Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Reviews

This museum is an eclectic collection, with this eclectics being presented as its very special trait. Which makes providing visitors with information about the variegated collection even more important than it is in a regular museum.
There is NO information. The art pieces are NOT LABELED AT ALL. No leaflets or laminated information sheets are offered. All you can do is to scan barcodes with your phone and download a PDF file for each room. There are also audio materials, I admit I did not try those worrying for my phone battery. There is WiFi in the museum, moderately strong.
For a fairly highly priced place with even more pricy parking, that requires pre-scheduled timed reservations, ISG Museum should have tried harder.

It is the wonderful Italian villa with beautiful inner courtyard. It is filled with the remarkably haphazard staff, cannot call it collection. Paintings, tapestries, sculptors, furniture. Some of them are very interesting, but the overall feeling is of crazy rich woman without education or goal. The museum has to be visited in he daylight, there is no lighting for the exhibits, so I would imagine half of them will be invisible in the twilight. There is a website providing audio commentary and visual setup for each room to help navigate this mayhem. It is definitely worth one visit, after which you will decide if you love it or hate it.

We were very glad to have worked this museum into our 2-day MFA schedule. The museum is more like a house with art, furniture, and artifacts just everywhere. Up the walls, on furniture as well as the historic furniture itself. Isabella collected some impressive world renowned items. Since nothing is labeled (by her intention), it can be overwhelming. Thus, the audio tour does help to focus on a few key things in each room. There are also kiosks with similar information. It took us a little over an hour and a half to do a basic tour with the audio systems. Well worth the time. Glad we did not miss this gem.

Parking is easy nearby. Beautiful building, garden. An amazing collection of art. The cafe lunch was delicious and reasonable. Nice book shop. Close to T stop, Museum, Wentworth and Northeastern.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has long been on our list of "must visit" art museums. Back in Boston after 30 years, it was a priority to visit. We did our homework before buying our timed tickets...learning about the woman behind the museum, the building she commissioned to house her art according to her vision as well as her private resident on the top floor, the collection and how it was to be presented, the 1990 art theft, and more. We wanted to make sure we saw the works of art that are of high interest. That said, once we were ready to visit the museum and had crossed over into the Cloisters, we went back to the entrance for a map, which they said were not available (most museums have eliminated brochures and such, due to COVID, but they are coming back!), but we persisted and thankfully were given a paper map that noted the highlights in each room! While it helped us navigate through each floor of the museum, we still missed having more info about what we were seeing in each room. I totally understand that Mrs Gardner's museum (aka The Palace) in her day had the works arranged as she desired, and she knew what each work was and who the artist was. I understand there may have been laminated cards with that info, and they are not currently available due to COVID. A paper copy would suffice as I have no desire to access such info by smartphone (and couldn't because my phone doesn't have the capacity for accessing such data). Still I thoroughly enjoyed our visit here! Loved the art in the Blue Room, the Dutch Room, and Early Italian and Raphael Galleries !! And seeing the Courtyard Garden from each level was a treat...I could sit for hours, enjoying the beauty of it!

Beautiful art and view. Seems to be very popular so best to buy your tickets in advance. 3 levels of art work and pieces. Gift shop was pretty cheap as well. Overall we had a great experience!

Modeled after a Venetian palace, this museum is a sightseeing gem. Their flower-filled courtyard blooms all year long. While visiting the museum, I saw Shen Wei's exhibition "painting in motion" which you get to check out his art work and see his dream scapes. The museum had the unfortunate experience of major art stolen in the 1990's (from Rembrandt, Vermeer and others) which still hasn't been recovered.

P.S. Anyone with the first name of Isabella gets in for free (!)

This is a cool venue and the artwork is interesting, BUT there are zero labels to identify the art, artists and years created. Each room has a QR code, but it's cumbersome to use and the information is scant. That drastically reduces the enjoyment of what would otherwise be a gem.

Fascinating Museum with many rooms to explore. Incredible works of art and other items. The Courtyard Garden is idyllic. Cafe was reasonable with fresh foods. My only complaint is that each room has a QR code to link to your phone as you go around. Trouble is that everyone has this on so you hear the recorded messages from each and every one as most people don't bring earphones. I don't want to hear this cacophony. Otherwise I thoroughly recommend a visit

This is a unique Venetian palace with a very good museum café. The palace building is 3 floors high and has a central open courtyard with a glass roof. The art collection is “eclectic” and all 3 floors are packed with a very wide variety of art from paintings, sculpture to furniture, tapestries and a few stained glass windows – this is not for most (young) children as there are no interactive activities. Given the sheer volume of artwork, the museum recommends 2 hours but you can stay as long as you like. And don’t forget to read about their infamous and unsolved heist – there is still a $10 million reward!
We arrived 10:52am and there was already a line queuing up – the long line is to buy tickets so if you purchased tickets online do not get on that line. To avoid the bottleneck of the first crowds, we decided to enjoy Café G and have an early lunch – we recommend the shrimp, crispy polenta with cream mushroom ricotta sauce and the valrhona chocolate budino. Buy your tickets in advance. $20 per adult and free for 17U but they will need a ticket. Closed Tuesday.

This was a simply amazing stop recommended by our bike tour guides. The setting, in reconstructed derelict palaces from Venice is stunning in itself. My hubbie and I are not into 'art' as such but wow the contents of the museum, the collections, including paintings, sculptures, candlesticks, vases, you name it... the variety, the colours, the famous names - it was wonderful. And with a very relaxed feel. Please go!

A beautiful art collection of the Boston lady, held in her Venetian style mansion. Marvelous inner garden. Spend a nice hour or two discovering the collection.

We were in Boston for a day and a friend recommended a visit to this museum and we were so glad we went!!!
It is visually stunning and overwhelming with the number of items on display and the value of the collection that Ms. Gardner amassed as an individual!
What a treasure she has left behind for the public to enjoy and appreciate.
Highly recommend a visit.

Just an amazing museum. The place is incredible and all the items are right there to see up close and personal. Hard to believe the age of this place and just how massive it is now and how surreal it must have been when it was built. We all loved it.

As already mentioned, the collection is amazing but we too were disappointed in the lack of educational material. Each room had literally hundreds of artifacts but not one was marked or labeled. The uninformed would not know if they were looking at an original Degas or an obscure print. Each of the dozens of rooms offered a single QR code which led the mobile user to a page which listed every artifact in the room in no particular order. Consider that many of the visitors were seniors with sub-par technology or vision issues and much of the education component was lost. Technology is wonderful when it is convenient and enhances the experience. Unfortunately, it was neither in this case.

This was my first visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 25 years, and I was struck by how dingy it now seems. The courtyard is wonderful, but the rooms could stand some restorative work. Few of the paintings appear at their best. Still, it is definitely worth a visit.

It's an old house that belonged to the founder, full with diverse art pieces. Saddly its a bit chaotic. You should take ear buds because without the guide doesn't make much sense. Also buy the tickets before hand.

A wide and interesting collection, but sadly no information plaques, plus, with the exception of one young security woman, the staff were unhelpful.

We lived in the Boston area years ago and have visited often but never went to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. We read “The Art Forger” the museum and theft was featured on the book so we decided we should visit. Wish we had done it sooner!

The museum is located in Isabella’s former home and each room was curated by her. It is not like any other museum we have been to. There are several items in a room that do not appear to be related but Isabella felt they belonged together. It is like a home as a museum but not about the people that lived there but about the art she collected.

When visiting plan at least 2 hours to wander the rooms and immerse yourself in Isabella Stewart Gardner’s vision.

We'd last visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner (ISG) museum in September of 2022 (and reviewed it here then), and I wanted to see if it would still keep my interest with a second visit. The answer is definitely, yes. The palace's central courtyard and its lovely flowers, the stately rooms, the eclectic design, the portraits of Gardner scattered throughout to remind one that a real person once lived here -- all of these still imbue the house with an attractiveness that remains fresh.
Our visit this time was in late morning, and the ISG was quite crowded, including even one or two school groups. We'd learned how to get around last time, so this visit we pulled up in front of the entrance, let out the person in our party who was mobility-impaired, and then we drove over the parking garage by the Museum of Fine Arts and then easily walked the 300 yards back to the ISG. No sweat at all on this fine Friday in May. Check-in was quick, and the cloakroom was once more a handy place to leave all but essentials as we walked through the house.
As before, we didn't use audio guides, but just referred to the printed guide and looked up the room descriptions online, since it is the house and not so much the art which we were most interested in seeing. Two hours was about enough time to see the three floors, also with a bit of time to just sit on the stone benches in the cloister-like walkway and enjoy watching the play of light on the flowers in the central yard.

My daughter and I knew little about this museum before we went, but we are so glad we decided to go. It was absolutely beautiful. We spent about 90 minutes there because that was all the time we had. But, you could spend hours adoring it all.

While the art inside is truly wonderful, the rules set forth at the museum are horrific and the staff is cold and remarkably unfeeling. First, the only way to gain entry to the museum you need to sign up as a member and then buy tickets electronically before even going through the front door. This, even though we were literally standing outside the museum and the woman would not allow us to simply purchase tickets at the front desk a few feet away. Second, one of the museum workers would not allow us to hold our jackets and insisted we wear them while visiting. I wore mine for about 20 minutes and then took it off so as to not pass out from the heat. It was hot inside! A man came running over and forcibly insisted I put the coat on, even though I didn’t feel well, once again because it was so hot inside. Had they simply greeted people at the entrance to ask guests to check their jackets, it would make things much better for everyone. I implore the management here to find a better way to do things, as it is not working. We stayed at the museum just 30 minutes as we could not wear our coats any longer. I will not visit again until these asinine rules change.

A pleasant Sunday visit. The courtyard, for me, was the Gem of the Museum. Besides the Magnificent Paintings, the structure of the building itself was quite beautiful.

We arrived to have a sign in the window that stated they were sold out. The staff was snotty when we asked about this situation. Took an Uber to and from our hotel for nothing. This museum needs to give a real time access on their website. It is 2024! So it might be great but we didnt get to see it. Many next time…but maybe not.

What a gem!! This is a most unusual museum. Beautiful relics and paintings through this incredible building. None of the pieces are marked. I would highly recommend using the audio tour on your phone with earpieces. This still does not cover everything. There are guides that you can refer to on the their website but I thought it was difficult to keep going back and forth on my phone. The garden was most amazing. Apparently,they change it every 6 weeks so I guess it has a different appearance. If I lived in Boston I would get a membership.

What a treasure box of delights. You pay $20.00 unless you book via the 1st thursday of the month when it is free. Its is an unbelivable collection of the most remarkable artifacts, art, carvings, collected over many years with love and LOTS and LOTS of money.

In someways it represents the stripping of europe of its artifacts - on the other the collection is open to everyone and is cared for and protected.

I was compeletly bowled over with the place

This is a very enjoyable museum. The directional signs at the entrance could be a little clearer, and I’d like to see more written info for those who don’t do the audio tour. Right now, they are only allowing a limited number of people through timed entry tickets, so be sure to get your tickets in advance.

After a number of hours at the Boston Fine Arts Museum, we decided to swing by the nearby lsabella Stewart Gardner (ISG) museum to see if it would be worth a few minutes of our time to round out the day. Was it ever! Although the artwork throughout the house was indeed interesting, the real star is the house itself.
The ISG is a street-level two and a half block walk west from the BFAM. While the house itself is on the north end of Evans Way, the entrance is through a much more modern structure further south on that block. We had no trouble at all getting in, since we had pre-paid for entry at the 3 pm time-block, and we got there just before 3:30 pm. An excellent 10-page color room guide is provided with admission. There was a useful bag-check service near the entrance. One then passes through a long glass corridor to get to the Gardner house proper (or what the guidebook calls the "Palace").
And what a palace it is! Almost the first thing one see is the lush and beautiful Italianate (?) courtyard enclosed all about by the four-story building. From there, one can move around the rooms of each of the bottom three floors (the top floor is evidently the administration offices).
The ISG provides audio guides, but your reviewer found it simpler to just go to the ISG's webpage, and look at the room content descriptions there on a cellphone while walking through the rooms. Especially interesting were the chapel and the Gothic room, both on the third floor; and the tapestry room on the second floor. And throughout, there were the details of the architectural design of the house to be appreciated.
The ISG closes at 5 pm, so one and a half hours was just (barely) enough time to see all the rooms before it was time to leave.
We didn't see any indication of dedicated parking for the ISG, but the BFAM parking garage was just a couple of blocks over. The ISG also had a very well-stocked gift shop, and your reviewer's one regret was not having enough time to spend more time there during this visit.
Note that there is an original elevator (with a seat in it!) for the use of the mobility-impaired to get to the upper floors.
Overall, the ISG museum turned out to be a very pleasant and engrossing experience. Your reviewer will very much consider another walk around the ISG as a required activity during our next visit to Boston.

I have visited this museum with a friend of mine, and we both enjoyed it so much. The architecture, the garden, furniture, art collection-shortly, every piece of this museum was splendid. I will definitely come back. Highly recommend it to everyone who visits Boston, or likes art.

A gem. The museum offers three stories of Christian icons; artist collections of Rembrandt and Italian painters. An amalgamation of years of collection by Ms. Gardner. The garden is the centerpiece of the multistory Venetian palace.

The Gardner Museum is a treasure. The artwork is A-list, and the setting is unique and cool. The garden courtyard is especially beautiful. We LOVE the museum cafe for lunch - food and service both very good.

An excellent collection in a former mansion. The building alone is worth the visit. Parts of the museum are extremely relaxing.

It is a unique art museum, and the knowledgeable art lovers in my group LOVED it. I can enjoy some art but it’s not a passion and I haven’t studied. I point that out as I think that influences who will really enjoy this.

I really liked that the pieces are displayed all mixed together, and not isolated on a wall or in a display case. I liked that to learn about each piece, you have to access a web page; there are no labels. That said, I was disappointed that so few pieces per room were listed or described on each web page. There were so many things I wanted to learn more about but no description was provided.

The rooms are kept dark to protect the art. However, it makes it difficult to see the art, and all / any colors are muted and muddy.

The courtyard looked fantastic and I would have loved to have been able to see it better. It was blocked off, however, as there was a DJ set up in the courtyard.

This home/museum is well presented and holds a number of incredible pieces of artwork. I like how the security guards were friendly and knowledgeable. The experience was intimate.

This museum's eclectic collection of fine art is hard to describe, but it is a delightful experience. I was pleased to return with my family 30 years after my first visit as a student. The palace is impressive, and the collection of art from across the globe is enchanting. I would highly recommend an afternoon here for any art lover.

I feel compelled to leave a review because I wish I had seen some negative experiences before visiting. I visited today because of the overwhelmingly positive reviews and recommendations I had heard about the museum.

I've been in Boston for 20 days and done something new each day, and I can honestly say this was the worst thing I've done here.

I imagine if you're interested in 17th-century artwork, it's great, but I found it very dull. I tried the audio tour too but didn't find it telling me anything too interesting.

I left after 30 minutes after realising I'd enjoy my day more exploring some of the beautiful buildings in the area. Wish I could get a refund but they don't do them.

My advice: Check the exhibits online before visiting to see if you're interested. I hope you have a better time than I did.

Enchanting is certainly one word to describe this place. Easy to just walk around and enjoy entire rooms of art.

But, Instead of having an informative sign near each art piece that contains information about the art, there are laminated sheets that provide this information in each room.

The only issue with the laminated sheets is that the visitor has to pair each sheet with each wall and hold all four (1 per wall = 4 walls to a room) sheets at all times. It's a bit too much in my opinion. However, this is a place with wall-to-wall art in each room. There is a library where visitors can just sit and read more about the art.

The house look very nice. And the rooms too, but the big problems are: - that all info you want about each room or collection item, you have to use the QR code on your phone, well that is baloney. First of all, because you have to constantly use a phone and some area are rather dark . So, reading is difficult.
I know for surely earlier years they had info in each rooms about that room and what was in it.
- secondly,…..they don’t know how to put a room together. Lot of the furniture is put against the wall or pushed together in the room with a rope around it. So weird! Those people should take a visit to for instance The Biltmore estate or mansions in Europe. They just make a walking path to the right of the room and left of the room they put the room together if you are looking at a how the room really looked like. All and all was it an unnecessary disappointment and a waste of our money. We were out of there within an hour.

