About the Museum
The mission of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, a non-profit organization in Amherst, MA, is to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. The only full-scale museum of its kind in the United States, The Carle collects, preserves, presents, and celebrates picture books and picture book illustrations from around the world. In addition to underscoring the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of picture books and their art form, The Carle offers educational programs that provide a foundation for arts integration and literacy.
Eric and Barbara Carle founded the Museum in November 2002. Eric Carle is the renowned author and illustrator of more than 70 books, including the 1969 classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Since opening, the 40,000-square foot facility has served more than half a million visitors, including 30,000 schoolchildren. Its extensive resources include a collection of more than 10,000 picture book illustrations, three art galleries, an art studio, a theater, picture book and scholarly libraries, and educational programs for families, scholars, educators, and schoolchildren. Educational offerings include professional training for educators around the country.
Read here about the remarkable life of Eric Carle MORE
Hours:
Closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Holiday Closures: Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year’s Day
Join The Center Dance Studio for creative movement and narrative dance inspired by Daniel’s Good Day, by Micha Archer. Kids will love this interactive class that honors the reader, and storyteller, in all of us. Bring your imagination and your dancing feet! Recommended for children ages 2-6. Caregiver participation welcome. Free with Museum admission
Join Berkshire Hills Music Academy’s Mary Westgate for a fun, music-filled storytime featuring singing, musical instruments, and braille books. WHO YOU'LL MEET MARY WESTGATE Mary Westgate has been reading Braille books and singing with children for over 10 years. Mary is a day student at Berkshire Hills Music Academy (BHMA) in South Hadley, MA. She is a […]
Join us for day of stories, book signings, and drawing demonstrations as we celebrate the opening of Horse Tales: Galloping into Children’s Books. Meet exhibition artists Micha Archer, Jane Dyer, Ruth Sanderson, and Audrey Helen Weber, and horses from Whispering Horse Therapeutic Riding Center! Schedule 11:00 am - Special Storytime with Micha Archer and Ruth Sanderson 11:30 am […]
Join us and certified children’s yoga instructor, Lorrie Heard, as we explore movement and fun inspired by the beautiful nature in Bobbie’s Meadow! Children will be invited to practice foundational yoga poses and breathing exercises, while stretching and strengthening their bodies and minds. Class will be geared towards ages 3–6, but parents and siblings are welcome. […]
Geared for kids ages 5-12, you won’t want to miss this program packed full of high energy and family-friendly funnies! Founded in 2015, Happier Valley Comedy is the heart of improv comedy in Western Mass! Their Happier Family Comedy Show is all about letting creativity flourish in an accepting atmosphere. Each improv show is an hour-long, […]
Join author/illustrator E. B. Goodale as she presents her new book, The Moon Remembers. This book is a lyrical look at how the moon is a guardian for us all—after all, each squirrel and owl, all the trees and tiny flowers, even your mama and daddy, were babies once. And the moon remembers. Perfect for new babies (and […]
Join us for a fun story time with author Emma Otheguy to celebrate her new picture book Martina Has Too Many Tías! This is a fresh retelling of the classic folktale “La cucaracha Martina,” vibrantly illustrated by Sara Palacios. Bilingual readers welcome! Book signing to follow program. Can’t make the event? You may reserve signed books online. WHO YOU'LL MEET EMMA OTHEGUY Emma Otheguy is […]
Join The Center Dance Studio for creative movement and narrative dance inspired by Patricia Intriago’s Dot. Kids will love this interactive class that honors the reader, and storyteller, in all of us. Bring your imagination and your dancing feet! Recommended for children ages 2-6. Caregiver participation welcome.
Come join the BenAnna Band at The Carle for a family friendly music concert! Families will go bananas for this high energy musical duo that will have them singing, dancing, and playing along on live instruments! Bring your dancing shoes and big smiles to make this a musical performance to remember. BenAnna Band is a […]
Curious about mushroom foraging? In Mason Goes Mushrooming, a first-of-its kind foraging story, we follow a young Vermont boy and his four-legged pal, Buddy, to hunt edible mushrooms through lush woodland landscapes. They find morels in springtime, chanterelles and lobster mushrooms in summer, and black trumpets in autumn. Author Melany Kahn will present an interactive reading of Mason Goes […]
