Barnes Foundation Review

Amazing museum with priceless collections of masters, metalwork and furniture with themes to make you think and hopefully learn about the evolution of arts and artists.

Its a bit difficult to reach through public transit but the collection is fantastic and water feature outside is really interesting

Loved the exhibits and the architecture. Amazing private collection with food and coffee offered

This museum is a hidden gem in Philadelphia. It houses the largest collection of French impressionist art outside of France, that includes Cezanne's renowned Card Players painting and Renoir's bather paintings. The only downside is the relatively high ticket price ($30), but they have a great deal for students who only pay $5.

Wonderfull very knowledgeable stuff and great tech for art and conservation!

Fantastic, unique collection and display design. The most fun that I ever had in a art gallery. My highest rating.

Exceptionally outstanding and eclectic. The fact that it is free makes it all the better.

Wonderful, beautiful exhibits, social, respectful distancing..Renoir to the Nth degree.

I enjoyed my experience here. We took a Highlight Tour since it was our first time here and I highly recommend that . Our docent Kim Campbell was GREAT!!!

The exhibits would be cool if it weren t for the fact that I was made to feel like a criminal at every step of the way. After the third time I was yelled at for actually not doing anything against their policy, it became clear that Family Day was anything but. I think I d like this more if it weren t for how crappy every single employee here made me feel.

This is a great place to be artsie fartcie. While, I don't literally mean for people to flatulate while visiting the exhibit although; the ceilings are rather high and one would anticipate a rapid dissipation of gas, if it were to occur.
It's nice to point the phone at a piece and have all the information available instantly. The story behind the magnificent collection is bewildering.
I proclaim my recommendation, to go get all artsie fartcie, all up in The Barnes Foundation.
Thank you.

Widely varying arrays of artwork from numerous time periods, and cultures

Awesome art,great service. Great place for a family trip

Very eclectic. Laid out different than most museums.

If they are having a VIP event on the first floor don t event bother going here. They will force you down to the basement and service elevators to access the exhibit floors. Even if you are in a wheelchair. Otherwise the museum is amazing.

The Barnes collection is phenomenal and extensive. In fact, I discover something that I had not seen in the permanent collection of Barnes Foundation. As a Philadelphia resident, I highly recommend the Barnes to all visitors to the City of Brotherly Love. It will not disappoint!

One of the most beautiful museums I've ever visited! One can perceive the collector's eye who, at the beginning of the 900, immersed himself enthusiastically in the rich cultural environment of Paris. The layout of the works is very interesting: they seem to talk to each other and give the feeling of being born together! Not to be missed!

This museum is set up in a unique way. I find myself being challenged to look at art in a different way, each time I visit. The building itself is beautiful, too. A must-visit, especially if you like Modigliani or Henri Rousseau.

This museum is awesome!!!! So many amazing impressionist pieces!! I was blown away by the art collection here. Definitely worth a visit. They also have fun night events too that are worth the price of admission. We had a great time visiting this museum.

Watch "The Art of the Steal" before you consider going here

What a gift Mr. Barnes left us! Nothing like this collection in all the world.

A hidden gem amongst the museums in Philadelphia!!!

Aggressively protective of their collection... had to be told the exact etiquette before entering which makes it feel like they treat their visitors as if none of them has ever set foot in any other major museums/collections before(???) The policy on only allowing pictures to be taken from sitting on the bench is pathetic.

Definitely not the first-rate works from the first-rate artists... but all in all constitutes a impressively large-sized, varied collection. The way of displaying is overwhelming, non-selective, and almost challenging for some visitors who is not completely familiar with art in those periods( and they intend to keep it that way for their enjoyment) It is hard to know the director s intentions and ambitions from this almost frustrating visiting experience.

A great range of products at the gift shop.

Amazing collecting of pieces with excellent guides and art enthusiasts in constant discourse about the pieces. The walls of the entrance have a wonderful texture and the lighting is work of art in itself.

Pricing was $30/adult but I was able to show the attendant my student email and the price was $5/student! Make sure to check the dates, as this facility is usually closed on Tuesdays.

