Have you been to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum? I haven’t been until this year either. Actually when I speak to most of the people in my life they haven’t been either. It is a cool museum, I would say it’s pretty small compared to a lot of the other Boston museums but it’s unique in the use of indoor and outdoor spaces.
Cost: $20 an adult, we used our library card for 50% off
Time: About 3 hours
Would I recommend it: Yes, it was lovely. There was a lot to see and do, the tour was very useful. It is one of the most unique art museums I’ve been to.
How we got there: We drove in, I was having a rough day so I thought if we took the T I wouldn’t be able to then go to the museum. We were able to park right out front of the museum for about $3 on the street. From there the walk to the museum was about 2 minutes at most, we only had to cross the street.
The Museum
In the museum we showed our passes which we ordered online to make sure we got the time we wanted and used our library pass for the discount. At the museum we signed up for a tour of the museum, this a free service. Our tour started around 30 minutes after we got there so we spent our first 30 minutes peeking around the courtyard and the garden.
Isabella Stewart Gardner is known (besides for the missing art) for it’s courtyard. It is stunning, it has a perfect smell and waterfall, it is peaceful and tranquil. I can imagine how amazing it would have been to read a book there with some tea. If you look around the courtyard you’ll notice most of the flowers are in pots and containers, these flowers are switched out frequently, I believe monthly.
To the right of the courtyard are two small annexes with beautiful paintings which we immediately bypassed and found a lovely walled courtyard. It was so green, it was funny being able to hear the traffic of Boston and seeing all these lush trees and foliage. There were these winding paths that bring you to benches and statues around the garden as well.
The Tour
Our tour started shortly after in the courtyard. The tour brings you only to the courtyard and 1 other room. The purpose of the tour is to explain a bit about how the museum came to be, its history, who Isabel Stewart Gardner was, and how you should experience the museum.
Top 5 things we learned from the tour:
- Isabell had a lot of money from her own family and also inherited a lot from her husband
- She collected all of the art work in the original building and placed it herself
- None of the artwork is allowed to be removed at any point for any reason other than restoration
- If any of the artwork is removed or sold off the whole collection is to be sold at auction in Paris with the proceeds going to Harvard
- Isabella envisioned people wandering through the museum and looking at the artwork as it rested, not researching each piece
I really liked the idea of number 5. I find that often, as someone who loves history, I get caught up in the placards around the artwork and want to know more about the piece and the artist and what was happening during the time period, etc. Walking through the museum and just taking it in was a different experience. I noticed more details and the placement of things. I noticed how the colors flowed and the textiles were worn in certain areas. I noticed a lot more.
The Rest of the Museum
We made our way through the museum, taking in all of the details of the room and the overwhelming amount of art, textiles, and color. The entire building is centered around the courtyard, you can peek out almost any window and look down and see its bright blooms and I imagine on a quiet day hear the fountain. The most jarring room is the one with the missing paintings. Every room is overflowing with stuff, trinkets and paintings covering walls, bookshelves and corners. Then there are these massive frames that are just gapping and empty, reminding everyone of what was lost in 1990.
It’s strange to then continue around the rest of the museum like normal but there we went. She traveled an amazing amount for someone in the 1800s/ early 1900s. There are bowls from China, tapestries from Japan, wood carvings from Thailand, Egyptian sculptures, and plenty of things from Europe. Make sure to peek into every room.
On our way out, we made sure to check out the newer part of the museum. This is a modern glass building that is attached to the original building. We found an exhibit on Christopher Street by Mark Seliger. There were massive, 15 feet maybe, portraits of transgender people with their stories. It was a stunning collection that told stories of a community and their hopes and dreams. There was a 20 minute film to accompany it but we had missed it, I think it was about 10 minutes to closing at that point.
Final Tips:
- Do the tour, it’s a half hour and it will teach you a lot
- Peek into every crevice and nook, you’ll be surprised at what you find
- Put your phone down and enjoy the museum as she felt it should be enjoyed
- Don’t forget to look at the more modern section as well
- The outside of the museum (the courtyard and the walled garden) is just as beautiful as the inside, make sure to look
- Go slow and enjoy
Have you been to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum? Do you have a favorite Exhibit?
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