Barnes Reviews

It is sad to see this exhibit in such a bad environment. The staff at this venue are quite awful. They were downright abusive to visitors. Dr Barnes must be spinning in his grave to have his beautiful exhibit stolen by the corporate museum bosses he worked so hard to avoid.

No way to prepare for this experience. The buildings have a clean, peaceful, zen-like quality and incorporate monocromatic materials from around the world. Water and plantings complete the vibe.
The galleries of the permanent collection are overwhelming. In a good way. Room after room of salon style presentations of Old Masters, Cezanne, Picasso, Renoir, Degas, Modigliani, Van Gogh and on and on, one on top of the other. No labels, you will need to use their app for the details on each work. African sculpture, tapestries, Early American furniture.
The second wing features interestingly curated artists; in our case the work of Marie Laurencin. The museum has committed to a minimum of one show per year of a female artist.
Lovely cafe for take away either indoors or in the garden. Live music and children's art classes were taking place during our visit. There is also a full restaurant.
Highly recommend the private tour. Docent Kate G. provided excellent, helpful context, pricey but does include two days admission to the galleries.

Extensive collection of great artists of all periods. We also enjoyed the exquisite architecture of the building. Worth a stop.

Being a long time resident of Philadelphia, I have visited this museum many times at the old location in Merion and the new location on the Parkway and have returned several times since relocating to Canada and have never been disappointed! They are arguably the greatest collection of impressionist art in the World and can be appreciated in ninety minutes or less while in the City. Admission is very reasonable for this classic, so please take the family and expose children to art, which will enhance their being and make them better world citizens.The rooms are small enough to enable many to experience a close up look of the masterpieces. My only concern from my last visit was a lack of coordination of tours that created a crowded space in three connecting rooms that made it difficult to get up close to the artist’s work. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly are a delight to deal with during your visit. They usually have a small, special exhibit, in addition to the permanent collection, but due to time constraints, I was unable to see it this year, There is a gift shop to patronize and small garden on the premises to appreciate. The Barnes is a must visit for the discerning art lover. You will not be disappointed! Very Highly Recommended!

I must confess, I'm not a big fan of Renoir and that is this museum's primary collection. They do have many other artists mostly from the late 19th-early-mid 20th century, however. Many pictures by Cezanne and Matisse and a sprinkling of others such as El Greco, Modigliani, Miro, Picasso and others. Also a gallery for special exhibitions which presented works by Suzanne Valadon when I was there - very good! Definitely worth a visit.

On May 31 when we visited only the 1st floor was open, their sign indicated they were refinishing floors on the 2nd & 3rd floor. So we walked around all the rooms on the first floor.

There were some very interesting pieces on display and we listened to a talk about Barnes, his ideas about art, and how the collection came about.

A sampling of the pictures on display are attached.

If there is only one reason to go to Philadelphia, it is the Barnes Foundation. Incredible! There were so many paintings by Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, Rousseau, Utrillo, and others that we had never seen before. Just jaw-dropping and awesome. You can download the Barnes app and as you walk from room to room, you can point your phone at a specific painting or object d'art and get information.

Simply buying a ticket at the counter requires providing a zip code, email address and phone number with your credit card. It makes you wonder who the Barnes Foundation is selling your information to for future tracking and advertising. The visit itself is worthwhile with the largest collection of Renoir, Cezanne, and Modigliani I’ve seen in one museum. I also appreciated the numerous free tours available.

While visiting the Barnes Foundation, I was told off for standing by a window, then I asked the young lady why the area wasn't roped off she couldn't give me an answer.
There wasn't any indication that you weren't supposed to stand by the window.

Rich collection of impressionist art focusing on Renoir's female nudes in a very crowded setting. Recommend that you avoid peak visiting hours.

Unbelievable collection of art that I studied in school! It’s right there in front of you. The place is packed with treasures. We joined up as members so that we can explore the place in detail over the year. The building and interiors are spotless. Staff are very helpful and friendly. If I were in charge however, I would not allow kids under 16 as there are too many treasures within reaching distance. Best experience in Philly.

A cozy comfortable walk thru great artists. Renoir, Matisse.....all in one place! Make sure you get the audio helper for a great tour. You can pause and reflect with the tour device.
The picture organization in each room make it very comprehensive.

This has the largest collection of Renoir’s under one roof. Not too big. Like the app that allows you to point to the picture and get info on your phone.

On one hand, holy cow, just SO MANY Renoirs, Cezannes, Matisses, Monets. On the other hand, we both felt these were "lesser works" of these artists. Like, if you had never seen a Renoir before, I'm not sure you would walk out of here saying "wow, he is amazing!" Is it better to see 50 so-so Renoirs vs. 1 great Renoir? I felt like we saw fewer but much better works at the Philadelphia Art Museum. This is a relatively small museum, and we thought the $30 ticket price was steep, it's more expensive than the much larger Philadelphia Museum of Art. There's also NO information about the art on the walls, you need to use your phone to scan an image and get the info. If you like to take photos, this means you are constantly switching back and forth between apps on your phone; in addition, you're constantly putting your password back in your phone or trying to use face recognition with a mask on. One nice feature is that if you put your email in, everything you looked up is emailed to you after. We spent about 90 minutes.

While the museum's collection is impressive, with 192 Renoirs, more I think than any other museum in the world, the visit is a frustrating experience, which why this is only a 4 star review. The obsession with IT started at the ticket office where we told out tickets would be emailed to us. I pointed out that we were from the UK and had no Wi-Fi at that point. I was told to come back if I hadn’t got the e-mail in about 10 minutes. Nothing came through so we returned and we’re given printed tickets with bar codes for entry. Saw several other visitors collecting paper tickets too. Anyway in we went to this massive collection acquired by Dr Barnes. He required that the collection be displayed in a way similar to galleries in the 18th century with walls covered with art works at different heights and with no labels or maps to identify the artworks. The downloadable app (via smart phone) worked extremely well - scan the artwork & get artist and art works information, but this tended to make me focused on scanning rather than enjoying the artwork. I’m not sure what possibilities exist for those who don’t have a smartphone.

I don't understand this Museum. Nothing is labeled, dated, or identified. It also looks like anything is restored. I can't tell anyone what did I see.

Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that Philadelphia can boast of two world class collections, but I couldn't help being pleased at the discovery. The Barnes must have more Renoirs than any museum outside of France, and as for Modiglianis, I can't imagine another museum with more. Sprinkled throughout are fantastic old masters, mainly Italian, as well as some lovely Picassos from his early youth, of the period best documented in Barcelona's Picasso museum. It's a very concentrated collection on two floors of a relatively small building, making this an excellent outing for children or others who might get tired out by wandering the other great museum in town. There is parking in the building, a much needed perk.

Amazing collection of Renoir, Cezanne, Picasso, etc. housed in a beautiful modern building. Allow at least an afternoon to wander around taking in these beautiful works of art.

I believe this museum has something like 180+ Renoir paintings. Not sure how many it takes to make a good museum of impressionist art, but I'm pretty sure it's not that many. Lots of Manet/Monet/Picasso, etc. as well. If you like impressionist art, you will absolutely love this museum although you may well get tired of it long before you finish seeing it all.

We have been meaning to visit this collection for years as my husband is a huge impressionist art fan. What N amazing collection! And so wonderfully displayed! Was very impressed. Definitely not to be missed in this lifetime.

As with most of what is said here, the art is fabulous. I have also been to the more famous collections around the world and these works are well worth admission and time.
My issue is solely with the way the place is managed. Put up some signs people! Entrances should not be a secret. Customer service is your job, so behave accordingly. Be up front about how NO scarves, sweaters, etc may be carried over your arm. Be aware that when walking into a gallery, one must step on the brown line and there for be out of compliance with your rules, give folks a chance to move on. We were treated like thugs, with little dignity. How about explaining clearly, and with a smile, that all belongings should be stored in lockers downstairs? When I removed my scarf, a thin, small scarf, I was jumped upon as though I had perpetrated a crime. This is a top notch culture experience, treat your guests as such.

The last time I was in Philly was before this collection was open to the public & it has been on my bucket list since. My passion are the Impressionists & post-impressionists & this is a feast. Best known for its 181 Renoir’s, loads of Cezanne, Monet, Manet, Pendergast, Matisse & so many more. I have visited some of the world’s most famous museums & I recommend you add this to your tours. Yes, some galleries were crowded but still easy to get around. Incredible that this was one man’s private collection & vision for emerging artists. Fabulous gift to the city.

You must go for yourself and see this collection first hand. I saw it once in Merion, PA and now on the Parkway. It is interesting and inspiring. I enjoyed the coffee shop and gift shop too. There is a film on Dr. Barnes and how he collected and maintained his art. I could even go again to learn more.

Nothing better than visiting a museum, especially art, and having a tour guide who loves sharing. Great explanation of the history of The Barnes. Due to the vast collection, it is easy to see the growth of artists. Highly recommend. Oh, and their restaurant is fabulous.

The Barnes Foundation was a pleasant surprise during a recent visit to Philadelphia. Wanted to visit Longwood Gardens but it is closed on Mondays so we took a chance on the Barnes Foundation Gallery instead. The 13 separate galleries on the 1st floor were a wonderful mixture of art for all and the various education classes added to the experience.

Ran out of steam after 3 hours but well worth the effort.

If you are in Philadelphia you can not miss this exhibition of mainly Impressionist paintings, some beautiful, others less so.
Unfortunately, the Barnes collector was not an art expert and it shows: the exhibition is what Barnes wanted, chaotic, without head or tail, small paintings exposed too high, combinations of very different periods between them, objects such as vases and candles leaning against furniture in front of very important paintings, in short, an old museum even if in a new building and very beautiful exterior. A real shame! To see 2 times to appreciate the masterpieces on display

The Barnes foundation has a great range of art on display and you’re free to wander around at your leisure. You’re also able to take photographs

Having visited some great museums in other cities,it was a bit of a surprise to pay $45 for the tour. We went on a Saturday, which didn’t help since it was quite crowded and hard to hear the tour guide. In hindsight, we should have skipped the tour since the museum provided an excellent app that enabled you to point your smartphone at a QR code near the painting and instantly view all the information.

My friend and I purchased tickets to the Barnes Foundation and Dosent Highlight Tour. Liz was fabulous! She came prepared with laminated photos to compare and contrast similar pieces of art at other galleries with art at the Barnes Foundation - by the same artist. Liz described why the art placement was as it was, gave detailed information about the important works of art in each room and pointed out interesting aspects about specific pieces. Liz made great use of our time!

The Barnes is located in the Franklintown area of Philadelphia.

We took the three quarter of a mile stroll there from the Philadelphia Museum of Art despite the hot conditions.

The gallery is unusual in that none of the exhibits are labelled as Dr Barnes wished that people’s minds would be uncluttered when viewing.

There’s a huge amount of work by Matisse, Renoir and Modigliani as well as a whole tranche of paintings and other art from the early 20th century.

There was an interesting talk given which explained that Dr Barnes enlisted the help of American artist William Glackens to buy numerous works for him in Paris in 1912.

Regular admission fee is $30. I paid $28 for over 65 admission.

The gallery is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

This is an amazing collection of art, a lot of impressionist art if you enjoy Renoir, Cezanne and others. Jam packed presentation of art with antique “hardware” like door hinges and locks and other metal household items interspersed.

In each room there are pamphlets labeling each item. I would survey the pamphlet and them look closer at my favorites.

The museum store is nice. I think there was a cafe? Pretty atrium. Easy parking.

Very cool collection. We spent about 2 hours there. Small rooms are packed with art. Really neat. Highly recommend!

Renoir exhibit was wonderful museum has laid out in a spectacular manor. We used gocity pass for admission. What a great way to see many attractions

Although there is a world class museum in our city, the Barnes Collection was breathtaking. If your interest centers on Impressionist art, do not miss visiting this museum which focuses on the groundbreaking art of the later half of the 1800's--Monet, Renoir, etc. Rooms are filled with furniture as well as the art, so it becomes a journey into one person's interests over the years.

There is more Renoir and Cezanne here than I could have imagined. I actually went to see the Chaim Soutine paintings - husband’s cousin. This museum has an amazing collection but it’s hard to access the art because it’s not labeled. Have to patiently look up each piece in a guide provided for each room. Otherwise it’s incredible. Photo is my husband standing in front of a Soutine.

