Reviews of Harvard Art Museums (Museum)

Zoe Little

Great collection, and not too big so that you can't see it all without rushing.

Aldo Rozzo

Great evening at the opening of the exhibition; the photography department has organize many fantastic seminar over the last few years.

Danillo Leite

Went to two Erasmus lectures in the auditorium -- a great place to look and listen but not so much for note-taking if you're so inclined. Seats are comfy and legroom ample -- they often screen films here. Parking is free in the Broadway Garage (off Felton St.) when the museum hosts special events!

Rory O'Connor

Terrific refurbished museum, a complete facadeicide, this noble museum was completely renovated in the last few years. Excellent job, visitor friendly, great displays with lots of explanatory notations

Kay Chevalier

This is a very doable museum if you have an afternoon to spend in Harvard Square. They have a very nice variety of eras and artists represented in the collections. The lobby seating is usually full of people studying instead of cafe patrons but that’s to be expected. The staff is friendly and polite. I’m grateful to have such a lovely art museum nearby!

Oleg Zaboronski

Full of impressionist gems

Joey Selinger

Great collection of art, can wander the halls and see some really fancy stuff

G. B.

Nice collection, even better that I had a Harvard student take me so we got in for free. Worth a visit, my favorite section was the East Asian art collection.

Hector Caceres

Excellent museum designed by Renzo Piano! Atrium is worth a visit!

Xqua Xqua

Probably one if not the best fine art museum of Boston. An not so well known museum but has an amazing curated collection and is very well pleasant to visit.

Elizabeth Lima-Torres

Beautiful museum with a ton of Picassos, Impressionist work, and non Western art work too. You can get in for free if you have a military id. Excellently curated, definitely worth a trip if you're in Cambridge. Their coffee shop has great coffee/snacks.

Andres de Loera-Brust

Pretty impressive collection in a very manageable exhibit.

Nathan Prichard

Awesome treasure in Cambridge. Easy to visit and see.

Carlos Castaneda

I gave it a 4 because I really like the architecture. The collection is a bit mixed and muddled for my tastes.

Nadine Barnett

The true definition of "hidden in plain sight", the Harvard Art Museum is a true wonder to behold, and a must visit should you find yourself in Harvard Square. This museum often gets overlooked due to the big names like the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts hogging the limelight

Alexa Cheerva

Great place to see some wonderful art by very well known artists outside of a major museum. One of my favorite places at Harvard!

Jason Gibson

The one cool/unique item in the whole collection - the pigment library - was inaccessible. Go on a free day if you can, otherwise don't feel bad if you miss it.

Ingrid Lu

Ot worth paying $15 per adult to see the art works. The Washington DC museum of art is so much better.

Hector Saint-Hilaire

Very nice museum. Liked the Bauhaus exhibition.

Burton Rothberg

The new building is absolutely stunning. The Museum itself is a major teaching Museum. It has works from virtually all civilizations throughout history. Some of the paintings are iconic and everyone will recognize them. Others I haven't seen before. This may be a teaching Museum, but it's actually quite large. Make sure you will allot 1 to 3 hours to see it.

Andrew Richardson

Unbelievable art collection in a beautiful building. Not to be missed.

Hassan Shapourian

You can see lots of interesting artifacts here From Egypt to China

Jeff Skrypek

Sick art museum. Lots of Van Goghs, Monets, Picasso, Pollock. Hot tips: make sure your flash isn't accidentally on, don't bring your coffee into the museum, those damn tags fall off in two seconds and they will think you didn't pay.

sam wilk

Beautiful building with excellent impressionist art exhibit

Nicole Wong

A nice Art Museum with a collection across Mediaeval, East Asian, Egyptian, Romanian art. A plus is that there is a coat room where you can store your belongings freely.

Walter White

A must visit if visiting Harvard. Very Interesting paintings, sculptures, coins, artifacts dating back upto 1000 BCE. Free for Facultly/Staff/Students.

Tom Hanlon

We love this collection and the terrific cafe. The museum is not too large to enjoy in a long visit. I like the scale of the place.

Chris G Mohen

Really enjoyed the museum especially Van Gogh works.

Andrew Longo

Wonderful place to see all kinds of art. Good cafe on the main floor. They are always having the most interesting special exhibits.

Karen Hyppolite

Rich, detailed history, great ambiance, healthy cafe and perfectly located! I would absolutely recommend going, but don't drive there.

Leony Brok

Fantastisch museum in a beautiful building. The collection has a bit of everything: from Early Modernism to Ancient China and from Impressionism to Medieval Art. It's large enough to keep you occupied for a while (I stayed 3 hours and saw everything), but not so large that it's overwhelming. Every artwork has a description. The museum cafe is small, but nice.