I really really enjoyed the outdor/indoor Christmas decorated courtyard.
Isabella was a huge collector of things. It was a bit of sensory overload for me.
Wish bedrooms or private quarters were a part of the tour.

This is a stunning museum. The collection is fantastic. The audio guides were spot on. All of the rooms were supremely well documented. From the beautifully presented central courtyard garden you make your way through a variety of rooms each with a unique feel and stuffed to the gunnels with various treasures. The staff were super friendly and happy to answer questions. I saw one politely ask someone not to "sit on the art" - which made me smile. All in all a thoroughly civilised experience and a total highlight of our trip to Boston (against some stiff competition).

This was our first visit to the Gardiner museum and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
I am sure we could visit again and still see many exhibits that we had missed the first time around.
It is an eclectic collection of artwork, sculptures, furniture and jewelry that is beautifully displayed in a delightful building which contains the most exquisite atrium garden.
We completed our visit by having lunch in the Museum restaurant.though the selection of menu items is somewhat limited, the food was excellent and the selection of drinks was very good indeed.

We found out about this museum from our guide on the Hop on/off trolley tour. Wow this museum doesn't disappoint! Very eclectic collection of artefacts and art in a beautiful building.
You could spend a whole day in here wondering around and finding new things you might have missed on the previous tour.
*** please note a few things; Please go online and purchase your tickets a head of time. It's a very popular destination, in part due to the Netflix series about this museum and the art heist that happened here. The other caviat is there is a lot of artefacts but nothing as any explanations on them. So you walk into a room, you see alot of things, but no explanation on date, origin etc... the leaflet contains a map with name of the room with some notable pieces, you are encouraged to scan a QR code for more information, But when I'm in a museum, I don't really want to be listening or reading on my phone, that takes me out of the experience. On our tour, there were alot of older folks that didn't have smart phones. So for them, the experience was reduced to looking and trying to figure out most of the information.
***Note; Issue here and it seems to be a recuring theme in Boston, getting a cab to get back your hotel is a challenge.

Isabella Stewart Gardner was an heiress & art collector who built a Venetian-style palace & created a marvelous museum inside. She was a self-taught curator and she did a marvelous job. Museum pieces are displayed with natural light and in a natural settings (it’s not just brightly lit art hanging on the wall). We both agreed that this was our favorite Boston attraction. Lunch in the restaurant garden was excellent. I’d recommend the polenta and my daughter enjoyed shells with shrimp & veggies.

The museum has a bit of a dark story. There was a large theft in 1990, half a billion dollars worth of art, unsolved to this day.

I read this book called the Art Forger a couple years ago. My Aunt turned 80 and I wanted to visit with her - but Covid- we thought a museum would be a great way to stay distanced but spend time together.
She mentioned this & my brain immediately said YES!
It is spectacularly quirky, and interesting and packed full.
You must go with time.
•Time to sit and stare.
•Time to seek out the weird and small items.
•Time to wander aimlessly and wonder if you are lost.
•Time to look at the doors you’re passing through.
It is really weird and wonderful.
It’s a shame about the stolen paintings. Yet there is so much to see, you hardly miss them.
Her story is worth looking into.

Really awful experience at this museum! We are world travelers and have visited museums in many countries and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was the worst. The gardens and art were wonderful but the museum was so dark, the art wasn’t labeled, the floors were uneven. My husband has vision and walking problems and kept tripping. The QR codes audio worked only part of the time. Even the volunteer had trouble trying to show us how to use it. We stayed less than 1 hour and we’re very disappointed. I would recommend all the other wonderful museums in Boston, but not this one.

My wife and I visited this museum on a Monday in late September 2023. We had just left the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and we walked the 5 minutes to the ISG Museum in a light rain. This place was Isabella Stewart Gardner's Italianate villa, and it has been converted since her death. Admission was $18/adult, with no senior discount.
The ground floor has the breathtaking 4-story central atrium with glass skylights and beautiful plants and sculptures. Wonderful. The other rooms on this floor are largely as they were in her day, except that most of the furniture has been pushed back to the walls to allow visitors to walk through. Number of people in the room at one time is controlled by a staffer with a velvet rope. Even with that, it was VERY crowded and one has to maneuver carefully to get around. The rooms are not well lighted and it is VERY difficult to see much of the artwork because of this. There are no placards to identify the artwork or the artists; one is expected to scan a QR code and then look these up on one's phone. This is yet still another annoyance for those of us with lesser eyesight. There is a wonderful large Singer Sargent on the first floor. The second, third, and fourth floors are a bit more spacious, and entry is not controlled. Much of the artwork displayed here consists of altarpieces and medieval art, although there are a number of fine oil paintings on one floor (2nd?). Of course, there are also the five empty frames that mourn the loss of 13 masterpieces in a famous robbery., This included a Vermeer, 3 Rembrandts, a Flinct, a Manet, 5 Degas, a French bronze and a Chinese urn. It was sad to know these famous artworks have been missing since 1990, 33 years without a clue to their whereabouts.
Isabella was a patron of the arts, and she apparently loved being surrounded by what she judged to be fine art. This helped support artists in her time and has left us this lovely museum. That is the good part. The less good part is the fact that many of the things in this museum clearly were appropriated from houses and churches in Europe during what is often called the robber baron period. Money can buy a lot, but it feels odd to find entire chapels (including stone coffin holder) in a private home setting. Same with encountering a full church altarpiece wall. While not pilfering, it is somehow not right. This leaves us ambivalent: Glad to be able to see these things, but sorry they are no longer in the locations where they originally resided.
Fun fact: If your first name is Isabella, you get in free anytime for your entire life.
We have now seen the ISG, and are unlikely to return to see it again. We were there for about an hour.

This museum has some interesting, beautiful pieces. The garden is beautiful. However, the "scan your phone for info" system stinks. You have all these older people walking around, trying to read their phones and figure out ridiculous maps and it just doesn't work. Several people I ran I to said they hated it and wish there would just be signs to read by the paintings, furniture and artifacts. It's kind of a disaster.

Unusual museum designed for and integrated with all sorts of old-world architecture features such as stone fireplaces, stonework and pillars. Numerous examples of European furniture, art and textiles. Interesting backstory of the collector actually living among the artifacts and exhibits. The WOW factor is the four story courtyard enclosed garden with a Roman mosaic floor and fountain with lush plantings beautifully arranged with architectural windows and balconies overlooking all. SO peaceful. Many well-informed docents present as well as Q-coded extra details available for many exhibits. Three , many-roomed floors of a very eclectic mix with something of interest for all.

The place is very beautiful, the collection is diverse, it has several spots for photos if you are like me who like to post photos of the places you visit. The tour can be doubtful as long as you like, my family and I last approximately 3 hours between taking photos, visiting the salons, appreciating the works and listening to the audio guide.

Went here on a Monday, surprised we had to wait to get it but I should have purchased tickets ahead of time. Courtyard is beautiful and the highlight. Many beautiful art pieces but as others have noted, no signage on most pieces. Yes you can scan a QR code per room and try to figure out which of the 30 pieces in the room is the one you are looking at but it wouldn't kill them to have the Title/Subject, Artist and Year of each piece on a small placard.

There are a lot of Italian and Dutch artworks, paintings by famous artists like Raffaello Sanzio, Botticelli and Rembrandt. The Courtyard is beautiful!!

I definitely recommend listening to the audio guide for a better experience, the museum website provides the audio guide for free, so you can listen on your cell phone

This a great experience. I didn't realize how much history there was here. We spent about an hour touring but you can spend much more time with the audio tour. I want to spend more time learning about the heist. Fascinating place, worth visiting.

This is going to be a mixed bag, review wise. This museum is very unique, at least when compared to the other art museums I've been to. Each room has a different look and feel, with various forms of art intermingled. And "forms of art" is used very loosely - paintings, furniture, small drawings, leather tiles, etc.. Additionally, there are virtually no placards for any of the pieces. To learn about what you're seeing, you need to use an app on your phone, and constantly scroll to learn about the pieces, which I found annoying. While I understand that this is what makes this museum unique, I personally did not care for the layout, nor the lack of placards.

I also ran into a number of the staff that didn't seem to know much about the pieces in the museum, which has not been my experience in other museums. The food in the cafe is very overpriced and the options are very unique.

Having said that, there are some very interesting and unique pieces the museum and the story of the great art heist that took place in 1990 is also very interesting as well. The audio tours of each room are interesting and point out things that you probably would have missed otherwise. The courtyard is VERY beautiful, as are a number of the settings.

Realize this is one person's opinion. If you are an art student or are tired of the normal format of an art museum, where things are organized by period or geographic location, you may have an entirely different perspective. I believe Isabella Steward Gardner was a bit eccentric, and the museum reflects this, which may be exciting for some and frustrating for others.

This museum was possibly the most hyped and least impressive experience I have had in Boston or in recent memory. Poorly lit, poorly curated and not one thing that would bring me back. Courtyard was nice and the wall of etchings were nice (on panels bumping into other people with many etchings too high to see) but was just overall a dark, thrown together collection interspersed with memorable pieces. I would guess must be that the museum must be kept in its original state or something but does not take away from the fact that the overall experience is overpriced and overhyped and you should go to the MFA and skip this place if short on time.

Beautiful setting! One of the most enjoyable art museums I have been inside. Temperature control is perfect for July.

I went to MIT museum earlier in the day, quality for price is not even comparable. This museum is infinitely better.

Some great famous but lesser known painters, excellent works by Sargent,

Museum is crowded with works but it works!

Isabella Stewart Gardner collected and carefully displayed a collection comprised of more than 2,500 paintings, sculpture, furniture, textiles, drawings, silver, ceramics, illuminated manuscripts, rare books, photographs and letters—from ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, Italy, Asia, France and America.
There is very little rhyme or reason to the display of this collection. Objects fill every square inch of this 15th-century style Venetian palace. Not one single item is labeled so if you want to know anything, you have to ask a docent. Every, single, time.
The courtyard is imposing and very nice.

Just an amazing and unique gallery. Be prepared to browse around. Bring ear buds/head phones and your cell phone so you can listen to the audio guide online for each room. The courtyard is just so beautiful.

The security people were hung on on not letting me hang my tiny half cardigan over my mini shoulder purse. I questioned the reason and they said it was because I might knock something over. I watched people enter with huge purses stuffed full of things which seemed much more likely to increase their girth and knock “things” over. I watched people with water bottles slung over their shoulder hanging down by their side which again seemed highly likely to knock “things” over. Two different security people targeted me. It became the joke of the day with my elderly father who I brought along as my guest. It ruined my experience and I wasn’t that impressed anyway. The museum seems stuffed with furniture that makes it feel cramped. If you compare it with period museums in Europe they display themed rooms in meaningful ways to look at and showcase paintings and tapestries. ISG has furniture stuffed in front of everything. Maybe if they took some of it out they wouldn’t have to worry about “things” being knocked over.

A truly enchanting museum with a magical aura. I loved the courtyard featuring tropical plants among sculptures and other antiquities. Different rooms in the building feature various periods of art, architecture and furnishings. Beautiful paintings. A one of a kind museum.

One visit is nowhere near enough to appreciate the exquisitely layered treasures that attest to the vision and taste of Isabella Stewart Gardner, who personally oversaw the placement of every object. You will find the first Raphael ever brought to America, a haunting self-portrait of Rembrandt at age 33, Titian’s sumptuous “Rape of Europa” and so much more, you can’t hope to take it all in. A first-rate audioguide, new since our last visit, lets you venture as deeply as you like into each room and corridor. Isabella turned to collecting after the death of her son in his second year. The museum, created for Boston and the world, became her child. Her presence remains so strong, you can believe she’s in the next room. Watch for portraits of Isabella by her friends Anders Zorn and John Singer Sargent.

It is such a wonderful experience, very different to visiting other museums. I felt I was living in the world of art when I was walking around. The audio guide provided by the museum, and can be listened on our own phone is great, made the art and rooms alive.

One can easily spent a day here. love it.

We arrived in our rental car at around 1:15 p.m. on a Friday. There appeared to be street parking on a street in front of the museum (which circles a park / lawn area) but it was all full. We located parking in a garage nearby, across the the street from the Museum of Fine Arts. It was also mostly full; we ended up parking on the top (roof) level after looping up 5 or 6 levels. This turned out to cost $24 for less than 2 hours, btw.

We walked the 3 or 4 blocks back to the Isabella Gardner Museum and paid their $14 apiece entry fee. Note that you have to check any backpacks before entering. The museum is built as Isabella Gardner’s vision of an Italianate palazzo. There is a central courtyard with plants and a glassed roof (like a greenhouse). It is 4 stories high! Clustered at each end and to a lesser degree along one side are the galleries. The architecture is stunning.

My main dissatisfier here was the lighting. I am not sure if they are trying to stay true to the early 1900s experience when the place was first opened, or what. In the rooms where they were getting strong afternoon light (via the glass roof of the courtyard and large windowed balconies), it was fine. In rooms that were not getting any sunlight at the time of our visit, light levels ranged from marginal to dim. This was the most under-lit art museum that I've ever toured.

We also discovered that there was little to no explanatory material in each room. Instead, there were QR codes that you could access to begin an accompanying audio commentary for each room. We asked one of the ubiquitous guards, and they encouraged us to just use the audio tour via our phones, sans earbuds. If you have the volume turned down, you can listen without interfering with other people. Utilizing the audio guide made the museum experience MUCH better. However, I’ll add that the audio (about 4 – 7 minutes per room) is not exhaustive. There are a number of artworks in each room that are not covered, though it tends to highlight the main ones. Some of the side galleries especially merit a lot more attention if you want to take in everything.

One of the more publicized aspects of this museum is a theft of some major artworks (Rembrandt and Vermeer) from it back in 1990. There are documentaries floating around about just the heist itself. The museum opted to retain empty frames where these works would have been displayed. While I don’t disagree with that choice, it would have also been nice to see a small (at least a postcard-sized?) representation of what was missing, just as a reference.

We spent at least 2 hours here, but I think we got to see most of the main exhibits. We had hoped to get out of downtown Boston at least slightly ahead of rush hour, but we failed at that. Traffic in the area was horrible after 3:30 p.m. My advice would be to visit early in the day so that you could leave the area earlier, or to take public transit for your visit (which would also save you the $24 in parking fees).

They have a restaurant / café on the ground floor of the museum, but we did not eat there.

Overall, this is worth seeing, but the experience could easily be improved.

A truly world class museum
If you only have limited time in Boston, this is a must see
Booked tickets in advance to avoid disappointment
You need to spend at least 2 to 3 hours to truly appreciate the whole place

Along the Fens and right near the Boston Fine Arts Museum, don' t miss this gem. The mansion itself with its courtyard is worth the trip but the art work is par excellence.

The courtyard is amazing. Pictures don't do it justice. It smells floral too which is lovely. Make sure not to miss the sketches hanging up on boards you can flip through. It was my favorite art. The letters and signatures of past presidents and artists was also interesting. I wish I had brought my headphones so I could have learned about all the rooms and art. The museum purposefully doesn't label things.

The museum was outstanding! I found out about it on a You Tube video about visiting Boston. Be sure to give yourself a couple of hours to take it all in. Reservations are strongly recommended as we saw lots of people get turned away before noon as the reservations were full. The cafe on site has great food but it is spendy.

I mean really really dreadful for the enormous price. The art is very poorly hung and lit. The garden is a total mess. The people who do security in the rooms are arrogant and don’t like questions. I mean really? This is definitely not worth the money nor the time. Do better!!!!! Honestly it’s not difficult to make it look nice! Visit any and all National Trust properties in the UK for a brilliant example of how to runs house museum!!! Never again. Don’t waste your time here.

I wasn’t going to leave a public review, but after reading so many stories of people who’ve had similar experiences, I’ve decided to share mine…

TLDR: the guards are on a power trip and will very loudly and publicly reprimand you for simply existing.

I am a regular patron of this magnificent museum, and always make it a point to bring my out of town family and friends to view Isabella’s incredible collection. Over the last year, I have visited 5 times and brought 11 out of town visitors to this magical place. I’ve become such a regular that I considered becoming a member of the museum! Additionally, I usually spend nearly $100 in the gift shop on every visit. I just adore this museum.

