Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the lifespan of this topic include
Tara Donovan
(Oct 10, 2008-Jan 4, 2009) and
Damián Ortega
(May 22-Sept 7, 2009). The cafe overlooks the water and offers out-
door seating in fine weather, and the gift shop is spectacular.
100 Northern Ave.
&
617/478-3100.
www.icaboston.org. Admission adults $12, seniors and students $10, free for
children under 18 and those visiting only the cafe. Free to all Thurs after 5pm and to families (up to 2 adults with chil-
dren under 13) last Sat of each month. Sat-Sun, Tues-Wed, and some Mon holidays 10am-5pm; Thurs-Fri
10am-9pm. T: Red Line to South Station, then Waterfront Silver Line bus to World Trade Center.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924)
was an incorrigible individualist long before strong-willed behavior was acceptable for
women in polite Boston society, and her legacy is a treasure for art lovers. “Mrs. Jack”
designed her exquisite home in the style of a 15th-century Venetian palace and filled
it with European, American, and Asian paintings and sculptures, much of it chosen
with the help of her friend and protégé Bernard Berenson. You'll see works by Titian,
Botticelli, Raphael, Rembrandt, Matisse, and Mrs. Gardner's friends James McNeill
Whistler and John Singer Sargent. Titian's magnificent
Europa,
which many scholars
consider his finest work, is one of the most important Renaissance paintings in the
United States. I took a casual poll of local travel experts while writing the 2005 edi-
tion of this topic, and the Gardner was the most popular museum.
The building, which opened to the public after Mrs. Gardner's death, holds a glo-
rious hodgepodge of furniture and architectural details imported from European
churches and palaces. The
pièce de résistance
is the magnificent skylit courtyard, filled
year-round with fresh flowers from the museum greenhouse. Although the terms of
Mrs. Gardner's will forbid changing the arrangement of the museum's content, there
has been some evolution: A special exhibition gallery features two or three changing
shows a year, often by contemporary artists in residence.
See p. 226 for a description of the
concert series
(
&
617/278-5102
[info line]
or 617/278-5156 [box office]). The cafe serves lunch and desserts, and there's an
excellent gift shop.
280 The Fenway.
&
617/566-1401.
www.gardnermuseum.org. Admission adults $12, $10 seniors, $5 college stu-
dents with ID, free for children under 18 and adults named Isabella with ID. Tues-Sun (and some Mon holidays)
11am-5pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Dec 25, and Dec 31. T: Green Line E to Museum.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
The Kennedy era
springs to life at this dramatic library, museum, and educational research complex
overlooking Dorchester Bay. It captures the 35th president's accomplishments and
legacy in video and sound recordings
and fascinating displays of memorabilia
and photos. Far from being a static
experience, it changes regularly, with
temporary shows and reinterpreted dis-
plays that highlight and complement
the permanent installations.
Your visit begins with a 17-minute film narrated by John F. Kennedy—a detail that
seems eerie for a moment, then perfectly natural. Through skillfully edited audio clips,
he discusses his childhood, education, war experience, and early political career. Then
you enter the museum to spend as much time as you like on each exhibit. Starting
with the 1960 presidential campaign, the displays immerse you in the era. The gal-
leries hold campaign souvenirs, film of Kennedy debating Richard Nixon and deliver-
ing his inaugural address, a replica of the Oval Office, gifts from foreign dignitaries,
Kids
More JFK
For details about visiting President
Kennedy's birthplace in suburban
Brookline, see p. 161.
