ADULT & PRIVATE GROUP TOURS

All groups of more than eight visitors, guided and self-guided, must reserve their visit at least three weeks in advance. For questions, email tours@isgm.org or call 617 278 5147, Monday through Friday, 9 am–5 pm. Tour options and pricing are subject to change.

The Gardner Museum welcomes adult groups of all kinds. One-hour tours are designed to engage visitors through conversation and close looking, while exploring the Museum’s past and present. Rather than rushing through many objects, we will select a few works of art to engage with deeply during your visit. Museum Teachers will provide a general introduction to the Museum and its founder, as well as facilitating inquiry into three to four artworks or galleries. We are happy to tailor any tour to your group’s particular interest. A Museum Teacher will contact you prior to your arrival to discuss the details of your visit.

Group size: 2-45 people.

Pricing: $25 per adult, $23 per senior, $6 per child under 18 years old, or $10 per member. Includes Museum admission.

Tour Times: Tours are available Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 11:30 am, 12:45 pm, 2:15 pm, 3:30 pm, and select Thursday evenings upon request. Lunch reservations at Café G may be available for groups of 35 or fewer. Café G only accepts group reservations in the mornings; please request a 12:45 pm tour and note your interest in lunch on the tour reservation request form.

REQUEST A GUIDED TOUR

To request a virtual guided experience, please contact tours@isgm.org.

The Gardner Museum offers a range of tour themes:

INTRODUCTION TO THE GARDNER MUSEUM

Explore masterpieces of the Gardner Museum, learn about the history of the Museum’s founder and find out why this is one of the great private art collections in America.

RENAISSANCE AT THE GARDNER

Investigate the Renaissance within the context of European art and explore the influence of antiquity and medieval art. Through highlights from the Museum’s collection, students will explore the significant cultural, artistic, and scientific achievements of the Renaissance and reflect on how Isabella Stewart Gardner was inspired by this period in her installations.

QUESTIONING POWER

Isabella Gardner filled her Museum with portraits of princes and queens, and was herself a dynamic leader. Learn more about the Museum’s founder through the personalities she collected, and investigate how power has been represented in the art of different time periods and cultures.

ARCHITECTURE: BUILDING ON A LEGACY

Celebrate the architectural innovations of the Gardner Museum’s New Wing, designed by the acclaimed Renzo Piano Building Workshop. This tour will focus on the architecture and sustainable features of the New Wing and how it relates to the design choices that Isabella Stewart Gardner made when creating the original Venetian-style building. With stops in both the New Wing and the historic Palace, visitors will consider the ways in which space and materials shape our experiences with art.

PRESENCE OF PLANTS, JUNE 22 - SEPTEMBER 17

Eight international contemporary artists who create with living plant material will be featured in this exhibition. Consider the life cycle of plants and the relationship between humans and our environment, and challenge assumptions about both art and nature. Note that one of the artworks in this exhibition will include live musical performances from 1 - 3 pm daily. All tours also include stops in Isabella Stewart Gardner’s historic collection.

REQUEST A GUIDED TOUR

SELF-GUIDED GROUP VISITS

Groups of under 30 people may choose to visit the galleries on their own. All groups of more than eight people must register at least three weeks in advance by contacting tours@isgm.org, even if self-guided. Unregistered groups may be denied entry to the Museum.

Due to the small size of the Museum's galleries, self-guided groups must be divided into groups of five or fewer to explore the Museum. Outside tour leaders and guides are not allowed to teach groups in the galleries.

Group size: 2-30 people.

Pricing: $20 per adult or $18 per senior.

Tour Times: Self-guided group visits may be scheduled on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. We offer self-guided groups entry time at: 11:30 am, 12:45 pm, 2:15 pm, 3:30 pm, and select Thursday evenings upon request.

Schedule a self-guided group visit by emailing tours@isgm.org.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum offers limited scholarship funding each year for groups that demonstrate financial need. If you are interested in applying for scholarship assistance, please review the guidelines below and apply at https://forms.gle/wfDVCQpkL9zs3o2B9.

How do I know if I qualify?

Funding is based on need. If you are a school applying for funding for your school, your student eligibility for the free and reduced school lunch program should be at least 25%. Title 1 schools will be prioritized for funding. If you are a nonprofit organization, such as a family, neighborhood, for faith-based group, shelter, ESOL or ABE program, 25% of the population you serve should be classified as economically disadvantaged (eligible for Earned Income Tax Credit) and you should have official 501(c)(3) status.

Groups that receive funding must complete a post-visit survey. They may be asked to complete a letter of thanks to our sponsors.

What does the funding cover?

Funding for onsite Museum visits will cover the per-person admission cost of attending the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for a guided tour. Funding is not available for buses, student lunches, or self-guided visits.

Funding for virtual museum visits will cover the setup and facilitation of a remote guided experience at the Gardner Museum.

In order to extend funds to as many groups as we can, we may offer partial funding based on your group’s needs and our program costs. Groups that receive full funding will have the entire visit cost covered, while those that receive partial funding will be asked to pay $35.00 for each Museum Teacher guiding their onsite or virtual tour.

We receive many requests from groups and try to match every request with appropriate funding whenever possible, but group scholarship funds are limited. Funding is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. Submission of an application does not guarantee funding.

How do I know if I received funding?

When we have received your application and visit request, we will check them against our tour calendar and current funding opportunities, and email you to confirm visit dates and funding amounts.

All visitors are admitted through the museum entrance at 25 Evans Way. Please arrive no earlier than 15 minutes ahead of your tour time. We request that all participants arrive together, prior to the tour time. When the entire group has arrived you will be greeted by a Museum staff member, who will provide a brief orientation.

If possible, leave bulky items at home or on the bus so you can comfortably enjoy your visit. All backpacks, packages, large purses, umbrellas, and coats, must be left at our complimentary coat check. Please use pencils only to write or sketch in the galleries. If you haven't already, please let us know if you have any special requests or require any support or accommodations to make the most of your visit.

Please call the Tour Coordinator at 617 278 5147 on weekdays, or the Box Office at 617 278 5156 on weekends, if you are behind schedule. Late arrivals may receive a shortened tour; groups that are more than 30 minutes late may not receive a tour.

A limited number of free and metered spots are available near the Gardner Museum. We also offer discounted parking at the next-door Simmons School of Management Garage and are walking distance from the lots at the Museum of Fine Arts. Directions & Parking

Please note the Simmons Garage does not have bus parking. Buses may drop off and pick up passengers in front of the Evans Way entrance. The City of Boston has designated the north side of Huntington Avenue between Belvedere Street and Massachusetts Avenue for bus parking. See map at Guidelines for tour buses in Boston.