Historic Northampton is a museum of local history in the heart of the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts. Its collection of approximately 50,000 objects and three historic buildings is the repository of Northampton and Connecticut Valley history from the Pre-Contact era to the present. The museum maintains a permanent exhibit chronicling the rich history of Northampton in its main gallery and features changing exhibitions in its rotating exhibit space.

Historic Northampton constitutes a campus of three contiguous historic houses, all on their original sites. The grounds themselves are part of an original Northampton homelot, laid out in 1654.

The Damon House (1813), built by architect Isaac Damon, contains Historic Northampton's administrative offices. A modern structure, added in 1987, houses the museum, gift shop and exhibition area. It features changing exhibits and a permanent installation, A Place Called Paradise: The Making of Northampton, Massachusetts, chronicling Northampton history.

Next Door, the Parsons House (1719) affords an overview of early Colonial domestic architecture. It is currently closed to the public pending renovations.

The Shepherd House (1796) is the headquarters of the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, the state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Museum and Gift Shop are open daily, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM until 5 PM and on Sunday from Noon until 5 PM. Historic Northampton is closed on Mondays & Holidays.

• A Place Called Paradise: The making of Northampton, Massachusetts
• The Paintability of Nature: Rediscovering Charles C. Burleigh, Jr. (1848-1882)
• ''Woolgathering'' by Nan Salky