Yale University Art Gallery

The Yale University Art Gallery is an art museum on Yale University’s campus in New Haven, Connecticut, founded in 1832 and open to the public with no admission charge. The museum’s holdings cover a broad chronological and geographic range, from ancient objects to modern and contemporary art.

Exhibition space includes the landmark Louis Kahn-designed building alongside later additions and galleries that present permanent collections and temporary exhibitions. Highlights range across European paintings, American decorative arts, African and Oceanic works, and modern and contemporary pieces.

The gallery has developed through nineteenth- and twentieth-century collecting and was a pioneer among American university museums in building encyclopedic collections for teaching and research. It functions both as a public museum and as a resource for Yale’s academic programs.

The gallery is located in downtown New Haven on Yale’s campus, accessible from central campus streets and adjacent to other university museums and academic buildings.

• Founding and admission: Founded in 1832, the gallery is one of the oldest university art museums in the United States and offers free public admission.

What to See #

• Louis Kahn building: The Louis Kahn-designed building on the museum campus is a landmark example of mid-20th-century museum architecture and remains a primary exhibition space.
• Collections: Collections span ancient to contemporary art and include African, Asian, European paintings, and American decorative arts, displayed across multiple galleries.