However, my last visit completely ruined everything I’ve come to love about this place. This past Sunday (11/26/23), I took my mother who was visiting from St. Louis to the museum. We had 11 am entry tickets and at about 11:30 we were entering the Blue Room. It was rather warm in the museum that day so I took off my cardigan. The guard working the room requested that I tie it around my waist. This was not a long sleeve cardigan and could not be tied around my waist so I put it in the strap of my purse. I was very confused as to why this was an issue because I’ve never been told this before. He also requested that my mom do the same as she had also taken off her jacket. My mother reluctantly put hers back on. We then left the room to continue our walk through the museum. The guard followed me out of the room, pointed at me, and very loudly and sternly said “MA’AM YOUR JACKET!” I was appalled and so confused. I had no idea what I was doing wrong or why it was such a crime to take off my cardigan when I was warm. He offered no explanation as to why I was being openly and loudly reprimanded for what I thought was a very normal and very non offensive thing. I said to him, “seriously? This is absurd! I guess I’ll just coat check it.” To which he responded, “GOOD!” His disgusting attitude and treatment of a paying guest was absolutely atrocious. I spoke with the ticket taker to make sure I could reenter after going to coat check. She was very kind and explained to me that we are not allowed to carry clothing items. This was all that needed to be said. I was unaware of this rule of the museum but the power-hungry guard in the Blue Room did not bother to explain this to me nor my mother. Rather he chose to take this opportunity to openly and loudly make an example of my mother and I and flex his authority. We were clueless and had no idea what we were doing wrong. Needless to say, it completely ruined the experience. My mother insisted we leave but I wanted her to see the rest of the collection. We spent the rest of the time pointing out other people who also appeared to be breaking the rules that we so openly and loudly were reprimanded for. It was a terrible experience. I didn’t buy a single thing from the gift shop and will not be recommending this place to any other family or friends.

Numerous other reviews have stated similar experiences. They don’t allow strollers but you’re also not allowed to carry your child. The child must walk. They claim they’re wheelchair accessible but I’ve never once seen a wheelchair and it’s likely bc you will get reprimanded for not walking.

They had various art pieces stolen in the 90s which was most definitely an inside job. Yet they treat every person who walks through the museum as a conniving thief and treat you like a criminal. It’s a joke. The museum itself is beautiful, but the guards are terrible. Don’t spend your money here. Go to the MFA a few blocks away.

We were wonderfully treated and made to feel very welcome. The art was overwhelming and it was a bit difficult to use the smart phone to find out what we were looking at, but it was not really a big deal. Just ignore all the haters down the page who complain about the staff. They were all helpful, friendly, and welcoming in the extreme. They even let my son come in without a ticket so he could join us for lunch, which was wonderful, btw!

This museum is a MUST when you visit Boston. The history, the collection and the story of Isabella is magical and mesmerizing. We arranged a private tour and that definitely made our visit special. Our tour guide, Tucker, was so knowledgable and pleasant. She answered all of our questions and knew so much about Isabella, her story and the art she collected for her museum. The courtyard is spectacular and you could hear visitors all saying "WOW" when they entered.

Cool quirky art museum. Nice time to spend an afternoon. No placards by the are work so expect to use your cell phone for information.

You need time to wander through all the rooms that are filled with her collections. definitely worth a visit. Different than any other museums you have visited.

Missed this every time I have been to Boston until now. Booked in advance to be sure. The setting, the garden the collection, the narrative you get on your phone, the stolen paintings, everything is carefully taken care. Even the goat cheese cake at the cafe. Take your time and explore this amazing place. The elegance if the owner is described by the Sargent portrait made to her…

This is a very eclectic beautiful museum. Indoor courtyard is wonderful. Takes about two hours to tour. Nice restaurant and good wine. You must get your tickets in advance online, as the day we were they were sold out. You are given a window of time to enter, so it is not over crowded. Highly reccomend.

I was prepared to love this fabled place and I am really glad I've now been, but ... it is unbelievably crowded on a weekend even though there are timed tickets (and it was a good thing we had them in advance because tickets were entirely sold out the Saturday we were there) and the fact that Ms. Gardner left instructions not to change anything means that explanations of the tremendous volume of art you're looking at are available only on your phone. The place is stunning and some of what she collected really is extraordinary but it was a little overwhelming even for me as someone who loves art and a big downer for my husband who absolutely couldn't wait to leave.

Went to the Gardner today between appointments.
Had a ladies lunch (salad and wine)
Pulled up the guided tour and found an 18 minute guided meditation for the Gardner Garden.
It was amazing.
So there I sat, on a stone bench , lotus position- peering into Isabella’s garden. And I listened to the meditation
And it was amazing.

The Isabella Gardner Museum is, of course, the site of one of history's most famous art heists, but it's also so much more than that. The museum itself is a work of art, and it mixes work from some of art's most famous masters with works from much lesser-known artists. Each room is entirely different than the last and you never know what the next room will hold.

We love art museums and have toured many across the US, as well as outside the US. Art museums can often suffer from a lack of creativity and can end up being a bit "cookie cutter", but that's definitely not the Gardner. Such an interesting place... we feel blessed to have been here.

-The Power Trippers

Had heard great things. Not so much. Silly Walmart-like chrysanthemum display in sunken garden area; no labels on art and docents unable to explain why not; seemingly just a sad mishmash of objects pilfered by a bored aristocrat with daddy’s money to burn. Skip it.

I have been all over the world and cannot say I have ever seen a museum like this one. It is such a unique and neat experience to visit. The history, the items collected, the women who collected it all, and when she collected the, is all very intriguing and fun to learn about. I highly recommend a visit to this one!

Beautiful building with lovely indoor and outdoor gardens, and three floors of art from paintings to sculptures to artifacts from around the world. Special additions and interactive areas make it more enjoyable for entire family. Well worth a visit.

Mrs. Gardner wanted the collection to be viewed differently from normal art museums so you will miss out on names of paintings and artists most of the time unless you have a guide or access to information. Not exactly what we wanted, but still entertaining. There is good flow among the different rooms, but you may have to wait a few minutes because they limit visitors in smaller rooms.

Timed entrances to space out crowds, and purchasing tickets online will allow you to get in without a wait for your starting time. We were there about 90 minutes and saw most things. You can stay longer but that was about right for us.

The Museum is mainly a huge old mansion with a modern addition for the cafe and ticket sales. The addition has a special exhibit and when we were there, not interesting. It featured a "Where the wild things are" along with other object. Weird art from a strange man.

In any case, the main museum was purchased privately and Isabella personally designed practically everything because she owned it. She had no kids and spent her life traveling around the world to collect the finest examples of art in the civilized world. She had an unlimited budget, so replicating her achievement would be impossible today. The museum is the finest example of one person's vision without a committee or liberal review board overseeing a "balanced" choice. So, it was probably one of the most unique museums I've ever seen.

Its a MUST see.

Paintings, furniture , ornaments and a lovely mosaic are just a few of the things to see in this beautiful museum.
Well worth a visit.

I lived in Philly a long time and I think the Barnes Foundation is one of the world’s greatest gems of a museum. In Boston, you get an equally powerful diamond called the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. A gilded age Venetian inspired masterpiece of design, it is like an American Louvre, in which the museum itself is too art. Great art.

I particularly love that they embrace what made them so regrettably famous in the wrong way, a series of losses in a brazen theft. The empty frames seem to weep of loneliness. And the Gardener wants all its visitors to look out for this stolen art, which could be anywhere.

My favorite trinket from the gift shop was a ceramic tile of the Medusa.

This is seriously a special place, and everyone in Boston should see it.

A true Venetian palace - the individual rooms are very interesting in and of themselves. We spent about two hours admiring the artwork, statues, and the central courtyard. There were a number of details that I did not notice the first time I visited a few years back - all of the books, some of the smaller works, and the interesting variety of plants in the courtyard. There is something for every art lover here.

Operations here are uneven. Policies vary depending on staff, some are very helpful, others need training in guest services. 

Audio tour access drops depending on their wifi 

Should allow guests to eat sack lunches indoors

I came to the museum not expecting much. It’s an art museum. The video you can watch before entering the main exhibit explains a lot about the quirks of the place. The art and furnishings are impressive. My kids even liked the place.

Nice small museum. Highly recommend going on a weekday if possible or arriving as soon as to opening on the weekend as sections of the museum can feel crowded due the museum's set-up. Plan for around 60 - 90 minutes for the visit. It walkable from the E green line T/subway (less than 10 minutes from Museum of fine arts stop and could also used the Longwood stop). Limited street parking; closest garage is by the museum of fine arts. If you like art, it makes sense to do both museums together since they are so close together.

They have timed tickets and other Covid protocols which make it seem safe. The lack of crowds is nice. The temporary exhibit Boson’s Apollo is both relevant and interesting and of course the remainder of the museum is wonderful. Their Cafe G is also worth a visit for Covid appropriate dining. It was almost like getting back to normal.

Just got back from this museum and I will never go to this museum again. DO NOT bring older adults to this museum. It is difficult for them to get around. The museum makes you check everything, water, backpacks, coats. The curators standing guard in each room enjoy talking down to you and telling you what you CANNOT do in the museum and there's a lot that you cannot do.
I would not recommend this museum to my dog.

This art museum is outstanding and overwhelming. There are so many great works of art contained within the walls of this museum. The way that Isabella Stuart Gardner put together her art is fascinating. This is a place you could visit every day for a year and still not have seen everything there. Strongly recommend.

This is a really beautiful museum, fantastic building, great artwork, with interesting interiors and an amazing garden.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a real treasure in Boston, chocked full of interesting paintings, sculpture and artifacts. It is well worth visiting, not far from the fantastic Museum of Fine Arts in Back Bay. The ISG makes a point of maintaining exhibits as originally created by Isabella Stewart Gardner, which means there are few if any written descriptions to guide visitors. So it is essential that you scan the guide available on a smart phone or get an audio guide. Also, some rooms do not have professional museum lighting, and when we went one room was simply too dark to enjoy the artwork. (I think they are upgrading lighting.) Those quirks aside, it is well worth visiting. There is a nice cafe on site - great service.

We enjoyed this museum, showcasing the art work collected by Isabella Stewart Gardner and her husband. It was honestly a nice surprise. And it was also interesting to watch the movie which introduced the museum and the life of Isabella Stewart.

The cost to enter was $20/person, and we spent about an hour exploring.

My favorite museum in Boston. You can see basically the whole thing in a day & the restaurant is fantastic.

I went to this museum with a friend. It was a wonderful experience. The tickets were well priced. There’s plenty of access to restrooms (which are very clean). The whole place in general was well maintained and clean. There’s plenty of staff around if there’s questions. It is a timed entry so probably best to get tickets in advance but when we showed up and just bought tickets we didn’t have a long wait on a Wednesday afternoon in June. We loved the history of Isabella Gardner herself and learning about her collection of art (and of course learning about the great 1990 heist). It is climate controlled. I could photograph the courtyard forever. It’s fairly large and there’s plenty of walking and steps involved (I did see an elevator though). There’s a gift shop although I didn’t go in so I can’t speak to that. I think anyone that appreciates art and history will enjoy. Everyone working there was super friendly and approachable.

The place itself is quite dark inside and most of the stuff inside involves religious paintings, sculptures, etc. did like seeing the choir seats. The best part was the beautiful atrium. Also a number of concrete caskets?! Overprice at $18 apiece for seniors. Crowded although it was a Saturday so guess it was to be expected. Bought tickets online on the drive over from Rochester.

A museum that deserves all the accolades that you have ever read. The setting for the artwork and the furniture is exquisite. Definitely slow down before you enter to appreciate all that surrounds you.

Other than a map plan, there are no hard copy descriptions of the works. So as not to distract from viewing, all explanations are intentionally via QR code. Be sure your phone has power!

We arrived at 2 PM on a Friday without pre-booking. We had to wait 20 minutes for our entry slot.

For context, I recommend reading/researching about the 1990 museum theft before your visit. In addition to the ISG website’s explanation, several videos are available on the web, and a new documentary was released. This story adds another layer to your experience and explains empty spots where the stolen artwork once hung.

A hidden Boston Treasure. A curated art and artifact museum in the original house that it was staged in.
Make sure you download the audio tour for each room to fully understand Isabella's concept for it.

Delicious cultural tour. We love it. I went with my daughter and we liked it a lot. Very interesting, organized and super neat.

One of best small museums that we have visited around the world. Describes the life of Isabella through art in decorating her home. We took our teenage granddaughter and she loved it

Don’t forget to bring your ear pods as the audio explanations are fabulous. The art work spans may centuries. She was an amazing collector and the audio explains how , why , and what she did.

It's a good museum. I thought there would be more gardens but it's mostly paintings. The paintings are interesting and the self-guided audio tour was interesting. The garden itself is very beautiful.

Pleasantly surprised at how beautiful this museum is. The heart of this 3-story building is the gorgeous and luxurious garden in the center; this natural art space can be seen from each level and at different angles.

I'll be honest; I saw the Netflix Documentary some years back and decided to fit this museum into my to-dos while in Boston. This is not only a beautiful architectural building, but it also hosts a really large amount of collections and really interesting art that makes you "feel." The museum has arranged self-guided QR codes in each room, so you always know your way around.

I did not buy a ticket ahead of time, and that was not an issue; they open exactly at 11 am. The gift shop has a really well-curated collection of things, and I recommend it if you're looking for something special.

I had been looking forward to visiting this place after reading great reviews, but I was decidedly underwhelmed.
The courtyard and building are beautiful, but the art is not displayed well, and most of it was not to my taste either.

What a collection of so many beautiful pieces of art and artifacts. Take your time going thru this. I thought each room having a QR code was great. I honed in on pieces that caught my eye and read up on them. The grounds are magnificent.

This museum is a mess. The displays are not well thought out, many areas look like a storage room, chairs are roped off and it really is a disaster aesthetically. For the enormous sum of $20.00 I would expect a much more beautiful museum. The staff are rude and I was shouted at for sipping from a water bottle “NO WATER! NO WATER” very apt timing as I was looking at Jesus carrying the cross. They also don’t want you carrying your small jacket but allow backpacks which is ridiculous. They allow photos but make such a huge deal about being robbed over 30 years ago!! They keep the empty frames up on the wall which is pathetic. This should be a free museum as it is very far from being worth the entry fee. The garden featured a wilting and/or dead chrysanthemum exhibit. Very sad. I recommend anywhere but this dump.

I think this museum could be great if the signage is improved. It was crowded with no flow arrows or directions as to which way to go. This led to a lot of clogged rooms. Once in a room you had to locate where the QR code was located, wait to scan it with your phone ( which totally confused many) and then try to figure out which wall was east, west, etc to try and read about the art. If you wanted to try and listen to the audio, there was really nowhere to do it. The security guards in each room were nice, but not fully knowledgeable and made it clear that wasn’t their job to know, but visitors were dying to find helpful museum staff. The fact that so many visitors were asking them for help just further solidifies the need for more signage and information without being tied to your phone.

I wouldn't go into this with the expectation of your typical art museum. Yes it is full of art/sculptures/gardens etc, but it's very unique because you're essentially touring someone's private art collection in what feels like their home. I adored it, but my friends that came had a hard time grasping the concept so it might not be for everyone. They also don't have placards for everything so you have to scan QR codes to learn more. This is both good and bad because then you are staring at your phone, BUT, a bunch of people aren't crowded around a placard reading it for 30 minutes either.

I think the garden is worth the price of admission alone. The only bummer in my opinion was the gift shop. None of the magnets had the name of the museum on them, just the art. Small gripe, but I like knowing where I went!

I wasn't expecting this museum to be as good as it is. I read some reviews that said plan on an hour for this, which is not nearly enough time. Bring your earbuds the audio tour really adds to the experience.

A very expensive admission museum with no backstory/video presentation provided to inform visitors about the history of the collector, the art culture at the time, the mystery of the stolen art or regarding the layout of the house. Most visitors seemed lost walking around and all gravitated to the center Garden court. The rooms seem dusty, musty and in disrepair with no explanation provided on the works. The docents seem confused on their roles of limiting visitors to each room and to answer questions. The museum seemed very dysfunctional despite the team organization and new renovations.There is a brochure given to visitors but it is so tedious and confusing, most visitors fail to even look it over. An orientation video is needed as this is very complicated collection to know about.

