The Calderwood Courtyard was modeled after the 16th-century Piazza dell'Annunziata in Florence, Italy.
The museums house the world's most comprehensive collection of Bauhaus materials outside of Germany.
The collection includes a significant number of works by Pre-Raphaelite artists, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
The museums utilize a 'Lightbox' system, which allows researchers to view thousands of works in storage that are not on the gallery walls.
The building was designed to achieve LEED Gold certification for its sustainable design features.
The Busch-Reisinger Museum is the only museum in North America dedicated exclusively to the study of art from German-speaking countries.
The Harvard Art Museums were the first to provide public access to the 'Forbes Pigment Collection,' a massive archive of historic artist materials.
The museum serves as an academic hub where Harvard students often hold seminars directly within the gallery spaces.
The Harvard Art Museums comprise three institutions—the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Arthur M. Sackler museums—unified under one roof at 32 Quincy Street. The facility features a glass-roofed Calderwood Courtyard designed by Renzo Piano, which integrates the historic 1927 Fogg Museum building with modern architectural expansion. Its collections encompass approximately 250,000 objects ranging from ancient Mediterranean antiquities to contemporary international art. The museums are renowned for their significant holdings of Italian Renaissance paintings and 19th-century French works. An Art Study Center provides researchers and students with access to pieces not currently on public display. The facility functions as a teaching and research laboratory for Harvard University. Rotating special exhibitions are hosted regularly throughout the galleries. Visitors can observe ongoing conservation work through glass-walled studio windows. The museum is located in the heart of the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The elevated walkway in the Renzo Piano-designed Calderwood Courtyard looking down into the atrium.
Check the online calendar for curator-led gallery talks or public lectures before arriving.
Use the interactive touchscreens located throughout the galleries to access deeper historical context on the exhibits.
Visit the Art Study Center website in advance if you wish to request a specific item for closer, private study.
Attempting to see the entire collection in one visit; the volume of art is too dense for a rushed tour.
Closed on major holidays and periodically for university-wide events; check their website for intermittent closures.
No food or drink in the galleries; photography is permitted for personal use without flash or tripods.
