It seems like winter is finally among us! With our first ~actual~ snowstorm happening just now in February, we might still have quite a bit of cold weather and snow ahead of us. And with all that snow and cold comes the feeling that there is nothing to do, especially not where it’s warm. If you’re anything like me, you wish that there were places you could go to feel like you’re spending time outside, without actually facing the elements. Luckily, there are a ton of places right around the UMass campus that you can explore during the winter to get out of the cold and break that hibernation mode!
1. Durfee conservatory at UMass
Durfee conservatory is one of the best places on campus (in my opinion). The conservatory is open on the weekends, and is always super warm because of the type of plants they’re growing. When it’s cold out, it’s a great place to go and relax (or even cut through when you’re going to class to warm up). Usually there is relaxing music playing in the background too, so it’s a great place to even do homework, or take a nap.
2. Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory
The Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory in Deerfield, MA, is a fantastic (and relatively inexpensive) place to go on a cold day! Similar to the other conservatories on this list, there are beautiful plants and flowers all throughout the conservatory. It’s full of ponds, gazebos, and beautiful seating areas to relax and watch the butterflies. Before you go into the conservatory, as well as throughout it, there are a variety of other animals to look at as well. If you don’t like insects too much, you may not like the beginning exhibits, because they are full of a variety of beetles and tropical insects. Even better, the conservatory is right down the street from the Yankee Candle Company. Why not just make a day of it?
3. Dakin Animal Shelter
This isn’t really a place to experience “nature” on a cold day, but sometimes spending a day where you play with dogs and cats is just a necessity. Dakin Animal Shelter is in Leverett, about 20 minutes away from the UMass Campus. The staff is always super friendly and they are always willing to have people come in to play with the animals. As long as you keep the cats that are in kennels off the ground, you are free to take them out and hold them for as long as you want!
4. Central Rock Gym
Once there’s too much snow to hike mountains or go on trails (without snowshoes or skis, that is), the Central Rock Gym might be a place for you! This place adds a whole different level to fitness, and can definitely spice up your fitness activities during the winter. Even if you’ve never gone rock climbing before, that’s fine! They offer a ton of classes for all types of people and skill levels.
5. Lyman Conservatory at Smith College
UMass isn’t the only college around here to have their own conservatory. At Smith College in Northampton, there is a huge conservatory along with a botanical garden. Similar to Durfee, this conservatory has a few rooms, all specific to certain groups of plants. If you’re ever in the Northampton area and want to get out of the cold, I would definitely suggest heading over there!
Even though the snow is lovely, it will be great once spring starts back up, and we’ll all be able to hang out on Orchard Hill or at Puffer’s Pond. Until then, there are still plenty of places that you can go to get that feel of spring or summer!