virtual tour mfa boston

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Boston, United States

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world with a collection that exemplifies the breadth, richness, and diversity of artistic expression, from prehistoric times to modern day.

World-renowned paintings by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Cassatt—as well as the finest group of Monets outside of Paris and one of the richest collections of prints and drawings in the world—share space with mummies, sculpture, ceramics, and gold from ancient Egypt, Greece, the Near East, and the Roman Empire, and masterpieces of African and Oceanic art from the 16th to the 20th centuries.

Paintings, sculpture, furniture, decorative arts, and fashion from North, Central, and South America are displayed in the context and era of their origin, including one of the finest collections of art from the United States.

Encompassing Japanese, Chinese, and Indian painting and sculpture; Japanese prints and metalwork; and Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese ceramics, the MFA’s collection of Asian art is unrivaled in size, scope, and distinction in the Western world.

In the MFA’s collection, contemporary art offers new perspectives, encouraging connections between the art of the past and the art of today. All media are represented: painting, sculpture, photography, works on paper, performance, installation, decorative arts, craft, design, and film and video.

The Collection

• Rembrandt 40
• Vincent van Gogh 6
• Claude Monet 6
• Paul Cézanne 6
• Francisco Goya 6
• Pierre-Auguste Renoir 6
• Wassily Kandinsky 5
• Gustav Klimt 5
• Paul Gauguin 4
• Alexander McQueen 3
• Frida Kahlo 2
• Peter Paul Rubens 2
• Albrecht Dürer 2
• Karl Lagerfeld 1
• Charlie Chaplin 1
• Rabindranath Tagore 1
• Vivienne Westwood 1
• Lewis Carroll 1
• Christian Dior 1
• Textile 811
• Photograph 339
• Drawing 309
• Aluminium 1
• Modern art 85
• Impressionism 41
• Renaissance 7
• Art Nouveau 7
• Romanticism 6
• Expressionism 6
• Symbolism 5
• Italian Renaissance 4
• Modernism 3
• Surrealism 2
• Arts and Crafts movement 2
• Aestheticism 2
• Contemporary art 1
• Classicism 1
• Neoclassicism 1
• Abstract expressionism 1
• United States 43
• United Kingdom 9
• Netherlands 4
• South Africa 1
• United States 11
• California 2

Online Exhibit

Radical Geometries

Bauhaus works on paper from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Read the story

21st Century Designer Fashion

Fashion Highlights from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

20th Century Designer Fashion

20th and 21st Century Fashion Accessories

Fashion Photography at the MFA

Photos from the Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Virtual visits

Virtual Tour

Stay in touch

Follow Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on Google Arts & Culture for updates to the collection, new stories and upcoming events.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston's website

What's on

Toshiko Takaezu: Shaping Abstraction

Sep 30, 2023 - Sep 29, 2024

Ancestors and Place: Indigenous North American Prints

Apr 27, 2024 - Oct 16, 2024

Community Arts Initiative: Our Family Portrait

May 18, 2024 - Oct 27, 2024

• Monday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Tuesday Closed
• Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Thursday 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
• Friday 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
• Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

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The Coolest Ways to Experience Boston Museums Virtually Right Now

Simple slideshows? No way. Check out these interactive, multi-sensory, and downright fun online resources.

Get a compelling long read and must-have lifestyle tips in your inbox every Sunday morning — great with coffee!

This untitled work by the artist Futura is part of the Museum of Fine Arts’ Writing the Future exhibit. Online resources about the graffiti and hip hop- show include a video conversation with Futura, a digital music playlist, and more. / Untitled, 1982 Futura (American, born in 1955) Spray paint and marker on paper *Private Collection *© Futura 2000 / Wave 5 Communications LLC / Courtesy, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Even as art galleries sit empty and museum doors stay shut, cultural institutions everywhere are still coming up with creative ways to connect with the public during the pandemic. Beyond virtual museum tours available for free via Google Arts & Culture , Boston’s best museums are rolling out plenty of innovative new ideas and activities this spring . From a digital music playlist that animates an urban art exhibit, to an interactive game that lets history buffs play sailor, check out these exciting ways to engage online with Boston’s museums right now.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation

