City: Clinton, MA

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (978) 598-5000

Address: 203 Union St.

Insider Pick:

Description: Here, on display in the small industrial town of Clinton, just north of Worcester, is the largest collection of Russian icons in North America. It’s an art museum that you might more likely find in a major metropolitan area, not in a town of just 13,000 people.Located in a renovated 150-year-old carpet mill building, the museum was founded in 2006 by local plastics tycoon Gordon Lankton to house his collection of Russian Orthodox art. Rich in symbolism, icons typically depict saints or holy events painted with egg tempera on wood panels and decorated with gold leaf. The museum’s collection includes more than 500 icons and artifacts dating back 6 centuries. The high-end museum gift shop stocks lots of one-of-a-kind items, including exquisite Russian lacquer boxes. Closed Sun and Mon.