Williamstown dates back to 1750 when sentinels from nearby Fort Massachusetts set up the northern line of defense in the French and Indian wars. The commander of that northern line, Col. Ephraim Williams, left money for the founding of a free school, provided the town was named Williamstown. The school, opened in 1791, became Williams College in 1793.

Today, in addition to the college, the area's sights include:

• The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute—Best known for its world-class French impressionist collection, the Clark also has an extensive old master painting collection and a significant group of American works by Homer, Sargent, Cassatt, and Remington. Selections from the extensive collection of silver, prints, drawings, and sculpture are also on view.
• The Williamstown Theatre Festival—Hosting two stages and celebrating its 50th season, WTF is one of the most critically acclaimed summer theatres in the country. It received the 2002 Regional Theatre Tony Award.
• MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art)—A stunning museum set in a 19th century historic mill complex, MASS MoCA has an extensive and varied performing arts program in its 150,000 square feet of exhibition and performance space.
• Williams College Art Museum—With an active program of changing exhibitions, educational activities, and a collection of over 11,000 works, WCMA is an outstanding college art museum.

Williamstown is surrounded by excellent hiking, cross-country skiing, and nature trails include Hopkins Forest, Mt. Greylock State Reservation, and the Appalachian and Taconic Crest Trails.

The rest of the Berkshires wonderful cultural attractions are less than an hour away.

• Tanglewood—the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood features classical, popular and jazz concerts from June to Labor Day.
• The Hancock Shaker Village—a living history museum, the village was an active Shaker community from 1790 to 1960. It features the wonderful round barn and nineteen other restored buildings.
• Shakespeare and Company—in its new campus in Lenox, the Company stages wonderful productions of Shakespeare as well as other playwrights in both indoor and outdoor settings.
• The Mount—Edith Wharton's Georgian Revival house was modeled on Christopher Wren's Belton House in Lincolnshire, England. The estate and gardens are being lovingly restored by Edith Wharton Restoration, Inc.
• Jacob's Pillow—America's first and oldest summer dance festival, Jacob's Pillow offers a Who's Who of contemporary dance.
• The Norman Rockwell Museum—located in Rockwell's hometown of Stockbridge, the museum has a permanent collection of original Rockwell paintings as well as changing exhibits by other noted illustrators.
• Chesterwood—the country estate of sculptor Daniel Chester French—best known for his sculpture of Lincoln for the Memorial in Washington, D.C.—Chesterwood offers a compelling look at the meaning and methods of sculpture at the turn of the twentieth century.
• The Berkshire Theatre Festival—featuring new and classic works on two stages in Stockbridge, the BTF recently celebrated its 75th anniversary.