WILLIAMSTOWN, MA.- With 140 acres of woodlands, meadows, and pasture covered in snow, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute’s grounds are a winter playground for families, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone seeking a fantastic art-in-nature combination. And the best part? At this time of the year, admission to the Clark’s galleries is free, and the Clark’s grounds are free and open to the public year round.

With Stone Hill Center opening in 2008, over half a mile was added to the Clark’s system of walking paths and hiking trails. The Nan and Howard Paths, both under a half-mile in length, lead snowshoers and skiers over small bridges and up gently winding paths to Stone Hill Center. Once there, visitors can use the new outdoor ski/snowshoe/bike rack designed by architect Tadao Ando and warm up inside where restrooms, lockers, and a water fountain are available. Adventures can head out again and take the Pasture Trail Loop (under a mile) or Stone Bench Loop (over a mile) to explore the far reaches of the Clark. Both loops crest the top of Stone Hill with breathtaking views of Williamstown set against the Green Mountains and Taconics. Trail maps are available at the information desk in the Manton Research Center.

Complete your adventure at the Clark with a free visit the galleries. On view is Toulouse-Lautrec and Paris, a vibrant exhibition of more than eighty works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and his contemporaries. The Clark’s permanent collection is extraordinarily rich in nineteenth-century French art, with more than thirty paintings by Renoir and works by Monet, Degas, and Pissarro. It also contains exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. The recent gift of the Manton Collection added to the Clark’s collection a significant number of British paintings, oil sketches, watercolors, and other works on paper by J.M.W. Turner, John Constable, and Thomas Gainsborough, among others.