We were looking forward to checking out the MFA’s game-changing graffiti art exhibit this spring, which explores the influential New York graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and his connection to the rise of hip-hop culture, with works from 12 of his contemporary artists. Fortunately, the online resources that support “Writing the Future” bring the vibe home. Start with the soundtrack, available to stream via Spotify: It’s a mix of jazz, punk, rap, funk, and more to inspire and set the scene, all assembled by exhibit co-curator and music expert Greg Tate . Then check out conversations with featured artist Futura and Grammy Award-winning musician Lupe Fiasco , moderated by exhibition curator Liz Munsell. And keep an eye out for bonus features on social media , including messages from contributing artists. Beyond the exhibit on New York’s post-graffiti era, the MFA’s robust online resources also include new Art for This Moment reflections from MFA staff, highlighting objects from across the museum’s collections; and a new virtual screening room with film releases every Friday.

New England Aquarium photo by Christine A. on Flickr / Creative Commons

New England Aquarium Giant Ocean Tank webcam

This iconic Boston institution was built around the 200,000-gallon saltwater tank that’s home to Myrtle the green sea turtle and 1,000 other animals. Check up on Myrtle and friends any time you want with a look at the 24-hour live webcam . Tune in at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. to see daily feeding and maintenance dives, or just leave the video going to add some serene science to your day. Plus: Overflowing online are educational resources for teachers and parents, virtual visit videos , and live presentations most mornings from marine experts like National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry.

Institute for Contemporary Art Sunday Brunch Jams

Make Sundays fun again with the ICA. The Seaport museum is on Instagram Live every Sunday brunch-time (11:30 a.m.) with local DJs, who are live-spinning funky sets to pair with special brunch recipes that you can make at home. First Fridays have also gone virtual: On May 1, tune in via YouTube Live for performances from local DJs and dancers, plus cocktail-making and choreography lessons. Other cool ways to explore the ICA from isolation: Catch up on Friday Art Note blog posts, close your eyes and listen to a mobile tour , and explore the online archive of past exhibitions .

The Gropius House photo courtesy of Historic New England

Historic New England: The Gropius House Walter Gropius home movies

Hidden among rolling hills and country roads in Lincoln is a seminal example of Bauhaus design, the Walter Gropius House . While the aesthetically pleasing marvel of form and function is currently closed for public tours, you can still get a look inside—and see what mid-century life was like for the modernist pioneer who built it. The house’s caretakers at Historic New England have uploaded three Gropius family home videos from the 1960s, filmed on an 8-millimeter home-movie camera during special days. (Hello, kitschy Christmas trees!) Has this virtual visit to the Gropius house piqued your interest in the Bauhaus movement? Thanks to the time Gropius spent at Harvard—his career there is the reason he built his iconic home—the Harvard Art Museums have one of the largest collections of artifacts relating to this influential school of art and design, with tons of resources available online.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s famous nasturtiums remain where they grew in Hingham this year, but visitors can get a virtual look. / Courtesy of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Nasturtium nursery tour

The iconic courtyard at Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Fenway mansion is typically draped in hanging nasturtiums each spring to celebrate her April 14 birthday. While that portal into the eccentric Boston luminary’s world is closed right now, museum staff opted to keep the flowers in the nursery —and give visitors a rare look at the Hingham greenhouse where all of the museum’s brilliant blooms are born. Check out this YouTube tour of the closed-to-the-public nursery with horticulture director Erika Rumbley, who describes how the iconic blooming ribbons are grown each year.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Teaching and Learning Tuesdays

Students are undoubtedly getting some life lessons in presidential behavior while they’re learning at home right now. But any educators, parents, caretakers, or history buffs who are looking for real leadership lessons should take advantage of the weekly resource guides from this Columbia Point institution. Released each week, “learning Tuesday” lesson plans —built for different age groups around themes like “the Power of Words” and “ Civil Rights & Civic Action ”—are loaded with primary sources, videos, activities, and other reading material to support educators right now.