What a joy to visit here. We came early and it wasn’t too crowded- plenty of time to enjoy at a good pace. The cafe had a lot of great choices and the food was delicious. Parking nearby at Simmons College was reasonable with the discounted rate but if you came early enough there was plenty of metered parking- our vehicle was just a bit too big.
A great stop and a must see!

The very best museum for a comprehensive aesthetic experience, housing the collection of 19th-century connoisseur Isabella Stewart Gardner. The building and garden, both also conceived by Mrs Gardner, are gorgeous.

We became a member of this museum on the same day we were able to use our pass . The staff is super helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. They have a restaurant cafe onsite the food is good just a bit pricey but it’s a museum . Parking is found on the street and they have a parking garage next to the Boston Latin high school . I really enjoyed my visit .

Nothing like it to compare. An eclectic mix of art and materials brought together in a fabulous breathtaking environment. If you ever go to just one museum, go to this one. It is more like a home than a museum decorated in the most magnificent taste

A treasure trove of beautiful interesting art, stories, and architecture. So much to see could go twice and see new things. Managed virus safety very well from checking in to exit! Never once felt at risk.

Years ago, I had read a fictionalized account of the theft of paintings by Vermeer and Rembrandt from this museum. I was interested in visiting, as there are now empty spaces where the paintings were originally displayed. Since Isabella Gardner had curated each room to display the artwork, she had stipulated in her will that nothing could be moved in the museum. Once the paintings were stolen, nothing could be put in their place.
There are some really impressive paintings and artwork throughout the museum with thoughtful placement by Ms Gardner. My favorite being a John Singer Sargent titled El Jaleo - it depicts a Spanish flamenco dancer and is placed in a room filled with Spanish tile and artifacts.
The center courtyard garden is lovely. Filled with light, and graced with statues, fountains and mosaics (all of women) - it is a peaceful place.

It's a unique museum. Don't miss it if you have the time. Where else can you see an empty frame as a memento of the robbery they suffered.

I’d never heard of her before this trip. The museum is wonderful, quirky, and whimsical. I highly recommend adding this as a stop on your touring.

Do not even try to visit this museum. It is elitist, non-inclusive, condescending and rude. We tried to get tickets at the door and an older white woman made it very clear we were not welcome. There was no attempt whatsoever to be even slightly welcoming.

From European, American to Asian art, I try to visit this place whenever I am in town. The sculptures, paintings, furniture and textiles are top notch. An extra plus after exploring their nooks and crannies is to rest and savor the offerings in an attractive skylit courtyard.

In order to avoid disappointment, do go online to see what the admission rules are.

There are some very famous paintings here, although still gaps from a burglary some years ago. The whole place seemed very cluttered and was extremely dark (apparently to protect the paintings - but other art museums mange?). Also there are no information boards, so you have to rely on the audio, which leads to a lot of hunting around for the right painting.

One of the most beautiful small gardens. Plenty of friendly staff for directions, questions. As always for us more to see than we have time. Cafe on site. Resting place AKA the Living Room on site. Easy drop-off and pick-up via Uber or taxi. We had seen the 2-episode documentary of the robbery and it was fun to see exactly where the art had been. Very interesting multiple collections. A great gift to the community. Definite go-back.

I have always wanted to see this museum. A trip to Nantucket allowed us to do an overnight close by and I booked tickets. Loved the museum and especially the Courtyard! Unfortunately it was cloudy and the lighting inside the museum is not great. I was told that a sunny day helps and the lack of lighting was chosen by Mrs. Gardner. My husband and I love to read about the items in the museums we visit. There were no descriptions with each item displayed but a bar code for each room that you could access with your phone. I did that but there were not enough details for us. My husband has a flip phone so I had to share with him. When I return I would definitely do an audio tour or sign up for a personal tour. It is an amazing museum!

We travelled on the Blue Line to reach the Museum. Tickets are on booked time slots, and must be bought in advance on line.
The building is beautiful with a central Courtyard, and the object on display are incredible. The art ranges from Egypt to Dutch Masters and Impressionists. Truly amazing. If you like looking at beautiful objects in wonderful surroundings, so not miss this one.

Beautiful building! The flora inside the atrium make it ideal for photos, and we saw many people taking pictures using the atrium space for a backdrop. I found the tool to navigate the collection troublesome. Each room did have a QR code available, but you needed to know which direction you were facing to easily navigate each room to identify the items in each room. I do understand the desire to keep things unmarked as the creator did, but I have been to other museums that have systems that are so much easier to use. (Having visited the Barnes in Philadelphia and their system where you use a point & shoot picture tool has spoiled me, I guess.) I found myself only bothering to find out details sparingly because the tool frustrated me. I think I would have enjoyed the museum more had I been able to find out more information easier.

Excellent collection from around the world housed in this beautiful, stately home of another era. Loved the traffic flow and the helpfulness of the staff. If answers weren't known, I appreciated the staff's honesty in admitting they didn't know. I just kept asking until I got an answer. The courtyard was stunning! Went on a Friday early afternoon and it was crowded, but foot traffic flowed well. Didn't find anything that I "had to have" in the gift shop, but it was fun to look. We spent 2.5 hours there and could have used another hour (in case you're wondering).

Exceeded my expectations of this place. Immaculate clean and well preserved exhibits. The amount of artifacts, paints, furniture, carpets, gardens and more, nicely displayed, well maintained and clean.

We had an excellent time visiting this museum, but be advised that even on a Monday morning it was extremely busy. So crowded, in fact, that it was difficult to maneuver through the crowd and some rooms even had lines to enter. Entrance is timed so you may have a short wait. The collection is overwhelming at times, but my teen daughters and I all loved it here. It would be even better in a less crowded atmosphere.

So glad we went here - it was our favorite place during our trip to Boston. The gardens are lovely and each room of the museum had so many masterpieces. Highly recommend!

A beautiful museum with amazing pieces! This visit was so nice amid the hectic pace of other tours. A really wonderful experience.

A messy exhibition of paintings and antiques. Looks more like an antiques dealer's shop than a museum. Works exhibited in inappropriate conditions, without any review, without chronological order, and in a building that in the 21st century should not house a valuable collection.

This is my favorite museum in Boston. I loved the entire house and the various themes of the art work, furniture, and other decor pieces. The garden is the star of the shop. Further, the various books and paintings highlight each room and provide a truly exquisite atmosphere. I could spend all day here!

A unique museum still laid out like Isabella wanted it. The central garden was beautifully decked out for the Christmas season. Only a few notable paintings, probably due to the infamous theft in 1990 of millions of dollars worth of art. Only a few things kept me from giving it a 5. The lighting is very dim in some places and it hard to see the paintings. And the lack of labeling/documentation is disappointing. The QR codes in the galleries do not add much. But...it's definitely worth a visit.

I very much enjoyed this unique museum. Keep in mind, it was someone’s house. Some of the rooms are small and you may need to wait to enter. One thing I didn’t like is, there are no plaques or signs giving information or dates about the exhibits, to help you know exactly what it is you’re looking at. Isabella apparently left instructions not to label things so that everyone could just “experience” the exhibits. Not exactly my style, but, it was somewhat mitigated by the audio tour which is good, so that helps. Many beautiful works of art here. The Italianate courtyard is stunning. The cooking at the café is delicious, I had the gazpacho. I do wish there were more places to sit in between rooms.

It's very hard to review. Between the mask, and the QR code, and the paper booklets, we were constantly distracted. The walls. floors, and empty spaces are jam packed with art of some kind or another. Also distracting. None of it is identified. It was Gardner's intent to have you discover your own favorite pieces without the influence of a name or title. Gardner must have been a hoot to know. An eccentric women, ahead of her time. The art work was nice. The building is stunning. There was an art heist in 1990. Watch the Netflix documentary. It's fascinating. I understand the mixed reviews. This is not a traditional museum experience. We did enjoy our visit though.

This museum reflects the foresight of one woman who used a whopper of an inheritance from her father to collect a wide variety of artwork (including a bunch from her pal, John Singer Sargent), architectural salvage (from the Romans on), and tons of smaller bits and bobs. But the foresight stopped with Isabella, more’s the pity.

Someone in this unfortunate museum decided to remove every last little bit of signage from every room except for one teensy little sign containing a QR code. So, we look around for the itsy-bitsy QR code. We scan. Next, we figure out which wall of exhibits we’d like to learn about, and guess at whether it’s the north, south, east, or west wall. We find that wall on our phone. Next we find the number of the item on that one wall that we’d like to learn about. Next we scroll down the list to find that number. We read. We do it all over again—for every single piece on all three floors. The result? A dead phone battery after about one and a half floors of such frustrating nonsense.

But that’s not all. Just about every museum, by definition, contains valuable art and/or artifacts which need to be protected from excessive light. Somehow, they’ve all figured it out—except this one. Each room was dark, dark, dark. So dark, that my artist-husband received a verbal wrist slap for using the flashlight on his phone in a vain attempt to see a piece of artwork. Naughty, naughty. No. No. No. You must not SEE the artwork. You must be content just to KNOW it’s there. In the corner. In the dark corner.

This place is chock-full of some amazing stuff. I just wish I could’ve seen it and knew what it was.

Save your money. Find a museum that wants its visitors to KNOW what they’re seeing. You know. The kind that post those cute little signs under or near every object? The kind that provide paddle boards or leaflets in each room? The kind with light bulbs in the light fixtures? The kind with docents in each room who’ve been trained to answer questions? Yeah. THAT kind—not this kind!

If this is the wave of the future for art museums, count me out. I want to be able to scan a room quickly WITH MY EYES, find what interests me, and go read about it. I spent more time looking at my phone than I spent looking at art today. I don't think that's how it supposed to work.

The location is very convenient for a visit, just few steps from the Museum of fine arts, however also if you skip it you won't regret it so much. The museum is an eccentric building in venetian style full of artworks of different types, periods, origin. One by one The item can be also masterpiece but they are so poorly displayed that they loose most of their appeal.

The Isabella Gardner Museum is a unique experience all around. The design/layout of the artwork and the curation itself is refreshingly non-traditional. The building (including the recent addition) is impeccably designed.
Despite these pros, our experience was dampened by multiple encounters with unpleasant and unprofessional staff in the gallery rooms. Perhaps ISG should reevaluate their staff training program.

Read about Isabella Stewart Gardner's history before visiting this place, and you will appreciate it a lot more. Such a well kept place, and amazing history.

This quirky museum is very enjoyable. You have to pre-purchase tickets. Make sure your phone is fully charged before you arrive, because per Mrs. Gardner, none of the art is labeled. Therefore, you need to scan a QR card in each room to get a map of the room and identification and description information on the artwork. The collection is eclectic and extensive, but set in essentially a Venetian style palazzo, without traditional "museum" trappings like tags and really good lighting. Be sure to spend time walking around the courtyard on the first floor and the gardens, as they are very peaceful and beautiful.

This museum is very interesting but unfortunately all of the info is either a QR scan code or walking audio tour. This all sounds wonderful in theory but you are either listening to someone else’s phone or trying not to get run over by people with their nose burrowed into their phone. There is absolutely no information on any display and you have to use your phone.

Additionally, many of the rooms are dark to preserve the artwork and this doesn’t help in navigating around people on their phones.

I would not recommend it to others.

In a city with plenty of artistic and cultural attractions, I’m unsure why this museum is highly rated. It was worth visiting when I got in free with my student ID. Several years later, I wish I had taken my time and money somewhere else.

As others have noted, the curation is sporadic and there are no labels anywhere- by design, because Gardner wanted to “fire the imagination”- so any non-expert will have difficulty understanding what they’re looking at.

In addition, it was annoying to be asked to leave even a sealed water bottle at the front desk, and the small bag I was permitted to bring inside had to be worn at my side (not on my back). There are also very few places to sit, as almost all the furniture is part of the collection. Definitely not a particularly friendly destination for young families or folks who have difficulty standing for long periods.

My wife and I had watched the Netflix “This is a Robbery” about the infamous art heist of St. Patrick’s Day, 1990 in which paintings worth an estimated $200 million at the time (perhaps worth $500 million now) were stolen from the poorly-guarded private museum. It piqued our interest, as did its unique architecture and we resolved to visit the next time were in Boston.

We did visit and Isabella Gardner Museum lived up to its billing.. The building did not appear impressive as we walked towards it but the interior did not disappoint. The indoor courtyard was a sight to behold. The ground floor featured brick walls and round Roman or Romanesque archways. There were a lot of marble sculptures from the Roman Empire and the marble columns supporting the arches seemed to harken from that era as well. The garden had a mosaic floor as its centerpiece with a lush garden surrounding it. The walls facing the courtyard featured 3 stories of classic Venetian palace or palazzo architecture. The balconies or loggias had narrow columns and ornate peaked arches all providing a view onto the garden as well as an opportunity for nicely framed portrait photos (zoomed in from the opposite wall) or as a backdrop for a close-in shot. The stucco walls had varied color and texture brought out by the light filtering from the glass roof covering it all.

As already alluded to the art collection featured more than just paintings but included sculptures, furniture and tapestries. The art was both of a religious and secular nature. The collection included items from many different eras of European history, from Ancient Rome to 20th Century contemporary art. The rooms within the museum were likewise impressive and reflected the eclectic art the heiress has collected and featured different designs that reflected when the art was created included Byzantine, Medieval, Gothic, Renaissance and also current modern architecture (in new wings). It was in the latter that we explore interesting and contrasting exhibits; one a collection of French illustrated prayer books from the 15th Century and the other an display of stage designs for opera and theater designed by Maurice Sendak of “Where the Wild Things Are” fame.

But returning to the original building we made a point to visit the rooms where the art was stolen, empty frames on the wall reminding all visitors of what was taken. 13 paintings were take. The only known seascape painted by Rembrandt, “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee” was one as was a Rembrandt self-portrait. One painting alone, “The Concert” by Vermeer is estimated to be worth $250 million. Yet what was the most expensive painting in the museum, Titian’s “Rap- of Europa” was left untouched. A $10 million reward issued by the museum has failed to bring any of the paintings back to the Isabella Gardner and the theft remains a mystery.

This was one of the most interesting museums we have visited and highly recommend a visit.

Gardner’s vision is still to be seen throughout the museum and I recommend visiting this unique place to anyone - I’ve never been to a museum that arranges the artefacts like this before

Incredibly rude staff. They seem to pick and choose who they tell to put purses and water away. Not worth it to put up with grouchy hosts who go on a power trip.

A very unique museum - lovely garden and art displayed throughout the palace.
Kids under 18 are free too - you don't see that very often!

Just loved this place. We watched ITs a Robbery on Netflix prior to the visit and became intrigued. We had a private tour scheduled for an hour and it was great value and use of time as you can then stay for free AFTER the tour so you dont' need additional admission. Rachel, the tour organizer, is SO kind, well spoken and helpful. She was very patient with me and my SEVERAL changes to the time. Our guide was Kathleen and was VERY good and very informative. We didn't want our time with her to end. We never felt rushed and she really went out of her way to make sure we saw our topics of interest and had our questions answered. We ended up having lunch here, toured on our own and a tour with Kathleen. We were there 5 hours! Just a great neat place and I highly recommend!!!!

The museum garden area was my favourite part of the museum. I wasn’t a huge fan of the museum but I could tell my sister and mom were quite interested in looking at the art and reading the information.

I would say visiting this museum and having a good time is subject to if you like this kind of activity. I prefer outdoor activities, contemporary art and exploring nature rather than spending money to go to a historic museum.

Everything being said it is a beautiful building and I gave it 4 stars as most people seemed to be enjoying their self and I could understand how people would appreciate the area.

A beautiful and wonderful experience. A gorgeous collection of Middle Eastern and oriental artifacts also featuring a fantastic courtyard with exotic flowers and plants.

This museum is amazing and absolutely crammed full of art, antiques & artifacts from all over the world; there is so much to see that it is impossible to take it all in at once. The house itself is a work of art too. If I lived in or near Boston, I would visit it again and again, taking in one floor per visit to be able to see it all. It’s famous for an unsolved art heist, and empty frames on the walls mark the locations of the stolen art works. I definitely recommend this museum for lovers of old art & interesting houses.

Very beautiful museum. The courtyard is stunning. The history of the museum, including Isabella Stewart Gardner's life and the heist, are just as- if not more-interesting than the art itself.

Strongly recommend. I spent 2 hours walking through history. I was able to buy tickets at the doors but strongly urged to by tickets on line.

