The Amherst History Museum opened in 1916 and is governed by the Amherst Historical Society, which was founded in 1899. Housed in the 1750-era Simeon Strong House, the Amherst History Museum takes visitors on a journey from the town’s colonial past, through its industrial age and into the computer-driven present. The Museum is filled with decorative arts, paintings, household implements, agricultural tools and other pieces of history from the nearly three hundred years since Amherst was settled.
The Museum is located at 67 Amity Street in Amherst, Massachusetts.
We are closed for the winter, and will reopen in May.
Amherst Historical Society: Upcoming Events
Annual Meeting of the Amherst Historical Society
Annual Meeting of the Amherst Historical Society
"To present the budget, elect new members of the Board, and transact such other business as may properly come before the Board. "
Regicide in the Family
Regicide in the Family
Local author and writing teacher Sarah Dixwell Brown discusses her research into her ancestor, Robert Dixwell, who fled to Hadley after signing Charles I's death warrant.
The history of the Amherst Record, 1844 – 1984
The history of the Amherst Record, 1844 - 1984
Phyllis Lehrer, who now writes 'The Lehrer Report', will tell her stories of working on the weekly Amherst Record newspaper from 1976 until the paper closed in 1984.
History of the Emily Dickinson Museum
History of the Emily Dickinson Museum
The Emily Dickinson home -- 'the Homestead' -- is a museum whose role and vision have changed since its founding in 1965.
A glimpse into the Amherst History Museum’s permanent collection:
AHS UPDATES
History Bites – Henry Wilson
Born in 1812, Henry Wilson was an American general, senator, and later vice president who played a key role in the political lead up to the Civil War, handling military affairs during the war, and...
News from the Interns
Hello, my name is Christal, and I am an intern at the Amherst Historical Society. Before coming to this museum, I studied History and East Asian studies at Mount Holyoke College up to this May....
Amherst College and the hurricane of 1938
The War Memorial at Amherst College, with its panoramic view of the Holyoke Range, and the Main Quadrangle, with its lush carpet of grass and soaring tree canopy, almost surely are the most beloved...
Amherst Juneteenth Observance at the Amherst History Museum on Saturday June 18, 2022.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Fricke
Become a volunteer
Find out how you can help. The Amherst Historical Society depends on the support of the community. We are currently looking for gardeners, educators, fundraisers, and more. Contact us for more information.
‘History Bites’–Highlights from past seasons

19th Century Spiritualism
Robert Cox – Director of Special Collections at UMass
Dec. 21, 2018
Memory Lands: Native American Perspectives on King Philip’s War
Dr Christine DeLucia
Jan 30, 2020
Native American Stone Structures
Dr Curtiss Hoffman
March 26, 2021
From Arkham to Amherst
George Naughton
April 21, 2017

The AHS Bookstore
Help support the Amherst Historical Society! Shop our online store for books that highlight the history of Amherst. Titles include:
- Amherst A to Z by Elizabeth M. Sharpe
- Amherst and Hadley Through the Seasons by Daniel Lombardi
- Harvesting History by Sheila Rainford and Ruth Owen Jones
- History of the Black Population of Amherst 1728-1870 by James Avery Smith
- The Letters of Lathrop & Pomeroy by Lucy Whitelaw Rexford
- The Writing Master, by Kitty Burns Florey