Chomsongdae: Photolog: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Along with the Harvard Art Museums, the Isabella Gardner Museum is one of my favorite art museums in Boston.

At the Gardner, there are three floors and twenty-two spaces to explore in the original building, which are adorned with an eclectic collection of paintings, furniture, and decor. It is mostly European, but the collection includes everything from Raphael's Portrait of Count Tommaso Inghirami from the Italian Renaissance to a copper Buddha statue from the 18th century in China.

It's easy to forget that this is a museum when the adorned spaces, the vibrant colors of the walls, and the architecture makes it look and feel like a Romeo and Juliet-esque mansion. The new glass wing of the museum, which opened in 2012, complements Gardner's galleries surprisingly well. Also, the cafe, lounge, music hall, the contemporary gallery, and the museum store offers even more fanciful delights to captivate visitors.