First time in Boston. Decided to go here on our only day to explore at someone’s recommendation. Took a 45 minute Uber to this museum. Museum was sold out. Went to cafe to regroup and was told by cafe staff that the museum does not announce this, but if people don’t show up they might release more tickets and suggested we ask. So I asked and they were very rude about it. Told me it doesn’t work that way. Even if people don’t show, they don’t let other people in. Why not? I am not sure. Just not nice about it. It messed up our whole day because we were short on time so we didn’t get to see anything that day. I definitely should have researched better. It just didn’t cross my mind that a museum would sell out or that you need advance tickets. I have never come across this with other museums. But they should try to accommodate walk-ins a little better and not be so rude when you ask about it. They also make you take off your jacket and tie it around your waist. Do Not Here if You Don’t Have Tickets in Advance. I take partial blame for this. But I was not happy with the system or how it works as it really messed up our entire day.

There are other museums in Boston that have larger, more comprehensive art collections with more works of art that are better known to the public. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts is WONDERFUL of course. The Harvard Art Museums are also great and a must visit. Each of those museums probably has more paintings by famous painters that the average person knows. So, please visit those.

BUT, the Gardner Museum has an unmatched combination of great art, an amazing building, helpful staff and volunteers, and of course, the iconic backstory. Throw in the mystery of the famous theft and you have a "bucket list" experience for every true art lover. The Gardner has paintings by Rembrandt, Titian, Raphael, Sargent, and many more and all kinds of furniture and other artifacts. Strolling around the beautiful building and seeing all the wonderful things makes for a memorable experience.

Also, the museum cafe is nice and a great place to relax, grab a bite to eat, and people watch.

What a beautiful experience! I’ve seen many European museums and this was just as beautiful! The fact that this is a private collection, makes it even more special. What a true treasure.

Remarkable museum home in Boston. The gardens are amazing. The handwritten letters displayed made you realize that such things simply won't exist anymore as letters are genuinely a "thing of th past". You could stay for hours if you really wanted to take the time to note all of the impressive people who visited or wrote her.

It's quirky and mind blowing. None of the art is labelled per her instructions but you come across works by Rembrandt, Titian, Boticelli, the list goes on. All set in a beautiful mock Venetian palace.

Recently,I returned to the delightful Isabella Stewart Art Museum to appreciate its splendid collection of paintings and works of Art produced by Italian Painters from the Late Medieval and Renaissance Periods.I saw awesome Late Medieval Period Paintings by the giants of 14th Century Italian Art such as;Giotto,Simone Martini("Altarpiece With Virgin and Christ Child With Saints"),Bartolomeo Bulgarini,Bernardo Daddi,Andrea Vanni,and Guiliano Da Rimini,among others.
From the 15th Century,I saw quality Renaissance Period Paintings by these Italian Masters;Raphael("Lamentation"),Sandro Botticelli("Suicide of Lucretia"),Pesellino,Titian("Rape of Europa"),Paolo Uccello,and Fra Angelico,among others in this Italian Palazzo Style Art Museum.
I also liked its 17th Century Paintings by Rembrandt("Self Portrait"),Anton Van Dyck,and Lucas Cranach the Elder("Adam and Eve")
There is any labelling of this art museum's works of Art,so be prepared.The day that I spent at the Gardner was a divine experience,

Individually wonderful art pieces presented as an incoherent collection. The lack of labels (other than “do not touch”) forces one to look online on a smartphone for dense explanations of pieces crowded in mainly small rooms. Some parts of the “Venetian Palace” are pleasant, but mostly one is overwhelmed by the opulence and left wondering where various artifacts were originally taken from. The overall feeling is of walking through an exceedingly wealthy woman’s gaudy dream.

I've been to this museum two or three times over the last 20+ years and was never a fan. I felt that Gardner's stipulation that the collection be displayed exactly as she left it, and with no identifiers on any of the pieces, made the place look old fashioned, dated, and like just an old collection of, well, stuff.

This time, we listed to the audio files that the museum provides for each room and it made a huge difference in my interest and enjoyment so that I was able to see the collection in a new way.

Be sure to scan the QR code on the sign just after you enter the palace as it will take you to one webpage where you can easily access the commentary for each room. My husband, and others I noticed, instead tried to access the QR codes displayed in each room which took him to a completely different page that was not user friendly. He finally gave up and I saw others that seemed frustrated as well.

The simplest way that I can describe the museum - a rich hoarder's house. No, I'm serious! The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum comprises of all the artwork and famous knickknacks that Isabelle Stewart Gardner owned in her lifetime.

In the museum, you'll see Greek and Roman sculptures, autographs from famous actors and actresses, original publications from published poets and authors, Japanese Screen Panels, and Renaissance artwork. She had several Botticelli's and even a Manet.

It was really cool seeing all the artwork - and the art heist history is super interesting.

They're currently doing timed tickets, so make sure you buy your tickets in advance. While we were waiting in line to get in, they turned away several parties who did not know they had to buy tickets in advance.

A very interesting museum with a good variety of artwork in the collection, fabulous courtyard and beautiful rooms to explore.

Great renovation/addition. Fascinating exhibition on Thomas McKellar. The new app is pretty bad, so it is very hard to know what you are looking at without the explanation sheets that they must have put away because of the virus.

Amazing collection of antiques. Gardens are stunning. Tapestries are amazing. The variety of the museum gives something for everyone to enjoy.

The Gardner Museum is more like a Venetian Palazzo than a typical museum. It was once the private home of Isabella Stewart Gardner and is quite beautiful to walk through.

Right now it is hosting “Titian: Women, Myth and Power,”, described by the Globe art critic Murray Whyte as “a once-in-several-lifetimes opportunity,” There are six “poesie” paintings that make up the exhibition, including the Gardner’s own “The Rape of Europa,”.

The tickets are timed - try for the 11 am viewing so you won't have to wait in a line outside. There are explanations aside each poeie, helpful in understanding the context of their origins.

In addition, there is a movie explaining the detailed restoration process needed to bring Titian's once brilliant colors back to their original state; I found this especially helpful.

This is a fabulous art museum full of priceless art, antiquities and even nature as there is a beautiful courtyard. Three things I did not like: the staff are not very friendly, the purchase of tickets is ridiculous that you have to stay outside and purchase them on your phone then go in front desk and present (why not make it one transaction)? The final thing I did not like was a request of Isabella herself to not label the objects. The museum does try to address but you have to use your phone and try to figure out what you're looking at. After all that complaining I still highly recommend as it is a tremendous building and collection

This museum is gloriously and remarkably crammed with a wonderful array of artwork and knicknacks that deserve to be seen up close. The modern building has a couple of exhibits on the second floor, although most of the amazing artwork are through the tunnel and clustered around the glorious gardens. Take your time to explore the three floors in the older building - each floor requires a lengthy and dizzying exploration of every nook and cranny; the very walls are beautiful. Very little is annotated in this part of the museum, which would normally bother me, but everything is so fascinating and detailed that I didn't mind the lack of explanations. There was artwork from around the world, with no apparent rhyme or reason with regards to organization. We loved the gardens!

Beautiful museum, definitely a cool place to visit. While the QR codes had TONS of detailed information, there was almost zero non-digital available if you just wanted to quickly scan for minimal context. I spent way more time (and data) on my phone than I had anticipated.

The central greenhouse is totally worth the visit though!

I am seriously still trying to process this experience a week after my visit! We only visited the Villa/Palace portion. While it was stunning, the sheer volume of this private collection was overwhelming to take in on one visit! If I lived in the area, it would certainly be a place to visit more than once. After touring the many rooms/exhibits, I was profoundly grateful for the time in the Villa/garden area to gather my thoughts.

Learn about an incredible woman, see a beautiful mansion, with art so close, and feast your eyes upon a garden most of us can only dream to have. With empty frames of famous art stolen, one can only imagine where the stolen treasures lie.

I went on a girl's trip and this wasn't my idea. I listened to the stories in each room and I throughly enjoyed it. The art and home were amazing. I am so glad to have experienced this.

Lovely way to spend part of an afternoon! The gardens and collections were beautiful and the whole place was so calm - an oasis from the rain we had outside on the day we visited. The gift shop was very impressive too!

Better than advertised. Wish we didn’t have our young children for this one as they can’t yet appreciate what they’re seeing, but it was still an inspiring experience to tour the ISGM.

Very beautiful building and amazing art collection. Before going, read up on the 1990 art heist at the Gardner... still unsolved.

The ISG stands out both as a building and for its collection. The building evokes an Italian palace, especially the amazing multi-level inner courtyard. Each gallery similarly looks like a room from a palace like the banquet hall or a bedroom, although it was never designed or used as a house. The collection is large for a private collection and very high quality with Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces abounding. The theft of 13 pieces continues to be felt in several rooms. There’s a nice audio tour with 3-5 minutes of narration per gallery. It took about 2 hours to do the full tour.

Unfortunately, the museum has a temporary exhibit featuring transgender street art, which is both totally out of character with the art of this museum and almost certainly inconsistent with what Stewart-Gardner, a devout Catholic, would have wanted in her museum.

I have not returned to the Gardner for many years, but our kids got us tickets with the intention that we'd see the Titian exhibit. As noted by someone else, there is a timed ticket required to enter the museum, but no timed ticket to enter the special exhibit. Seeing it would have required an hour-long wait in a narrow hallway crowded with other waiting patrons. We chose to spend our time elsewhere. Complete mismanagement and hugely disappointing to us and our generous, gift-giving kids. This problem must have become clear at some point - presumably as the holiday season visiting opened and the exhibit end got closer - but there was zero attempt to mitigate it. AWFUL.

The new (new to us) addition is largely wasted space with regard to exhibits - a huge entry, coatroom, and event/classroom space, and offices on the top two floors. Lovely new gift shop.

The Palace, or Gardner museum proper, is as it always was, except that in the intervening years the courtyard has been closed. It is stunning, but you can't walk in it anymore (safety? damage? unclear). The collection is heavily weighted towards medieval icons (Madonna and child of every description) and tapestries. The lighting is god-awful and the fact that nothing can be changed means that a bunch of chairs ringing the rooms aren't special, can't be used for sitting down, and block seeing other items. Or small items are in upper shelves of dark cupboards, or lovely paintings (the Kronberg) are in dim alcoves. The Gardner portraits by Sargent are well-lit, but one is in a hallway or connecting room and people crowd in and block each other from passing. Any curator notes require a smartphone. I just lacked the patience.

A good reminder of why we visited once or twice with guests and haven't been back.

Well, we didn’t mind checking our backpack into the coat room and we had a nice (if pricey) lunch in the cafe. The museum was nice enough, dimly lit and surrounding a garden courtyard. The first issue was the member of staff in a room who approached my daughter and rather aggressively said that her teddy bear (who was clutched under her arm) would damage the paintings. Now she was not walking near the paintings and the teddy bear was held still. I thought he was joking but realised he wasn’t. So we walked away. Then in the next room a female member of staff told me that my (small) shoulder bag was ‘out of control’ and I had to control it. I was not sure what this meant so I took tight hold of the strap. This was not sufficient and she proceeded to demonstrate all the damage that I could do with my out of control bag. Fed up of this, my husband took the bag and cradled it in his arms. She was still not fully satisfied and let us know, while muttering. These experiences made us feel uncomfortable as if they’d wanted us to check the bag they should have asked. Each room, no matter how small has a member of staff who were frowning and unfriendly. Given the money we’d paid to get in plus the pricey lunch, it was an unpleasant visit and in sharp contrast to the Fine Arts Museum with its friendly staff. It was a shame as it was a beautiful house. I hate being made to feel so guilty with ridiculous accusations. Visit at your peril!

A very beautiful museum, well worth visiting. I would like to come again. The courtyard is stunning and there are lots of interesting things in the room. Doesn’t really feel like a museum, bur still it would be nice to know more about all the things on display.

We’ve visited many great museums in NYC, Chicago, London, Paris, etc., but this may be my favorite. I was skeptical when I read that there were no descriptions accompanying the paintings and other items, but the audio guide more than makes up for it. Charge up your phone, bring your earbuds, and log on to the museum wifi to enjoy the audio guides for each room. I hate the boring too-long guides you get in so many museums, but these were entertaining, informative, and just right, providing details and insights that I’d never otherwise notice or know. We saw people walk through without listening and couldn’t believe what they were missing. My wife saw a woman look a a painting with flowers near it and mutter, “I don’t get it.” Well, the audio guide gave a full and interesting explanation.

We got there when it opened with tickets bought in advance for the 10 a.m. time slot, and that was fortunate. Even with limited people let in per hour, it was very crowded by the time we finished about 2 hours later. The museum’s G Cafe offers a selection of healthy type dishes such as tabbouleh salad with hummus and tofu, veggie pasta, quiche, chicken salad wrap, etc. for about $22 each. We enjoyed it to top off a visit to a fantastic museum.

I've never been to a museum like this. It was breathtaking, spectacular, fascinating and full of wild stories. It's a MUST if you're visiting Boston.

They have free audio guides to download on your phone and you can choose which one you want, so make sure to bring your airpods. The audio guide was fantastic and really helped us understand the art work and reasons why Isabella placed them in very specific places.

I recommend going when it's sunny, because the rooms are purposefully left dark for the safety and preservation of the art.

As an avid art lover, I had to visit this museum on my Boston trip. It was an amazing experience. The indoor garden is well maintained and the artworks are cleverly curated and displayed. Every piece of art in this place clearly has its own place and purpose, ultimately amounting to an awesome experience!

This museum was recommended to me by a friend and I'm so glad I went - what a fascinating, beautiful place full of lovely art and furniture. The builidng itself is also stunning and the courtyard is worth the visit by itself.

Interesting museum. Basically, an art collector's house which you wander through. The center of the house is this incredible court yard - stunning. Not a lot of signage but you are free to wander as fast or slow as you like.

A museum that is both interesting and disappointing at the same time. Many visitors felt lost and disconnected from touring the collection. Some rooms are in disrepair appearance with no easy guide to understand the collections. Most visitors felt the online QR code tedious to identify works. Too many people in every space at times made it difficult to appreciate the rooms. I would strongly recommend visitors to take photos of all the rooms and art with your smart phones. The latest iPhone has built in automatic lighting capabilities that you don’t need to fiddle with. They will enhance automatically dim lit paintings, dreary lit rooms. My photos make the museum look like a pristine palace. But the collection is aging very badly and the house seems very crowded in the late Victorian manner. Parts of the house almost seem in very bad condition. There was no explanation on the stolen works of art. I would strongly recommend the museum invest in a video for visitors to watch in the living room that explains the history of the owner, the rooms and notable works, and the story behind the stolen works of art. This way visitors would not walk around in a daze wondering what they are seeing and where they are going or what they should focus on, overall this is one of the most poorly organized museums for experiencing the collection at its best. Most visitors left thinking it was an old house with old art of which a few items were stolen and thinking they just spent a lot of money for nothing much memorable except the pretty inside center court garden. This is where 75% of the visitors were!! Yet that is not the most important part of the museum. The one painting by John Singer Sargent of Isabella Staurt Gardner was thankfully well lit and displayed well. The map brochure was helpful but a more detailed booklet is necessary to understand this museum along with a preview film for visitors in the living room before entering. Tours should be done instead. Most visitors had no idea what they were doing or seeing. Some rooms were closed off by docents/guards but even they seemed out of sorts trying to answer the many questions of what was relevant in each room etc. As an important museum, with a multi million dollar extension it seemed a bit embarrassing. I decided to do lunch and it was better than the BFA museum food and a tiny bit less expensive. Lunch at the Boston Fine Arts museum was $60. It was around $35 here. Not much on the menu here as far as comfort food. Very gourmet. Not very appetizing in types of food. Would recommend more options like vegetarian soup, BLT, Cobb salad, personal pizza. Desserts also not very appealing. I ordered the one recognizable item, the egg quiche and salad. It was delicious. I passed on dessert. Chocolate pudding doesn’t seem very appealing for $9. However I would recommend doing a meal here to enhance your overall experience, The food was good but wish they offered better menu choices. Staff was very friendly and much nicer than the staff at BFA. Gift shop very overpriced for only the wealthy patron visitor. Would I recommend this museum for the crowds and expensive price? No. It was disappointing. The board of directors need to do more to help the visitor experience and appreciation of the collection. Otherwise it will only be appreciated for its robbery mystery and by art scholars. The photos I took with my iPhone did capture the collection in brilliant detail more so than in actual reality! In person the collection looked very drab, dimly lit, and very old in a neglectful way, giving the feeling of a dirty, dusty, dreary home despite the rare art and antiquities on display.