A gem of Philadelphia. By far the best art museum in Philadelphia.

The Barnes is a spectacular place to visit and immerse yourself in amazing art in a beautiful building .

The most amazing collection of modern art, not only for what you will see hanging but how it is displayed.

However the art is NOT to be overshadowed by the building itself which is an architectural marvel equal to any of the paintings.

Cool place to go and see art. Fun activities for kids too.

Did someone say, "Fabulous?" Having enjoyed the original Barnes Foundation, I was hoping that the NYTimes review would be accurate. It is! The Barnes is still intoxicatingly quirky, but with a collection of Impressionist art this fine one can allow for quirkiness. The metal brackets, hinges and door plates handsomely complement the paintings. Alfred Barnes chose well.

This place is amazing. Even their bathrooms are artistic. The building is fascinating to walk around. On top of all of this, there is all the amazing art.

Lovely great experience for the kids different atmosphere very knowledgeable environment

Amazing. Don't leave Philly without coming here first.

Most beautiful painting I've ever seen in one place.

Largest Impressionist Art collection out there. Unique place. The very history of the museum deserves to be known. Go with time to enjoy Matisse, Monet, Renoir ....

Great building with some great art in it. Very interesting staff who really knew their artworks. Shame about the rooms of religious art, which left me cold, but overall a really interesting place to visit.

Went to see the 30 Americans exhibit, it was fantastic. Also, enjoyed the collection of Cezanne works in the main galleries.

This is another Philadelphia gem! The first Monday in each month will have a free event of cultural interest to downtowners, West Philly-ites, Northeasters...anyone from the Philly area. Added to that you'll have free admission to the museum till closing. The collection itself is nothing less than spectacular and one visit alone will not allow you to see it all. There's a heavy tourist presence in the summer months so schedule your visit accordingly.

Waited 30 minutes in line to not get in and see anything, despite parting with $50 for the privilege. There was no suggestion when buying the ticket there would be a significant wait. No rhyme nor reason as to why other groups were let in before those of us in the queue. Whatever the art ends up being, it won't undo the poor experience.

I went to the Barnes to see Ursula Rucker perform with a group of my highschool classmates. After the performance some of us wanted to experience the Barnes and see the exhibts. I was told by security that I couldn't enter due to the size of my tote. That I could go downstairs to the coat check and get a plastic bag for my bag's contents.

I truly understand the reasoning behind the prohibiting of my bag, however as I expressed to security perhaps there should be mention made when purchasing event tickets and when patrons check in at the entrance. This will eliminate disappointment and having patrons travel unnecessarily up and downstairs to the coat check area.

Very welcoming! My first visit, came to see the exhibit 30 Americans and it was excellent. Very informative stories by curators made the exhibit come alive. I hope to have the chance to return.

World class collection of impressionist art. Watch the documentary The Art Of The Steal . Fascinating story.

Great place, great art, strange symbols and carvings

A spectacular treasure chest of Art!. Worth it for the amazing Renoirs alone.

The art itself is amazing, of coarse. A brilliant man who captured a brilliant time. He saw far ahead of his contemporaries around the globe! I would have loved to see it where he meant me to see it. The Barnes collection belongs in Merion. How terribly sad and disrespectful it is to destroy Dr. Barnes' will. I guess it's o.k. though, since you know so much better than everyone else, including the genius owner, who collected this while the rest of the art world napped. Perhaps you think the end justified the means. I'm sure that you feel you were well intentioned, taking this art for your purposes. Remember, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I suppose if you have power and position, you can do whatever you want. A serious body blow for Philly. Too bad there is a permanent stain on the experience now. Too bad about the Pew's pivotal role in this injustice.

Amazing collection in a wonderful setting. I know there was a lot of controversy regarding relocating this museum into the city but I'm glad they did, personally. I think uber is the best way to get there.

When in Philadelphia, you must visit this museum/educational center. It s free and you will be treated to one of the premier art collections in America. Learn about Barnes and how he came to collect the works of art on display. It is a fascinating story. Each room is arranged with art and artifacts in a very specific manner - all of which Mr. Barnes did himself - that in itself is another interesting story. A must see place ! Be sure to visit their website and use the phot-capture feature. They will email you each art work you visit along with a short description. First-class website.