An incredible exhibition of dozens of female portraits by Renoir, ostensibly very similar, some of them at least, but actually highly individualised. I read and heard that its new location is even better than the old building that was erected specifically for the collection. The date of my visit is not correct, but there is no option for August 2005!!!

Became a member, which allows you to come anytime you want. Do not have to get tickets to see a an exhibit. Specifically came to see the 30 Americans exhibit. I came to learn that this remarkable exhibit has been traveling for 10 years and has been seen by over a million people. Then took one of the many tours of the permanent collection. A Fabulous Experience! My first time at the new building. ♥️ the architecture! Had visited the permanent collection years ago when it was in Merion. Totally recreated those rooms.

A great selection of art work. The perfect definition of organized chaos pertaining to how the artwork is presented.

I’ve been to many art galleries and museums domestically. The Barnes is listed amongst the best I’ve visited. Even with covid accommodations it was a terrific experience. The digital assist available to phone users was so great. The interface was easy and made the experience unbelievable. The building itself is a real treasure architecturally.

This is a must see. The museum is an exact reproduction of how Mr. Barnes displayed all the work. It has the largest collection of Cézannes and Renoirs in the world.

The Barnes Foundation is not to be missed, grounds by OLIN and modern exterior designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners are a welcome contrast to historic Philadelphia. The story behind the amazing collection of Impressionist art acquired by Albert C.
Barnes, a graduate of Penn medical school, and inventor of Argyrol, a silver based anti-infective is a fascinating one that the museum’s ed department graciously likes to
tell. Barnes, also a semi pro baseball player and boxing enthusiast, made a fortune with the sale of his pharmaceutical company just before the Depression and pursued his lifelong passion of collecting European masters— Renoir, Cézanne, Degas, Van Gogh, Matisse, Rousseau, Monet, Picasso, Soutine, Seurat, Mondigliani,
Gaugin, and even Chavannes and El Greco. Barnes’ so called affinity to the Venetian colorists are said to have effected his profound interest in acquiring works of art by Renoir, 181 paintings including late period bathers when the artist who suffered from rheumatism was “fleshing it out.” The collection is now interspersed with avant- garde,
post impressionist and African works of art as well as handcrafts, furniture, ironworks ( I.e., calipers, hog forceps, boot scrapers) ceramics, and textiles. The
museum presents an extensive array of art work in unusual wall ensembles. Incidentally, the background of American painter William Glackens, dubbed the“American Renoir, is steeped in local Philly history— Glackens son of a Pennsylvania railroad clerk and cashier, was part of the “muckraking “Ashcan 8” and
charcoal club, a group of newspaper illustrators with the Philadelphia Record (1891), and Philadelphia Press (1894) before studying with Robert Henri, instructor at the
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, blocks away from the foundation. In 1912, Dr. Barnes dispatched Glackens, a friend from Central High School in Philadelphia, to Paris with $20,000 in hand to
buy Impressionist works of art on his behalf. The 33 paintings Glackens returned home with comprise the core of the foundation’s collection in Philadelphia.

My wife and I visited the Barnes twice in the last two months. Astounding collection and display are not sufficient to describe our experience. I do not visit galleries frequently but the Barnes stimulated my desire to up my game. Praise to the Foundation for their stewardship and educational programs is heartily offered.
Do not skip this experience. The current 30 artists display will enhance your creative intelligence.
I am so proud of this Philadelphia Foundation.

We recently bought timed tix for the Modigliani exhibit. When we got there . . .ON TIME . . .we were told that the tix were only to "allow" (exact word!!!) us into the building but that there would be at least an hour . . . to an hour an a half. . .wait on the line to get into the exhibit.

We planned a day around the time for which the tix were issued . . . not for much later in the day. I have never experienced this mis-management and inconsideration at any other cultural venue in the City. Why bother issuing times tix of you are not going to honor the time for which they are issued??

Not only will I not go back to the Barnes . . . I will have great dinner party conversations on this topic . .."So, did you hear how the Barnes manages its tix for key exhibition shows??"

Such arrogant mis-management!!

The Barnes Foundation is better than I expected. The presentation of artwork is unique and was desinged by Dr. Barnes. Some may not like his way of filling a wall with art and artists but I did like the overall staging and appearance. I was worried that I may not be able to identify the artists and their work since this is not spelled out on a label beside the work as is typical in a museum. Honestly, it was fine. There is a small brass tag identifying the artist on every painting and since he was a collector with definite favorites, you can pretty much see who is who. Spoiler alert: He owns 179 Renoirs. The museum provides background about Dr. Barnes & his success (financial and humanitarian) co-developing an antiseptic used to prevent blindness in newborns exposed to infection from gonorrhea. There is drama. Barnes feuded with the Philadelphia Museum of Art over (among other things) who had the better work by Cézanne depicting women bathing. It was a big deal in its day, referred to as The Battle of the Bathers. Enjoy.

Going to a great art museum is almost like a pilgrimage for me (seriously :). I can spend hours -- while other people breeze through, hardly stopping at all. I read the label next to a painting I like, learn what I can from it, then maybe look for a quite a while. The Barnes has paintings crowded in and stacked toward the ceiling (the way Dr. Barnes intended, I guess) so there's no way to identify or explain works with labels on the wall. The solution they have is a website that you open on your smartphone: You point the camera at a work, then see details. There are good and bad things about that.

A nice feature is that they'll email you a list of the works you scanned. A downside is that, on an Android phone/tablet, you're required to use the Chrome browser. Several tech columnists at major media outlets have warned never to use Chrome because Google steals so much personal information from your phone/tablet. (I use Firefox and the DuckDuckGo privacy browser.) The Barnes doesn't give you a choice.

Just amazing what art this museum has. It is just packed with works from masters. The collection has the world's largest holdings of paintings by Renoir (181) and Cézanne (69), as well as works by Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani, Van Gogh, Glackens, Rousseau, Pippin, Demuth, Seurat, Manet, Klee, Hugo, Utrillo, Chaim Soutine and more. There are also metal works, sculpture and wood furniture intermixed with the painting. The beautiful building just opened about 6 years ago is packed with high quality art.

The museum is open from 11 am to 5pm Friday thru Monday. You must have a timed ticket which you can other purchase on-line or at the museum. They also have an application you can down load to your smart phone that lets to point to a art piece and then it provides a description of the piece on your phone in seconds. Nice tool.

They have a small cafe, coat room, lockers to store your stuff and plenty of places to sit down. We arrived at they opening, 11 am, and completed just minutes before 5 and that was with skipping the 2nd floor.

If you are an art lover you will not be disappointed.

Take the Tour! While the collection is amazing, understanding the way that Dr. Barnes presented it adds to the experience.

It is the perfect place for lovers art and architecture. We loved every moment. Highly recommend adding this to you Philly itinerary.

In 2012, Dr. Albert Barnes' art collection was moved from its Merion mansion location to the newly constructed gallery on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. The collection includes works by many famous artists including Matisse, Picasso, Manet, Cezanne, Modigliani and others. In addition to the 180 plus paintings by his favorite artist Renoir, Dr. Barnes collected furniture, jewelry, carvings and sculptures.

I opted to pay $12 additional for a docent tour. The docent provided background information about Dr. Barnes and the legal battles to move his collection to this new gallery, She explained how the foundation stays true to Dr. Barnes wishes and legacy. She led us through several of the 23 rooms of artwork and discussed the arrangement of the paintings and furniture and the stories behind some of the art.

I was especially impressed with the use of technology. Rather than information cards or audio tours, it is possible to open a specified website and use your cell phone's camera to focus on a piece of art and retrieve its background information including the artwork's name, artist, date, size, and medium used.

It is an exceptional experience to view this collection.

You need to be able use QR codes and scanning tech on your smart phone to be able to read the explanations of the artwork. There are no labels on the artwork. This is a problem as most of their guests seem to aged 60 or older. It was not a problem for us, but not everyone has a smart phone or understands QR codes. The staff is super friendly and super helpful. I like that the security staff pitches in to be helpful with the technology and answering questions about the artwork. Shout out to Michael who was giving a lecture on Picasso and cubism in a small library room filled with artbooks which are open to enjoy. He is a great speaker and very insightful. Be sure to check the events calendar to see if there is a lecture you can join as a part of your visit.

Oh my, I was in heaven! All that wonderful art - beautifully displayed. The manner of display was a bit unusual for a museum and was decreed by Mr. Barnes, I believe. It worked well. If you love Renoir (who doesn’t) there are over 150 there as well as large numbers of Matisse, Picasso and so on. Wonderful!

Barnes is the creation of one man, Albert Barnes. His collection features masterpieces by Matisse, Cezanne, Picasso, and El Greco among others. Selective African masks as well. The layout of the pictures in the galleries is very old school and designed by Barnes himself. My guess is that his interest is in getting the viewer to "see" the fundamentals of art: line, form, color, and composition vs the individual works. Favorites: several Cezanne's "Bathers", the Picasso "Old Man" portrait from his Blue period, Matisse's "Le Bonheur de vivre". Must see for art lovers. Timed admission. There is a fee.

One of the best collections of works by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters in the world, which also includes works from previous times. A must-see visit can be completed with the Rodin Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art that are located nearby (reserve an entire day for the 3 visits).

Knowing that the Barnes was not a huge museum, we had planned on a short visit. But, there is so much there, we basically took it slow and really had a fantastic visit. Very interesting place and a shockingly strong collection. On tip: they have a card with a website address that allows you to focus your smartphone camera on a painting and up pops information about it and the room it is in. (barnesfoc.us I think). Very helpful.

This site is all an art lover dreams of and it was a huge positive surprise from the parking facility through the architecture of this multi function building in and out. Do not miss it it is a first time must and good for second and more. Minimum half a day.

Docents were excellent; please engage them. Told they have the largest collection of Renoir's and he's one of my favorites. See if you can find my favorite piece by De Mazia whom I had never heard of. Hint is sailboats.

As a hotel concierge, if a guest had only one day to see Philadelphia’s greatest amenity. I would ask if they wanted history or art. If they said “art,” I would send them to my favorite art museum in the world, the Barnes Foundation.

I love the permission Dr. Barnes gave himself to mismatch in a divine chaos, which became a more understandable in each room.

There’s so many Renoir’s you’ll get sick of him.

Seurat fans can check one of his master works off your list.

And being from Lancaster County, I truly love the 18th Century Pa Deutsch on display.

The Rabbits Meal, Henri Rousseau, is my favorite piece in the museum.

This museum is a national treasure.

One of the great collections in the US, with novel salon-style hanging of works....the way the art is arranged is itself an experience.

This was our first visit in many years - and first in the well-designed “new” building - and we were again completely awed by the collection. The Modigliani exhibit was not just a bonus but the highlight. And although not cheap, we loved that the ticket was valid for two days. This relieved a lot of the weird pressure we feel to gawk-til-we-drop when we are out of DC and have to, gasp, buy tickets to museums, and I can’t believe more museums haven’t done this. Even if you don’t use the second day, it is nice to know it is an option. That photos are not discouraged - so long as you don’t use a flash - is nice too.

I do understand some of the observant critiques other reviewers have made. The point that you can find yourself more focused on scanning with your phone than on looking at the art is a good one. Also, we enjoyed the overview presented by a cheerful docent but found the reverence for Dr. Barnes a bit tiresome. Of course he had foresight as a collector, and we are fortunate that the art is on display rather than in some private mansion somewhere. However, we were struck by the arrogance of the idea that nothing could ever be improved on how the art was hung on his last day. And we thought about the institutions that provided art for the Modigliani exhibit with no hope of any reciprocity, ever (or perhaps they are paid by the Barnes in some other way - I have no idea how it works). It seems a bit of a shame, and yet no one can say boo about it (like it would be speaking ill of the boss).

Still, don’t let this discourage you - this is simply an unmissable visit for art enthusiasts.

