image description — A screenshot from the Berkshire Museum's video of the concrete flooring being poured for the aquarium this fall. The museum has been closed since January for renovations.

Berkshire Museum's New Aquarium Taking Shape

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
08:07AM / Sunday, December 07, 2025Print Story | Email Story

A rendering showing how the redesigned aquarium will look.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Museum's $12.1 million renovation project is on track for reopening the museum next summer.

The major renovation of the 1903 structure will include a new lobby, gift shop, family activity center, lecture hall, conference room, and reimagined first-floor galleries showcasing art, natural history, and historical objects.

One of the biggest attractions will be the aquarium, which will be double the size and replace the old theater.

"We're going to have a whole group of new exhibits and exhibitions. Our aquarium, which is in the basement currently, is being moved up to where the old theater is. So it's going to be our marquee addition to the museum," said Shane Frasier, director of marketing and communications. "It's going to be great. It's going to be a really nice draw for people of all ages in the Berkshires and beyond."

The new aquarium will have room for new species and a lighted walkway through the space. The work is being done by StudioHau.

"We had the person who designed that come a couple months ago, we got to see what a couple of the tiles would look like," Frasier said. "So there's a blue light underneath it, but that light can change color, so it's going to be this, really immersive vibrant experience when people go in there."

Frasier said Wednesday was a great day as the renovations could really be seen taking shape.

"We came in and it was the first time where it was like, Okay, this is real, because before, everyone's been having construction. Now the halls you can see the frames of everything. Now you can see how everything is going to look like. So, today was really exciting," he said.

The project began last January; to keep a presence in the community during the renovations, the museum has been deploying its Mobile Museum Units (MoMU). It's most recent use was at the city's Festive Frolic events over the weekend.

"Our educators have been out in the community with their MoMU programs," Frasier said. "We had Fall Fest back in October. We had it Herman Melville's Arrowhead, but we collaborated with the Berkshire County Historical Society on that program. So, we've been out there staying relevant, and helping the community have some fun."

Collaboration with other institutions has also aided the museum in keeping its annual programs running.

The museum's popular Festival of Trees is being hosted at Hancock Shaker Village this year and the annual "Ten Days of Play" for children during the last February's winter break was held at Berkshire Community College.

The museum has been closed to the public since last Jan. 6 and Frasier said officials are excited to welcome people back through the doors to experience new exhibits and see how the renovations changed the space for the better.

"It's going to be a familiar but new experience. There's going to be old favorites like the diorama room, where people are going to see kind of a fresh spin on that experience that people have loved for years," he said.

"The aquarium is going to be really the biggest, it's going to be the big marquee attraction. So people are going to love that. And then they're going to love the new exhibitions like 'Cabinets of Curiosities' immersed in nature. So there's going to be a lot for everyone of all ages. And I really cannot wait for people to explore the space."

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Lanesborough Looks to Dissolve Baker Hill Road District

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:00PM / Friday, November 13, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board is looking to move forward with dissolving the Baker Hill Road District, which is hindering the Berkshire Mall sale.

On Friday, the Select Board heard from Vice Chair Juli Baker and Chair Deborah Maynard on how Tuesday negotiations went with Cypress Equities, JMJ Holdings, town counsel, the town administrator, and state Rep. John Barrett III.

Baker said that during Tuesday's meeting, everyone agreed the goal was to have a successful sale of the mall for redevelopment as it’s in the best interest of the town.

Baker said Barrett assured them the state is willing to take the Connector Road and that the state is willing to provide grants to the town to renovate the water and sewer infrastructure, with an estimated total of $4.5 million, to facilitate the property's redevelopment.

"We have received assurances from Representative Barrett that the Commonwealth will provide the monies and will take the Connector," Baker said.

While buyer Cypress Equities saw some benefit in keeping the district, it now doesn't since the state is willing to provide the funds and renovate the infrastructure, according to Baker.

Baker said that in the meeting, Cypress Equities prefers to enter into a tax increment financing (TIF) and will add to the agreement an amount of funding for public safety services, which would have come from the district. She said Cypress said it would rather enter into one agreement with the town than two agreements with the town and the district.

Mall owner JMJ Holdings is willing to pay $350,000 to the town upon closing, Baker said.

The meeting Friday was to consider moving forward with a dissolution of the district.

"But the decision that it hinges on tonight is whether to move forward to the dissolution of the Baker Hill Road District in some manner," she said.

Baker said she has worked long and hard to see if there was another alternative to this, working closely with the district which has been "very cooperative and very helpful" in making changes.

The district had agreed to make changes to its governance and taxation; agreeing to have a cap for Cypress as well as agreeing to work to have the state take over the road, sending letters of support.

"What changed this for me is that I've always said it's important to have the special district because we get the public safety funding, and it's also important for the economic district to bring the features that an economic district brings because of what we're up against with the infrastructure problems, and the change at this point is that we have a buyer who is willing to supply that public safety money and commit to it over time, along with the TIF that the town would do, which is essential," she said.

"At this point, I feel like it's in the best interest of the town and protects the town the best in terms of a future where we can develop a mall and bring that economic benefit in. You definitely need to reduce taxes, and you cannot do that without a fully developed retail operation right there. So it's been, you know, deeply difficult decision making," Baker said.

Board members Jason Breault and Jeffery Walters agreed it was the best decision to move forward.

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