Screenshot from the USS Constitution’s interactive game, A Sailor’s Life for Me

USS Constitution Museum Play A Sailor’s Life for Me

There’s a sea of information online from the crew of this Boston-built battleship. Along with tours of the Charlestown-docked vessel every morning live on Facebook , virtual visitors can dive into history , explore artifacts , and navigate educational activities . Wannabe pirates will particularly enjoy the interactive game A Sailor’s Life for Me , which gives players the chance to scrub the ship’s deck, eradicate rats in the cargo hold, and steer the vessel on the open seas.

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Virtual Tours Allow You to Visit Your Favorite Boston Area Museums

We know the importance of social distancing to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus/COVID-19, but we still want to connect and experience the art found in local cultural institutions. As you spend your days working from home and staying put, we’ve compiled a helpful list of all the museums, cultural centers, and libraries that are offering virtual tours, online exhibitions, and other resources to keep you entertained and culturally satisfied. 

Take a tour of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and learn about the famous art heist.

Art Museums & Galleries

Davis museum at wellesley college.

On the Davis Museum’s website, visitors can explore three exhibitions via the museum’s virtual platform. One virtual show looks at artists’ interpretations of Mary Magdalene’s identity, revealing their perspectives on women, devotion, and the divine, and their artistic choices have, in turn, influenced the lives of women. Additionally, the Davis Museum offers an exhibition of the work of artist Yu-Wen Wu , and a look Portraits of Women in its collection.

The Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African and African American Art at the Hutchins Center at Harvard University

 The Ethelbert Cooper Gallery features contemporary and historical exhibitions and installations of African and African American art. You can take a virtual tour of the gallery’s current exhibition Zanele Muhol: Somnyama Ngonyama/Hail, the Dark Lioness .

Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston

While the ICA remains closed to the general public, you can still explore contemporary art with videos and audio recordings, including exhibition previews, artist interviews, studio visits, and talks between artists and curators on the ICA website . Some of the ICA’s digital offerings include studio visits with artists like Tschabalala Self , Helga Roht Poznanski , and Lavaughan Jenkins , along with recordings of past talks and other exhibition materials. 

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

The Isabella Stewart Gardner is one of Boston’s most unique museums and is a must-see for any visitor to the City. However, even with its magnificent courtyard is closed, you can still explore its collections and current exhibitions. ISGM partnered with Google Arts & Culture to offer to online shows exploring the thirteen works of art stolen from the museum’s collection. You can also learn about the museum’s current exhibition Boston’s Apollo on its website, plus enjoy concerts, talks, and more on its YouTube page .

Harvard Art Museums

Harvard Art Museums offers a host of options on its website. You can dive into the museums’ extensive collection , tag along on a virtual tour , learn more about the revolutionary Bauhaus movement and school, and more.

Mills Gallery at the Boston Center for the Arts

You can take advantage of the pause in the BCA’s Mills Gallery programming to check out its current show FeministFuturist . This exhibition adds to the cultural conversation about the future from a feminist point of view, inserting female-centered narratives into future worlds. On the BCA’s website, you can find films featured in the show and see a feminist reading list.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world, and you can still enjoy its outstanding collection from your couch. Through its partnership with Google Arts & Culture , you can access eight different exhibitions ranging from Fashion Photography to Art By African American Artists . You’re also able to browse the MFA’s vast archive of images on its website , and don’t forget to check out its YouTube page for even more.

Peabody Essex Museum

The Peabody Essex Museum has one of the unique collections in Massachusetts, and it has pulled together all sorts of engaging digital content for you to explore while it’s closed. You can explore its collections , find art projects for kids , and learn about the stories behind exhibitions and artists. Don’t forget to check out their podcast too!

Rose Art Museum at Brandies University

The Rose Art Museum is offering a way to enjoy its collection remotely. You can view the Rose’s collection online, plus you can enjoy an artist talk by Dora García and watch Mary Reid Kelley with Patrick Kelley’s film The Syphilis of Sisyphus , which is in the Rose’s collection online.

Worcester Art Museum

You may not be able to walk through Worcester Art Museum’s galleries right now. However, you can still experience their transformative power of art by staying connected and engaged with the museum’s collection online. You can view past Master Series conversations about art in its collections or dive into its online collection database .

Boston Children’s Museum

Children’s museums & other institutions.

Take a virtual tour of the Boston Children’s Museum and check out their social media for other fun videos and activities.

The Ecotarium in Worcester is a “hands-on” place to learn about science and the natural world. However, you can still learn about its animals with free educational content on its website.

Discovery Museum

The Discovery Museum is ready to help keep your kids busy while they are at home with  Discovery At Home . This guide provides favorite at-home fun-and-learning activities.

Museum of Science, Boston

The Museum of Science may be closed, but science never stops! The Museum of Science has put together a suite of tools to keep your kids learning at home, including daily live streams , and STEM resources all on its website.

New England Aquarium

Go on a virtual visit to the Aquarium to learn about all of the aquatic life there. You can watch videos of shark feeding and octopi. New videos are added every week! 

Senate Camber, Mass State House, Boston

History and Cultural Museums

John f. kennedy library and museum.

Dedicated to the memory of our 35th president, the JFK Library and Museum provides insights into the life of John F. Kennedy. Through Google Arts & Culture, you can explore the institution’s exhibitions and or visit the JFK Library and Museum’s website to explore its online archive .

Commonwealth Museum

The Commonwealth Museum brings the story of Massachusetts to life with state of the art interactive exhibits. You can visit their website for online exhibitions on The Acadian Exile in Massachusetts , Black People in Massachusetts during the Civil War , Irish Immigration , and more.

Massachusetts Historical Society

The Massachusetts Historical Society is an invaluable resource for American history, life, and culture. You can view its wealth of archives online, including the papers of Thomas Jefferson or learn about John and Abigail Adams .

Massachusetts State House

The Massachusetts State House isn’t just the seat of political power in the Commonwealth; it also serves as a museum that reflects the history and development of Massachusetts from colonial times to today. This virtual tour describes nine historic spaces and highlights paintings, sculptures, artifacts, and decorative arts commemorating the people and events that helped to shape the Commonwealth and nation.

Museum of African American History, Boston & Nantucket

The Museum of African American History in Boston and Nantucket is the largest institution of its kind in New England. MAAHM is dedicated to sharing the rich legacy of African American accomplishments. Through Google Arts & Culture, you can learn about the abolitionist movement in Boston or take a virtual tour of the Black Heritage Trail .

USS Constitution Museum  

While the USS Constitution Museum is closed, it’s still working to bring the museum to you! Visit the historic ship’s website to learn about the history of “ Old Ironsides .” You can also explore the museum’s online collections , extraordinary voyages , and find activities for kids and families or take a virtual tour via Facebook!

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Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

• Virtual Tours
• About the Gallery
• Meet the Team
• New Acquisitions
• Art + Design
• The Final Installation
• In The Artist’s Studio
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Virtual Tour: The Museo Frida Khalo, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and The Uffizi Galleries

Recently we highlighted the  virtual tour  at one of our favorite museums, The Guggenheim in New York. We’re excited to finally get back to visiting museums in person, but when traveling’s not possible or you just need a lazy Sunday activity, virtual tours are an amazing option! We love all of the creative ways that galleries and institutions are offering interactive and immersive online experiences.

Here are three other museums that we’ve enjoyed “visiting.”

Museo Frida Kahlo

The Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico City allows visitors get a personal glimpse into the artist’s life. The museum is set in Kahlo’s home and filled with her paintings, renowned clothes, and photographs. Through Google Arts and Culture, visitors can virtually explore the garden, a source of calm and inspiration for Kahlo, as well as the kitchen, Kahlo’s studio. You can also check out Appearances Can Be Deceiving,  a temporary exhibition which showcased Kahlo’s fashion,

Click here to take a tour through this magnificent space! For extra fun, compare Kahlo’s studio to some of our artists’ studios  featured on our blog.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston offers an outstanding range of pieces to browse, from ancient Egyptian mummies and ceramics, Japanese paintings, and the works of Master artists such as Rembrandt, Renoir, and Van Gogh. You can tour their impressive museum on Google Arts and Culture. However, we also recommend checking out their website for several fun extras, including “MFA on Youtube” for in-depth videos of lectures and programs.  

Click here to tour the museum, or here to check out all the wonderful online programs the museum offers.