This museum was jaw dropping amazing ! I’m an art lover, specially Impressionism, and the Barnes foundation has a collection that is so big and beautiful that is almost unbelievable! I mean they have 187 Renoir’s, over 80 Cezzane’s , 7 Van Gogh’s, Monet, Gaugin, Picasso, Degas, Goya, El Greco, I mean it's a feast for the eyes!!! And the way the collection is displayed has a logic behind it and it’s exactly the way Dr. Barnes arranged it and left it after his death . You walk though his “house “ and each room is full of beautiful art, so much so that you get overwhelmed by so many meaningful paintings by renowned artists.
I so enjoyed this visit, I stayed over 3 hours and wished I had more time to really just stop and appreciate was I was watching. There’s also a short presentation about the life of Dr. Barnes and how he came to own such a vast art collection (yes, it’s all his), I definitely recommend listening to it as it enriches the visit and helps you understand the displays .
If you come to Philadelphia don’t miss this museum, it’s one of the very best I’ve been to.

Arranging the artwork and the artifacts in exactly the same way they were when the Barnes museum was out in the suburbs really works. Has a very homey feel. Interesting arrays of paintings and objects. Great juxtapositions. Good cafe and shop as well.

This art museum has more significant paintings on one wall that many museums have in their entire collection. The app that allows you to use your phone to get information by simply pointing your camera is very helpful, especially since many of them are quite high on the wall. Do not miss this! First Sunday of the month is free.

Awesome collection of impressionist paintings and other art/artifacts. Worth sitting in on impromptu presentations made by artists and academics in residence

I had no idea when I visited the Barnes Foundation that I would find a treasure trove of art from the masters of Europe. Wandered through, mouth agape±

This is the most impressive, inspiring and thought-provoking museum of impressionist and post-impressionist art that I have seen. I will definitely be back.

1) The Barnes Foundation is the world's largest collections of works by Renoir (181) and Cézanne (69). Its collection also includes Matisse (59), Picasso (46), Modigliani (16), Seurat (6), Degas (11), Rousseau (18), Van Gogh (7), etc.

2) Each room is relatively small, so not a single art object is lost in its surroundings. This also helps build emotional closeness\intimacy between you and the art objects on display.

3) Art works from different cultures, artists, time periods, and media are all mixed together in “ensembles”. In one ensemble, for example, there might be paintings by Modigliani, works by modern abstract artists, African masks, and ancient icons. Each ensemble emphasizes visual and artistic similarities between different art objects instead of their historical background.

4) Although the artist name is written on the frame of each painting, there are no traditional side labels next to each exhibit. All detailed information about each art object can only be seen in a separate paper brochure, which is available in each room. This creates a rare opportunity to evaluate and appreciate a work of art solely by its visual and artistic appeal personally to you, ignoring names, years, etc.

I had visited the museum in its old location many years ago, but the new location makes it much nicer to go through the collection. The number of art pieces is tremendous, but this new museum is brighter and the layout makes it easy to walk through the entire exhibit. We stopped and listened to the guide who talked about the history of the museum and how the founder purposely arranged the art pieces aiming to educate and teach the public who may not know much about arts. Really valuable information that makes the visit more meaningful. There are a nice store, a cafe and a restaurant in the building as well.We spent two hours here and arrived shortly after opening so parking was not an issue at their parking lot adjacent to the museum, but when we left the lot was full.

Amazing and overwhelming. After about ten galleries my brain started to shut down. Though you can easily walk through the entire museum it takes a couple of trips to really see it all. It is a Philly must see.

Wonderful, intimate collection of impressionist work. Mostly Renoir and Cezanne. Definitely worth a trip. Takes less than 2 hours.

The Barnes was on my "bucket list" so we took a long weekend in Philadelphia to go see it. As another reviewer has stated, if you don't know the history of the Barnes, make sure you catch the short talk by a docent. Be prepared that there are no explanations about the art on the walls as Barnes wanted it to be an overall experience, including the disassembled hinges that hang on the walls. You can see the artist's name on the frame, or you can use the scan option on your phone to get the information. We spent about 2 hours here, and by that time I think we had gone into Renoir/Cezanne overload. (Not in a bad way; just in a mentally tiring way). There are also paintings by Van Gogh, Degas, Picasso, and others. We were impressed that the tickets were good for two days even though we didn't go back on the second day. It was a nice option to have.

Although there is much controversy over how this museum came to be, I am grateful that this was the end result. Not only does the collection contain many iconic Impressionist paintings but it presents them in the way that their collector wanted them displayed. This results in some juxtapositions of styles, genres and eras in ways that provide a unique context and connection. If you enjoy Impressionism don't miss this collection. Bonus: the small but lovely Rodin museum is just down the street.

Beautiful building and spectacular collection. Be warned - after buying tickets, we turned the corner to see a long line, which we had to stand in for an hour and a half (1.5 hours) before being admitted. They should tell you in advance what the wait is and also offer seating.

This museum has an incredible collection of art arranged in a unique way. I definitely recommend going to the 15 minute introductory talk before exploring the museum.

A gem of a museum with an almost overwhelming collection of art. Creative pivot since re-opening...interactive app allowing visitors to "capture" any piece of art of interest on cell phone which immediately brought up important and interesting information. After the visit, all the images of the works "captured" were emailed, along with the background details so it was possible to continue to enjoy the visit. Well- informed docents in each gallery were available to answer questions. Enjoyed the current exhibit on Soutine and de Kooning. Lunch in garden was lovely.

Loved this museum! It has some of my favorite artists, and it was lovely to spend the hot afternoon in a cool air conditioned beautiful building.

We visited the Barnes on our Philly trip. The collection is truly amazing. The social distancing was attempted to be enforced with scanning into areas and limits on people in rooms. Though many ignored the signs on those limits. They were still working out kinks in that system but enjoyed the museum greatly.

We visited when it reopened after the Covid shutdown. I felt it is very well maintained and we didn't feel we might be a risk to the Covid in any way. In a very small scale, it might've been like visiting 19 century Salon exhibits in Paris. Paintings are all over the walls. Yes, it does "cheapen" these paintings a bit as there are so many. Barnes has the most paintings by Renior in the world. It also has the most paintings by Cezanne in the world. Enough said! Most rooms are small, but every room has benches to sit on. Dr. Barnes has "interesting" ways of displaying arts and who are to say that's wrong? I thought it was definitely worth $25, but some people could feel it a bit expensive as it is small compared to regular art museums. Most staffs are pleasant and eager to explain.

Three thigns we didn't care for.
1. Separate parking fee that we had to go back to the Box Office to pay.

2. Scanning the ticket every time when we enter and leave the room. I understand you scan it upon entering the room every time, but why do you have to scan it every time upon leaving the room every time. That bothers us a lot and actually hindered our appreciation of the paintings.

3. We were looking at some of the paintings at one room and we had to go back to the room we just came out of to "relook" at the paintings we just saw to compare with what we're seeing, yes, against the directed flow. But we were not going against the directed flow room to room and the staff knew it as well, but we're warned not to go back to the room we just passed in two minutes ago. As long as we don't go to room to room in a wrong direction, we should allow to go back to the room we just left at least.

But this is once in a lifetime experience!

Highly recommended, the perfect size and collection. Presented in a unique and enjoyable format. Beautiful surroundings and excellent staff make this museum a must visit fir any art lover.

Came here to kill some time and ended up joining as a member. What a delightful treasure of a museum. It isn’t huge - you can spend about 2-3 hrs here.

The collection is a bit varied - impressionists paintings, statues, household items jewelry from all different centuries and from a wide geographic range (Asia, Europe, Middle Eastern/Egyptian, Africa) all nestled together in the same room. Interesting mish-mosh, but didn’t feel disorienting.

What was nice is the app they have you use - point with your phone camera at any displayed art or sculpture and it will give you information about it. Pretty cool.

The architecture of the building was modernistic and expansive. Many indoor and outdoor spaces to lounge - which is not that common for a museum this size.

The garden restaurant had great food. The cage had huge cookies. I would visit more often if I lived close by.

Amazing! The collection has to be the largest collection of French Impression outside France, but also includes works from other artists and styles. Each room is arranged according to Dr. Barnes' specifications. There is remarkable symmetry. A typical room might have a Renoir in the middle flanked on each side by 14th century canvases, for example. The Barnes Foundation has developed a great web-based app for use while in the gallery-barnesfoc.us. It uses your smartphone's camera. Rather than the annoying tour guides or audioguides where they predetermine what is interesting-YOU get to choose! Simply aim your camera at part of the painting and you get details about the work. Want more? You can drill down and get more details. The app also tells you what was in Dr. Barnes' mind in selecting a cluster-for example, in Room 6, the blues in the two Pendergasts pick up the blues in the adjacent Gaugin. And how the pattern of grooves in the frame of the Gaugin pick up the painted details in the chest of drawers just below! In one room, you might find sketches and studies that were used as a basis for paintings you will find in another room (e.g., Picaso's Harlequin, various Degas dancers, etc.). The admission price is a bit expensive- $25, $23 for seniors, but only $5 for college students and youths. Frankly, I think the $25 was well worth the experience-my wife and I spent over 2 hours and I could easily have spent 3 or 4 hours!

If you are a big fan of the Impressionist, then this is the place for you. We loved how so many paintings were placed compactly in this space, so that you were not exhausted by the end of the viewing experience. We especially enjoyed the technology, in that by just pointing your cell phone camera( make sure you come fully charged!) you can find out the artist, when it was painted, and a short description of the work. We spent about 2 hours here, which seemed just about right.

If you love the French Impressionists and their revolutionary art, you will love the Barnes. It's hard to believe that this was one man's collection. And, yes, it does compare favorably with the d'Orsay Museum in Paris.

In fact, the quantity of great art at the Barnes is almost overwhelming (See our photos). We had been to the museum several times in the past to see special exhibits. However, this was the first time we had toured the permanent collection.

There are only a few rooms, but each is jam backed with paintings from floor to ceiling. As a result, my suggestion is to concentrate on just one room or one or rwo artists rather than trying to take in the entire collection in one visit.

Check the website for details on tickets, parking and COVID requirements. If you're driving, get the specific GPS address that will lead you directly to their parking lot in the back of the building. It's a big help.

The fine standing exhibit with an extensive collection of 19th and 20th century art is truly beautiful. Through August the museum is hosted a special event featuring de Koenig and Soutine. With Covd mitigation the galleries are much less crowded and easy online ticketing.

We enjoyed the visit, the museum is amazing! It has an impressive art collection, particularly impressionist paintings, Renoir et Cezanne. A must visit in Philadelphia.

A remarkable range of high quality art from around the world and across the centuries. Arrangements are quirky and titles of paintings are deliberately withheld at Dr Barnes' insistence, but what a breathtaking collection. For me, the largest collection of the best Renoirs I have ever seen in one place.

This museum houses art works from a private collection that are displayed just as they were in the collectors home. His display choices were eccentric, but create an interesting display. The works do not have labels and descriptions as they would other museums, but guides to the name of the piece, the artist, and the date of creation are provided in small books available in each room. You can use your smartphone to get information using a specially designed app. Be ready to be amazed by how many Renoirs, Cezannes, and other famous artists mainly from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Loved it and highly recommend it.

Never heard of the Barnes Collection until I stumbled across the Barnes Daily Serving of Art live zoom presentations while looking for something to do during the pandemic!Every day for 15 minutes, a curator would talk about one piece of art! I looked forward to those videos everyday while they aired. Since then, I've read books and watched videos about Dr Barnes and the Barnes Collection. So we decided to stop there on a roadtrip out East. And we were impressed. The museum building is beautiful inside and out. And the Collection is terrific. We started in Gallery 1, enjoying the Matisse Dance murals high above us. We spent a couple hours going through the galleries on both sides of this initial large gallery. Truly the Barnes is overwhelming with the number of paintings and other works of art, including the metalwork. The works by Renoir, Matisse, and Cezanne are the most impressive! Also loved seeing works by William Glackens, a classmate and close friend of Dr Barnes; a painter in his own right, Glackens made purchases for Barnes, especially in the early days before Barnes became knowledgeable about contemporary European and American art. None of the pieces have labels, so I took advantage of the museum app to get more information on specific paintings on my phone; afterwards, I received an email showing each work, with full info, that I had selected using the app during our visit. The museum was more crowded than I anticipated, given the time tickets. We ate at the cafe halfway through our visit; there is also a restaurant in the museum. There are also a couple of large lobby areas to sit and relax. We spent over 5 hours in the museum. We lucked out getting a metered 12-hour parking spot on the street, which we used for a good portion of the day as we visited other sites within walking distance.

