The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a Venetian-inspired palace filled with one of the most eclectic and extraordinary private art collections in the world. Opened in 1903, the museum was meticulously designed by Isabella Stewart Gardner, a trailblazing art collector who personally oversaw every architectural and artistic detail—from hand-selecting medieval columns and Renaissance windows to personally hacking at ceiling beams with an axe to achieve the perfect aged look.

Housing masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Titian, and more, the museum is as much a work of art as the treasures it holds. Its breathtaking courtyard, framed by Romanesque, Gothic, and Byzantine stonework, is a masterpiece of design, evoking a Venetian palazzo transported to Boston’s Fenway neighborhood.

The museum is also the site of one of the greatest unsolved art heists in history—in 1990, 13 priceless works were stolen, including Vermeer’s The Concert and Rembrandt’s Storm on the Sea of Galilee. The crime remains unsolved, and the empty frames still hang on the walls, awaiting the artworks’ return.

Today, the museum continues Gardner’s legacy of fostering creativity, hosting concerts, artist residencies, and contemporary exhibits. Whether you’re drawn by its art, architecture, or intrigue, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a Boston bucket-list essential.