Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

The magnificent Venetian-style palazzo that houses this museum was home to ‘Mrs Jack’ Gardner herself until her death in 1924. A monument to one woman’s taste for acquiring exquisite art, the Gardner is filled with almost 2000 priceless objects, primarily European, including outstanding tapestries and Italian Renaissance and 17th-century Dutch paintings. The palazzo itself, with a four-story greenhouse courtyard, is a masterpiece, a tranquil oasis which alone is worth the price of admission. Free admission always if your name is Isabella.

In 2009, the Gardner Museum announced that it had received approval for a highly controversial restoration and expansion project, which will see the construction of a modern new wing designed by architect Renzo Piano. Mrs Jack’s will stipulated that her art-filled palazzo never be altered, so the project required approval from the Supreme Court of Massachusetts. After years of negotiation and planning, the museum is moving forward with the plan, much to the dismay of the purists in the neighborhood.