Jeremy Steddom

Great art, beautiful facility. However, walking around, it feels like a police state. Guards are repeatedly peering at my wife and I from around doorways and corners as we walk through individual exhibits. I’ve been to museums all around the world and never once had this feeling of not being welcome. I got the message Harvard. Won’t be back.

Eva SCHMACK

Picasso, monet, Manet,degas ... and many many more! amazing collection ! Not too overcrowded and a very well maintained building!

Lorena Gallardo Soto

Great collection and variety

Sreelakshmi Akuleti

It’s nice place with lot of history behind each piece of art

Danillo Leite 82

Excellent collection located at one of the world's foremost institutions. Comfortable place to work and study, unique selection of artifacts from throughout their archives - including a rare selection of pigments. A bit small in scope, however, relative to the university's collections.

Chris Yen

Lovely... excellent....!!!

Batoul Hassan

Nice place to spend an hour or so. They have limited lockers for coats and bags. They also give children sketch books and a pencil to make notes and drawings.

Nuria Abdul

Such a lovely place. I felt really peaceful just walking around.

Kizito Ikeri

Nice museum with lots of artwork and artifacts

Jake Leonard

After 10 years of planning and 6 years of construction, the Harvard Art Museum was finally reopened in the late fall of 2014. The two-storey exhibition hall, which cost $350 million, brings together all the treasures of the previous three museums. Designed by Renzo Piano, the new pavilion moves the original Art Research Center from the first floor to the top floor, and is equipped with new art restoration and maintenance equipment. The Art Research Center, which is open to visitors, is a major feature of the Harvard Art Museum. Visitors can enjoy some precious original works and have a close look at the experience.

Andrew Mackenzie

Visited Bauhaus exhibit. Would have liked to see even more, especially objects and Design side. But building is nice multiple interesting (smaller) exhibits.

Daniel Vela

This is a very nice museum. I would definitely recommend to come visit.

Basel Assaf

Very nice and relaxing place to visit. Diverse yet elegant... not to mention is affordable and won't break the budget.

David Griffiths

Fabulous museum. Great collection of American and European painting. Take a look in the room of buddhas. Quiet spot to watch the outside world go by. Wonderful central court in the Italian style. Look out for the Pre-Raphaelite paintings and see if you can spot the same female model appearing in several of them.

Ely Mercado

Not free you need admission ticket

Ben Willard

Absolutely fantastic. Staff were amazing and the space was great. Loved it.

Boon Chuan

The Harvard Art Museums is part of Harvard University and comprise three museums: the Fogg Museum, the Busch-Reisinger Museum, and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum. The art collections are particularly good for World History study. The collections cover a vast history of art, ranging from Ancient Greece and Rome, China, the Middle East, as well as great masterpieces from Europe and the Americas. This museum has a few masterpiece such as Woman in the night by famous Spanish painter Joan Miro.

Adeniyi Majekodunmi

Its is fascinating and gorgeous. It's a wow place.

RogerGio

Beautiful Museum.

Margaret Mock

I found treasures and appreciated the friendly staff.

Carmen Ma. Morelos Z C

Awesome collection and space

Wek Wekkerson

An enjoyable, relatively small but very compact museum. Not too many visitors, it helps to appreciate the exhibitions. Loved it!

Jerome Foster II

Love the diversity of the artwork!!

Travis Wolven

Wonderful place with great exhibits, helpful docents, and an inviting atmosphere. I always feel serene at the Fogg Art Museum. Also, the cafe has great stuff!

Kali den Heijer

There is an amazing collection of art here. I found each exhibit to be an excellent size and enjoyed the wide variety. Student-led tours are a good way to see, think, and learn about pieces you usually wouldn't spend time looking at or comparing.

L Phillips

The people who watch you are annoying.

Anthony H Yang

a place definitely worthy of stopping by

Celeste Finn

A wonderful sized art museum, with a wide and varies collection. The cafe is fantastic as well. $15 dollars if not a Cambridge resident or without a Harvard ID.

itsbettyann l

A beautiful museum worth visiting

Lara Wild

Great collection of art for different interests. I've lived in Boston for 10 years. Wish I had visited sooner!

Jarritt Sheel

Great facilities and nice selection of curated art from the Greeks, Middle Ages up to American colonial.

Kena Patel

Beautiful art from notable artists like Picasso and Van Gogh

Riria Revenna

I'm an art person, so I may be biased, but they have a wonderful selection from many different countries and time periods. Definitely a place to stop by when visiting Harvard.

