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The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge provides a trip down memory lane.
Pictures by Norman Rockwell were commonplace in the lives of Baby Boomers and older generations. His images were on the magazines, like Saturday Evening Post, Boy’s Life, and Time, that our parents read and were in our doctors and dentists waiting rooms. Prints, especially those involving sports, childhood situations, or special occasions, were on our walls.
Now, they are often used on holiday cards and all kinds of decorative items.
This year, 2019, marks the 50th Anniversary of the Norman Rockwell Museum, located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Day-tripping to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge
We had been considering a trip to the Berkshires and zeroed in on visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum. Their Woodstock to the Moon Exhibit particularly appealed to me.
On a bright sunny summer Sunday morning, we put on our sunblock and hats and headed West in our Solstice with the top down.
We learned from the Museum’s very informative website that it offers free gallery tours with admission. We aimed to be there for the 12:30 p.m. Rockwell Gallery tour. We also hoped to enjoy the Woodstock to the Moon Exhibit talk at 2:00 p.m.
We arrived with time to spare. Friendly staff directed us to the lower gallery to enjoy an exhibit of Rockwell’s magazine covers and a short video about him before the tour. The magazine covers line the walls of a the large room where the video is shown. Seeing them, it strikes you just how prolific Norman Rockwell was as well as creative. There are many favorites, that we remembered. There were many covers, especially those of presidents and head of state, that made us pause to think back on the political changes we had witnessed and Rockwell documented in his unique way.
Gallery Talks
The galleries aren’t all that big, but some how the intimacy suits the exhibits. The docents are enthusiastic. They have a store of tidbits and anecdotes about Rockwell and his life and work. They truly helped us to appreciate the little details that Rockwell put into his work. The details added humor and/or nuance to the story he was telling with paint.
During the gallery talk we learned that Rockwell found ways to best present his subjects. It took some effort with portraying Nixon, not a man with regular features. When Lyndon Johnson saw his official portrait, he said, that’s not what I look like. He pulled out a copy of Time magazine with Rockwell’s portrait of him from his desk drawer and said “This is what I look like.”
Norman Rockwell the Photographer
One of the things that the museum points out is that Rockwell was a photographer as well as an illustrator. He used photos extensively when planning his illustrations. He would enlist local residents and pose them with props and take photos. When he traveled, he took photos which he later incorporated into his work. Some of his photos and sketches are shown with finished paintings. You can see his process from concept to photos to studies to the final product.
Accessibility at the Norman Rockwell Museum
The Museum and Rockwell’s studio, which is on the grounds, are accessible. There’s an elevator between levels and all restrooms are accessible. There are manual wheelchairs for loan at no charge on a first-come first-served basis. The museum offers large print materials as well as Rockwell’s biographical summary in braille. The stairs are wide, and the exhibit space designed for easy navigation and enjoyment.
The introductory video is closed captioned. A digital tour also provides closed captioning and full text transcripts. For a fee, arrangements can be made for sign language interpreters for gallery talks.
Rockwell’s Studio part of the museum’s experience
Rockwell’s studio has been relocated to the site from Stockbridge Village. There was scaffolding around part of it and obviously work being done on it, so we didn’t visit it. The studio is open seasonally. If you wish to see it, check the website or call so you won’t be disappointed.
What you may not know about the Norman Rockwell Museum
Unlike many museums, the Norman Rockwell Museum is open 7 days a week and only closed for a few holidays.
You can visit Rockwell’s studio as well as the Museum for one admission.
Seniors 65+, Veterans, and College Students with I.D. receive a discount
Admission is free for:
Kids and Teens 18 and under.
Active military/Blue Star program free with I.D.
SNAP/EBT card holders and 3 guests.
Members.
The scenic 36-acre grounds are free to walk, sketch, and picnic.
You can wander among gardens, specimen trees, and labeled plants enhanced by views of the Berkshires, the Housatonic River, and Peter (son of Norman) Rockwell’s sculptures.
You may walk leased pets on the grounds as long as you clean up after them.
The museum’s cafe, open seasonally, offers terrace dining, or self-serve packaged food for snacks and picnicking.
The Norman Rockwell Museum has digitized its amazing collection of photographs, letters, objects, reference materials. Check out the website for information about its archives.
The museum also has collections of other illustrators, including James Montgomery Flagg (I want YOU Uncle Sam poster) and Robert Childress (Dick and Jane series).
To enhance your child’s or grandchild’s visit, the Museum has treasure hunt sheets, a children’s audio tour, a creativity center with crayons, worksheets and children’s books, and climbable sculptures on the grounds.
Final Takeaways about the Norman Rockwell Museum
The Museum presents the man and his craftmanship behind the whimsy and the storytelling.
The Museum’s website has an incredible wealth of material. We wish we had looked through it more thoroughly before we went. Spend some time scrolling through the information.
Allow plenty of time to explore the grounds and studio as well as the Museum itself. Pack a picnic lunch and walking shoes and camera if you like exploring the outdoors.
Finally, Norman Rockwell’s many many works have been apart of our lives for decades. Because of that, visiting the museum is stepping back to our younger days to remember a kinder, gentler time as well as significant people and events that shaped our lives. He is special to those in our age bracket and older which enhances your visit. Everyone in the family can enjoy the Museum, but it feeds the nostalgic souls of the older generations probably like no other.
