Frequently Asked Questions

Visiting the Harvard Art Museums

What can I expect with regard to COVID safety and planning when visiting the Harvard Art Museums?

Please see our Know Before You Go page for COVID-related requirements and guidelines for your visit.

What are the public hours for the Harvard Art Museums?

Public hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10am–5pm. See the Hours & Closings page for an updated list of holidays and other closures.

What are the admission rates at the Harvard Art Museums?

Admission is free to all visitors.

Can I bring a large group to the Harvard Art Museums?

Please visit the Group Visits page to learn more about registering your group visit in advance, admission rates, and other important information.

What are the public hours and admission rates for Adolphus Busch Hall at 29 Kirkland Street?

Adolphus Busch Hall is open to the public on Saturdays, 10am–2pm. Admission is free, and tickets are not required. Please see the Adolphus Busch Hall page for more information.

Can I rent Harvard Art Museums spaces for my wedding or other event?

Please visit our Special Events page for more information about planning a private event at the Harvard Art Museums or nearby Adolphus Busch Hall.

How can I plan a visit to the Art Study Center?

Please visit the Art Study Center information page to learn more about booking an appointment.

What is on display in the Harvard Art Museums?

Our Collections Galleries and other public spaces feature works of art in a variety of media from our collection of a quarter million works. Objects on display span from ancient times to the present and from the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean, and Asia. Many of the artworks, especially works on paper, change throughout the year, so there is always something new to see. Discover paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, and Rembrandt; contemporary works by living artists such as Rebecca Horn, Ai Weiwei, Leonardo Drew, Kerry James Marshall, and Carlos Amorales; and a variety of remarkable objects from ancient cultures in Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, including Chinese bronzes and jades; Japanese paintings; ceramics and paintings from Islamic cultures, and Egyptian, Greek, and Roman sculpture and coins. Our Special Exhibitions Gallery presents important new research on artists and artistic practice, and our University Galleries are programmed in consultation with Harvard faculty to support coursework. Visit the Exhibitions page and our interactive floor plan to preview some of the works on view in our galleries.

Can I get a tour of the Forbes Pigment Collection?

The pigment collection is displayed in cases on Level 4 of the museums. Though the collection is not directly accessible to visitors, tours may be booked by request for special research and/or educational purposes. To inquire, please contact alison_cariens@harvard.edu. You can also explore A History of Color: An Audio Tour of the Forbes Pigment Collection, a digital resource that provides a guided tour of a selection of pigments, dyes, and raw materials from the collection.

How can I stay up to date with the Harvard Art Museums?

There are many ways to stay connected to the Harvard Art Museums: sign up for our email newsletter to find out about news, upcoming programs, and exhibitions; visit Index magazine, which features weekly stories that take a deeper look into our collections, the work of our staff, and more; and follow us on social media for frequent updates on happenings at the museums. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Appraisals/Evaluations of Art

Can someone on staff tell me the value of a work of art that I own?

The Harvard Art Museums do not offer appraisal services or assess the value of works of art.

How can I determine the value of my work of art?

The Smithsonian American Art Museum provides helpful information about appraising your object. Alternatively, you can also contact a local auction house, art dealer, or art gallery.

Conservation of Works of Art

Where can I find a conservation specialist or have my art object repaired?

The American Institute for Conservation maintains a web page outlining how to choose a conservator.

Does the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies accept outside work?

The Straus Center rarely accepts outside client treatments and technical examination projects, although those with significant research and teaching potential may be considered. For more information, contact the center at 617-495-2392.

Donations

How do I make a financial contribution?

You can support the Harvard Art Museums through membership in the Friends Circle, by joining the Fellows community, or by making a gift to our Annual Appeal. You might also consider visiting the museum shop or buying one of our publications online—proceeds from merchandise sold benefit the museums, helping support programs and operations.

How do I make a donation of artwork?

The Harvard Art Museums welcome works that advance the teaching mission of our institution. If you would like to discuss a gift of a work of art, please contact the Registrar for Collections at am_collectionsmanagement@harvard.edu.

Images of Art

Are images of objects in the Harvard Art Museums collections available on your website?

Yes, the majority of the objects in our collections are viewable through the Browse Our Collections tool. Our objects have online records that are searchable in many ways. Most records have images (many enlargeable) as well as a section containing each object’s basic information such as artist, title, date, and culture. An object’s description, bibliography, provenance, and exhibition history are also provided when available. By registering with the site, you can save images to a personal “collection” and also share them on social media.

Is it okay to use images from the Harvard Art Museums website?

The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. Please note that some of the content on the site is protected by third-party rights. For example, large images of some objects are unavailable because of copyright restrictions.

How do I order images of objects in the Harvard Art Museums collections?

For information regarding images for study or publication, please visit our Image Resources page or contact our Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources at am_divr@harvard.edu.

Is it true that Harvard University students can rent works of art for their dorm rooms?

Current Harvard students are able to rent prints as part of the museums’ Student Print Rental Program. For questions about the program, please email am_campusloans@harvard.edu.

Photography/Filming at the Harvard Art Museums

Are photography and filming allowed at the Harvard Art Museums?

With the exception of personal photography by visitors, any photography or filming on Harvard Art Museums property is prohibited unless prior permission is granted by the museums’ Communications Division. All such requests to photograph or film on museum property must be directed to Jennifer Aubin, Public Relations Manager, to determine approval in consultation with appropriate departments. The Harvard Art Museums limit photography or filming projects in their buildings, and preference is given to projects that are directly related to the museums’ mission of furthering scholarship and research on the works of art under their care.

Research Questions

How can I contact a member of the Harvard Art Museums staff?

Please refer to the Staff page on our website for contact information.

What online research tools pertaining to the Harvard Art Museums collections are available?

The Browse Our Collection tool provides access to detailed information and images for the approximately 250,000 works of art in our collections. It is possible to filter a search by classification, work type, technique/medium, period, place, century, culture, or gallery. The Special Collections section of our website provides a focused lens into various aspects of our collections. Our Research Tools offer deeper insights into groupings of objects in our collections and from temporary exhibitions.

Where can I find historical information about the people and programs of the Harvard Art Museums?

The Harvard Art Museums Archives is the official repository for the administrative records of the institution from 1895 to the present. Holdings include the correspondence of past directors and curators; architectural drawings; scrapbooks; and many other primary source materials related to the history of the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Arthur M. Sackler Museums. For information about accessing our archives, visit the Harvard Art Museums Archives page on this website.