If you are a first timer, try to catch the 15 minute presentation about the history of Barnes and the museum. Barnes was a native Philadelphian who grew up in poverty, an inspiring story. I love impressionist art so I love this museum. Saw the Modigliani exhibit today which was a treat. Strangely, I didn't realize how strange the eyes are in so many of his works. Love his reference to African carvings and how Barnes paired the paintings and carvings. I wish the museum provided an audio guide within their app. I also wish I lived closer so I could visit more often.

This is a WONDERFUL museum! I've been to many, many museums and the Barnes will go down as one of my very favorites. They have lovely art and it is displayed in a warm, intimate way that lets you really feel and experience it, versus museums that have enormous galleries or items hung too high. The Barnes staff is wonderful! We took a free tour of the museum highlights and the woman giving the tour was so knowledgeable and so interested in what she was saying--it was lovely. I really feel like I learned something, which is rare on those tours. She even took questions. Then we happened upon another free talk they were giving on Dr Barne's vision for the museum and more information on the techniques of the artists. It was so edifying. LOVE this museum! Beautiful art, mostly Impressionists. Not to be missed.

Great galleries, a truly stunning excellent collection and a beautiful building devoted to the collection. Take at least 2-3 hours to enjoy the art. Very nice docents who were happy to share what they know about the collection and history of the Foundation and art.

Impressive collection in a beautiful setting. Walls of Renoir, Picasso, Cezanne, Matisse, with many Van Goghs. A few Degas, El Greco, and Bosch.

The richness and variety of the exhibits is remarkable. A place where you can spend many hours, comparing styles, colors and approach to the subject of painting. Personally, I would have preferred a different arrangement of halls, for example according to the subject of the picture, but in my opinion it should not be seen as a criticism of the situation.

Awesome art museum! So many great works from the Masters.
I loved the Renoirs! I really enjoyed the interactive art app to learn about the paintings. Every museum should offer that application. Just a wonderful place to visit!

A marvelous modern building filled with interesting art and other collectibles. Dr. Barnes clearly bought anything that was painted by Renoir, including many that were better left unhung. But there were plenty that were quite lovely and a few spectacular Cezannes, Prendergasts and a splendid Van Gogh. The artwork is displayed without labels, and one must use the plentiful room guides to get details regarding the objects. Each room holds numerous paintings and metalworks, which are grouped in some way that was meaningful to Dr. Barnes. I was unable to discern this hidden meaning but nevertheless enjoyed the overall experience. The architecture alone is worth the visit, and I found the staff/volunteers to be helpful and informative.

An excellent collection of art from a diverse array of genres and periods. The only thing was that it was difficult to see all of the pictures that were almost up to the ceiling.
We also saw a excellently curated exhibit on the artist Modigliani.

you need time, the collection is huge, weirdly presented, but so many masterpieces, at least one per room, the museum has a little expensive cafe where you can kind of snack if you want to rest up at some point. the restaurant was all booked for the whole day the day we went !

I was not a fan. The collection has a particular focus which was not to my liking. And I also did not like aesthetic of how the museum was laid out and the art was displayed. I wish I had checked out some pictures before going and I probably would have realized it wasn't a good match.

Incredible museum. A stunningly beautiful building and an unsurpassed collection of impressionist artists. Pleasant and informed staff. But, the collection can be overwhelming - so many pictures hung so close together. Also, it is difficult to find out that, for example, there are free lectures and tours

One of the most interesting collections you'll find in a relatively new and gorgeous building. It was fascinating to visit when the entire collection was in the original mansion out the Main Line, but it's still the same wonderful collection and now it's in Center City where there's all manner of things to do in addition, and the new building is gorgeous, One of the best things to do in all of Philly.

I have been to many art museums and none of them are like the Barnes. It is easily the best private art collection I have ever seen, focused primarily on impressionist and modernist art, featuring dozens of Picasso paintings, multiple Van Gogh works and hundreds of Renoir and Cezanne paintings. What is really notable is how the paintings are arranged, hung salon style 3+ high and just inches apart on every wall of every gallery (plus miscellaneous antique pieces of furniture, utility objects, sculptures and knick-knacks lining the floors under the paintings). The entire arrangement was directed by the collector, Barnes, and it's an overwhelming experience. While there are many extraordinary pieces, I felt at times that I was drowning in landscapes, still life fruit bowls and Renoir nudes...so many Renoir nudes.

There are no signs on the paintings, but there's an app that provides the information and descriptions for many of them when you point your phone camera at a painting. After you leave, you get an email listing all of the paintings you identified with the app. That was unique, too.

The Barnes is not that large - 23 galleries, most of which are smaller than an average bedroom - and it seems like it wouldn't take long to see everything, but there are so many paintings crammed into each room and so many of them are top tier works my master artists that it took hours to explore the bulk of the collection and I definitely didn't see everything here.

The Barnes is a beautiful building, easy to drive to with convenient parking. It is reasonably priced.

The paintings are beyond amazing on their own. I found the arrangement of them.in each room to be crowded and too symmetrical. I understand it was Barnes wish that they stay exactly where he wanted them. But I think they would be spectacular if they were allowed some space and freedom in arrangement.

It was controversial to move the museum.into the city, but we appreciated the convenience

Very knowledgeable docent who had lots of passion for the museum. She provided great insights into the museum’s art collections and how they were displayed. We learned a lot and really enjoyed our time there

My fifth time visiting this world class museum since my relocation seven years ago produced the same outstanding results! This is due to the unique collection, the professional and personable staff and quality, considerate fellow patrons. Besides the unique collection of impressionist art, there is also a special exhibition that is also edifying and enjoyable. Also, there is a gift shop, a small paid parking lot and many other pay for parking in close proximity to the museum. Since the museum is small, one could have a thorough and satisfying visit in ninety minutes or less. While in Philadelphia, make your visit to the Barnes and be assured that your wonderful experience will last a lifetime! Very Highly Recommended!

This was an excellent museum. We aren't art people but we had a whale of a time. The Franklin Institute was unexpectedly closed, so we headed here.

There is a QR code that you can scan at the beginning which takes you to a website. The website allows you to scan the pieces of art to get more information. At the end, you can send the scanned pieces of art to your email address.

It's a really cool feature and kept us engaged. It is a bit battery heavy though so bring a portable power bank.

An eclectic and unorganized and unlabeled collection. I found there was entirely too much Renoir. I very much enjoyed it on the whole. They have a few Seurats, one of my favorites and Van Goghs. I used a Go City Pass so the price was discounted, otherwise I might not think it a good value. Because the Collection is unlabeled you have to use your smartphone app to look up your information so come charged up. There are some paper pamphlets showing the same information in each section. You also have to scan your ticket in and out of the galleries as they limit the number.

Very easy question to answer: do you like art that's clearly impressionism? Yes? Then go. No? Then still go to tell your impressionist friends what you saw!!

Incredible collections In a wonderful space
The depth of the artists on display is phenomenal and galleries are so well designed.

If you want to see hundreds of Renoirs and Matisse along with many other pieces of art this is the place to be.

Lovely space with great art- and lots of it.
Lockers and small food area.
A great variety of artistic styles- many famous artists too.

Unfortunately, they are so short staffed that after calling for 3 days last week I never received a return call as promoted by their phone system. My wife and I were visiting my mother in an assisted living facility about 50 miles north but we decided to stay in a hotel 3 blocks away so we could visit on Saturday. We walked over and was greeted on the grounds by someone affiliated with the foundation only to be rudely informed that there were no tickets available at all. When I called a week and a half before the woman that I spoke to and explained my need for flexibility as we were coming up from Atlanta she was quite understanding and said it would be 'no problem' to obtain our tickets when we decided on how we would handle the visit to my mother. What we had hoped to be a respite from a very stressful situation only added to it.

The older I get the more I find myself appreciating the subtleties of Art. The people in Philadelphia are very lucky to have such a wonderful and unique private collection of art from artist all over the world.

The museum is a work of architecture and is beautiful to look at. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes and bring a good camera as there are many famous and recognizable pieces of art to view.

They have a cafe, souvenir store and coat check. Many great restaurants nearby for post museum indulging. Make sure you go on a private docent tour if available; really enhances the experience and offers valuable historical information.

A great space with an amazing collection of mostly late nineteenth century and early 20th century French artists. Please bring back painting descriptions.

We have been to the Barnes before and came for the 30 American's show which we saw with the caring docent, Stacy Spector. She is sensational and made this show come to life. Bravo Barnes.

Dr. Barnes was a self-made millionaire who enjoyed collecting Impressionist art. Huge displays of his collection.
Frequent classes are offered to answer questions like why are there no printed explanations or titles next to each exhibit? What are the hanging metal works Barnes collected?
First rate museum. Extraordinary gift shop that fascinated my better half, who usually hates gift shops. The items for sale are displayed so artistically.

A simple review. Though they used to have much more intimate quarters in Bala Cynwyd and I miss that feeling of being in that warm and cherished space, The Barnes is a one-of-a-kind homage to the astounding talents of 19th century masters. The displays are well thought out, the traffic flow more than reasonable.

Ya don't even hafta be a knowledgeable art lover or anything of the kind. This is the place to discover the 'why' art is important.

Been a long time fan of this museum since the old days when they were in their former location close to my home. The current one is more accessible and was a good choice for their relocation. It’s arguably the finest impressionist art museum in the world and can be navigated responsibly in 1.5 hours or less. Art inspires us and reinforces our humanity while we are interacting, sharing or reminiscing about our experience, unlike other avenues that create descent and division! Monday is a good day to avoid crowds and to appreciate the contents without any distractions. I urge you to visit the Barnes and you will experience overwhelming joy and stimulation that will last for a very long time! Very Highly Recommended!’

The line for ticketing was long because we went on a holiday weekend (day before Memorial Day) but the workers who helped us with our tickets were very kind despite the business. I've also seen shorter waits most of the time.
Inside despite the crowds there was still lots to see and it is all beautifully arranged.

The artwork is not labelled and there is a QR code to scan so you can use your phone to get more information about each artwork. We didn't want to use our phones but each room also has a small pamphlet telling you which artworks youre looking at. The only problem was that a few of the rooms were missing this pamphlet so if you wanted to learn the name or artist of a piece you might not be able to without your phone.

There were multiple tours and classes going on. We didn't participate but from the little snippets we passed by they seemed neat.

The snack counter was not worth it (but we were very hungry so we bought food from there anyway) and I'd recommend eating before or after in one of the many wonderful places to eat around the area.

The story behind this collection is as incredible as the collection itself. Don't miss The Barnes when you visit Philly! Our docent, Tracie, made our visit all the more enjoyable. She ran a little over time and we could have stayed for hours longer to enjoy her insights into the collection, its creator and the artists. It's a stunning facility and I highly recommend booking a Highlights tour with a docent for first time visitors. It was very inexpensive and money well spent/

The Barnes has a fabulous collection of impressionist paintings. Numerous paintings in each small gallery make your head swim. Recommend you go to barnesfoc.us and use the online guide to each painting. The written descriptions are informative however, it would have improved our experience if the descriptions were in an audio format because the written descriptions pull your eyes away from enjoying the paintings and you feel that you are spending your time reading and missing the very thing you came for. Nice café.

Superb collection specializing in impressionism and post-impressionism, with world-class groupings of Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse. Very strong showing of Picasso, Prendergast, Glackens. And so much more, from Veronese to Milton Avery. There are two main floors and you could easily spend a full day here and not be disappointed. Amazing

We were a bit hesitant about the technology the Barnes uses in presenting information about the work... a phone app is easily downloaded and you use your phone's camera to access a complete description of the work. The best thing is that after you use the app once, you are asked if you want the Barnes to send you all the images you viewed after you complete your tour. Worked perfectly... we have images and descriptions of over 300 pieces that we enjoyed.

The Barnes Foundation is a very unique museum experience. The arrangement works of art in the galleries invites you to explore the four principles of light, color, line, and space.

This museum packs a punch - it is filled with so many beautiful paintings. The paintings are laid out pretty much as Mr Barnes had them laid out when he they were in his private collection. The strange metal objects interspersed have no relation to the pictures - they are just metal objects he liked collecting like the buckle from a Conestoga wagon. There are no brochures describing the exhibits - just hold your phone up to the QR code and like magic descriptions appear. If you enjoy Renoir, Van Gogh or Matisse etc please visit- it will be a most enjoyable couple of hours.

