Pinching pennies never felt so good! Check out our picks for the best bargains in Massachusetts for 2014.
BEST COLLEGE MUSEUM:
WILLIAMS COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART, Williamstown
Eyes (Nine Elements), an outdoor sculpture by Louise Bourgeois, points the way to the art museum on this idyllic college campus. Visitors are free to enter and explore collections that encompass the history of artistic endeavor, but dwell most heavily on modern and contemporary art. This being an educational institution, art often illuminates historical and cultural themes. Free.
15 Lawrence Hall Drive. 413-597-2429; wcma.williams.edu
BEST PIZZA:
HUNGRY GHOST BREAD, Northampton
The whole-grain breads crafted from locally grown grain are eye-opening taste sensations. Customers in the know return at the end of the day Tuesday through Sunday when the bakers throw some extra logs into the wood-fired oven and make Neapolitan-style thin-crust pizza with local cheeses and veggies. Pizzas: $10–$17 for 16-inch.
62 State St. 413-582-9009; hungryghostbread.com
BEST HOT DOGS:
GEORGE’S CONEY ISLAND, Worcester
A little slice of Americana marked by a great neon hand holding a hot dog dripping mustard, Coney Island has been a Worcester institution since 1918. The dogs are best with the secret-recipe chili sauce, mustard, and chopped onions, and the lunch counter even has beer on tap. Hot dog: $1.60.
158 Stockbridge St. 508-753-4362; coneyislandlunch.com
BEST SMALL-TOWN BASEBALL:
LOWELL SPINNERS, Lowell
This Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox helped nurture the talents of Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Clay Buchholz. See if you can spot the stars of tomorrow as they play at LeLacheur Park on the banks of the Merrimack River. Tickets: $6–$8.
450 Aiken St. 978-459-1702; lowellspinners.com
BEST OCEAN EXHIBITS:
OCEAN SCIENCE EXHIBIT CENTER, Woods Hole
If your idea of ocean research is looking for shells at low tide, you’re in for a revelation at this facility that details some of the scientific breakthroughs of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Kids will love listening to recordings of marine mammals and climbing into a full-size model of the submersible Alvin. Free.
15 School St., MS#45. 508-289-2663; whoi.edu
