Designed in the style of a 15th-century Venetian palace, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum combines art, architecture, and the color and fragrance of an interior flowering courtyard to create a unique atmosphere and experience for those who visit.

Isabella Stewart Gardner first welcomed visitors to her museum on New Year's Day, 1903. On that evening guests listened to the music of Bach, Mozart, and Schumann, gazed in wonder at the courtyard full of flowers, and viewed one of the nation's finest collections of art. Today, visitors experience much the same thing. The Gardner Museum has remained essentially unchanged since its founder's death in 1924. Unchanged but certainly not stagnant. Three floors of galleries surround a garden courtyard blooming with life in all seasons.

This lively cultural center presents special exhibitions focusing on the permanent collection as well as on new work by contemporary artists; chamber music and jazz concerts by established and emerging artists; and lectures and symposia by today's preeminent thinkers in the arts and humanities.

The Museum is also a magical place for children to explore. A complimentary guide, designed especially for younger visitors, is available inside the Museum. Family Fun workshops for parents and children are offered several times a year and provide a unique opportunity to view the collection and learn about art.

The Gardner Café offers light luncheon fare including soups, salads, sandwiches, and pastas. On Saturdays and Sundays, a brunch menu is also offered. During the summer months, outdoor seating in the Museum's exterior gardens is available. The Museum Shop, located just next to café, is filled with a wonderful assortment of fine gifts including jewelry, ceramics, books and prints. The Shop is open during regular Museum hours.

The Gardner Museum's doors open onto the beautiful park landscape of the Fenway, providing a complementary setting for the museum visitor's experience. The Fenway Cultural District also offers visitors some of Boston's most esteemed cultural, educational, and recreational institutions including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Boston Symphony Hall; New England Conservatory of Music; and the Boston Red Sox within short walking distance of the Gardner.