The Barnes Foundation (Museum) has a truly mind blowing collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. It includes 181 Renoirs... (YES... 181 Renoirs!), 69 Cezannes, and so much more, including a large number of significant works by Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani, Van Gogh, and other great artists. Over the years, I have had the good fortune to be able to visit many of the world's great art museums. I have never seen a larger, more spectacular collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art than I saw at the Barnes in Philadelphia.

I've been wanting to visit this museum since it opened, so was thrilled that I had the opportunity. They are maintaining excellent Covid precautions. The museum has an amazing app that gives you information about each item in the collection just by using your camera. (You can connect to the wifi.) Then, you get an email of everything you scanned for continued reference.
I'm a Renoir fan and definitely saw many works that were new to me. If you love early American furniture and craftsmanship, you will love this museum!

We’ve been to the Barnes three times and it never disappoints. The Barnes has now joined the PECO Free First Sunday program but the staff adeptly managed the parking and lines with the additional patrons. Their barnesfoc.us site allows you to use your camera to focus on a particular piece and will recognize the art and tell you more about the artist and piece. There is free wifi and no app to install on your phone. Loved it!!

This is a very well presented and maiontained collection of numerous "old masters". There are Renoirs galore and Picassos and Monet's, as well as countless other noted artist's works, are also on display, in what can only be described as a massive collection. The overall setting is very pleasant and is conducive to an audience who go there to appreciate the majesty of the paintings. Well worth a visit.

Worth the money to take the tour for an hour for the Highlights of the Barnes Foundation. Our docent was knowledgable and helpful with adults as well as children. Incredible impressionist pieces

I have to admit: my experience with art museums is not very extensive. OK, so it's not previously existent, and I was not expecting much from the trip aside from being with a friend who dragged me to the place. :>

But... her instincts were right. The Barnes is an art museum where even just a "regular person" can get a lot out of a couple of hours of wandering around. The layouts and displays made things far more interesting than I'd ever expected, and I left with the feeling that I'd not only had a good time but had also learned more in that one afternoon than I'd learned in two entire college semesters of art classes!

I can't compare it to others, but it's hard to imagine any place doing it better than The Barnes!

Awesome Museum with great exhibition and history. It is located near the Philadelphia Art Museum . There is a lot to do in that area of Philadelphia.

Unique collection in US with a very interesting origin in Dr, Barnes. Although the lay out is not very typical, masterpieces could be appreciated. It is recommended to be prepared.

If you go, you NEED to pay the extra money to have a docent tour, without the underlying explanation of the history, the building, the display methodology, you will miss understanding the essence of this collection, which is amazing.

Incredible collection eclectically hung in a style that is so far out of contemporary museum fashion. It's to go back to Philadelphia to see and study it further. If you love art don't miss this one!

We visited the Barnes and enjoyed the large collection of impressionist paintings. The number of Renoirs was overwhelming, although they were not all his first quality. This was an enjoyable afternoon.

This is one of the world's best collections of impressionist paintings. The building is well designed. The only problem is that instead of wall mounted cards with information about the painting and the artist you have to use the Barnes website accessed via a qr code. This did not seem to work for about 25% of the paintings I scanned and I noticed other patrons having similar problems. That said, the art collection is spectacular.

They did an excellent job making everyone feel safe and social distance with the staff and the room occupancy on the walls and the direction/ flow of traffic.

Wow. I have been to, and enjoyed, a lot of art museums over the years, including several in Paris, a couple in London, the Met in NYC, small ones in Savannah, Ga., and Frankfurt, Germany, and of course DC. This was a completely different experience, though, especially with a docent leading a small group -- just four of us -- through the "highlights" and explaining Dr. Barnes' mission of getting people to really look at the art, not just walk around reading little plaques describing the art. After four hours (only a bit over an hour on the guided tour itself), my feet hurt and my eyes were full, but it was a visit well spent. Highly recommend! Mostly French impressionist works, but mingled in with other periods and styles, to show artists' inspirations from other time periods, countries and continents. I do recommend the "Highlights" tour if you are a first-timer or haven't taken it.

Terrific place to go with your family! Ate in the cafe the tomato bisque was delicious tacos were good too!! Go there!!

Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse, a stray Picasso ... I could go on and on. The technology is cool to view details of each painting by scanning it. More than you can cover in a morning, so there is a restaurant on site.

Adding another voice to the many who disliked the scan system to get info about the paintings. They used to have an excellent audio guide. At first I thought this scan system would be good for seeing photos higher up on the walls. Nope. Unless you are able to get the camera square to the photo, it won't scan at all. If you are not tall, you won't be able to scan anything at the top. So I basically missed 1/3 or so of the paintings. It also won't scan anything that is very dark or that is covered with glass and it is very hard to scan anything close to the corners because there are roped off areas around the edges of the room to protect the furniture. Overall, this scanning thing was tedious and distracting.

I used to love the Barnes, visited dozens of times at the old location. I will not be returning because of this scanning system.

We were delighted to share the experience of this important art collection with our friends who we brought to Philadelphia specifically to see the collection. It is important to be aware of the extra time it takes to see the works at a slow and sometimes repetitive pace, given the intensity of the pieces. Numerous extra presentations are available throughout the day and there are docents throughout for consultation. Very helpful.

The Barnes Foundation has a beautiful water feature entry. The staff is informative and inviting. The collection speaks for itself and plan on spending at least 2.5 to 3 hours for your visit. Each gallery has an informative brochure explaining the contents of the room which was invaluable. The rooms are small and can be crowded even on a Monday in the middle of the day. Guided tours are available as well as audio guides for a fee.

Wonderful experience! It gets very crowded and the food cafe had a limited selection. Definitely worth a visit.

A superb collection of art; a wonderful Barnes Gift Shop; a relaxing dining environment and courteous staff

Spectacular collection and stories. We took a tour that was worth every minute and cent. Use Safari to learn about each piece. Take your time. Have lunch (the avocado toast was very tasty). Only complaint is how loud it gets when galleries fill up.

Start with the half hour introduction lecture in classroom— its free! Then you’ll understand how the art is presented & appreciate the novel ensemble approach & educational focus. We also took the extra spotlight tour. We usually spend 2 hours in museum but easily spent 4. Quick sandwich & cookie in cafe

Private collection displayed in unique way. Entire collection on display, no loan outs, no purchases or sales of pieces. More Renoirs than you can imagine. Great Rouseaus and other impressionist/post-impressionist masterpieces you will only see here. Great story behind this private collection open to the public.

I wasn't crazy about the arrangement of the art - since I'm used to Museums that give more depth next to a painting. Many by Renoir. Had to point the cell at each painting for more info.

I've actually visited three times and it never fails to amaze me. The collection is wonderful and the printed guides are very helpful and easy to follow. Other than the permanent collection there are also exhibits that change throughout the year. They also feature different programs throughout the year that I would like to have the chance to visit.

This museum has the largest collection of paintings by Cezanne and Renoir that you will see anywhere in the world. It also has plenty of Picasso and Matisse paintings. The Barnes has a very spacious, light-filled, beautiful central atrium with tall ceilings, plenty of seating, and a tiny cafe. Lots of docent talks are available. They make you scan your QR code to enter the individual galleries even though you already showed your QR code to gain admission to the building. This museum is unique in the way that the paintings are displayed and grouped on the walls. Many of these paintings don’t even have a placard or label next to them. However there is a booklet in the center of each room which lists the names and artists of each work of art. You can also use the camera on your phone to identify the artwork by using their mobile guide, “Barnes Focus”. The Barnes is definitely worth a visit for those who love art, especially impressionist and post-impressionism.

This museum visit included an app that allowed one to aim your iPhone camera at a painting and immediately get the information right on your device. It was an exceptional experience!

You may have to plan ahead to get a private guided tour, but this collection is beyond amazing, and to go beyond amazing, unless you are an art major, you need to well trained docent who can tell you the background to each piece, in some cases, each stroke. This should not be missed.

This attraction gets 5 stars from me due to its quality and breadth (it was undoubtedly an impressive collection of paintings!!). With that said, I (like others) was confused that there wasn't better organization of the paintings, or at least some plaques giving information about them. I suppose the idea is to make it feel like a gallery wall at home would look, but it is not optimal to the viewer. We visited on a Wednesday in November and it was not too busy, but there were a fair amount of people. No advance tickets/reservations were needed, thankfully. We used our CityPass City Pass. We stayed about 1.5 hours (90 minutes).

This is a terrific collection including many Renoirs, Cezannes, Picassos, and a large mural by Henri Matisse painted especially for The Barnes. It’s a joy for any art lover. Take a tour if you can. The guides give information about the artists, the paintings and there placement in the museum, and backstories on Dr. Barnes
himself, fascinating stuff! Our guide,Ginny, was terrific - knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She made our visit even more memorable!

Wonderful museum with lots of art to see. Loved the app that allowed you to use your phone's camera to view the picture and all of the pertinent information came up about the particular piece of art you were viewing. Lunch was wonderful at the restaurant and they even gave me free desert because it was my birthday! That was a pleasant surprise! Above and beyond customer service...

Don't get to Philadelphia often, but when we do, the Barnes is a MUST. Having reviewed it way back in 20012, and praised it then not incidentally as an architecture critic, returned recently as a tourist and found it again engaging, beyond as a design, but as an art museum. The permanent collection deserves to be viewed as leisure, which we did. We also this time enjoyed the restaurant, which appears to having upgraded its menu. Good gift shop, too. Plan to spend atleast a half a day there.

Breathtaking collection. We got there early and it didn't get crowded until later. There is no audio but there is a new app that you can download on site and when you hold up your camera, it then gives you info about the painting in the view finder. In addition, there are handheld room guides that are very useful. Really, if you like Impressionist art, this is a must see, truly fabulous.
We had lunch in the Garden Cafe on site & it was slow but delicious. Reservations are needed - you can make them on line with Open Table.

Bad coat check policy. Don’t tell you at the start that you can’t hold your jacket. Don’t require guests to check their handbags or backpacks. And many of the lockers don’t work! Completely ruined my experience.

If you like Impressionist painters this collection is a MUST.

Relatively small, but truly memorable.

Monet, Rousseau, Gauguin, Van Gogh, and others are also represented.

Usually with boutique museums with a collection of this caliber the staff is often times police like and without personality. The Barnes is an exception. They have a very helpful educational staff that gives short lectures on various topics throughout the day. Even the boy checking coats commented on his favorite pieces. This place is friendly. This museum is sistered with the museum d’Orsay in Paris. They obviously have friends in the right places to muster special exhibits like the Chiam Soutine / William de Kooning dialogue til Aug 8, 2021. The Barnes‘ collection of impressionistic paintings is extraordinary. I love their Modglianis. Can’t say I’ve ever been that physically close to real Modiglianis before. Their new building housing this rare collection is thoughtful, well laid out and of the human scale. I love the three-story ginkgo trees in the atrium that quietly serving as natural sculpture. I also like the trees that sprout unexpectedly through the outdoor performance space platform. Their bright & colorful gift shop has unusual handmade bug buttons. Their garden cafe is a hidden surprise. Tasty too. Love the Barnes.

This was my first visit to the Barnes Foundation. Our plan was to do a guided tour of the current exhibition “30 Americans”, but both the 1pm and 3pm tours were sold out. (If you plan to go, make sure to book online or call ahead). The entrance/exit to the Robert Gallery, where the exhibition is held, really sets the tone for the art pieces. We did a self-guided tour, and the descriptions really help us to appreciate the hard work and dedication these artists put into their products. All the pieces stand on their own merit. I think this tour might end on January 12, 2020. See description of exhibition and one of the exhibition attached. It’s worth the $25 entrance fee.
No more spoilers, catch the tour if you can. It was worth it for us.

The move from the old house location to the current building was amazing… same walls, same eclectic hanging of the various styles, but with lots more space to move around, sit and breathe in the greatness, and not feel rushed. The addition of space for new artists was a great addition and we truly enjoyed it.

The current special exhibit, 30 Americans, is not to be missed. Recommend signing up for a docent tour. Our guide was terrific. Really put the artists and their work in context. An added bonus was that she was an artist herself and provided insight into the technical aspects of the art as well. A very thought provoking experience.

