The Bridge of Flowers is a unique attraction in Shelburne Falls. The bridge which spans the Deerfield River was built in 1908 as a separate railroad bridge to facilitate freight into town. With the advent of trucking the bridge fell into disuse by 1927 and was overgrown with weeds in 1929. The bridge carried a water main and so could not be demolished so a local housewife Antoinette Burnham came up with the idea to turn the bridge into a garden. The Shelburne Women’s Club sponsored the introduction of eighty loads of loan and two loads of fertilizer and oversaw the planting. A $580,000 restoration of the bridge occurred in 1981. Today the bridge is a wonderful place of quiet repose on a sunny spring or summer day. Be aware parking is limited and the neighbors do not take kindly to parking in front of their houses.