Wonderful gallery with some great masterpieces as well as many historical items throughout. A great place to spend the afternoon.

What a racket but probably worth the high prices for everything.

I absolutely adore this gem of a museum. It has an amazing collection, hundreds of pieces of mostly impressionist art. Dozens of pictures of my most favorite artist Henri Rousseau, for example. Pictures are put together based on the color and the line and the composition, not historic periods as in other museums, which makes for a different viewing experience. You will see Medieval art pieces next to impressionist works and some interesting ladles hanging on the sides. The new building faithfully recreates the vision of Mr. Barnes, and everything with two exceptions is exactly in the place he planned for it. If you love impressionist art, you simply must visit this museum.

This is a fine museum and a great place for both novice and experienced art lovers.The collection is quite large and focuses mainly on the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modern art period with well thought out touches of Renaissance, Classic, and medieval art strategically placed to complement the predominantly more modern art from the 19th century and onwards. The early samplings of Monet, Van Gough were touching and there is an surprising number of works by Cezanne, Picasso, Pisarro, El Greco, Goya, Manet, and Seurrat. The bulk of the collection. represents the works of Renoir (a favorite of Albert Barnes). A must for any art lover and a wonderful way to appreciate the arc of the works of some of great painters through the course of their lives.

An awesome collection of Renoir, Matisse, Van Gough paintings in a small intimate environment. Can't see the entire collection in one day so plan multiple trips.

Not worth it. $30 to get in is criminal. Truly. The new building is nice and the collection is stellar, but you are destroying the spirit of the arts within a community. But the topper is the bizarre dress code - it is beyond anything acceptable in this day and age. Nothing is posted and the rationale is elusive, but the security guards bother you to abide by these unknown rules. To essentially be harassed after overpaying, it's just not worth it. Stay away and send the message that this is not acceptable. If I had known, I would not have gone.

Great experience of the Barnes collection with a high attention to detail.

Small enough to take in in one day, extraordinary collection of CERTAIN impressionists (Cezanne, Matisse) and you'd better REALLY love Renoir. Read about the history of the Barnes collection before you go or watch the documentary "The Collector" on Vimeo to really appreciate the eccentric way in which the artwork is presented. Not a comprehensive collection by any means but rather one man's vision of how to look at art.

Just the art works alone are worth the price of admission.

Loved the artwork- excellent collection. However be warned: not organized like most museums. Lots of art crowded onto walls and there was a wait to get into the museum. No descriptions of the artwork which I thought was weird. You have to use an app on a smartphone to get info about each painting. I was fine with that but, like everywhere now, everyone was a zombie on their phone

My partner performed hear for the 30 Americans, family fun day event. The exhibit is beautiful, a lot of amazing artists displayed.

The Barnes itself is of course an amazing space, the show went well, only thing that I thought could have been better was where they decided to have the event, it was near the gift shop and in the mist of ongoing traffic. Other than that we had a great time, very nice space for some cool pics

Awesome collection... A lot of interesting impressionist nudes & the errant Picasso. Good gift shop jewelry!

Unfriendly staff, dark and cavernous because of it's art collection. Don't ever go on a Sunday, particularly when it's the last day of a Special event!

What can I say The Barnes is phenomenal end to end just wonderful.

AMAZING ATMOSPHERE, so many BEAUTIFUL pictures, Our tour guide was really amazing as. Can't wait until I come again.

The Barnes is really a two-for-one special: an overwhelming amount of some of the best art in the world, situated in a stunning piece of architecture.

An atypical, but very satisfying art museum experience. Be sure to take your time and use the available reference materials to make the most of it.

Essential collection but I regret the ban on being able to take notes and an insufficient value for money restaurant

One of the best collections of Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse paintings I've ever seen set in a unique and beautiful building!

Cool gallery. Not very diverse collection, but a substantial amount of works by Cezanne and a few by Picasso, Van Gogh, etc.