Anthony M. Casapao

One of my favorite places to go. Yes they do take reservations to have a gathering here. I highly recommend to visit here. If you have received an invitation to go to this venue, definitely recommend to go here.

Taylan Şentürk

A nice collection and very relaxing environment. Guards are a bit aggressive but in totally understand. Cuase you are protecting Monet and Picasso.

C-tina Yee

Amazing!!! Very good collection of Chinese antique,. The best Jade collection outside of China . And very rare paintings from Dunhuang . Breathtaking. The museum is not to big compare to Washington national musemu or metropolitan museum of art new York but it has very high end piece . The Jun ware collection is also the best in quality and quantity outside of China. If you are in Boston and you are into arts , it is a place that must go .

George Rockel

A wonderful collection and a managble space. You can see the collection in a couple hoirs.

Mitchell

Cambridge residents get in for free. Just show ID! Lovely courtyard and pieces. On the smaller side but a had a nice layout and vibe.

Jay gttpboston@rocketmail.com

The art is a grand collection of old and new peices.

Kelsey Shroyer

Free for students (high school and Harvard students alike), tons of really interesting tours led by undergraduates that have done more research on the pieces on their tour than I could ever do, and really famous paintings mixed with super cool contemporary pieces where each gallery is it's own message. What more could you want??

Bader Almutairi

Not bad at all, nice collection for such a small museum.

David Skinner

My favorite museum in the greater Boston area. They know what they're doing, and it isn't about making more money. A beautiful space, amazing artwork, well placed and well-presented. Excellent lighting.

Don Pearson

Went to two Erasmus lectures in the auditorium -- a great place to look and listen but not so much for note-taking if you're so inclined. Seats are comfy and legroom ample -- they often screen films here. Parking is free in the Broadway Garage (off Felton St.) when the museum hosts special events!

Alex H

I would describe the permanent exhibits here as a “greatest hits album” of Western art. Beyond that, there are some wonderful specimens of ancient Egyptian, roman, and Chinese sculpture and pottery on display as well. For someone who is tenuously familiar with world art, I recommend starting here.

Gigi Harmon

This is a must see destination while in Boston/Cambridge. Every piece is an important work of art. Cezanne next to Renoir next to Degas next to Manet. It goes on and on. Three museums of different collections housed under one roof. All exquisite, enjoyable, educational and stunning. $15 per adult admission. The gallery attendants are kind and helpful. The cafe is a nice spot for a light lunch or to enjoy a beverage. There is a gift shop, too.

Corey Charvat

Great place to wall through if you are in the Harvard area. Beautiful building.

Simo Knight

OMG the best is all i can say ♡

Julie Adams - Lifestyle Living Real Estate

Wow! The Harvard Art Museum had so many interesting artifacts. Make sure you allow a 2 hour minimum to go through. We were there for about 3 hours. The Harvard University Campus is amazing also.

Nan Mqu

Impressive, loads of art to appreciate and green quirky coffee shop to grab a bite. Mosy memorable of my quick Boston visit.

Tufty Tufterson

Pretty nice collection in nice structure

massimo marchini

Very nice and well organized, if you go to visit Harvard you have to visit the museum

Dante Ruzinok

Great exhibit of work but the quality of the display was lacking.

Ivan Sipocz

Great building with fantastic art pieces!

Vladan Atanasijevic

Great experience, we love Picassos paintings from different stages of his work as well Henry Moors sculptures.

steve reynolds

Student tour was really fun

Papa Bose

You need one hour for each floor. It's a beautiful place to be.

Drew Roy

Blown away by this collection. What a gem.

TJ Rollick

Lots of beautiful fine ate pieces. Just make sure to read the parking signs because the police are really rude.

Neil Bautista

Such a wonderfull place to visit. It's well laid out, quiet and had a little bit of everything. Worth the visit and there's plenty of sites to see around Harvard Uni too. Had an easy relaxing day trip.

Suhas Srinivasan

The art collection is really good. Monet, Picasso, Pissarro, Van Gogh and Cezanne are some of the major featured artists. The collection is spread over 3 floors and there are lockers to check-in your things. There is also a cafe inside with some tables. The museum is free for students with an ID. There is also a very nice collection of Asian items dating back to 10th century or earlier.

T O

Beautiful, the surrounding area beautiful.

Marshal Laycock

Although I love the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, this is a very refreshing gem across the Charles River that keeps me coming back for the permanent collection, rotations in the Japanese section, and special exhibitions like the current Bauhaus one. It has a great cafe and beautiful indoor courtyard. Some of my favorite, amazing German Expressionist, delightful paintings are here by Franz Marc and Ludwig Ernst Kirchner. Other highlights include two stunning paintings by Gustave Moreau, one by John LaFarge, and my favorite self portrait of Van Gogh. The more I travel, the more I come back and appreciate this place.

