Mrs. Fiske Warren and Her Daughter Rachel by John Singer Sargent (1903) at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Over the years, Amy has developed and operated trips to a variety of destinations including this one, but not all trips are offered every year. If you are interested in joining a scheduled departure of this trip in the future, please send us an email and let us know. Click to send us an email or use the form at the bottom of this page.

We can organize and operate this trip as a private group departure with a minimum group size of 8 persons.
Start organizing your private Boston Art Adventure here.

Best time to travel: April – early June; late September – early October
Best gateway city: Boston, Massachusetts

Boston Slide Show

Experience four centuries of art, architecture and history in Boston. This trip is timed to experience the recent renovations and expansions at three major museums. Savor art masterpieces at the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Harvard Art Museums. Off the beaten path gems (the sculpture garden at the DeCordova Museum and the treasure box of Bauhaus design created by Walter Gropius for his own home) augment the experience. This trip culminates with a visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art, the newest museum in Boston, perched at the waterfront to welcome the art of the 21st century. Amy will add short introductory talks, special meals and local guides to craft a memorable Boston art experience for you!

DAY 1
Overnight in Boston
Dinner included
Begin with a private tour of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Explore the rooms of the 16th century Venetian-inspired villa with works by Giotto, Botticelli, Ucello, Rembrandt, Sargent and Manet. Delve into the impact the new Renzo Piano wing has had on the museum since its opening in 2012! After lunch, visit the Museum of Fine Arts where fifty-three new galleries opened in the Norman Foster-designed Art of the Americas wing in 2010. Revel in the splendor of the newly renovated galleries devoted to the Art of the Americas from the Pre-Columbian era through the third quarter of the twentieth century. Then tour more of the permanent collection of the MFA. The collection of English silver, European paintings, and Asian and Egyptian art is particularly impressive. Sample the rich diversity of the temporary exhibitions as well. Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening.

Marianna Pineda’s bronze sculpture, Eve Celebrant, at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. Photo by Amy Boyce Osaki.

DAY 2
Overnight in Boston
Breakfast & lunch included
Step into the past as you experience sites that are at the heart of U.S. history. Visit the sites protected as part of the Boston National Historical Park and connected by the Freedom Trail—Faneuil Hall, the Old State House, the Boston Massacre site, the Old South Meeting House, Paul Revere House, and the Old North Church. Guided walking tours will relay the history of the taxes and the oppressive policies of the British Parliament that triggered defiance in Boston. After the dumping of forty-six tons of tea into Boston Harbor, a series of events was set in motion that led to the American Revolution and our independence. For the rest of the day you’ll be free to explore, on your own, the many art galleries in Boston. Consider the galleries clustered on Newbury Street including the Barbara Krakow Gallery. Evening on your own.

The Walter Gropius House in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Photo by Amy Boyce Osaki.

DAY 3
Overnight in Boston
Breakfast & lunch included
Travel off the beaten path by private coach to the impressive sculpture gardens of the DeCordova Museum. Later, enjoy an exclusive private tour of the Walter Gropius house. Founder of the German design school known as the Bauhaus, Gropius designed this gem of domestic architecture in 1937 when he came to teach at Harvard. With all the family possessions still in place—including an important collection of furniture designed by Marcel Breuer—the house has an immediacy rarely found in house museums. Continue to the northeast coast and tour the extensive collections of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. Founded in 1799, this is the “oldest continuously operating museum in the United States.” Masterworks of 18th and 19th century American painting and decorative arts are exhibited with thousands of artifacts imported from China, Japan and Korea. Compare and contrast works made for local use with those intended for export, and marvel at an entire Qing dynasty (1644-1911) house from southeastern China, the only example of Chinese domestic architecture on display in the United States. After seeing the museum’s portrait of Nathaniel Hawthorne, walk to the 1750s house where Hawthorne was born and see the 1668 house that inspired the author’s book, The House of the Seven Gables.

The Institute of Contemporary Art on the Boston waterfront. Photo by Amy Boyce Osaki.

DAY 4
Overnight in Boston
Breakfast & dinner included
This morning visit the new Renzo Piano designed Harvard Art Museums. This new home of The Harvard Art Museums, which include the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Arthur M. Sackler Museums, opened in November 2014. Savor the collections on four floors and experience this “teaching museum that supports learning through art.” A special exhibition of Mark Rothko’s Harvard murals features 38 works from 1961–62 including the murals and many of the artist’s related studies on paper and canvas. You’ll also observe a sixth Rothko mural which is being displayed for the first time. This afternoon, travel to the Boston waterfront where the Institute of Contemporary Art shines as the newest icon of the city’s art world. Tour its current exhibitions and permanent collections and learn about its innovative educational programs. Tonight reflect on your art experiences in Boston over a farewell dinner.

DAY 5
Departure day

Resources for Further Learning

• Check out the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum online!
• Visit the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston website.
• The deCordova Sculture Park & Museum is located on the former estate of Julian de Cordova (son of a 19th century Jamaican merchant) who became a successful tea broker, merchant, and investor.
• The Walter Gropius House was the family residence of architect Walter Gropius and is now a National Historic Landmark.
• The collections at the Peabody Essex Museum exceed 2.4 million works of art and culture in twenty-four buildings.
• The Harvard Art Museums are part of the Harvard University and are comprised of the Fogg Museum (established 1895), the Busch-Reisinger Museum (established 1903), and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum (established 1985) along with four research centers specializing in different aspects of art.
• Set off on a virtual visit to Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art.

Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone’s installation, Clockwork for Oracles, at the Boston ICA. Photo by Amy Boyce Osaki.

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