One of the most beautiful museums in the world. While I wish I had more than an hour to spend there, and did not get to the New Wing, the Palace was so full of exquisite things and artwork, I came away wondering how someone could live amongst such overwhelming beauty on a daily basis. I was told by a security guard that Mrs. Gardner lived upstairs and visited her collection daily. The Titian Room is under renovation at the moment, but you can still view the paintings. There will be a major exhibit here of Titians from around the world in the fall....

Extremely interesting and eclectic museum. Everything from paintings and sculptures to historic literature and gardens. Watch “This Is A Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist” before going to learn about the robbery the museum suffered. It adds additional context and insight into the collection and made the visit even more intriguing.

I have taken an art history class in this museum, and never got tired of exploring the beautiful collection. Don't miss the central garden, the John Singer Sargent pantings. The Bellini painting and the Titians. Well known for chamber music concerts surrounded by the artwork, too. A world class "Boston" unique experience.

Loved the vibe at this museum. Enjoyed seeing the artwork by Renaissance masters and the Titian posie exhibit. Before you go you can see the documentary on the paintings that were stolen from this museum and were never recovered.

After many visits to Boston, ISGM finally made it to the top of our list. Don't be deterred by those who are put off by this different experience. Just go! Yes, there aren't descriptions of every piece of art, however, there is a helpful audio guide that you can access from their website. Be sure to bring your earbuds and catch the audio description of the infamous art heist that occurred here in 1990, or even the Netflix special if you have a particular interest. Even if you have someone in your group who is begrudgingly tagging along, they'll be captivated by the beauty of the inner courtyard. We spent 45 minutes in the current Titian exhibit...we found the audio guide particularly helpful in understanding these paintings. Go early to this exhibit as we noticed that there was a long line as we left the room. Enjoyed lunch at the Cafe G ~ better than average food with minimal contact. Conveniently close to T stops.

The ISG Museum is one of my favorite museums; I returned after last visiting in the 1980s. It's a personally curated collection, displayed as Isabella Stewart Gardner left things a hundred years ago. Research beforehand is highly suggested, but if you just go and look you'll still have a wonderful visit. They have audio guides (download before you go). Timed tickets are needed, and when I visited it was quieter near the 11 am opening than at about 2 pm when I left, but it was never too packed. If it gets busy, they'll control entry to the smaller rooms and you may have to wait on a line for a bit.

My advice - arrive at the opening, take the vintage elevator to the 3rd floor of the palace, and work your way down. Most people will work their way up, so you'll have a few rooms to yourself for a few minutes. The courtyard and the building itself are really lovely (you can only look at the courtyard).

There was a 9-minute intro film in the new building; it can be viewed anytime but you might like it as an orientation if you don't know the history. No, it did not mention the notorious robbery. Read up on this before you visit, and you'll see the empty frames where glorious works of art once hung. I teared up when I got to the Dutch room, as I recall the spectacular Rembrandts that were there.

In each room, don't forget to look up, as some of the pieces are up high. And take time to appreciate the furniture, from various time periods and with spectacular and varied fabrics.

The cafe was a treat; great table service and not-too-overpriced lunch entrees ($22-25). There are restrooms on several floors in the old and new buildings.

After lunch, I revisited the palace, as the lighting changes during the day. The rooms are darker than 'regular' museums, and while it was a bit difficult to see some of the items in the morning light (with my old eyes), after noon the rooms were brighter. A tip - some of the most important pieces are near windows (again, this is arguable - you will have a lot of favorites once you've visited).

They had maps with 'highlights' (arguable; there are many highlights) that you replace for someone else to use as you leave. There's also some signage and very helpful guards, but the art itself is not labeled, one of the lovely quirks of this museum. Rather than spend your time reading placards, you will spend your time looking at the art.

The only place I found uncomfortably crowded was the gift shop.

Depending on your level of interest, you could spend an hour here, or the whole day. There's a "living room" in the new building where you can browse art books and sit, and several rooms have benches for sitting.

The buildings and restrooms are accessible. There are elevators if you need them.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner museum gives you a window into one female collector's eclectic taste, presented in a building she constructed to display the collection. Bring your phone, as you will need it to get titles and backgrounds on the paintings. The Gardner doesn't do plaques.

On the day we visited - a weekday in summer - the museum was crowded from its opening minutes. Booking tickets online in advance is a must. We would have enjoyed the museum more with half the number of patrons.

Café G on the premises had very good lunch for a reasonable price with experienced, professional servers. There is a very good museum gift shop as well.

There is no place quite like the Garnder, not just for the incredible collection of art and artifacts, but for the setting — particularly the old "palace." I had not visited since the addition of the new modern wing, which while attractive seems a bit sterile in comparison to the opulence of the old section. It is touching to see the empty frames where artworks stolen some decades since still show their wounds.

I used to visit Boston yearly as a kid and never heard of this museum. I first learned about it in a Netflix series. The story intrigued me and our most recent visit the weather was not great so a great time to go. Buy your tickets IN ADVANCE. When we left many people were being turned away.

The museum itself has an amazing display of art and historic articles. There is a beautiful garden in the center of the museum. It is very interesting. You can scan QR codes and get information on each piece of art.

There is also a very nice park directly across the street. Just sitting in the beautiful fall weather was also a treat.

I loved this museum. You need to read about the way Isabella Stewart Gardner set up this museum. I loved her idea about not adding information cards next to the endless art that this museum houses. No rhyme or reason how it's set up. One of the best art museums I've ever visited.

No other museum is quite like this one with its history as a private house. Be prepared to spend more time than you think ...

Well worth going to visit. If you like a mix of out the ordinary and eclectic then this is the place for you. You have to see it to believe it! Even the building itself is part of the museum.
Nice cafe on your way in too.

I've been before, and on this trip I went back twice. I recommend reading up on it and on Mrs. Gardner before you go. The art is displayed exactly as the collector wanted to see it, which makes this museum special. The newish glass entrance annex attached to the main villa is an architectural excrescence, but the lunch is good and service is quick.

Our son is in Boston studying for his masters in Art. It was a incredible place to visit with many interesting and beautiful works to enjoy.

The artwork is beautiful, though a bit too eclectic for my taste. Unfortunately, there are no plaques beside each piece, making it difficult to learn about what you're viewing.

The rooms contain exquisite collections of art that complement each other. The building itself is beautiful and the views from the balconies unforgettable.

After watching documentaries and listening to podcasts about the ISG art heist, being in the Dutch Room with the empty frames was fascinating. You’re able to see where all stolen thirteen works of art were in the museum.

The atrium is absolutely beautiful.

I loved the QR codes posted in each room to listen to an audio tour of that room.

An eclectic mix of history and art in an amazing building. Really well curated and staff very helpful. Also a bonus of a good cafe on site.

This is a lovely museum in a gorgeous building. The house surrounds a beautiful courtyard and all of the galleries are around it.
The art that Isabella collected is quite eclectic with many old masters works setting between works that Isabella commissioned or was gifted to her.
The house is three stories and takes about 2-3 hours to go through although we could have taken more time.
There is a free audio guide that can be downloaded and listened to on your phone.
The only downside to our visit is that there are no plaques next to the pictures, so unless you are listening to the audio guide, you don't know what you're seeing. I know we missed the importance and significance of many of the artworks.

Wonderful experience so different than other museums I’ve been to. This was such a beautiful museum the garden was stunning. You’re in for a treat! Also it’s not too big of a can do it pretty quickly, enjoyed all of the rooms the antique furniture reminded me of my grandmothers house and brought back wonderful memories. I hear there is a Netflix documentary about this museum which I’m looking forward to checking out now that I went

You never know what kind of hidden gems or famous masterpieces you'll stumble upon in this exhibit, since the art isn't labeled. But trust me, it's all worth checking out!

This Museum is an Experience. It is jam packed with stuff - the floors, ceilings, walls, art on the walls, cases with letters, coins, more art, furniture, wrought-iron gates, church pews - you name it, it's there. Like this hardly seems like it can be called a collection because it is so random and sprawling. Not much of it was too my taste, but it's such an odd experience that it is definitely a must-do. Highly recommend watching "this is a robbery" on netflix and/or reading the Gardner Heist before going. We thought the story was crazy, but being there made it even stranger. There are almost no labels regarding what you are looking at, like in a "normal" museum. You might be looking at at Degas, you might not - who would know? It was sold-out and very full on a Sunday in July, advance tix recommended.

What a beautiful museum!!! A Venetian villa filled with art, sculptures, antiques & tapestries. Lose yourself looking into the gorgeous piazza. Wander and enjoy the flavor of each room. A few hours will not be long enough!!!

Extensive collection of artwork and prices from all over the work. More of a Victorian Era theme. Multiple rooms filled with one of a kind objects. Definitely worth price of admission which wasn’t too bad. The center garden was amazing. There’s a gift shop and a cafe which has a limited and pricey menu but was tasty. I recommend ordering tickets ahead. We had to exit 30 mins due to only a certain amount of people were allowed in at a time.

We were visiting Boston from out of state and had researched various options for spending our weekend. This museum sounded delightful. After taking public transportation about 45 minutes from our hotel to this museum, we we informed that online ticket purchases are required, and they were completely sold out for the day! I had seen that online tickets were an option on their website, but I didn't realize they were a must. Given that we were navigating Boston's public transportation system for the first time and weren't sure when we would arrive, we chose not to purchase advance tickets. The employee at the door was not helpful or pleasant. We ended up making the fairly short walk to the Museum of Fine Arts and enjoyed a lovely afternoon there. It would have been helpful if their website indicated that advance ticket purchases are required.

Eclectic collection of European antiques—mostly bad art—not labeled. No docent. Crowded. Art heist most interesting part of experience (read about online beforehand).

Amazing to see all of the history collected by Isabella and the museum.
Was one of the nicest museums we walked through in years.

Worth the visit. There are enough pictures of the collection online to give you an idea of what's there but obviously it's more impressive to see in person. Be prepared to work around the self-absorbed people taking selfies.

I was back after years… an amazing collection and a MUST see/visit in Boston! In addition to the museum, which is immaculately maintained I loved the flowers in the interior garden, beautiful fall and orchid display. Well done!

A collection of uninteresting artefacts though likely just me
Expensive entry
Nothing to advise what is on display - you have to use your phone from memory
No need to rush back p

This museum is an incredibly frustrating experience for an artist, as most of the collection is third-rate, and the paintings I’d wanted to see were crammed into the corners of roped off rooms. Thank God John Singer Sargent’s El Jaleo was too large to fit into one of these inaccessible rooms. Also, what is with the lack of labels on the paintings? (Reportedly, ISG willed that nothing ever be changed, blah, blah, blah.) I suppose the place works fine as a collection in a private home, but as a museum it’s a huge fail. Expecting visitors to scan a barcode in each room and then fish through a confusing web page is ridiculous. It wasted value time that could be spent studying the art. I came away thinking that ISG was not a very discerning collector, and is overrated as a curator. Her museum is hit or miss, mostly miss. I’d looked forward to visiting this museum, and it was a colossal disappointment. Do I sound angry? Darn right, I am! I came all the way to Boston to see the Whistlers, and then I couldn’t. The Boston Fine Arts Museum was superior in every way.

I visit the Gardner often, and I am impressed every time. Truly one of the most beautiful museums architecturally and aesthetically. A must-see for tourists and New England residents alike!

I had my first visit in February 2021, and I have to say it was the single most depressing museum I have ever been in. The highlight of the place is the garden and cloister, but you aren’t allowed to walk through them.

In the rooms the walls are lined with dark tapestries, And it is so poorly lit it is impossible to see any detail of the art. Further there are no labels explaining artists, depictions of the many random works, or even origin.

I gather that they attempt to preserve the “vision” of the namesake - but I have no idea how being a rich hoarder makes you an expert on artwork.

I left feeling completeky ubderwhelmed.

Further from a covid perspective, they are anal about arrows in the ticket area but the whole rest of the museum is a free for all, kind of senseless.

Literally any other museum is a better use of your time.

I was looking for two things this day, a green oasis in New England winter and a hint of the old world.

There is a garden but honestly the tropical area at the Franklin park zoo or even the greenhouse at weston nurseries is better.

I did get a hint of old europe - but not in the vacationy sense with lots of beautiful architecture... more in the dark ages sense with everything seeming dingey from smoke and way too much plundered church artifacts including what seemed to be a severed Jesus head.

The architecture and art collection are stunning. I lived in the Boston area for 5 year a while back, and I never made it over here. I'm sad I hadn't gone sooner. I hadn't really heard of Anders Zorn, but this museum has some really good works by him. The cafe in the museum was very good as well.

This is one of the most amazing visits of our Boston Trip and I would have totally skipped it if not for a documentary about an unsolved robbery here, the most expensive theft in US art history. While the mystery was the hook to draw me, the experience once I got here is what amazed me. There is great art here; however, the real piece of art is the building and way it displays the art. The model of the Venetian Palace was designed by Ms. Garder herself to be the most amazing display of art. I have been to better museums that have better art, but I have never been to a better display of art. The building and its grounds are amazing, and the way they highlight the art are the best part of the visit. You don't have to know anything about art to visit, just beauty. For me, a non-artist, this museum speaks to me like no other.

For me the tapestries were simply incredible and displayed like they were meant to have been seen in some European palace. It is as much design as it is art when you walk into each new room. Each room is uniquely designed, and the art is set to accentuate that room. Finally, every room brings you back to the most incredible courtyard, that is decorated like a florist's masterpiece. For me the courtyard is a thing of beauty for every level of the building and every angle. The building is as much the art as the art it holds.

Finally, the building holds this mysterious aura as you tour around blank canvasses that are left as they were robbed. Granted the Gardner was and is an incredible building without the robbery. However, the fact that it happened, and you see the blank spaces make this an even more surreal experience. I am a history and nature person, and I loved every bit of that I saw of our trip related to history and nature. However, when I look back at my visit, it is the art museum that may have been my favorite attraction. It is that good, don't miss.

Just left this Museum. They do have a lot of nice things, but if you’ve ever been to a major museum or traveled abroad, give this a pass. Nothing is labeled. You must have a mobile phone with the QR reader app to be able to learn anything about what you’re seeing. Then, if you’re among those who are in the know, you can access audio from the app that tells you about what you are seeing. We weren’t among those on the know. The only items lovingly described were those that were, for some reason, not on exhibit. So as you looked at the blank space you knew what was supposed to be there. Guards all over the place and they were very pleasant. You are not allowed to carry a garment—e.g. sweater, coat—into the museum. You have no choice but to leave them hanging in the coat room where they are unsecured and anyone could take them. “We’ve never had a problem” the pleasant young man said. If while touring the Museum you took off a sweater, you couldn’t carry it around, but had to take it back to the coat room. Incidentally, on a steamy August day, the restaurant and coat room were air conditioned. All of the precious artwork, while under roof, were exposed to heat and humidity because the display rooms were open to the open-air courtyard. Courtyard is really beautiful. Restaurant has a limited menu, but it and the people who work there are very pleasant.

Without a Tour Guide, this is no more than a building crammed with pretty objects, lacking all provenence.

It's exactly as if we returned to the bad old days of archaeologists as treasure hunters, who returned from digs with treasures totally removed from any cultural or historical context.

The founder decried in her will that there would be no signage placed on any object. And odd, but understandable goal. I am certain when entertaining guests she would have described each treasure, filling in the tale of acquisation herself. That would have been fascinating.

But lacking a modern guide in fill in for her, the museum is useless. You will learn nothing of history, and leave as ignorant as you entered.

Staff will tell you you can watch audio or video presentations on your cell phone. First of all, when attending with friends of family, a smart phone reduces what should be social experince, to just another face glued to a screen.

The visitor should be viewing the wonders (of which there are many) in this museum, and not studying a screen !

We tried the first online presentation, a description of the courtyard. It was bleak.

For instance, the narrator informed us it was a garden of sculptures. That I had immediately figured out myself - duh.

