Theater, a venue that has seen some of the very best performances by rock stars and legends. If the artist is well acclaimed, then tickets can cost between $65-100. If you are on a shoe-string budget, don't fret because tickets also come cheaper!

Just outside the city of Worcester is Hebert Candies. Founded in 1917, Hebert Candies has been New England's primary producer of chocolates and candies. The mansion, purchased by the owner in 1946, has been home to the candy company ever since, with chocolate made on the premise and a complete candy store inside. You can find seasonally-themed chocolate pops, a do-it-yourself ice cream bar and even hold birthday parties or other events at the mansion. Tasty chocolates and unique sweet treats are the reason to come out here to pick up some goodies for the kids or yourself!

The DCU Center formerly known as The Centrum is a wonderful arena that hosts various musical events, expositions and even the WWE Smack Down! Ranked often in the top five venues by Billboard magazines, it has played host to world famous artists like Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Hilary Duff. The DCU Center started its state of the art convention center in 1997 which has various features like meeting rooms, football rooms and even kitchen facilities.