Phillips Collection

The centerpiece of this charming museum is its elegant 1897 Georgian Revival mansion, the gallery's anchor since the Phillips opened in 1921, making it America's first museum of modern art. Best known for its Renoir masterpiece, Luncheon of the Boating Party, the Phillips boasts a permanent collection of nearly 3,000 works by artists whose names you'll surely know: Europeans Daumier, Bonnard, Vuillard, van Gogh, Cézanne, Picasso, Degas, Klee, Matisse, Ingres, Delacroix, Manet; American notables Dove, Hopper, Marin, Eakins, Homer, Lawrence, and O'Keeffe; and living artists like Howard Hodgkin, Sean Scully, and Elizabeth Murray.

Initially, the building was, in fact, the lovely family home of founder Duncan Phillips, who lived here as a boy and then with his wife and fellow art collector, Marjorie Phillips, and their two children, until their move in 1930 to a new abode. After 90 years, two expansions (1960, 2006), and a restoration or two (including in 2010, following a fire), the Phillips remains true to Phillips's vision, of being "an intimate museum combined with an experiment station." Pieces from the permanent collection are on display in the 1897 building, which retains the feel of a gracious home, with its leaded- and stained-glass windows, oak-paneled Music Room, gracefully elliptical stairway, and individually designed fireplaces. The additions doubled the original space and house the main entrance, as well as special exhibit galleries, a cafe, a courtyard sculpture garden, and the Rothko Room, which holds four large, color-intense paintings by abstract expressionist Mark Rothko.

As part of its 90th anniversary celebration in 2011, the Phillips reinstalled certain favorite pieces in their original locations in the house, including Renoir's Boating Party; a 1928 Augustus Vincent Tack 13-piece, abstract art series; and the Paul Klee Room, a re-creation of the museum's 1948 homage to the surrealist painter. These installations might be only temporary, but do look for them in these locations, just in case.

You'll enjoy viewing the collection for an hour or so.

A full schedule of events includes temporary shows with loans from other museums and private collections, gallery talks, and concerts in the ornate music room. Concerts take place October to May on Sunday at 4pm; arrive early. On the first Thursday of each month, the museum hosts Phillips After Five, evenings of live jazz, a cash bar, modern art, and gallery talks.

Note: You may tour the permanent collection for free on weekdays, though a donation is welcome. Those under 18 receive free admission, always. Weekends, when there is no special exhibit, admission is $10 per adult, $8 for seniors 62 and older and students 18 and older. When the museum is staging a special exhibit, you pay the special-exhibit admission price, usually $12 per adult, $10 per student or senior, which covers entry to both the permanent and special collections. You may order tickets in advance online or in person at the Phillips.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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