The stone facade
Tall columns and a bronze rider.
ajay_suresh — CC BY 4.0 · Daquella manera — CC0 · Omar David Sandoval Sida — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kenneth C. Zirkel — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Merriweather — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is among the largest art museums in the world by gallery space, with more than 500,000 works, including over 8,000 paintings. Its collection spans many civilisations and periods, so it suits anyone wanting a broad museum rather than a single era. Founded in 1870 in Copley Square, it drew its first collection from the Boston Athenaeum's art gallery. It moved to its present Fenway site in 1909. Its art school passed to Tufts University in 2016. It received about 1.05 million visitors in 2025. A bronze rider on horseback greets you by the entrance, in front of a classical stone facade with tall columns. Inside, a wide glass courtyard lights the space and joins the wings, with galleries of European, American, Asian and ancient art. Temporary exhibitions change through the year, and the museum has a small quiet garden. It is 3.7 km in a straight line from central Boston and easy to reach by subway. The museum is large, so choose what interests you and allow at least two hours. Some older works include nudes, which is worth knowing if you have children with you. Guides mention reduced evenings on the third Thursday of each month, so check the museum's programme.
Tall columns and a bronze rider.
Joining the wings.
Among the museum's wings.
Huntington Avenue, Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts
By subway or taxi, 3.7 km from central Boston.
At least two hours, as the museum is large and calls for choices.