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Harvard Museum of Natural HistoryvsIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Both are rated highly by professional reviewers writing for major publications. On balance, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is preferred by most professionals compared to Harvard Museum of Natural History. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum comes in at #2 in Boston with praise from 13 publications like Concierge, Frommer's and Fodor's.
Harvard Museum of Natural History
Fodor's
Time Out
Frommer's
Not For Tourists
Travel + Leisure
Michelin Guide
Afar Magazine
New York Times
Where
Atlas Obscura Show All Reviews
26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
From $0/night
Fodor's "Many museums promise something for every member of the family; the vast Harvard Museum complex actually delivers." Full review
Time Out "This historic museum boasts a vast and slightly creepy collection of stuffed, bottled and dried creatures from around the globe." Full review
Frommer's "These fascinating museums house the university's collections of items and artifacts related to the natural world." Full review
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Best-known collection are the world-famous Glass Flowers
Not For Tourists "The public face of the botanical, zoological, and geological museums."
Travel + Leisure "This museum is the most visited attraction at Harvard, boasting rarities such as the world’s only mounted Kronosaurus—a 42-foot-long prehistoric marine reptile." Full review
Michelin Guide 2 Stars
"Grouped under one roof, these four museums hold 21 million specimens and artifacts that make up Harvard's outstanding research collections." Full review
Afar Magazine "Drawn from specimens of Harvard's 3 research museums, it covers the categories of animal, vegetable, mineral. My favorite has to be the glass flowers." Full review
New York Times "Like many great works of art, Harvard University's collection of glass flowers -- officially, the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants -- has about it an air of magnificent obsession." Full review
Where "This natural history museum offers a look at fascinating objects, including meteorites, 1,500 mammal and bird specimens, and the dazzling “Glass Flowers”." Full review
Atlas Obscura "Three prestigious academic collections come together to create a world-class natural history museum. " Full review
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Fodor's
Concierge
Lonely Planet Travel + Leisure Time Out
Condé Nast Traveler Not For Tourists Travel + Leisure Michelin Guide Where Show All Reviews
280 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115
From $0/night
Fodor's "Today, it's probably America's most idiosyncratic treasure house." Full review
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If you're looking for a light lunch after your tour, visit Cafe G near the gift shop.
Concierge "Isabella Stewart Gardner was an heiress and something of a black sheep of late-19th- and early-20th-century Boston society: She was a rabid Red Sox and horse-racing fan."
Lonely Planet Top Choice
"The Gardner is filled with almost 2000 priceless objects, primarily European, including outstanding tapestries and Italian Renaissance and 17th-century Dutch paintings." Full review
Travel + Leisure "This eclectic museum occupies a meticulous replica of a Venetian palazzo and showcases an unparalleled collection of old masters, Gothic tapestries, and Renaissance furniture." Full review
Time Out "The Gardner museum is a lavish reconstruction of a 15th-century Venetian palace, complete with a luxurious interior courtyard with a seasonally changing floral display." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler "Often over-shadowed by the Museum of Fine Arts next door, the museum is packed with more than 2,500 paintings, sculptures, tapestries. The Palm Courtyard is one of the prettiest places in town." Full review
Not For Tourists "Eccentric collection highlighting the Renaissance and the pleasures of having money. A gem."
Travel + Leisure "Beyond the charming garden courtyard visitors can wander through works from ancient Rome all the way up to the belle époque." Full review
Michelin Guide 3 Stars
"Isabella Stewart Gardner built Fenway Court, which resembles a 15C Venetian-style palace, to showcase her magnificent art collection in an intimate setting." Full review
Where "Isabella Stewart Gardner’s vast collection of more than 2,500 fine and decorative art objects, paintings, tapestries and furnishings and includes a venue for contemporary artists and concerts." Full review