Mr Barnes collected dozens of famous paintings in his life time and now they all
hang in a great Museum Space in Philadelphia. I think I counted 181 Renoirs
and 69 Matisses!

It was over whelming and when I was their for 4 hours on Sunday 11/20 also
saw a special Modigliano exhibit.

My only criticism was they could have organized the paintings by artist rather
mix and matching them on the walls!

I agree with all the positive comments on TA regarding The Barnes - its absolutely amazing! Filled with all A list artists and many opportunities to learn via tours or lectures. It isn't your "typical" museum with each painting accompanied by an explanation card, thus the painting are left up to your interpretation and imagination. The rooms look cozy not like a museum, so you are drawn to a picture not a famous name. But don't worry, each picture has the artist's name on the frame and each room has a brochure with additional information. If you like apps, you can download theirs and obtain detailed background information. But there is so much to see, I suggest, just enjoy!

And if you are there over the lunch hour, the Garden Restaurant is excellent! I had salmon and my husband the cobb salad with chicken - both with amazing presentations and delicious! Our server, Eve was delightful, professional and very attentive. We had a perfect visit and I highly recommend this delightful museum and excellent restaurant.

An exceptional collection superbly displayed, the quintessence of impressionism!
Nice shop
Reservation essential

Several rooms of impressionists paintings (a little heavy on the Renoir) but including several by the heavy hitters like Van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet, etc. A little pricey, but a good opportunity to see work by some of the masters.

Amazing exhibit of a single collector of art! Dr. Barnes' collection is varied, from paintings to ancient artifacts. Using your phone, you can scan each painting and get info about it realtime, thanks to the Barnes website. Benches in each room to relax and contemplate.

A visit to the Barnes Foundation has been on my “to do” list for many years. I finally made the trip to Philadelphia and was not disappointed. The number of impressive paintings is overwhelming. By the end of my visit, I was able to identify the artist just by viewing the painting. There is so much to take in that I’m already planning a return visit.

Walking through the property to the door provides a peaceful and contemporary buffer before you enter and are transported into the incredible collection of $25 billion dollars of stunning works by Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modernist masters. One hundred and eighty Renoir’s will start your journey through this unsurpassed collection, which also includes Cézanne, Picasso, Van Gough, Matisse and more. Everything is hung according to Mr Barnes preferences! It is different but if you can be flexible, you will be amazed. Definitely recommend this one of a kind collection!

This is an amazing place! The story behind it is fascinating. There are 181 paintings by Renoir and many by Cézanne, Matisse, and Picasso. It is definitely worth the time to visit the Barnes.

The Barnes Collection at the Barnes Foundation is eclectic (Dr. Albert C. Barnes knew what he liked) and idiosyncratic (his "ensembles" are room-sized collages: French Impressionist paintings, wooden African carvings, Pennsylvania German furniture, iron escutcheons, etc.). The building on Philadelphia's "Museum Mile" makes for a nice setting, but the galleries are crammed, so you may want to explore the collection via the online catalog -- high res, searchable by multiple objective and subjective dimensions, with metadata (artist, year, size, location, etc.).

The first floor has the entrance, a restaurant, main collection (14 galleries), flexible exhibit space, and a sunny central court with rest-your-feet seating and lectures. The second floor has more galleries. The lower level has restrooms, a staffed coat check and self-serve key-lockers, gift shop, lecture hall, and American Southwest pottery and silver/turquoise jewelry. Pandemic adaptations include mandatory masks, timed entry, and capacity limits (in each gallery, use your ticket's bar code to scan in/out); if necessary, docents will keep the crowd circulating.

Apart from the collection and tours thereof, the museum also hosts classes, lectures, musical performances and philanthropic balls.

In the vicinity: Franklin Institute, Academy of Natural Sciences, Parkway Central Library, Rodin Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art.

When you go to the Barnes, it is easy to put the context of the collection, and the history of the relocation, out of your mind. Just focus on the incredible collection of masterpieces that seem familiar because they have been presented in hundreds of books and discussions of Impressionist art.
The list of artists fills a complete timeline of the development of the genre.
Relax and be inspired...

I love the impressionists. I have never seen such an extensive collection of Cezannes, Renoires, and Van Goghs. Also includes many Matisse’s, Degas, Manets, and many other artists. All in a very personalized display, within a relatively small number of rooms. And there are docents that do pop-up talks about random pieces. So glad I decided to visit.

Lovers of painting of this period, the visit of this collection is essential. Nowhere else will you see so many Cézanne, Renoir, Matisse or Picasso gathered in one place. Therefore, plan to book in advance because places are limited. FYI, this tour is included in the Gocity pass philly.

Recently visited Philadelphia and was told by more than one friend that i"had to go the Barnes." So,despite the fact than I'm not that fond of looking at paintings we went. Generally enjoyed the experience but only because we took the docent led tour. This is a must. Somehow you appreciate a painting a lot more when you have the backstory. I also recommend lunch at the museaum restaurant. You will need to buy tickets for the tour and reserve for the restaurant in advance.

Wow- what a superb museum- world class collection, wonderfully collage-like display of magnificent paintings and sculptures in an intimate setting!

This was my first trip to the Barnes since it’s move to center city. Back at Marion I enjoyed the quirky displays of art arranged according to themes chosen by Dr. Barnes. They arrangements seem to make less sense here. But there is no denying the quality of the work. Be prepared to be swept away by almost every piece of post impressionist art. Renoir and Matisse are everywhere you look. And check out a few Van Gogh’s and Picasso’s nearby. Chat with the knowledgeable staff and take your time. There is a cool feature on their website. You can scan a picture or object, and the site will give you its details. That is a help, since Barnes wanted the works unlabeled, so that the viewer would engage more completely with the art. You can look them up later, as the museum will email you you the scanned objects. Or just chat with the staff. They are as enamored of the works as the visitors.

Incredible museum where more than $25 billion of artworks are exhibited! A unique experience where all the painters of the 19th early 20th are there: Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, Modigliani, Courbet, Van Gogh, Matisse(, Monet, Braque, Miro... a real emotion to discover such a treasure that is never ready for another museum

This museum focuses on experiencing the art, not just reading plaques. They have small classes that are introductory as well as “pop-up sessions of about 15 minutes stand in front of a painting and learning more about the artist and what was going on in the art world at that time

Very large collection of Renoir paintings

Interesting grouping of art work based on color, shape, etc. exactly as Barnes displayed it at the time of his death in 1951. Same size room, type and color of wall covering.

Without plaques, you use the website and smartphone to “recognize” a painting and it then gives you the detail.

The building housing the museum is only 7 years old. Very elegant and with seating in each room as well as many couches in the common areas.

Also have an introductory film which is a good place to start.

Did not try the restaurant but food is available

Una fantastica collezione Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani, Van Gogh, and other artists, plus African sculpture, metalwork, and decorative arts.
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UPCOMING EXHIBITION

Modigliani Up Close

October 16, 2022 – January 29, 2023

Explore how the iconic artist created his paintings and sculpture.

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Amedeo Modigliani. Young Woman in a Yellow Dress (Renée Modot) (detail, 1918. Collezione Fondazione Francesco Federico Cerruti per l’Arte, on long-term loan to the Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Turin

Adults $30 and seniors $28 (tickets good for 2 days); students $5; members free

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About the Exhibition

Organized by a team of curators and conservators—Nancy Ireson and Barbara Buckley from the Barnes, consultant curator Simonetta Fraquelli, and conservator Annette King of Tate, London—Modigliani Up Close explores Amedeo Modigliani’s working methods and materials. Building on research that began in 2017, with a major retrospective at Tate Modern, this focused project takes a close look at how Modigliani created his works. New scholarship by specialists across Europe and the Americas informs a detailed investigation of the artist’s unique style, casting new light on his practice, in an exhibition that brings together important pieces from museum collections.

While the museum's collection is impressive, my overall experience was frustrating. The museum founder required that the collection be displayed in a very specific way for his specific reasons (e.g. no labels or maps identifying the artworks) which I understand and accept. However, since those reasons were not explained at the outset, going through each room was maddening for me. Since each room contained a range of media, artists and eras, it was difficult to identify any theme or reason the items were placed in their location. The downloadable app (via smart phone) worked extremely well - scan the artwork & get artist's info but instead of absorbing and enjoying the artwork, I was focused on scanning items. The docent-led tours (fee) were informative and it was hard not to listen to the docent when the group was in the same room as you!

I wish the museum provided a thorough explanation about the reasons for the art placement and no-labels before entering the museum - perhaps in the area just outside the galley entry way (near the cafe) via signage. I asked several museum employees within the rooms and one actually said "I don't know why - maybe to fit the room space and picture sizes" which is wrong and unhelpful. That evening, I researched on-line and understood that the founder's objective was that his art collection would be educational for his factory workers and they likely would not be familiar with artists' names; they would learn about looking at art and other items to identify what they found beautiful in them.

Note that the museum offered an in-person 15 min presentation about the founder and his history but depending on when you arrived, it may not have been available.

As a lover of art, I had high hopes for this collection.
Unfortunately, I felt the work of these fabulous artists was their B work at best.That's not to say there weren't some A pieces, it's just that I would not consider it a great artistic experience . Add to that the high price tag and I would think twice before going. I actually left feeling depressed that some of my favorite artists had so many average pieces in one place.
On a better note, the Barnes currently has an exhibit of African American artists which was curated about 10 years ago.I had not had the opportunity to see this exhibition and considered it the better cultural opportunity of the afternoon.

Amazing collections of oil paintings with an extensive collections of Renoir and Picasso. The introduction briefing was wonderful to learn about the background of Barnes and his rationale behind the way he hung the paintings. Must go.

Very interesting museum with various exhibits. Not too large so you are able to see everything. The location is within walking distance of public transit

Don't expect the side tack cards with the name , artist, etc. next to the work. Touring this will take some work to figure things out and how the works are not really a mishmash of wall hangings. But it will be worth it if you have the time. Attend the intro talk every half hour or so to get started. I didn't give it Excellent because the suggested app to download didn't work correctly and it was frustrating; it wasn't my device since other visitors had the same complaint. And I got yelled at for using my flashlight to read the tiny tags on each painting (remember, no wall tags) because the lighting wasn't great. I understand the "no lights" but that's why the app should be working. I would return on my next trip and review beforehand what I would be looking at. So go on-line to get a start on what you'll experience.

Wonderful architecture and amazing Renoir collection
Great app Which allows you to get info about paintings by focusing iPhone at pic
They send u afterwards images of all the pics u saw during your visit
Nearby street parking was easy to get
Was a quick walk from four seasons

This is an excellent museum and has a very impressive collection. It is housed in a new building that is well laid out. The gift store is well stocked as well with all sorts of thoughtful articles.
While I am not a particular fan of art, this was nevertheless an impressive museum.

Tremendous exhibit of some of the masters. There are no explanations of the paintings so it is essential to get one of the guided tours to understand the history of the collection and the reasons for each piece and its location.

A small and easy to navigate you can see the whole thing then go to the nearby Franklin institute. The Barnes is a perfect place to go before exploring the Franklin institute and seeing the Rocky statue

A lot of paintings not available elsewhere. Really amazing. Take the time to look in every room and select what is the most interesting for you, otherwise one day is not sufficient ! Good restaurant available too.

An incredible collection of one man's obsession. Barnes really liked Renoir and Matisse. Too much of Mr R and really important from Mr M. But the Impressionists are all there, plus lots of older period art and artefacts. Almost too much, in fact.
The staff are hugely enthusiastic, if you have a question, and will search to find an answer if they do not know.
Personally it could do with a bit if thinning down, although I suspect that is against the Foundation rules.
Stunning building.

This is a beautiful modern building befitting such a beautiful collection. It is free of distracting visual details so the art dominates in each exhibit area. Even the public spaces are open, airy, and present a sense of calm and serenity. I recommend taking a guided tour as the paintings are hung in an unusual way per the instructions of the late Dr. Barnes. He had a vision for the way the art should relate to each other and in hanging the art in each room, the museum staff has stayed true to that vision. There are brochures in each room that name each item on the wall. There are no distracting descriptive placards next to each piece of art as normally seen in other museums. We toured each room on the first floor, which took us the better part of 3 hours. We will have to explore the second floor on another trip to Philadelphia. Even the outdoor space around the museum is beautifully designed and projects a sense of serenity. The collection is truly amazing. For people who are not art connoisseurs or regular museum visitors it is a very neat experience to step into those rooms and recognize painting after painting that have been seen in magazines, TV commercials, and other public applications. If you’re not an art lover, go anyway. It’s an amazing collection gathered from around the world by one man; an astounding feat for sure. Bring a sweater or jacket, we found the rooms to be chilly. I imagine this is to help preserve the paintings.