Sriaravindan Sundararajan

Not so great to explore

Joseph Leydon

I was on the tour of the building it was very interesting about it details. Probably go back & to have more time to look at there art collection. Tickets for the art museum is $15 .

Yoland Bator

So much to see in spacious and light generous rooms

Steve S

concise, quality collections in a beautifully re-envisioned space.

Judy Clavin

So many museums in Boston, a brief stop on Harvard campus

herbert hepner

A fantastic museum. Well worth a visit as the range of exhibits is breathtaking. Especially the artworks.

Jacob-James Compton

Absolutely beautiful works inside housed by an astounding exterior. There's a coffee shop inside with kind baristas. Perfect morning sitting in the naturally lit atrium sipping coffee.

Brandon Pennington

Absolutely wonderful. Must see!

Benish Bahalim

Very diverse collection with many floors of exploring!

Sri Ram Kannan

Paintings at the first floor was boring but the ones in the second floor were eye catching.

Rebecca Thorndike-Breeze

Beautiful renovation, diverse and moving collection. Must-go

Dana Najera

Amazing you have a really cool experiencie if you Really like the art like me you should have to go hear

YOUNGGGEOL KIM

Very good gallery.

Mabel Wong

Free to students! A variety of artworks, AWESOME.

John Imbrie

Renzo Piano’s architecture makes this a world-class museum.

Howard Russell

Well set out comfortable venue with character.

Eric Rector

A great architectural space holding a great deal of amazing artwork. A true delight.

DEC

Simple small nice museum

Omer Chananel

Enjoyed my visit, very nice art all over

Elsa Quintini

Wonderful collection

Mark Mellinger

What an awesome museum. Now even bigger and better than ever. Worth a trip to Cambridge from anywhere.

Jeff Morse

Very very impressive gallery spaces. Especially after they rehabilitated it. The restoration of the paintings in particular was outstanding.

Stephen G

You will see bigger collections and more important collections, but you will never see such an eclectic assemblage of fine paintings and sculpture anywhere this side of Paris. This is well worth the effort to go to at least once a year.

Layla Asgar

It worth to visit. Can enjoy Van Gohg, Monet, Picasso, Munch, Klimt, Manet, Botticelli, Rembrandt

Margaret Powell

A must see while in Cambridge / Boston The art is breathtaking From Rembrandt to modern Perfect size for an afternoon visit Beautiful museum Don't miss this one

K X

Nice collections on the 1st and 2nd floors. Difficult to park. Staffs push you out at 4:50 pm.

Mybaby Bestbuy

Excellent place to go with kids , so many things from Ancient , helpful staff , delicious coffee shop, amazing gift shop , if you go around the street you can find a parking lot,reasonable admission fee, everyone should see

Rafael Flores

Great surprise! Small museum but with great pieces of art that can be visited in a nice and quiet atmosphere (uncommon on big museums noway!). Loved some of the remarkable US artists' works that you can find there. Pitty they charge you for visiting, and not on the cheap side.

Harvey Willson

Great museum, great collection.

Raman Solanki

The Old Master Paintings are breathtaking. They have a good diverse collection!

Carlaile Nogueira

Bring student card and enter for free! Really nice place.

Cat Kirchner

Collection of artwork and information that is fascinating to anyone interested in art and history. Staff was helpful. Lockers are available and free to leave your coat and bag to explore the galleries more comfortably. Facilities including bathrooms were extremely clean.

Francisco Trujillo

Great place to see if you're visiting Cambridge, there's also a Cafe inside!

Luis G-Mauriño D.

Genial.

Scott

Lovely space, clearly organized, fantastic collection, reasonably priced -- wish the $15 included free or discounted admission to the Natural History Museum also, though. Greatly appreciated the written descriptions of each piece...I found them much more interesting and helpful than those at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Bamidele Owoyele

A well organized museum with art works covering hundreds of years. Good worldwide representation of artworks from nearly all the geographical parts of the world. The artworks on display were of high quality. The ticket is affordable and spaces for relaxation are comfortable.

Annie Moore

Loved being up close and personal with Van Gogh...inspired me to start painting again.

ubergeek52289

So this museum is pretty huge, way bigger than I had expected because of the multiple levels. They have a wide variety of art do you should definitely be able to find something that you like. The weird thing about this place was that you could get coffee right by the entrance to one of the rooms, but still inside the building, and there are no signs saying that you should not take the drinks into the gallery. So my wife and I were yelled at after a few minutes of being in the gallery. In hindsight it should have been fairly obvious that it's not allowed, but I would definitely suggest signs, especially because of the close proximity of the coffee area to one of the rooms in the gallery.

