Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Harvard Art Museums

Harvard Art Museums picture in Cambridge, MA

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Key Info

32 Quincy St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
Official Website

Details

Museums Type
2 hours to Half Day Time to Spend

4.1

Overall

Scorecard

Value

3.5
Facilities

4.0
Atmosphere

5.0

Read about how we rank Things to Do.

The Harvard Art Museums are the combination of the formerly separate Busch-Reisinger, Fogg and Arthur M. Sackler museums, making it quite an "eclectic" experience, according to past visitors who say it's definitely worth a visit.

The 204,000-square-foot museum – designed by award-winning architect Renzo Piano – is quite a stunner, with a pyramid-shaped roof and glass ceilings. It spans seven levels and houses 250,000 pieces of art. Works on display include American and European paintings, sculptures and decorative arts, pieces by German expressionists, materials related to the Bauhaus and postwar contemporary art from German-speaking Europe. Several visitors were happily surprised at the collection of impressionist painters, including works by Claude Monet and others.

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for major holidays. Admission costs $15 for adults and is free for kids younger than 18. The museum also offers a gift shop and cafe on-site (both accessible without paying museum admission). The facility is located a five-minute walk from the Harvard Square subway stop. Limited free parking is available on weekends. For more information, check out the property's website.

Hotels Nearby

Thing to Do
Hotel

Irving House At Harvard ...

0.2 Miles Away
3.0-star Hotel Class

Hotel Veritas ...

0.2 Miles Away
3.5-star Hotel Class

A Bed & Breakfast in Cambridge ...

0.2 Miles Away
3.0-star Hotel Class

See all hotels in Cambridge, MA »

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#2 Harvard University One of the world's most famous universities, Harvard has been educating students since the 17th century. It was named for John Harvard, a clergyman who died in 1638 and ... Read more » S. Greg Panosian / Getty Images

#3 Harvard Museum of Natural History The world-famous Blaschka Glass Flowers receive a lot of attention at this museum – and rightly so – but there are a lot of other must-see exhibits at the Harvard Museum of ... Read more » Courtesy Harvard Museum of Natural History

#4 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Founded in 1861, MIT's emphasis on science and technology is clearly seen in its amazing architecture and sculptures. Take a guided or self-guided tour around the campus to see ... Read more » Glowimages / Getty Images

#5 Harvard Art Museums The Harvard Art Museums are the combination of the formerly separate Busch-Reisinger, Fogg and Arthur M. Sackler museums, making it quite an "eclectic" experience, according to past visitors who say ... Read more » Courtesy Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau

#6 MIT Museum For anyone curious about what the creative minds at MIT are up to, the MIT Museum is a great place to explore. The museum displays objects from its own fascinating ... Read more » Samara Vise / Courtesy MIT Museum

#7 Mount Auburn Cemetery This beautiful and peaceful 175-acre cemetery was the country's first "garden cemetery" when it opened in 1831 and it's filled with artwork, sculptures and gorgeous landscaping. What's ... Read more » Anthony Tulliani / EyeEm / Getty Images

#8 Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters This house has witnessed a lot of history. Not only did it serve as General George Washington's headquarters during the Siege of Boston (considered the beginning stages of the ... Read more » Nick Normal / Flickr

#9 Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology This museum focuses on Native American and Central and South American cultures. Its collection includes more than 5,000 ancient Peruvian textiles and the largest surviving assemblage of artifacts acquired ... Read more » Courtesy Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology

#10 Harvard Semitic Museum Something of a hidden gem, the Harvard Semitic Museum, founded in 1889, boasts more than 40,000 Near Eastern artifacts, mostly from museum-sponsored excavations in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Syria and Tunisia ... Read more » Courtesy Harvard Semitic Museum