The Barnes Foundation is a museum full of works by Renoir, Cezanne and other Impressionists or more contemporary. The arrangement of the peppers is very singular which confuses a little at the beginning of the visit (works full the walls, no plaque tracing the name of the artist and his title, everything is done with an interactive application). In the end, what a collection!!!

Outstanding museum in a most impressive building. Dr. Barnes was quite a collector of a variety of art...we especially enjoyed the current exhibit of Native American art from the Southwest. Really gorgeous and interesting items.

The Barnes in Philadelphia has gorgeous paintings, but I found the experience to be less than satisfying. I went to the 20 minute intro (not very lively or engaging) and learned about the collection and that rooms were arranged by certain artistic themes. The example were given was a room with elongated emphasized faces,,,,okay. We were supposed to figure out the other themes on our own as part of the learning experience, so no one was telling us what to see. That sounds great, but I could have used some more guidance. Many of the paintings were not labeled as to artist, so we were supposed to to use QR codes or the guides. My phone was running low and some rooms didn't have enough guides, so I had to try to read plates on paintings or try to recognize the artists (I'm familiar with impressionist artists, so I think I guessed pretty well). It was frustrating, but with that being said, the multitude of Renoirs, Manets, Cezannes, Picassos, etc were just incredible. I just think I could have enjoyed it more if it was a little more user friendly

Beautiful museum. But the $22 (for members, $45 for non) Highlights tour was not worth it- there are MANY tours being conducted on Saturday- very hard to hear the docent. Also, the intellectual level of the tour was best suited for perhaps a middle school student. I was expecting more since the price was high, but I've been to many free docent tours at other museums that were far more interesting. And if you are a member, make sure to pay parking BEFORE you leave to get the discount - otherwise, you'll have to pay regular rates at the gate.

We visited the Barnes foundation last weekend and we definitely need to go back. The art collection is amazing and they do a great job at making sure that it doesn’t get crowded inside. You can appreciate the art not having to worry about finding your way though the crowd. The gift shop is also very nice. Highly recommend visiting!

Our first visit to the Barnes Foundation's new location on the Avenue of the Arts, actually the Benjamin Franklin Parkway (by the way, in my opinion the very best of Philly is right there, alongside those 1.5 miles between Love Park and the Philadelphia Museum of Art).

Wealthy businessman and dedicated (not to say compulsive or fanatic but in the positive sense of those terms) art collector Dr. Albert Barnes amassed an incredible collection of visual, decorative, and object art and decreed in his will, that a public museum financed by the foundation he set up should exhibit the vast collection exactly the way it was displayed at his home during his lifetime.

A few years ago, the collection moved into a modern, well-conceived new building designed by Philly architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien.

Almost as amazing as the art was for me the Foundations' interactive app "Barnes Focus" which works on any smartphone with a web browser. In the galleries, the visiror simply navigates to barnesfoc.us and then uses the phone's camera to focus on a work of art and instantly receives both a picture and information about the piece. Moreover, by magnifying the picture, one can discover amazing details.
Not only that - if you leave your mail address, you also receive a listing of all works you have focused on during your visit, complete with pictures and information.

Wish this app would become a universal standard item for all great art museums.

This collection of art is wonderful, especially if you like Cezanne and Renoir. It's arranged in medium to small rooms, and all but one room have a bench located in the middle, from which you can view all the paintings. Rather than post labels at each painting, booklets are provided that give details on the paintings - so you can view the works and read about them when you're seated.

wow, there's so much going on behind these walls and doors. the first floor and half of the second floor truly captivated me. Renoir is my favorite painter and there were so many paintings i hadn't seen. i found it interesting to see his style progress through the years, to the point that his last paintings reminded me of Monet when he was losing his sight. i'm sure i missed some pieces because the display method is a bit hectic and overwhelming, but i loved what i did see. the mix with some Cezanne and Monet was really interesting. as we ranged into Modigliani and some of the statues, i lost interest. it's just not my thing.

I wish I could have seen the collection in the original site founded by Albert Barnes in Marion PA. He'd be rolling in his grave if he were to visit the new site. Of course, it's a great museum but that wasn't his intention.

Definitely watch the documentary, The Art of the Steal, before seeing the collection to better appreciate its history.

The Barnes collection has a spectacular array of artwork. It seems to be a mostly French Impressionist Collection (don’t rely on my classification, I am a novice art viewer and appreciator).

From the description, the artworks are basically displayed with no rhyme or reason other than it was shown in the display sule exactly as Barnes left the collection at his death.

If you have half a day while in Philly, by all means take the time to soak in this collection. The visit has personally fueled my appetite for appreciation of these works.

The most impressive, museums of impressionist and post-impressionist art that we have seen. Loads of Renoir, Cezanne, Picasso. Incredible place, we definitely will return.

It’s unique. Great collection, displayed in an idiosyncratic way that will both surprise and delight. Make sure you learn the story of the founder. I think he was a bit if a perv, to be honest.

By no contest Barnes is THE museum for enjoying Renoir and Cezanne master pieces.
It is however presenting some security issues which we faced when exiting our visit on 17 october 2024.
That day the museum was preparing an event in its hallway on the ground floor. This preparation required a rerouting of the access to the galleries and the use of a single elevator.
During our exit, this elevator stopped working and by the time a technician solved the problem, 15 minutes elapsed during which visitors among them wheelchairs and elderlies started to clamp together realizing no way out was set up in case of an emergency. Because of the event's preparation we had to take that elevator even if we were on the ground floor and one door away from "freedom". That door was fiercly defended by a museum clerc whose only message delivered to the stressed packed visitors was "I am refering to my supervisor".
In the end, the situation went back to normal. No supervisor showed up to apologize for the inconvenience and we left with the sour souvenir of how Barnes was considering its visitors.

This was my first visit to the Barnes, and it was overwhelming. So much art and history crammed into such a small space. The cramped conditions are a requirement of Dr. Barnes' will, so it's pointless to argue about that. However, the quality of those jammed together pictures is just amazing. You can't take it all in in just one visit. Mary Cassatt and Vincent Van Gogh are crammed in corners, and are hung near utterly unremarkable paintings from unknown artists. It's wild. You will never see a similar museum. Go visit. However, if you are still worried about crowds, this might not be the museum for for you.

What a mess. I understand Mr. Barnes had a specific theory about educating his audience, but it does NOT work. I think if fact he was in competition with the Phil Art Museum and he just bought as much as he could and jammed it densely on the walls. Very unpleasant experience. I will not return.

Coming from Australia where art of this caliber is rare, we spent an amazing afternoon at the Barnes Foundation. We arrived after the tours but went to a couple of the pop up talks by the Art Team. They are well worth attending and the team are super friendly and keen to chat. The entry is not cheap but well worth it when you consider how much art you can see in an afternoon. Once you listen to the talk and understand that you don’t really need to know who painted what, you feel a freedom to just stroll around and enjoy the vista. Good coffee can be had at the downstairs cafe too!

The Barnes features a private art collection. The art includes painting, furniture, sculpture, and numerous other items. It is displayed in a very unique style that really enhanced the experience. The building itself is beautiful. The staff really did a great job of managing the social distancing. I will go back again. This was a very unique and spectacular art experience.

I cannot imagine a museum with this many Renoir's and Cezanne's in one place. Plus Monet, Matisse, Van Gogh, Rouseau, and on and on. It was astounding. The web app provided, accessed via QR code and then using your phone camera to get more info on each painting, was the first time I've seen anything like that and was much appreciated. Plus they had booklets in each room.
Disappointing? Half the rooms were so dim I couldn't really see the painting as it should be seen, and placement of lighting created bad reflections. Also, to this layman, I could not see rhyme or reason to how the paintings were laid out within and across the rooms - maybe I just could not understand the relationships e.g. why some Renoirs were in one room and others were in other rooms. Or how they were collected with other artists. If there was a reason for the layout, that should have been made clear in each room. In addition, the big rooms had paintings stacked up to 15 feet high, and not just the big paintings. Imagine a 2' by 3' Renoir 15' high.
Imagine being in the same room as these treasures and not being able to see them well enough.
Cost: $25 to get in, plus $12 for parking. Despite the issues above, it was worth it to see this treasure trove.

I really appreciate art. However, the price of admission is WAY too high for such a small museum. $25 per person for a two level museum is steep; especially when the Philly Museum of Art down the street is magnitudes larger for the same price and you can even go and pay what you want on Wednesdays if that is too much for you. Most of the pieces at the Barnes were Renoir portraits of naked women. Boring art and artifacts left me feeling really sad that I wasted part of my last day in Philadelphia at this museum. I regret not going to the Philadelphia Museum of Art instead.

We wanted to go to a museum and not be exhausted. I researched the Barnes Foundation Museum, and couldn't believe I hadn't been there yet. The impressionists were amazing, and all of the surrounding art in context was a wonderful meal for the soul.

Magnificent modern architecture to show off fabulous mainly European art. Renoir, Picasso, Monet, Matisse and so many more. This is probably my favourite place in Philadelphia. Escape in a grand scale!

I believe you don’t need a ticket to get to the cafes and restaurants- try them - the settings are so restful.

Promotion - if you have an Indigo bicycle membership you get in free and $5 off for up to 4 people

Also free on the first Sunday. Great programs of pop-up 10 min talks about specific art works.

Exceptional Matisse murals and skied Renors and other rimpressionists and a small but excellent Native American pottery exhibit curated as in the original Barnes foundation building. Grab lunch or a snack at nearby Dim Sum & Noodle.

Well worth the trip. The collection is wonderful, if poorly displayed as they kept Barnes' "ensemble" layout of his impressionists and post-impressionists masterpieces. Much is hung too high or in corners that viewers can barely see into as the guards keep driving museum goers back behind the viewing lines. And what of the 200 or so pieces that are never on display due to curators living with Barnes' misplaced idea of freezing what is on display. Why didn't they build additional museum space for these, what must be, hidden gems when the new museum was built? At times the "museum" feels a little too much like a shrine to Barnes. Nonetheless, go and enjoy a truly great collection.

Not only is the art great and the space easy to move through, but the building itself is a work of art in its beautiful and simplistic design.

Great art museum that will immerse you in impressionist art. Next to Paris, Philadelphia has most impressionist art of any city in the world. Thanks to the Barnes. Beautiful

A must visit for lovers of Impressionist art, the Barnes Foundation houses the world’s largest collection of Renoirs (181 paintings) and works by Cezanne Degas, Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Matisse, Seurat, Sisley, Van Gogh and others. The collection also includes works by Modigliani and Picasso. All the art is arranged in “ensembles,” just as it was in the original Barnes in Merion before moving to Center City in 2012.
There is an app you can use to learn about each painting (barnesfoc.us). I was able to get it operational on my iPhone although it dropped several times and I had to restore it. Three Barnes staffers tried to get it up on my wife’s iPhone to no avail. We arrived at the 11:00 am opening, checked our coats, then had to wait 45 minutes online for access to the galleries. After touring the first-floor galleries, both of us needed to use the rest rooms (we’re 81 and 79, respectively). I asked the attendant if we would be allowed to proceed to the second floor when we returned but was told that we would have to get online again. We decided to take a pass.

Top notch collection. Free classroom introduction made visiting the collection much more interesting.

If you have any interest in art and history of Philadelphia it is a must-see! I suggest you read up on dr. Barnes and his eccentricities to enjoy the collection, unless you take a guided tour.