Uffizi Galleries

Housed in the Boboli Gardens at the Uffizi Galleries in Italy, this grotto provides a fresh perspective as you explore the various fountains and sculptures, as well as mosaics adorning the walls within this space. Whether you are here from a historical standpoint or to appreciate the subtle beauty, its hard to not fall in love with this blissful oasis. Step inside this beautiful garden, here !

Through the website’s Hypervisions section , you can access various parts of the museum or get an in-depth look at some of the collections, featuring notable artists such as Da Vinci and Botticelli.

Whether you’re stuck inside on a rainy day or just in need of some art and culture, we hope these links help fulfill your creative minds. And if that’s not enough, our Baltimore gallery has a virtual walk through too! View what is currently hanging , and as always, our team is always here to answer any questions. Happy exploring!

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Take a virtual tour of these Boston museums from home (plus hundreds of others worldwide)

Where: https://artsandculture.google.com/ Online event Surrounding areas Boston , MA

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Categories: Art, Virtual & Streaming

Event website: https://artsandculture.google.com/

Google Arts & Culture, the online platform dedicated to providing public access to the collections of some of the world’s most preeminent art museums, has partnered with over 500 global art institutions to open their virtual doors to the public.

Two Boston-area museums you can check out right now are...

• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

• Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Go to this link to take a tour of other magnificent museums around the world, like the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam or Tate Modern in London.

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Virtual MFA Tour

Had I known what these weeks would entail, I may have thought more seriously about filming my recent trip to the MFA. While I can't provide an interactive video of the MFA's collection, I can "walk" you through the path I took when I visited.

First, Romanticism and the Impressionists. These galleries lay directly on top of each other, near the Fenway entrance's main staircase.

The MFA's Impressionist collection is really quite impressive, with a whole room devoted to Monet.

Across the hallway, you'll find items from the Gothic, Byzantine, and Renaissance periods of Europe.

From here, you can walk past the main staircase and into a grand 'salon' style gallery that connects the Fenway and Huntington entrances.

Once on the Huntington side of the museum, you go further back in time and further afield from Europe. With the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian Collections all closed for Renovations, we opted for the Asian Art Wing.

A lucky surprise — the Asian Wing's conservation lab is visible to the public and a number of buddha statues were inside at various stages of restoration.

The Asian galleries lead you into the western section of the museum, filled with a rotating contemporary art exhibit.

Realizing we'd missed the American Art, we crossed the museum to see John Singleton Copley, Hudson River School landscapes, John Singer Sargent, and a particularly exciting new addition.

While not a part of the museum, we did make a stop at Tatte after — really the best way to end a museum day in Boston!

1 thought on “Virtual MFA Tour”

This museum looks so awesome. We will definitely put it on our list of places to visit–whenever we can go anywhere to visit Hugs

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Spring 2022 MFA Guide

Find the CC102 MFA guide here .

Spring 2021 MFA Guide

These virtual tours were created as a response to renovation and pandemic-related closures at the MFA. They are valuable resources if you wish to deepen your engagement with the MFA Collection further. To learn more about the creation and creators of these student-made “pathway” tours, click here to read a November 2020 article in BU Today .

CC101 Virtual MFA Tours

Pathway tours focusing on the themes of “Creation,” “Grief,” and “Worldliness” will be available in Fall 2022.

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John Wilson, Self Portrait (detail), 1943. Oil on canvas. Museum purchase with funds donated by Patti and Jonathan Kraft. © Estate of John Wilson.

John Wilson

“Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson” is the largest-ever exhibition of Wilson’s work, and features approximately 110 works by the artist in a wide range of media—prints, drawings, paintings, sculpture, and illustrated books. The exhibition explores the many ways Wilson called attention to racial, social, and economic injustices through his art.

John Wilson’s lifelong commitment to highlighting issues of Black dignity and racial justice still resonates powerfully today. Join Edward Saywell, chair, Prints and Drawings, and Patrick Murphy, Lia and William Poorvu Assistant Curator of Prints and Drawings, as they discuss some of Wilson’s most striking works in the first-ever retrospective dedicated to the artist.

Virtual event hosted on Zoom.

Closed captioning

Event Information

Livestreamed programs utilize Zoom, which can be downloaded at zoom.us/download .

Attendees will receive a Zoom link via e-mail after reserving tickets. Please note, this link will only be active on the day of the event.