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Isabella Stewart Garden Museum

Few philanthropists are so passionate about art that they build a museum, fill it with masterpieces, and then move into it. Isabella Stewart Gardner was such a patron. She created an intimate atmosphere for fine art-naturally lighted and including a flower-filled courtyard-and then lived her last 20 years in a fourth-floor apartment of the museum. First opened to the public in 1903, her former "home" continues to maintain its original layout and design, as stipulated in her will.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum evokes the style of a 15th-century Italian palazzo, filled with nearly 500 pieces of imported furniture. That's the icing; the cake is Mrs. Gardner's collection of works from ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, Renaissance Italy, Asia, the Islamic world, and 19th-century France and America-some 2,000 paintings, sculpture, tapestries, drawings, silver, ceramics, illuminated manuscripts, rare books, photographs, and letters.

Chief among the displayed works is Titian's Europa, considered one of the most important Renaissance paintings in the United States. Other masters represented here include Rembrandt, Degas, Raphael, Rubens, Matisse, Michelangelo, Cellini, and two of Mrs. Gardner's personal friends-James McNeill Whistler and John Singer Sargent.

A special exhibition gallery features two or three changing shows per year, often by contemporary artists-in-residence. Special events include jazz and classical music concerts, lectures, holiday celebrations, and art-making workshops for children. The museum's café serves soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts, and its gift shop offers such items as jewelry, neckties, dolls, scarves, and art reproductions.

Location
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is located at 280 The Fenway in Boston. The Museum of Fine Arts garage and a lot on Museum Road offer nearby paid parking. Metered street parking also is available.

Hours of operation
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Galleries begin closing at 4:45 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays, as well as on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve.

The Gardner Café is open Tuesday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; and on weekends, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Admission

Adults	$10 ($11 on weekends)
Senior citizens	$7
College students	$5 with current ID
Children (under age 18)	Free
Members	Free

Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more.

Contact information

• Call the museum at (617) 566-1401.
• For the Gardner Café, call (617) 566-1088

Disabled access
Most of the museum's galleries, as well as its gift shop, Gardner Café, and restrooms, are wheelchair accessible. Museum information is available in Braille and in large print at the Visitor Information desk.

Additional information

• Because Mrs. Gardner's will stipulates that the museum use only natural lighting, it can be difficult to see the artwork on rainy days.
• Guided museum and garden tours can be arranged with advance notice of three weeks.
• A self-guided audio tour is available in English and Spanish for $4.
• Visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Web Site

Please note
Cost, hours of operation, or other information about this attraction is subject to change without notice. We suggest you confirm with the attraction prior to your visit.