So please, what Gods or historic figures are honored here ? Were they from Greece, Rome, Spain, Crete ? No information is provided. Your interpretation will be solely guesswork.

The complete lack of provenance continues thru every room. At least one Rembrant had a sign on it "REMBRANT". I suppose Isabella was so proud to own such a masterpiece she let her guard down for that one.

I was so disappointed, so frustrated that this incredible museum had so little to offer the visitor in the way of knowledge, that I actually became inwardly angry at being cheated of what should have been a joyous occasion.

We subsequently rushed though, and even skipped many rooms.

Regaining my composure, I politely engaged a staff member, who explained that Guided Tours are planned to return this Fall. I assured her it would be well worth returning at that time. And I do plan to.

We loved the museum! It has many works of different art styles and only the house and its garden are worth admiring. When you know the story, you are even more surprised by understanding everything she did for culture and art.
My only suggestion would be to mark the pieces to understand who owns each one since the QR guide is sometimes not so clear.

Extraordinary collection of art, objet d’art and other collectibles shown within her house. Overwhelmingly filled rooms with little information - apparently as she instructed. Gorgeous courtyard garden, well stocked shop, good cafe, pleasant public spaces and temporary exhibits.

Like many others have said, the collection itself is beyond impressive. To think that one person was able to gather this many pieces in one space is incredible. To be inches away from Rembrandt’s works, Raphael, Titian, Botticelli, etc. is amazing. Most of the works are not even behind glass. Unfortunately, although I have an appreciation for art, I am not an enthusiast and the mere size of the collection is overwhelming to look at when there are no descriptions of anything you’re seeing, especially from the more notable artists. The rooms are borderline cluttered with artwork in what to the average person like myself seems like a nonsensical arrangement at best. I know the museum is governed by Isabella Steward Gardner’s wishes, and cannot add, subtract, or make any changes to the museum’s layout, but some signs explaining what is happening would have been beneficial. A well-known Netflix documentary that highlighted the greatest art theft in history, and I would have also liked to see signage showing not only where missing artifacts were once housed, but also what was taken. Some of the frames are left hanging empty on the wall, but other pieces were taken in the frames. Took us about 90 minutes to navigate the entire museum.

Great museum, easy to visit in an hour or two. Currently has a Titian exhibit in addition to the permanent offerings. Home to the greatest art heist in history, so seeing the empty frames is unusual but interesting. I was disappointed that the greenhouse was closed during my visit. The central court/garden is amazingly beautiful. If you like art history, you'll enjoy this museum.

A fantastic collection of vintage stuff from around the world. Spread over three floors, almost every available space is packed with something to see and admire,

If you’re someone like me who doesn’t want to listen to some audio guide as I walk, you may wish to note that there are QR codes at each art collection for you if you want to know more.

One would take 1.5 to 2 hours for this visit, excluding lunch at their cafe G (which only accepts walk-ins).

This is a wonderful collection in a unique setting. The tickets were very reasonably priced, and I was very appreciative that admission for children is free. The museum does sell out, so be sure to order your tickets and reserve a time before you go. We ordered the night before and had no problems. My only complaint is the staff. They weren’t very pleasant. One employee stationed at one of the main entry points was engrossed in his phone and never looked up.

Absolutely a fantastic treat to explore through Isabella's exquisite art and artifact collection. We spent several hours exploring every room. WOW we could have spent 5-6 hours if we had more time. Definitely looking forward to a return trip to seek out the many smaller details that were missed. So much history and wonderful stories told through the free audio tour. We were mesmerized by the spectacular garden.... Incredible view from every room.

Incredible museum full of art, history, plants, it has everything for the eclectic eye. I realized right there about the thousand of different chairs she also had and became obsessed. Lovely visit, amazing museum that I’d go again to appreciate what I didn’t see in the first visit.

We went on a Friday morning, got there first time and bought the tickets there and it felt quite nice. Busy but manageable and with enough space to walk slow and admire all of it.

I rated it a 4 only because there was not a lot of direction. Definitely get an audio tour. It will help you maneuver better. Gorgeous place. I will return and would recommend to visit

A Boston must do. The Venetian feel of the building's inner courtyard with 4 floors above the floor is truly grant. Don't be misled by the plain exterior. Suggest you to read up a bit on the history of this magnificent museum and about the vision of a lady who gathered all the displayed item while traveling most of the world. Sadly, the theft of a handful of items, mostly paintings, remains unsolved and the empty frames illustrate where they were displayed. Check out the small map in the corner room with small paintings you most likely to enter first. It shows where and when items were acquired. Don't ask the guards about the theft, they are not allowed to discuss that apparently.

Read about Isabella Stewart Gardner prior to visiting her home, garden, and museum. You will enjoy it more deeply. (Info is easily accessible online.) We all enjoyed all three floors. The plants are interesting and beautiful as well.

Entering the museum, we had high hopes for a grand experience. My daughter and I are avid Museum goers and we had previously read about the founder, the theft and collection.
Entering the courtyard area, I was immediately overwhelmed by the beauty and grandeur of the floral display. I think we spent as much time at the edges of the courtyard as we did strolling the rooms.
The audio portion from the website was well done. I especially liked that different members of the staff narrated the different parts of the story. It made us feel that we got to meet and know them personally which added to the experience.

A beautiful museum full of treasures from a private collection. It is held in a mansion in the center of the city, a beautiful place to show off the art. It is not a large collection, so it does not take a lot of time to see it all.

The collection is great but the tasteless way it is presented kills the experience. There’s next to none information about the pieces so it looks like a densely hanged storage of paintings waiting to be hanged in a real exhibit. You’re likely to miss most of the gems as there’s simply no way of telling which one it is. Audio guides are super slow and you need to spend triple time listening to them and many of them do not provide interesting information. I abandoned the idea after listening to 4 guides.
The story and legacy of Ms. Garner was poorly presented. A few teenagers in our group asked the same questions as they couldn’t get the significance of the place. We had to google to get the answers. It seemed like a rich woman collecting random stuff - I hope it is not the case but this is the picture you’re getting.
It was dark and gloomy in the rooms so it’s hard to see what’s presented.
Attendants are not too inviting for questions and one was particularly rude getting personal with remarks. I’ve visited lots of museums in my life but this one gets the bottom place in terms of curation and organization.

This was a great museum with an eclectic collection--including some really amazing pieces. But to be honest, it could be better. There were a lot of "reproductions" displayed instead of the actual pieces in the museum's collection. That begs the question about why you go to a museum instead of looking at a book or reproduction posters. And the rooms were really oddly arranged, including one with art in one part and storage in another. And furniture pushed up against walls. Hopefully this is all some COVID issue, but it distracted from the experience for sure.

Absolutely beautiful art collection presented in a very personal way. We're now watching the 2021 Netflix documentary about the 1990 robbery.

This eclectic beauty is a MUST SEE. Soooo many interesting and varied artefacts on display in the most stunning of locations. Take advantage of the cafe that offers a quiet and secluded garden space for lunch with generous portions. Allow a couple of hours for your visit. This is such an interesting and beautiful place and was a highlight of our trip.

Six of us booked a private guided tour of this incredible museum. All six of us agreed that it was the most interesting and unusual museum we had ever visited. Strongly recommend you take a guide to explain the back story of Isabella Gardner as it will add to your appreciation of what you are looking at. This is a museum you could visit multiple times and see more and /or different things each time. As a plus, they have a very nice cafe that serves excellent light lunches. Be prepared to spend at least 2 hours in this museum.

Beautiful day at the ISG Museum! The courtyard alone is worth the price of admission (when we visited, the hanging nasturtiums were striking), but the walls and rooms in the museum are crammed with works of art and pieces from all over the world. There is a guide that can be accessed on cell phones which identifies each piece, but it can be difficult to navigate. However, all the information is there. A useful strategy (for me) was to enter a room, look around, and then use the guide to identify works that impressed me; trying to do that for everything takes away from the whole. Allow at least a few hours to visit.

Very beautiful and informative museum. We spent a good couple of hours wandering around then finished off in the cafe. Lovely ambience and very pleasant staff. Highly recommended

Outstanding museum and a must see while you are in Boston. When you are there, I highly recommend that you use your cell phone to listen to the audio guide to the museum. It made the experience so much better. Also, I recommend that you watch the Netflix documentary series about the theft.

This museum has so much to take in from art, flowers, trees, architecture, garden area. The museum offers room guides, word descriptions of the rooms, and audio descriptions. What an incredible lady!

Honestly this was the most amazing thing we did while we were in Boston. We like art and have visited a few art museums but this goes so far beyond a typical art museum. This amazing woman collected not only some amazing art but also collected architectural gems from across the world. Then she build a home which included all these amazing pieces. Everywhere you look, it is a feast for the eyes, from the paintings with coordinating pieces from the time and area, to the stairs, windows, floor and ceiling. Literally everywhere you see is coordinated to what is around it.From the Roman mosaic in the middle of the gorgeous courtyard (around 400 AD) to more "Modern" paintings of Degas, Cezanne, Sargent, Raphael, etc. I could go on and on and I would still leave out many artists and their work. Many of the pieces I have seen in books over the years as well and the fact that is is all in such a unique cohesive format makes this a MUST SEE for anyone who appreciates art, architecture or antiquities. And yes, the 1990 art heist featured on Netflix is still unsolved!

Beautiful, one of a kind museum. I was really excited to visit it during our trip to Boston, I knew it'd be one of the highlights.

I first heard of Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum when I was in college back in Europe during an art history class, our Professor mentioned that a painting we were studying it was part of the collection and encouraged us to visit it when in Boston.

My husband visited the Museum during his college years and loved it, has fond memories of attending classical music concerts here.

We saved the visit for a rainy day during the trip. The staff was nice, we didn't need advanced tickets (since the weather forecast kept changing we didn't think we should get them), even if the museum was crowded there were plenty of tickets, despite that everyone had the same idea!

$22 admission, free for kids. Usually it's opened 11 am - 5 pm, except Thursday - till 9 pm (first Thursday of the month is free in the afternoon).

For the first time in many years we used a bag for the umbrella and lined up for a checked coat service. Security and staff everywhere was nice and efficient.

The museum is smaller, you can visit it in about 2-3 hours. It was crowded, so we started with the 3rd floor, the top, took the old elevator up and made our way down floor by floor, room by room. It was a good decision since everyone starts with the ground level and it gets congested, we even stayed in line to visit a couple of rooms, but we weren't stressed since we have visited most of the museum by that point.

It used to be Isabella Gardner's house, a philanthropist, art collector and avid traveler who built this house after her family's original place in Beacon Hill couldn't support the art she gathered and wanted to display.

The house is her love letter to Italy, especially to Venice, a place she loved to visit. It is beautiful that she left the house and her art for the public, so we can enjoy the wonderful collection she gathered. She decorated and arranged the art the way she wanted and insisted to be preserved that way. Great legacy! Greateful for that!

Not your typical museum since not every painting has a footnote, but everything is organized per room and art: Blue Room, Dutch Room, Veronese Room, Titian Room, etc. You will figure it out between the official map, some inscriptions and personal research if interested. I didn't do the audio guide, just wanted to enjoy the rooms, the art, the decor, the feeling.

The interior courtyard is beautiful and a highlight of the visit. Breathtaking and unique!

Too bad the museum was robbed in 1990 and 13 pieces of art (amongst a Vermeer and a Rembrandt) were stolen and never recovered. Just some empty frames left as a reminder of a terrible act that robs us from the art!

But there's still a big, impressive collection on display with paintings by: Titian, Veronese, Botticelli, Raphael, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Degas, Sargent among many classic painters. I usually don't take so many photos in museums but this is a world I wanted to preserve somehow.

The museum is more than a museum, it's a world in itself that you need to enter and absorb. A memorable experience and a wish that came true for me!

We spent 2.5 hours exploring this unique museum in Boston. The audio guide was so helpful in bringing the collection to life. This museum is in a beautiful setting with the serene center garden and art treasures in all the rooms surrounding it. Make time for this when you visit Boston!

The museum is very large so give yourself plenty of time to walk through. The layout is easy to navigate. There aren’t a lot of descriptions for the art work or art pieces so it was hard to understand the significance. I suggest doing any type of tour for that reason. We went on a rainy Saturday and it wasn’t super busy so we didn’t feel too crowded. It’s an amazing building with a beautiful courtyard. Highly recommend!

Not the Uffizi in Florence but it's has a wonderful little sampling of greatness. Actually, not so little. A marvelous collection of the Masters from Raphael to Rembrandt. The furniture was so unique and the stained glass was magnificent. It has a perfect little gift shop with very helpful people. A definite must while on Boston.

Yes, it’s dark and often poorly lit, but there is so much to see! During our visit the 3rd floor was closed for renovations, but we still felt we got our money’s worth. She collected a LOT of stuff. Beautiful old furniture, stone carved artifacts, tapestries, paintings on canvas and several other media .... all surrounding a stunning atrium. We spent nearly 3 hours there (missing the third level) effortlessly. Biggest criticism is that there were no signs/plaques displayed to inform us of exactly what we were looking at. No dates. No names.

This house is so much better than a museum. No learning required: simply wander through and bask in the beauty of the unique spaces. Recognize art by the most famous artists, if you are so inclined, or simply enjoy the welter of art. The gardens and rooms make the experience even more magical. TImed entry and advance reservations recommended, we got in by the skin of our teeth on a rainy day! I loved every moment and if I lived in Boston I would go every week. The gift shop is okay.

I wish I listened to my gut after reading other negative reviews. Although I’m aware this museum is created from a personal collection, there is no other way to say it but the woman seemed to have been just a hoarder of art and furniture and decided to put it on display and call it a museum. There were some lovely pieces, however the majority was old worn tapestries and chairs that will never be sit on.

As others have said, pieces are not labeled nor identified without using the museum Website nor QR code to access descriptions. I understand technology has a large role in our lives but having to use my phone to try to learn about the pieces was just annoying. The museum was overly hot, and as others have posted, you’re not allowed to carry your coat/sweater if you get warm. It must be worn or wrapped around your waist- which truly makes zero sense. There is an option to coat check, but when it’s 30° outside and you walk in, you don’t immediately realize you’ll overheat once you’re into the museum. The “guards” will not hesitate a second to ask you to move your jacket nor shoulder bag as you may accident “bump” into something.

I do have positives to share- the garden was beautiful, the Raqib Shaw exhibit was fresh and interesting and children 17 and under were free.

What an awesome place. Plenty of great art pieces to view and the architecture of the building is amazing. I really enjoyed my time there. I think this should be the #1 attraction in Boston. A must see if you like Art and are visiting or live in Boston.

Make sure you watch "This is a Robbery" on Netflix before you go.

Of course they have a gift shop and in the gift shop one of the things they have is a computer kiosk where you can order an art reproduction framed or not. As a souvenir I ordered a small "Christ In The Storm On The Sea Of Galilee" with a gold frame to be delivered to my house. This was one of the stolen Rembrandts.

This museum was our main attraction for the day with our timed online tickets($36 for 2 seniors). This wealthy art collector built this 4 story Venetian Renaissance mansion/museum around a large flower and tree fern filled atrium open to all rooms. Her ~7,500 objects of art are displayed without signage, to avoid detracting from enjoying the art. Maybe she figured we could easily identify ones of our interest with Microsoft Bing or Google Lens while many visitors use the audio guide. We liked;
-1205 Soisson window.
-Botticelli’s 1470 "Virgin and Child with an Angel"
-DellaRobbia’s 1515 "Lamentation over the Dead Christ"
-Rembrandt 1629 "Self Portrait"
-1785 Italian Sedan chair
-Highly crafted chairs, coffered ceilings and a score of large tapestries.
This is an amazing museum collection for America.

This museum is absolutely gorgeous. The gardens are stunning and the artwork is broad in range. I loved it. The outdoor garden is lovely as well.

Wow! This place is amazing! The art isn't necessarily labeled so you may fall in love with an unknown art work or a masterpiece but all are worth seeing.

Very interesting museum and visitor's center. Worth the visit and outside café was very relaxing after walking through the three floors of the museum. Intro film.

This was just okay. It’s very dark. Much darker than any other museum I have been to. This made it very hard to see the items properly. By design, there is no information on any of the items. This is unfortunate as it takes away from being able to learn anything while you are there. Why can’t they give a better floor plan to compensate for this.

