University Art Museums in New England

Massachusetts

Harvard University Art Museums

Three museums for the price of one: the Fogg Art Museum, which holds one of America’s finest collections of Impressionist and post-Impressionist work; the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, famous for its unparalleled assortment of ancient, Islamic, Asian, and later Indian art; and the Busch-Reisinger Museum, the only museum in the country that places such an emphasis on the arts of German-speaking countries of central and northern Europe. Open daily; $7.50. 32 Quincy St. (Fogg and Busch), 485 Broadway (Sackler), Cambridge. 617-495-9400. artmuseums.harvard.edu

Connecticut

Wander among the largest and most comprehensive collection of British art outside of grand old England. This museum definitely has bragging rights: 1,900 paintings, 100 sculptures, 20,000 drawings and watercolors, 30,000 prints, and 30,000 titles of rare books and manuscripts. Housed inside the museum’s walls are masterpieces dating back to the 15th century. Open Tues.-Sun.; free. 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-432-2800. ycba.yale.edu

Rhode Island

The RISD Museum

More than 80,000 works of art grace 45 galleries on three floors. The permanent collection includes Asian art, textiles, decorative arts, paintings, prints, sculptures, drawings, photos, and contemporary pieces. Don’t miss the galleries presenting works by Rhode Island School of Design faculty and alumni as well as area artists. Open Tues.-Sun. 224 Benefit St., Providence. 401-454-6500. risd.edu/museum.cfm

New Hampshire

Hood Museum of Art

Dartmouth College claims one of the oldest and largest college museums in the country, boasting 60,000 works of art. The collections range from ancient bronzes to Renaissance prints to modern abstracts. The museum’s large compilation of Native American, Oceanic, and African art is a shining example of the curators’ focus on bringing in art from around the world. Tues.-Sun.; free. Wheelock St., Hanover. 603-646-2808. hoodmuseum.dartmouth.edu

Maine

Colby College Museum of Art

This four-wing, 27,000-square-foot museum specializes in American and contemporary art. Works by Maine artist John Marin and painter Alex Katz are especially notable, though the collection covers everything from 18th-century American portraits and the American Heritage Collection of Folk Art to Asian ceramics and contemporary pieces from the modernist movement. Open Tues.-Sun.; free. 5600 Mayflower Hill, Waterville. 207-872-3228. colby.edu/museum

Vermont

Middlebury College Museum of Art

While this museum houses many traditional gems, it is the works on paper — particularly contemporary photographs and prints — that make this establishment unique. The permanent collection includes works by Rembrandt, Picasso, Dali, de Kooning, Man Ray, and Warhol, as well as 17th- to 19th-century European and American paintings and Asian, Near Eastern, and ancient objects. Open Tues.-Sun.; free. Center for the Arts, Rte. 30, Middlebury. 802-443-5007. middlebury.edu/arts/museum

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