Daniel Kitchener

Great collection. Very nice interior.

Humberto Baptista

Great museum with a small but solid collection ranging from historic to 20th century art.

Mary DC

Amazing art collection including impressionists to renaissance. A rich museum in masters (Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso, etc), including some interesting constructivist artists (Joaquin Torres Garcia). Plan to spend 3-4 hours to truly enjoy each floors. Café available on main floor as well as free lockers in lieu of coat check.

Tim Armstrong

Great collection of impressive works.

Drew Latimer

The collection is a lot larger than you'd think, and very diverse. There's everything here from Ancient Egypt to Medieval Japan to Modern Germany. It's also free for students.

Keizer Sauza

Good collection

Terri Rice

arrived an hour before closing. yes, you still have to pay full day price. seriously!?

L M

Well worth the trip. Take a moment to notice the architectural modernization inside. Gorgeous.

Fahad javed

It had great art pieces from all over the world

Rafael Marengoni

An amazing collection. Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and so much more. Truly impressive.

Laura Savino

Not quite sure what I expected coming to the art museum when touring Harvard but the caliber of the galleries was overwhelming. Van Gogh, Degas, Matisse Rodin, and plenty more. Highly recommend.

sunil bhamare

Very nice place

Sherry Yang

We had an extremely unpleasant experience at Harvard art museum today . My husband and I brought our 6 months old baby visited the musem. At the beginning they told us no bags allowed. I explained to them it is a baby diaper bag. They told me “ if you really have to bring it you can but it is agaginst our security policy”. Based on that we brought our bag. 15 mins later a security guy approached us and told us bagges are not allowed . I explained to him the other security officer said it was okay. Then he backed off. 20 mins later we were at a different floor, I noticed another security woman started to follow us every room we go.... for 15 mins. We did not understand why but thought maybe it is about the bag. Finally she approached us and told us very rudely “ you must have your bag in the front or carry on the side “ like it was our fault. They did not have the policy set clear in the first place and yelled at us after following us at the museum. This is extremely unpleasant . We have visited many museums and the diaper bag has never been an issue in all the other places. If any place would offer is to make the experience for parents with children easier not more difficult . We are very disappointed at this visit and Harvard art museum!

Brad Chaffee

Beautiful paintings. Famous painters; works you wouldn't believe belong to a college. Free for boston residents on Sunday before noon if you have a proof of residency.

Kenny N

The Bauhaus exhibition for the 100th anniversary of the school is amazing

Mike Manley

Great Museum

Jacob Chvatal

Excellent collection located at one of the world's foremost institutions. Comfortable place to work and study, unique selection of artifacts from throughout their archives - including a rare selection of pigments. A bit small in scope, however, relative to the university's collections.

Robert Wiggs

Top shelf museum with wide ranging collection under excellent curation. Cafe staff knew more about collection than information desk. Good coffee and pastries btw.

Alison Fisher

Clearly an assemblage of unrelated collections, there are wonderful highlights, and the variance creates some interesting juxtapositions. The space is standard 20th century bauhausian (windowless rectangular white rooms), except for a set of wonderful windowed pockets where the fade-proof statues are displayed. Highlights for me included some buddhist statuary and some islamic art. There's very little representation of African art. The temporary exhibit was about the art of the Weimar Republic, which had some charming pieces. Certainly worth a visit if you're in the area.

Melissa Mckay

Amazing!

Andrea Mason

Beautiful paintings and easy to navigate. The staff were friendly.

Thomas affeldt

Art was amazing! The workers and the security officers we completely unfriendly and not helpful at all. As soon as we entered the building one person in our group was asked to remove his small backpack and put it in a locker when another person with the exact same pack was in the same room as us, as if we were going to be rowdy and clumsy around the exhibits. They looked down upon us when we were trying to analyze certain pieces. One certain lady followed us around the entire floor and rolled her eyes at us at least three times for completely unknown reasons. We as a group feel completely discriminated as college students, like our love for art and discussion was not allowed on the premise.

Smokey Lagerfeld

Small but treasure-laden.

xo xo

They have soul-enriching gallery talks!

Sarah Lee

Such a peaceful and beautiful museum. Has a wide array of art on every floor and a really cool gift shop! Also, I don't recommend wearing heels since it's very quiet!

Miriam Weil

Lovely. Amazing collection.

Tiano Moon

Great collection with reasonable price! Taste of diverse art collections in no time!