Rather unexpected in the heart of American city, the palace itself is very successful, with a beautiful interior garden. The DRC remains fairly airy. The property owner wanted visitors to be first immersed in the atmosphere and remember what marked them. Also no work has a sign with its name, Contributor or date. Not easy to navigate without an Audio Guide.
Upstairs, some of the large rooms are well done with high-quality furniture, but most of the rooms are overloaded with a somewhat confusing mix of styles and Contributor, the connection of which is understood only by its rich deceased Owner.
Some rooms of grand master accessible in complete privacy within 1 meter!

I went to see the Titian exhibition which reunited some very important works that had not been seen together in centuries. While the paintings are magnificent and the recent cleaning of the Museums own "Rape of Europa" makes the work so magnificent it's a good reason by itself to visit the exhibit, the room itself was too small and crowded, it felt claustrophobic. The timed entrance was completely mismanaged and the waiting on line turned out to be one and a half hours, which is unacceptable considering the hefty price on the ticket. The staff was more annoying than helpful.
The museum itself is a jewel, and houses an amazing collection but it looks neglected, with extremely poor lighting, and a lot of the works clearly need restoration. The collection of notes and correspondence shown on vitrines with photographs of famous artists that were collected by Isabella Gardner is showing extensive ink loss from too much exposure, I remember when years ago I saw the collection for the first time, there were cloths covering the vitrines, which have now been removed and need to be brought back urgently.
The new addition/alteration by Renzo Piano is unobtrusive and efficient, the restaurant however looks now more-like an airport lounge cafeteria, the museum deserves something more in the style of Mrs. Gardner or close to the restaurant at the Jacquemart Andre in Paris which houses a similar collection that she would have admired.

This is a beautiful art gallery in a replica of a kind of Venetian palazzo with a gorgeous garden. Some serious art too including currently a collection of 5 Titians not previously exhibited together. A gem and well worth a visit.

To see six master works by Titian that have not been seen together since the 16th century. And of course the rest of the Gardner is not too shabby either. Their cafe is great for a snack or a light meal as well.

Not to be missed but reservations for timed tickets a must.

Delightful hour exploring the phenomenal container garden and eccentric collection of this very unusual woman. Well worth while.

While somewhat quirky, it’s a wonderful experience overall. There is certainly lots of art but the central courtyard is worth it alone.

purchased tickets for this museum. got in at 10am, perfect time because not much people there. Lots of history, and I was impressed with this museum

Overall I loved the garden more than anything else. I honestly knew knowing about Isabella Stewart going in, but after walking and looking around the museum I enjoyed the art work, reading about her and a few other famous artist.

While it is a beautiful museum , two things stood out at the end of the day. The first is parking availability. The museum is located in a section of Boston over run with major hospitals and schools. There are parking options but none of them are within a 1/2 mile of the museum. Thats a consideration for elderly and physically limited visitors.The second negative feature is a lack of instructive information next to or below an exhibit. I would assume that the average visitor has no background or eduction in the Arts. A sign posted would explain the exhibits a little about the artist , what he intended and what went in to creating the painting, sculpture , tapestry , etc., etc..The museums in Italy and Buckingham Place have such signs and it helps the viewing experience

The only pretty thing there is the courtyard. NO. You are not allowed in it. But you can take pictures from the sides. This is a very ugly home of a wealthy 19th century hoarder. Every inch is covered with some ugly picture or doodad. Better to see the Harvard Art museum if you have a choice and not so much time.

I thought about the title Nightmare on Evans Street but that would be unfair as the primary problem was about 5 times as many people as the fire code should allow in the museum. They did close off certain rooms to additional people when it became clear not one more could be shoehorned in. As for the art it is a very mixed bag with a few excellent pieces mixed in with a lot of things likely be of interest to collection in that field, and maybe no one at all.
I did like a number of the Sargents but they were hard to find and getting info on their web site is confusing and loaded with junk. The building itself is interesting but very dark.

We had a lovely morning at the museum - we arrived around 10:30 and bought our tickets the night before so we were guaranteed timed entry. The museum took about an hour and a half, and became crowded quickly, so going early was good. We really enjoyed looking around, and tried to use the digital guides as well. Will definitely go back!

interesting history - some lovely places... location of greatest art heist! definitely worth a visit.

This is an absolutely beautiful and inspiring place to visit. I am giving it 3 stars because there are many areas for improvement ; and very easy to implement! (I will be emailing them too). They have someone in every room of the museum. I guess they are the mask police. But what a value-add it would be if those people actually knew what room they were in and could talk about the history of what we, as the visitors, were looking at. They knew nothing. They just stood there. What a waste! I bet their day would go by faster and make it more fun if they could explain the history , etc.
So, say that is not possible for whatever reason... where are all the little signs and descriptions of what we are viewing? I know that you can scan a barcode in every room and it tells you “some stuff” on your phone. (That was not well done either. Didn’t tell you about all the pieces in the room). But I don’t want to spend my time in such a beautiful place with my face glued to my phone screen. There is nothing to read about the rooms, the art, the sculptures. We didn’t know if we were looking at tombs or bathtubs. We didn’t know what era or area they came from. We learned absolutely nothing there, unfortunately. So many people working there that just stood there. The lack of information could easily be fixed. ... by people or signs that told you what you were viewing. There seemed to be an audio tour which would have been cool, but we didn’t bring ear buds.
I really thought I’d be learning a lot while touring this museum; but that was not the case.

Un
Really charming walk, we were one day just beginning spring and the gardens overflowed with plants, flowers and colors. It has some very interesting artwork in addition to the amount of furniture and objects to appreciate. Knowing part of the woman's life and seeing her portraits is a plus.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is an art museum, housed in an impressive replica Venetian Palazzo. Isabella Stewart Gardner & her husband enjoyed world travel and collecting art. The museum opened on 1903 & it allowed Isabella to share her passion of art with others. The extensive collection includes significant examples of European, Asian, and American art. Its collection includes paintings, sculpture, tapestries, and decorative arts. 

One of the most interesting side notes of the museum, is the March 1990 art heist. Thirteen works of art were stolen, valued at $140 million. The paintings included a Vermeer, several Rembrandt's, a Manat, and several Degas pieces. Five frames of the priceless art were left behind. The empty frames remain on the walls. The mystery has never been solved & the precious works of art have never been recovered...

The Isabella Stewart Gardener museum offers a whimsical look into the collections and life of its namesake. The imposing home/museum is chock full of art and antiques. Be sure to see the artrium and the works of the masters.

The museum was chalked full of amazing artifacts that surrounded a beautiful garden. We were disappointed that the website didn’t indicate that we then needed to sign up for the guided tour. We thought that if we had 11 o’clock tickets, we would be at the 1130 tour, but that was not the case. We had to skip the tour because we could not wait until 130; both the 1130 and 12 were full before we got that information.

Isabella Stewart Gardner's collection and museum is national treasure. This is a collection that she put together (with the help of Bernard Berenson) and built the museum to house. More recently it was added to with a design by Renzo Piano which adds a brilliantly bright space and doesn't harm the original but rather opens it up to a new generation of art lovers. The collection is massive and could never be amassed today. Leave yourself time to enjoy as much as possible -- although it would take weeks to reach the level of familiarity that one would want while visiting.

This place is a true hidden treasure set in a former private mansion. As the owner's wishes artworks are displayed without description so you need to download the floor guide on your phone.

This excursion was high on my list however my family was apprehensive. During our tour, my husband and young adult children were fascinated and intrigued and absorbed so much regarding this unique and fabulous collection. A week later we are still googling questions about Isabella, the heist, and the artists work within her collection. This was one of our highlight excursions when visiting Boston! I highly recommend you scan the QR codes in each room and listen to the narrator to get the full tour. The story behind each room is what makes you understand about her collection and gives detail to some of the pieces in each room.

This is a unique museum and well worth the visit. It is like wandering through someone’s home and viewing their artwork. The audio tour is a great way to start your visit to the museum but there is so much detail as Isabella Gardner collected so many types of artwork and displayed it in a way that you feel like you are touring Europe. We completed our visit in two hours and viewed all the rooms but you could definitely spend more time to do this stop justice.

We felt privileged to be able to experience the works that Isabella Stewart Gardner collected throughout her lifetime. We appreciate her generosity that she opened up her collections for learning, enjoyment and art appreciation for many, many generations to experience. She had enormous wealth, strength, independence and personality as a woman. I look forward to learning more about her as a person and the unsolved thief. This museum is a must see when in Boston.

I absolutely love this museum. However, the museum does not open until 11 am and tickets must be purchased on line. Although the tickets are timed, the museum was still rather crowded on the first floor when we were there. The museum had an online guide to the art since they do not label any of the art or artifacts. Although this may be the latest technology, it actually takes away from the experience, because one is constantly checking one's phone, getting used to both the layout of the museum and the online guide. I did not like that we had to take a picture in each room of the displayed code to get any information about the art online. Sometimes there was a line to get a picture of the code on the poster. I finally just quit using the online guide. Now for why I love the museum: the atrium area is lovely with plants and statues and the art is gorgeous. I highly recommend visiting this museum.

Isabella S.G. had a vision for the impressive art collection she had begun in her thirties. She wanted a large Ca' , a palazzo veneziano, to frame it. Her collection is not just impressive by itself , it is arranged in a style that was called 'curiosity cabinet" from Renaissance through Baroque into the Belle Epoque. Rooms are not arranged in the museum style, but for associations the original owner had with the artwork. The place is a time capsule of the pursuit of collecting art in the later half of the 19th century in the USA, by a largely self- taught woman of means.
Her vision lives on.
PS: and became more famous after a spectacular heist. I hope to see the stolen art recovered in my lifetime.

Wonderful museum of old, collected items in the most amazing building. Easy to overlook and not to be missed when visiting Boston

My family and I had an awful experience today at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The guards are rude and treat the guests horribly. I had been to the Gardner Museum many times a number of years ago and usually had pleasant experiences. Something has changed for the worse. A guard in the Dutch Room yelled at my child for having touched a steel object. Ok, they shouldn't have touched it but the guard was rude and could have said it in a nicer way. It scared my child. Another guard named Riccardo seemed to target people who were dressed more casually. For example, there were two women who had strollers. He only spoke to the woman who was dressed in sweats about the stroller and did not talk with the other woman who was dressed more formally. Also, a coat attendant at coat check told us to hang up our own coats while we saw him hang up the coats of other people. Huh?

I have been to many museums around the world and have never been treated so poorly by the guards or seen such appalling, discriminatory behavior. Isabella Stewart Gardner, who I believe wanted to create a welcoming museum for the public to enjoy her collections, would roll over in her grave. These guards either need to be fired or get some serious training about how to treat guests.

Magnificent small art museum with iconic pieces and history. The museum in Boston's Back Bay was the site of an art heist in March 1990. Several priceless works were stolen and the empty frames still hang in the museum. Museum is almost overwhelming but has a wide variety of tapestry, sculpturer, paintings, furniture, porcelain and a lovely outdoor courtyard. QR codes in each room give details about the art.

Rather disappointing visit .
Pros The setting of the house interior courtyard is pleasing with beautiful flowers.
Cons
The quality of the art works appears uneven and their displays are flawed by poor lighting, disorganized settings and the ridiculous lack of labels.
Using QRs instead is a total nonos.
Numerous group tours are an other annoyance with loud guides sometimes competing with each other in the same room.

An awesome local museum. The lady who owned this beautiful estate used her wealth to buy lavish artwork and decorate it with all of it. She was able to purchase things from all over the world and create a museum she lived in. You can walk through it and enjoy the art and take the beautiful garden that is centrally located, it makes you want to be able to just sit by any window and stay to enjoy it. It was definitely worth the visit and the visits are timed because of limited space. But sure to get a timed ticket before going, it makes it all easier.

Bought tickets for 1:30 entry. Arrived at 11:50AM anticipating relaxed lunch at Cafe G. Visited during time of record heat wave. Museum still following strict Covid protocols late June 2021. Told that we could not enter restaurant until 1PM and then we would have to wait in line. Had to wait outside on the street in oppressive heat(96°). Eventually decided to 'cut our losses' by calling an Uber an forfeiting our tickets. Survival was paramount. Very uncivilized experience. I would recommend not going to the museum during inclement, hot, difficult weather unless you time it proximate to your ticket time. Do Not Go expecting a relaxing lunch at Cafe G prior to your timed ticket.

We were recommended this museum by friends and it is a gem. Eclectic, full of wonderful art (delPiero, Rembrandt, Cellini, Giotto) and really personal. A gem

This is not our first time to the ISG museum, but I haven’t reviewed it previously. You must get your tickets before going in order to ensure entry (they sell out quite often). Once you’re inside, the best thing to do is just wander, allowing yourself the freedom to enjoy the random placement of works from the old world masters. Plan to spend about 2 hours here!

The Isabella Stewart Garder Museum is pretty fantastic if you like old art; They have many old masters including Rembrandt, Botticelli, and many others. They had more until 1990 when the famous art heist occurred, and 13 works were stolen. The museum layout is pretty interesting, with 3 floors surrounding an open courtyard, so you basically walk around the courtyard and up the stairs until you have seen the whole thing. The one thing I did not like about the museum is that there were no descriptions on any of the paintings or other artwork, that is, you had to scan a QR code on your phone and look at the description that way, and it was of the entire room of art, not easy to find on your phone.

The bad experience started with the uncoordinated admission process where staff gave conflicting instructions and had a different process. The staff could not adapt to the situation. There was a long line to get in, yet they insisted on gathering personal information (email addresses, etc.) to enter while people waited and waited. They seemed more concerned about their process (as uncoordinated and inefficient as it was) than the satisfaction of the customers. It took over 45 minutes just to get in because it – creating a sour note from the beginning. The museum itself had some nice pieces, but it desperately needs a good curator. Many rooms were dark and the paintings in need of restoration to lighten up. The rooms were filled with a mix of unrelated and unlabeled art so you never knew who the creator was (e.g., a religious painting, next to a watercolor of Venice. Asian art mixed with Renaissance art from Italy – all unlabeled). Would not recommend.

This is a lovely old mansion converted to a private museum with a special collection. I've been many times and my heart soared with each visit.

Remarkable place not only for the obvious works of art displayed but for the cabinets with royal and presidential letters and signatures, tapestries and garden brimming with plants and flowers. Garden closed to visitors but worth two hours, at least, to walk around and view Isabella’s eclectic collection.

I love it here! I would definitely read the history of the museum before you visit. Some reviewers comment on the design of the museum, but one of the most interesting facts about the museum is that the staff is not allowed to change any of the displays due to stipulations in Isabella Stewart Gardner's will. Also make sure to read about the heist! There are so many interesting facts about this museum and the works displayed here, it just takes a little research to find all the information!

Yes. I'm that person. I'm not one to head to a museum unless I'm on a trip. This place was amazing for the setting itself! The art on the walls, the architecture, the flowers, the decorations, the rooms, and the variety of art were all captivating. I loved the audio tour that I could QR code and listen to as I walked around each room and made me a mini expert. Bring headphones. I had watched the art heist documentary a year before and am now rewatching with a new perspective. I was only planning on 1 hour in the museum but enjoyed about 2 hours as I spent time listening to the tour and walking through each room.

Beautiful garden. Interesting things. It was very busy and we struggled to see things with ease. There is a cafe on the first floor that requires reservation. Had I know, I would have made the reservation when I arrived (45 min wait) and then go eat after the museum. In my opinion, 45 minutes are plenty to cover the three floors.

Excellent museum with a solid permanent collection, interesting special exhibits, and an amazing building with a most beautiful central courtyard garden.

Great place to spend a couple of hours and a rather nice small cafeteria to grab a bite as well.

Special events as well; just check their calendar.

Definitely worth a trip.

Delightful exploration of one collector’s passion for sharing art to her community. The narration had many perspectives on the works of art. The special exhibit on Titian was amazing and did a wonderful job of relating the paintings meaning for the original couple whose marriage they were created to celebrate: Philip II and Mary Tudor. Wow

A fabulous little escape in Boston. They are well set up to deal with Covid guidelines. Amazing history and a beautiful setting. You won’t be disappointed.

It depends on your interests, but three stars from me. The museum is well run and staff were helpful. As others mentioned, nothing is labeled so if there are no brochures available you are out of luck for deciphering the rhyme or reason for what is here.