NightWood at The Mount
Tonight I decided to take my family to the "NightWood" at The Mount. The Mount is located on 2 Plunkett St in Lenox, Massachusetts. Edith Wharton designed this home in 1902, and since 1971 has been a national landmark. This property is now open to the public to walk and enjoy its beautiful grounds. The Mount has been holding events for years, and we look forward to attending them in the future. For more information about The Mount and some of its history, please visit www.edithwharton.org.
Below, I will describe what I did to book this event and give you some information about likes and dislikes. Also, please remember that this is strictly my opinion from what we experienced while on property.
Booking was straightforward; visit www.edithwharton.org and click on the "Get Tickets" button. I clicked "Book" after that, which brought up the dates open by a green box on their calendar. Once that date is selected, times will come up to determine which is best for you and your family. Then click how many are in your party according to age, put your payment information in, and you are set to go. I did receive a confirmation in an email. Also, visit their event website for details and requirements for masking and social distancing while on the grounds.
Arriving for the event and finding parking wasn't an issue. Walking from the car to the ticket booth did have its slippery spots; other than that, it was fine. However, yes, the parking lot is big enough but is poorly lit, so I would advise caution, especially with children. Also, make sure you dress accordingly for the event. We had our winter coats, hats, and gloves since the temperature was in the low 20's.
We were greeted at the ticket booth by a very kind employee. Tickets were not needed at our check-in time. You will only need the name of the person who booked your event. Once confirmed, another employee will greet you to explain what to expect on your walk. There are other employees on the grounds wearing reflective jackets if any questions should arise during your time. Below is a map of the event.
Once we were on our way, we did notice a sign for a cafe right to the left of the entrance. The cafe had all the basics needed for the 45 min walk. Hot apple cider, hot chocolate, water, sugar cookies, cider donuts, and brownies if the kids get hungry. Warming lamps were also nearby with seating if you wanted to relax and warm up a little. We decided not to stop at the cafe and went right on the walk.
The paths were lit with torches throughout. It was a very charming touch and kept the routes illuminated enough to see where we were going. These paths were cleaned up from the last snowfall we had a few days earlier. I feel that anyone who had difficulty walking or needed a wheelchair would not fully enjoy the event. If you need special accommodations or have questions, I would highly advise you to call to get a definite answer. This is an outdoor event, and there are stairs and slippery spots if one is not careful.
For us, the entire event took about 45 minutes to complete. This was from parking, checking in, and walking the grounds, as well as stopping for a few minutes to see what the cafe had to offer. I believe it was around a 3/4 mile total walkthrough. There weren't any steep graded hills or any trouble spots I could think of. I noticed a few areas, especially around the main house, flower, and walled gardens, that bottlenecked a little but dispersed after a few minutes.
We have been to other lighting events in surrounding areas. Another is going on now at the Naumkeag called "Winterlights." We visited this event a few years ago with some neighbors. I couldn't rate which is better since they both have two different components. Yes, I would have liked to see more lights on the trees while walking the "Lime Walk" at The Mount, as well as some of the other locations. The "NightWood" event had the music that went with the lighting that "Winterlights" doesn't. In my honest opinion, I couldn't pick one over the other. If you like a nice relaxing, more level ground walk with music, then "NightWood" would be the pick for me. If you are interested in more lights without music, then "Winterlights" would be the choice. I highly recommend experiencing both. We won't be able to attend "Winterlights" this year, but we will make it a point to walk through both in 2022.
I would like to personally thank all the staff that put together "NightWood" at The Mount. It was a real enjoyment for my family to see all the hard work to make this happen for visitors. Your work and dedication will always be remembered in the hearts of those who attended. I am sure that each year you will bring something more to add to the spectacular grounds. All staff members we interacted with were very kind and courteous—especially the woman who checked us in at the ticket booth. Thank you very much for the memories, and we will see you again soon.
Please note that all photos were taken using an iPhone 12 max pro. The quality is diminished in low-light situations, but hopefully, you will get the idea of the event. Being there in person was impressive.
