Named for Baron Jeffery Amherst, a British general during the last of the French and Indian Wars, the illustrious liberal-arts college was founded in 1821. Robert Frost was a member of the faculty for more than a decade. Amherst's campus cuts through the heart of the town and makes for a pretty stroll. The Mead Art Museum, routes 116 and 9 (tel. 413/542-2335), specializes in American art, including Hudson River School landscapes and modern works by Robert Henri and Frank Stella. Admission is free, and it's open daily except Monday.