Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

One of the biggest perks about living in Boston, is all of the history. The city is full of museums and historical sites to check out. One of our new favorites has to be the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for its uniqueness and vast collection. Last night we went to the museum because it was open late for Thursdays, and it was a fun place to spend Valentine's Day together. We were one of the only people there, so we had it all to ourselves. Being able to explore the giant home without anyone else around was eery to say the least, but also an incredible experience that takes you back into the mind of the museums old owner, Isabella Stewart Gardner.In the early 1900's Isabella Stewart Gardner, or Mrs. Jack as she was also known, built a home in Fenway to house her growing collection of art and artifacts. She had a dream at a young age to create a museum of the world's most beautiful things, and when left with two fortunes (one an inheritance from her family, and one from her husband), she made her dream a reality and built a home/museum with her living quarters on the top floor. She organized and decided to order every item in the home, down to every column, window installment, and tile. She designed the entire home and placed artifacts not with other things from like locations and periods, but instead by what she liked. The museum has every style and time period, and even has a huge courtyard garden in the center complete with waterfalls and a botanical garden. She entertained often in her museum home and when she died, she left specific instructions for how the museum was to be operated. She wanted it open to the public for their enjoyment, but not a single item is to be moved, or the museum has to be shut down. Even now, everything is in its original place. It really is a remarkable place to see and worth the trip.Image Sources: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum