Harvard Art Museums

17 Best Museums in Boston

"When you walk into the renowned Harvard Art Museums—which became admission free in June 2023—you’re technically stepping into three museums at once: The Fogg Museum showcases Western art from the Middle Ages to the present day; the Busch-Reisinger Museum focuses on all modes and periods of art from northern and central Europe, with an emphasis on German-speaking countries; and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum features a collection of Asian, Islamic, and later Indian art. Once housed separately, the museums now peacefully coexist in the Fogg Museum building, which made its expanded and modernized debut in 2014, redesigned by Renzo Piano. Behind the beautiful brick facade, dating to 1927, the museums enclose a historic courtyard, now topped by a Piano-conceived pyramidal glass ceiling. The Italian architect’s impressive work for the institution re-endows it with a sense of the breadth and depth of the university’s footprint in the art world." - Elizabeth Wellington, Andrew Sessa

50 Obscure and Amazing Places to Visit in 2017

"Begun in the early 20th century by Edward Waldo Forbes, director of the Fogg Art Museum from 1909 to 1944, the Forbes Pigment Collection is housed under the greater umbrella of the Harvard Art Museums — the United States’ oldest fine arts research, training, and conservation facility. Stored behind glass on the fourth floor of the Museums facility in a “staff only” area, the specimens belong to the Straus Center for Conservation and Preservation, which has amassed over 3,600 catalogued pigment samples, binding media, and historical scientific equipment in total. Scientists and art historians tap into the collection in order to verify the origins of questionable paintings up for auction, or work to identify the key compounds of ancient colors in order to better preserve cultural masterpieces for generations to come. Though growing all the time, today’s Forbes Pigment Collection comprises a technicolor array of 2,500 samples, arranged most pleasingly by color. Displayed in little jars of sorts, the pigments mimic artists’ color wheels in 3D, morphing from purple to red to yellow to blue and back to purple again along the cases’ shelves.  Picking highlights from the collection is a nigh impossible task, as generations of evolving taste and fashion appear side-by-side within the collection. A few perennially fascinating favorites include the vial of bona fide “royal purple,” whose insanely expensive and vibrant color comes from a sea snail. The difficulty of obtaining the snails prohibited anyone outside the Byzantine court from donning this finery (first for fiscal reasons, then later due to social stratification). Similarly prized for its rarity is the “ultra marine” used in medieval paintings, whose brilliant blue hues were wrought from a precise extraction process of Afghan lapis lazuli. Then there’s the doom contingent of pigments, which hold their own unique appeal. This includes the likes of “mummy brown,” popular in European painting in the 18th and 19th centuries, that was literally made of “ground-up ancient Egyptians and their pets.” If actual dead things don’t spark an appreciation for the ephemerality of beauty, perhaps an “emerald green” favored by household painters for centuries, and once employed by van Gogh is more appealing; though cheap to produce and purchase, its colorless fumes could prove deadly to those using it. Similarly, the highly toxic “realgar,” whose jar is scrawled with POISON, gets its bright yellowish-green hue from arsenic sulfide reminiscent of the roiling landscape at Ethiopia’s uninhabitable Dallol Valley. If it hasn’t become apparent already, the thousands of shades on display at the Forbes Pigment collection are a library of more than just color — though for their beauty alone, that would be enough. Rather, each item on display, carefully curated and preserved by a team of the world’s premier conservators, holds its own fascinating story without which the history of the world’s art would not exist. The Atlas Obscura Podcast is a short, daily celebration of all the world’s strange and wondrous places. Check out this episode about the Forbes Pigment Collection." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

"Three in One for Harvard Museums The new Renzo Piano designed Harvard Art Museums is so dynamic and state of the art it will take your breath away. Housing an extensive collection that combines the Fogg, the Bush-Reisinger and Arthur M. Sackler under one roof, it's a comprehensive collection with something for everyone. The pyramid glass roof allows a flood of natural light to stream through in the daytime and leaves a lasting impression. The restoration and conservation areas are glass enclosed as well, leaving the inner workings of the museum exposed for observation in an interesting way. With over 250,000 pieces, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Come with a game plan; stop and enjoy music in the central courtyard and snacks at the cafe and you will surely discover a space as interesting as the art found within."

Harvard Art Museums

"What’s this place all about?When you walk into the renowned Harvard Art Museums—which became admission free in June 2023—you’re technically stepping into three museums at once: The Fogg Museum showcases Western art from the Middle Ages to the present day; the Busch-Reisinger Museum focuses on on all modes and periods of art from northern and central Europe, with an emphasis on German-speaking countries; and the Arthur M. Sackler museum features a collection of Asian, Islamic, and later Indian art. Once housed separately, the museums now peacefully coexist in the Fogg Museum building, which made its expanded and modernized debut in 2014, redesigned by Renzo Piano. Behind the beautiful brick facade, dating to 1927, the museums cluster around a historic atrium, now topped with a Piano-conceived pyramidal glass ceiling. The Italian architect’s impressive work for the institution re-endows it with a sense of the breadth and depth of the university’s footprint in the art world. A museum's permanent collection is its defining feature: How was this one?The Fogg Museum building was the first structure in North America created specifically as a place to train art scholars, museum professionals, and conservators. This emphasis on education imbues the collection with a deeper intention: teach the community about art history. Galleries present frequently changing selections from the museums’ 250,000-piece collection, which spans from ancient Greek pottery to contemporary paintings, affording you a well-balanced survey of the world’s art. Insightful details in placards make this museum a dream for art lovers and novices alike. But exhibits keep us coming back. What can we expect?Temporary exhibitions in several third-floor galleries add a crisp edge to the experience. Dynamic and diverse, they often present new art historical research, and they rotate from contemporary installations to retrospectives and thematic features like an exhibition on women in Southeast Asian art. What did you make of the crowd?Harvard University attracts throngs of tourists who come to see the famous college and take photographs in its eponymous yard. Many of these same visitors make their way to the art museums alongside art appreciators and Bostonians who want to make the most of the proximity to Harvard’s campus. On the practical tip, how were the facilities?The Harvard Art Museums are accessible for visitors using wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Free wheelchairs are available for guests, as are assisted-listening devices and large-font programs. Any guided tours worth trying?Harvard students give free thematic tours on Saturdays and Sundays. Consider attending a gallery talk or seminar if the tour schedule doesn't jibe with your plans. Gift shop: What will we find?Serious art lovers should plan on leaving this museum with a stack of art books, many of which were written or edited by Harvard faculty. Is the café worth a stop, or should we just plan on going elsewhere?Jenny’s Café is lovely for taking a moment to digest the collection over a homemade snack. Drinking a cup of tea in the covered Calderwood Courtyard is hard to beat—even with Harvard Square’s coffee shops around the corner. Any advice for the time- or attention-challenged?If you can’t commit to a half-day, opt to dive into the period you’re drawn to rather taking than a quick glean of everything. There are noteworthy pieces from most time periods." - Elizabeth Wellington

20+ Free Things to Do and See in Boston in 2025

"Housing both modern and historical art exhibitions, these museums are free daily and provide a great no-cost cultural stop in Cambridge." - Matthew Kepnes