Worth a Journey

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The World’s 100 Best Museums

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Boston, United States

  1. THE WORLD’S BEST MUSEUMS WORTH A JOURNEY · 2026 ✦ ✦ N° 92 2026
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Personal art collection of a Boston heiress, shown in the Venetian-style palace she built around a planted courtyard. The rooms stay as she arranged them, without labels; 13 works were stolen in 1990.

Highlights

  • Courtyard garden
  • Rooms arranged by Gardner
  • Seasonal courtyard flower displays

Good to know

  • Works are unlabelled; use the room guides
  • Bring headphones for the audio guide
  • Many rooms are dimly lit

Also in the United States

  1. Philadelphia Museum of Art N° 79 Philadelphia Museum of Art Philadelphia Art museum
  2. National Gallery of Art N° 80 National Gallery of Art Washington Art museum
  3. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art N° 81 Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Kansas City Art museum
  4. American Museum of Natural History N° 87 American Museum of Natural History New York Science museum
  5. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston N° 97 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Boston Art museum
  6. Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum N° 98 Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum Birmingham Technology museum