Harvard Art Museums Museum

Address: Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

Website: https://www.harvardartmuseums.org

Hours: Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mondays

Admission: $20 adult (standard admission)

The Harvard Art Museums are a consolidated museum complex in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that unites the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Arthur M. Sackler collections under one roof. The complex reopened in a purpose-designed building by architect Renzo Piano in 2014 after a major renovation and reorganization.

Galleries cover Western art, the art of German-speaking regions, and Asian and ancient collections, alongside rotating special exhibitions and a large teaching collection. The museums support academic study with object study rooms, conservation laboratories, and rotating displays drawn from a collection numbering in the hundreds of thousands of items.

The institutional history traces back to the founding of the Fogg Museum in the late 19th century; the three separate museums were brought together administratively in 1983 and physically unified in the 2014 building to streamline public access and research facilities. The complex regularly programs exhibitions, lectures, and educational activities for Harvard and the public.

Located on the north side of Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the museums are within walking distance of Harvard Square and are served by local transit.

• Museum complex history: The three museums were administratively merged in 1983 and reopened as a unified Renzo Piano-designed building in 2014, consolidating galleries and study facilities.
• Collection size: The combined collections number in the hundreds of thousands of objects, supporting teaching, research, and rotating public exhibitions.

What to See#

• Fogg Museum: Fogg Museum - home to Harvard’s Western fine art collection, with works ranging from the Renaissance through contemporary art and teaching collections.
• Busch-Reisinger Museum: Busch-Reisinger Museum - focuses on art from German-speaking regions, including German, Austrian, and Central European works.
• Arthur M. Sackler Museum: Arthur M. Sackler Museum - historically focused on Asian, Islamic, and ancient art and now organized within the combined Harvard Art Museums complex.

The Harvard Art Museums are in Harvard Square, Cambridge (32 Quincy Street). Take the MBTA Red Line to Harvard Square station; the museums are about a 3-5 minute walk from the station. From downtown Boston the museums are a short drive northwest (roughly 3 miles / about 5 km), though parking in Harvard Square is limited and transit is usually fastest.

• Reserve timed-entry tickets on the museum website before you go-timed entry is commonly used and avoids queuing during busy periods.
• Visit mid-week or late afternoon when Harvard student groups and class visits are least likely; also allow time to view the conservation labs and the visible study spaces inside the Renzo Piano-designed building, which many visitors overlook.