Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston (must see)

Isabella Stewart, a vivacious woman of high society, made her way to Boston in 1860 with the intention of marrying John Lowell Gardner, a prominent figure in the city. Known as "Mrs. Jack," she set out on a mission to defy the conventions of proper Bostonians. Mrs. Jack went on to construct a Venetian-style palace to house her impressive art collection, much of which she acquired during her travels around the world. In her will, she specified that the building must remain exactly as she left it, from the grand paintings and sculptures to the smallest trinket in a hallway cabinet, and so it has remained.

Gardner's palace boasts an array of masterpieces, including Titian's 'Europa', Giotto's 'Presentation of Christ in the Temple', and John Singer Sargent's 'El Jaleo'. The Venetian courtyard is adorned with eight charming balconies, while the themed rooms transport you to different worlds, from the Raphael Room to the Spanish Cloister, Gothic Room, Chinese Loggia, and the magnificent Tapestry Room, where Gardner once entertained luminaries like Henry James and Edith Wharton.

On a fateful day in March 1990, the Gardner Museum became the scene of a rather sensational art heist. Thieves, disguised as police officers, made off with 12 precious artworks, including Vermeer's 'The Concert'. To this day, none of the stolen art has been recovered. Mrs. Gardner's will prohibited replacing the stolen pieces with others, leaving empty spaces on the walls where the paintings once hung. This audacious heist is the subject of the 2021 Netflix documentary, 'This is a Robbery'.

The modern addition, designed by Renzo Piano, encompasses a music hall, exhibition spaces, and conservation labs. The museum store is the ideal place to find gifts and souvenirs, and there's a glass-enclosed cafe that offers delightful garden views.

Tip:
As a visitor, take some time savor the beauty of the central courtyard. Surrounded by graceful arcades and balconies, this Italian-style oasis features a garden bursting with lush greenery, statues, and an exquisite Roman mosaic floor. The flower displays change with the seasons, ensuring a colorful experience, while a glass roof bathes the space in natural light.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Boston. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on Map

Sight Name: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Sight Location: Boston, USA (See walking tours in Boston)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery

Walking Tours in Boston, Massachusetts

Create Your Own Walk in Boston

Create Your Own Walk in Boston

Creating your own self-guided walk in Boston is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Boston Introduction Walking Tour

Boston Introduction Walking Tour

The capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States and it had played a key role in the country's struggle for independence. Founded in 1630 by Puritan settlers from England, it witnessed many events of the American Revolution, including the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston.

...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
North End Walking Tour

North End Walking Tour

The North End was the city's first neighborhood, and one that has been key to its fortunes, having become a hub of commercial, social and intellectual activity by the 1750s. Later known as Boston's Little Italy, it has been home to Italian immigrants through much of the 20th century, and still retains a certain Mediterranean flavor in its many restaurants, cafés, and specialty shops. In...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles
Beacon Hill Historic Houses Tour

Beacon Hill Historic Houses Tour

Boston’s historic neighborhood of Beacon Hill is quite a charm! One can spend hours here, admiring the elegant uniformity and restraint of the architecture; at times, perhaps, imagining people from the past in their horse-drawn carriages. Federal-style and Victorian row houses, narrow streets lit by antique gas lanterns, brick sidewalks and lavender-hued windows adorn the area, which is...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Historical Cambridge MA Walking Tour

Historical Cambridge MA Walking Tour

Once a quiet New England farming village-turned capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, today's Cambridge, MA is a university town that dazzles visitors as the home of renowned Harvard University – alma mater of many intellectuals, literary geniuses, celebrities, and wealthy and powerful. Many of America’s elite have spent some time at Harvard, and their contributions to Cambridge have...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
Historical Churches Walking Tour

Historical Churches Walking Tour

Boston's great churches are among the most precious of the city's numerous architectural jewels. What makes them special are their unique styles, elegant facades and long history.

Starting with the Old North Church, which towers in the city’s North End, this journey surely feels like taking a step back in time. Legend was made there, in the very place that Paul Revere waited for...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
North End Food Tour

North End Food Tour

Boston’s North End is famous primarily for its Italian food. By far not as big as New York's Little Italy, this one-square-mile waterfront community is the oldest in the city, and is packed to the brim with a cornucopia of Italian eateries – restaurants, cafes, espresso bars, pizza and sandwich shops – lined next to each other within just a few short blocks to ensure visitors both a...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.8 Km or 0.5 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip


Boston's Marblehead Eateries

Boston's Marblehead Eateries

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