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The 10 Best Art Museums in Boston, Massachusetts (MA)
Walk the Freedom Trail the first time you visit Boston and you'll quickly get a sense of this coastal city's revolutionary spirit and history. But make sure you also explore some of Boston's fine museums (try the Isabella Stewart Gardner, featuring masterpieces displayed in their collector's mansion) and old neighborhoods (like the North End, Boston's Little Italy). You can't claim to have experienced real Boston culture, though, until you've watched a Red Sox game from the bleachers.
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1. Museum of Fine Arts
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 8,156 reviews
Boston's oldest, largest and best-known art institution, the MFA houses one of the world's most comprehensive art collections and is renowned for its Impressionist paintings, Asian and Egyptian collections and early American art.
Reviewed By Laura843 - Boston, United States
Some suggested ideas for planning your trip: • Weekends: Try and go as close to opening time as possible on Saturday and Sunday [10am.] There are less crowds early in the day on weekends • Limit What You See: Plan to take in a limited number sections of the museum if possible. It's a lot easier to remember/savor what you've seen if you don't overwhelm yourself. You can preplan your route by looking at the museum floorplans & exhibitions online. • Audio Tours or Guided Tours: Try to add on an audio tour, or tour an exhibit with a guide who knows more about the artwork. Learning about the people who made that art, how they made it and the time period that the art was created is fun! Check the website mfa.org Programs>Gallery Activities & Tours for the schedule • Eat at the New American Cafe: Although it's pricey, and has a limited menu, the food is nice with fresh ingredients...and it's a great way to sit down for a bit and savor the museum experience while sitting in the cavernous open-spaced courtyard next to the new New American wing of the museum. • John Singer Sargent Murals in the Rotunda & Grand Staircase: Although technically part of the building, and not an exhibit... There are some beautiful murals painted in the ceiling and surrounding area of the Rotunda painted by John Singer Sargent on canvas, and then adhered to the walls. See the photo I posted below. • Parking: It's not easy or inexpensive to park in this neighborhood... if you can take the "T" it's just a short walk to the MFA from the Museum stop on the "E" Heath Street MBTA's Green Line. • Discounts: This can be an expensive trip... kids between 7 and 17 are admitted free after 3pm on weekdays, and some of the combo tickets for Boston include MFA admission. The museum occasionally does free days... check the website... but be forewarned they can be crowded. Many universities have institutional memberships so a current student ID is useful!
2. Norman B. Leventhal Map Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
The Leventhal Map Center is located on the first floor of the Boston Public Library's historic McKim Building in Copley Square. It includes an exhibition gallery featuring changing thematic exhibitions, a public learning center with research books, a reading room for rare map research, a world globe three feet in diameter, and a Kids Map Club with map puzzles.
3. The Art of Paul Pedulla
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7 reviews
Maybe you already know Paul Pedulla's paintings, having seen them at galleries or online via Serena & Lily or other venues. Here's a chance to meet the artist, see his minimalist works, ask questions, learn about his style. Paul has been featured in numerous publications and blogs and his works can be found in homes and businesses from California to Germany.
4. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,108 reviews
A Venetian palace in the middle of Boston, Gardner's home is now a museum displaying her impressive, eclectic collection of European, American and Asian art, including sculpture, paintings, furniture, ceramics and textiles. Visitors can stroll or rest in a spectacular skylit courtyard filled with plants and flowers.
Reviewed By JacksBack05101 - Westminster, United States
Too much to say to Fit here but... John Singer Sargent’s El Jaleo is amazing, you’ll see the empty frames from the nations most notorious art heist too. This place is frozen in time on purpose. Please visit to find out why!
5. Otis House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 52 reviews
Historic house museum, open seasonally from April-November. One of 37 properties owned and operated by Historic New England. Otis House is the last surviving mansion in Bowdoin Square in Boston’s West End neighborhood. Charles Bulfinch designed the house for Harrison Gray Otis, a lawyer who was instrumental in developing nearby Beacon Hill, served in Congress, and was a mayor of Boston. It is the first of three houses Bulfinch designed for Otis and his wife, Sally Foster Otis. The house reflects the classical proportions and delicate detail of the Federal style. Take a tour of Otis House to learn about the family’s life in the Federal era and the later history of the house, when it served as a clinic and a middle-class boarding house. The restoration of Otis House and its brilliantly colored wallpapers, carpeting, and high-style furnishings is based on meticulous historical and scientific research. Otis House is a National Historic Landmark.
6. Boston Athenaeum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 75 reviews
Reviewed By adalbert3 - Newport Beach, United States
One can take a tour or just walk through--there is a cost of admittance, but we were happy to pay it in support of such a noteworthy organization---as it is one of the oldest independent libraries in the U.S.. The setting itself sets a wonderful tone and the artwork is gorgeous--a John Adams portrait by Gilbert Stuart and a James Monroe portrait by Samuel F. B. Morse are just two examples. There is a great children's section and if you have the time, just sit in the Henry Long Room for a few moments and enjoy the ambience. Check out my photos for more details.
7. McMullen Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 30 reviews
8. John Adams Courthouse
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 3 reviews
Explore the roots of American government and see the beautiful home of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Opened in 1894, this courthouse is named in honor of John Adams, who wrote the Massachusetts Constitution. The Great Hall contains a barrel-vaulted ceiling decorated with murals, 16 life-size allegorical figures and two exhibit rooms on John Adams and the Sacco and Vanzetti Trial.
9. The Institute of Contemporary Art
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 478 reviews
This museum features cutting-edge contemporary painting, sculpture, architecture, film and photography.
Reviewed By Southiebob - Boston, United States
Located in the new “Seaport District” of South Boston. The ICA is one of the first institutions to locate in the Seaport area and it has fit into the neighborhood wonderfully. My wife and I have been going here for years and it is always a treat. Great art exhibits of all styles and an eye popping window wall View out to the harbor. Nice outside seating area to hang out or listen to music and watch the world go bye. Maybe the Cliff Divers will be back sometime soon.... off the roof into the harbor. Don’t miss it!! Rotating exhibitions and unique take on everyday happenings. Easy public transit to area on the Silver Line or easy walk from most downtown hotels and waterfront. Lots of restaurants in area.
10. MassArt Art Museum
The MassArt Art Museum is Boston's newest and free contemporary art museum. The MassArt Art Museum offers an accessible contemporary art experience for all audiences and partners with emerging and established artists to bring fresh, diverse perspectives to Boston. A teaching museum, MAAM will be a resource for the MassArt community.
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