The staff spend more time bothering the visitors about coats, scarfs, trying to get us to strip down to minimum clothing, so much that it was a very unenjoyable experience, especially for the price. Without mention on the website, we were told we could not carry or wrap our jackets around our waist. The choice was pay to check them down the stairs (not enough pockets to carry valuables in my jacket) or wear them. The museum was so hot that wearing them made it almost unbearable, we sweated throughout the museum. One staff told me I almost knocked something over with my coat over my shoulders. He clearly made this up! There are no freestanding objects, no sculptures, nothing! But the worst was a staff telling me I had to check my thin scarf that I had wrapped around my wrist like a bracelet. Absurd!! It weighs about 1 or 2 ounces, no more bulky than a bangle. These staff made this a terrible experience!
We were told the admission price, asked for the senior price, and the staff looked dismayed that we asked for it even though we are clearly seniors.
There are no markers or signs with the date, artist, name of painting next to the paintings. Some rooms have well worn paper guides, some rooms had nothing. We tried the digital guide before entering but it zapped the battery too much so we had no information on the collection, not even a printed map inside that we could take a photo.
We paid $28 each for the ongoing abuse from the staff and no information on the collection. Waste of time and needed a shower after. Our visit to the PMA after this was a delight with very nice staff and much available information. SKIP THE BARNES!

I spent Saturday afternoon at The Barnes with another couple. We all enjoyed seeing our favorite impressionist artists. This museum is a feast for the eyes.
This was my second visit since it opened. I recommend an afternoon for all art lovers.

Great collection of (mostly) impressionist paintings. Well laid out, easy to navigate. Fantastic history, which is ignored. Should be a must see for children from Florida.

What a treat to see this remarkable collection. The building itself is stunning but the collection is what it's all about. Coming here is a rare opportunity to see such incredible works of art that you're likely only to see in this museum because the collection is kept intact. Don't miss it!

Small unique museum. Don’t miss the afternoon talk- gives an overview of the inventor who collected and curated the works with an amazing perspective.

The building is beautiful, but keeps the feel/experience of the original location. Wonderful mix of work on display.

My husband and I visited the Barnes while in Philadelphia. It had come highly recommended by others and did not disappoint. The museum holds the personal collection of a Mr. Barnes who amassed a huge collection of mostly impressionist art. It might be called the Renoir Museum there are so many by Renoir but also contains other impressionist painters as well. We spent about three hours going through the rooms and I was so engulfed I didn’t even take any pictures! There is a nice cafe for a break and they also featured a separate exhibit of a modern painter but we didn’t visit that. I highly recommend visiting this exceptional chance to see so many wonderful impressionist paintings!

The art is fabulous, but the barnes is one of the most officious and obnoxious places I have ever visited. They have lots of rules, and seem to delight about being unpleasant about enforcing them. We were there at lunchtime and went to their restaurant. We asked to see the menu -- the hostess gave it to us, let us take a look, and only after all that told us curtly that she had no tables available. Be forewarned, there is no information about the works on view int he main galleries; just a tiny plaque with the artist's name. All that said, they have a vast number of beautiful things.

Such amazing masterpieces displayed helter skelter on baby-poop walls interspersed with hoes, hinges, candlesticks, and other unrelated distractions. If ONLY they displayed the art work on clean, uncluttered walls! Still, it's a must-see collection and that's why I give it four stars.

Full disclosure - I am not a big "stand and stare at art" person. I appreciate it quickly and move on. To that end, Barnes is a great art museum for me. While not obviously labeled, there is an intended flow to walk through and each room is not too big with lots of pieces to view. Barnes has a fantastic app that lets you snap it with your phone and it tells you more information about the piece/artist. But the biggest benefit is you get that all sent to you after the fact via email. So now I can always look back on what I saw and relive the experience. This is not a 5-star review only because the bang for you buck isn't really there for me. The entrance fee to amount of stuff to see ratio is a little lacking for it to be a 5-star. Still well worth the time.

Wonderful new setting. Enjoyed the printed guides for each room. alot of paintings stuffed into each. Heavy on Renoirbut with reasonable representation of Pissaro and other impressionists. The Matisse mural was most favorably displayed.

Terrific collection housed in a beautiful museum. I went on a Saturday afternoon when it was far too crowded to fully enjoy the splended art. Visitors were almost all maskless. COVID, what's that?

One of the best museums in the world. The Barns has an incredible collection of impressionist and post impressionist paintings. It is mind boggling that one man managed to acquire such a collection. A can’t miss when visiting Philadelphia.

For people like us who favor impressionist and post-impressionist art this place is paradise. We paid for the individual guided tour which is pricey but for us was well worth it. We loved every minute.

If you have one museum to visit - this is the one. Intimate and amazing collection of all the artists you have heard of with artwork you won't see anywhere else. The art app (free) was amazing and much more fun than typical art museums (and it sends you a list of all the art you highlighted).

Don't miss this!

First time visit to the new location. I saw the collection twice, years ago in Lower Merion. This museum is beautiful. I was very impressed with this collection when I saw it in Lower Merion and the reproduction of the viewing rooms in the museum are exactly as they were in Lower Merion. On a site note, the restaurant at the Barnes is very good too.

Loved this museum. It is manageable. Sometimes in museums I start to feel tired and dizzy from walking around and trying to find crowded exhibits. This museum had small rooms with gorgeous work displayed. And there usually were seats in each room. We went to the cafe and had a snack and even that was good. Definitely going back!

We had a brilliant one hour tour with a very passionate and knowledgable guide. The extra money we paid for this tour was well worth it as our guide was able to give us an in-depth background to the pieces of art that we were viewing. Without having a guide we would have missed so much of the knowledge linked to the laying out of the art on the walls as well as the focus on the colour, the line and technique of each of the pieces of art we viewed during the tour.

My wife and I visited the Barnes Foundation in March 2022. I purchased a membership for 2022 and began to put it to use. As you enter the museum, you can upload scanning technology to your iPhone which we did. Then as you look at each painting, you can scan it with your iPhone and information on and an explanation of the painting pops up on your iPhone. I thought this was a great service that greatly enhanced our visit compared to our first visit a few years ago. The museum has a fantastic collection which includes 181 Renoir paintings, 69 Cezanne paintings, 59 Matisse paintings and 46 Picasso paintings. In addition there were several paintings by Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, Gaugin, Seurat, Modigliani and many others. Thanks to my membership we received a discount on the parking. There is a bookstore and gift shop in the basement as well as a coatroom (visitors must check their coats). It is a fantastic museum and I look forward to going again one or more times this year.

Fantastic building with extraordinary number of impressionists but of wildly varying quality (many small studies) and the worst hanging of any gallery I have ever visited. Far too many pictures on display, in no order that is discernible, and mixed style/period.
Some of the best pictures are hung in the worst places eg corner of the room with another picture abutting the field of vision and impossible to see properly without a chorus of ‘behind the Brown line!’
Order seemed to be determined by where there was a gap in the wall, put in a picture.

Fantastic art collection, very well laid out.
They have an in house app which allows to get more in formation on the exhibits by just using your smartphone camera, the app will also email you the pictures you viewed.
A great way to get to know more about the art and the artists.
A very pleasant way to spend 2-3 hours.

This museum is quite a bit smaller than the P.Museum of Art. It's quaintness lends itself to closer viewing.

The Barnes collection is mind-blowing! The lecture on El Greco and Hyacinth was very informative. Tthe docent was knowledgeable and friendly. The female security guard on the first floor goes a long ways toward ruining the entire experience! No matter where one stands, she is right on top of you. This is when she is not fying from room to room. This is supposed to be a quiet experience in an art museum. Has anyone told her?

I've never seen such an exhaustive collection of Renoir and Cezanne's, but that's not necessarily a good thing. There are pamphlets in each room with information about each piece, but the main way to identify the art is via the website using photo imaging. So make sure your smartphone is FULLY CHARGED and take a backup battery if you have one. Second, learn about the Dr. Barnes and his collection before you go. Dr. Barnes was a collector and arranged the art in what he thought was a way to get people to think about the art and he also changed the arrangement periodically, but it's now fixed in the arrangement when he died. I found the number of paintings and the arrangement overwhelming, and it was weird to be so tied to my phone. I wish I had understood there was thought behind it (including the symmetric arrangements), not just a rich man showing off his art. There are docents scattered about, but they can be long-winded.
Finally, I think this a must-see museum but do some reading in advance to get the most out of it.

The Barnes Foundation is a do not miss museum in Philadelphia. It is a marvelous collection of 20th Century art. We took the premier tour which was very informative and interesting. Our guide was knowledgeable and informed concerning the presentation of the collection. The art is in numerous rooms just the way it was in Dr. Barnes' home. It can be overwhelming this is why I would recommend taking a tour.

Lots of pictures in a relatively smaller space. Arranged not by period or type, making unusual collections in each room

The admission fee for Barnes Museum is overpriced. There are not as many arts to see compared to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. However, Barnes charges the same price as PMA. Too many paintings display in small crowded rooms that it's very difficult to appreciate each piece of art. The staff were not friendly and were always afraid that people would damage their arts. An inconsiderate tour guide brought a small group of 5 people standing in front of Van Gogh painting talking for 30 minutes, not letting any other people take a closer look at the painting. It's such a horrible arrangement that it totally ruined my experience touring the museum.

This is such an interesting museum! My 17 year old & I visited in a Sunday morning, shortly after they opened. We bought tickets once we arrived but you can buy ahead of time online as well. I appreciate that 17 & under tickets are only $5! The grounds are lovely & peaceful—definitely nice to walk around outside a bit. Inside, we first stopped in to see the special exhibit on William Edmondson, a Black artist who sculpted pieces in Tennessee. Really interesting & he was an artist we’d never heard of before. Then we went through both floors of the permanent exhibits. It’s so interesting to see the paintings & other art & how they are grouped together. So much to see! It’s easy to spend as much or as little time as you’d like here. We saw several guided tours & several people listening to audio recordings. We decided to just walk & look & had a great time. I’m glad we finally visited here & highly recommend this museum!

We started our day at the Barnes’ Garden Restaurant. A place that combines beauty, peacefulness, & wonderful food. We enjoyed the most delicious carrot/apple/ginger soup. After lunch we joined our guide & small group of travelers to tour this incredible & interesting museum. I have been to the Barnes about 4 times but this was my first time with a guide. I highly recommend it. We both learned so much not only about the art but also the history & the building itself. If visiting Philadelphia (or live here) I highly recommend you try to fit this wonderful place in your itinerary.

Huge collection of the world’s greatest art including Renoir, Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Matisse, Cezanne and more. interesting juxtaposition of old and new. Download the app which is provided at the desk, point your smart phone to the pictures and get complete descriptions and histories. This will then be emailed to you!

Excellent art museum with a permanent collection and a large gallery for temporary shows too. They have a good restaurant and lovely gardens outdoors. Plus it is located very close to many Philadelphia Institutions: The Museum of Art, the Rodin, the Franklin Institute and much more.

We had the pleasure of visiting the gallery and not only seeing the remarkable Impressionist collection but also the 30 Americans exhibit which was also of high quality

The museum itself is a wonderful architectural setting in its own right highlighting wonderfully minimalist spaces inside and out

A understanding the Impressionist collection was enhanced by a presentation by one of the volunteers in the library before we starting. This helped understand the motivation for Barnes in assembling it his philanthropy and holistic approach to sharing the greatness of the contributors of the artists

The Impressionist collection is arguably one of the finest in the world. It is housed in rooms a replica of the Doctors house so rooms are small and loaded with works. Do not expect a grand contemplate gallery to this extent, it is unapologetically original

The American exhibition was exciting and thought provoking

Addition of App to view the works
A nice touch

Well done!

We had never heard about the Barnes until our Hop On, Hop Off tour guide mentioned it. We decided to check it out and were impressed with the shear number of master artists in one place. It was a bit confusing to find the ticket booth and more confusing figuring out the layout and where we should go to see the collection. Getting in and out scanning our phone tickets was a little cumbersome and if someone else was struggling you were stuck there for a bit. Overall worth the visit.

We have had this museum on our to do list for years. Finally got there and it was absolutely breathtaking and exhilarating. Dr Barnes had a wonderful eye and once you understand how he elected to display his art it s even more enjoyable. His Renoir’s are legion. I like them a bit more than in the past but the other artists, Modigliani, Cezanne. Van Gogh,Picasso Prendergast, Soutine shine through. There were even a few Klees who I am passionate about. And to top it off the museum is exqusite, small and user friendly and the dining room comfortable with great food.
We were so glad to have finally gotten to see this treasure to Philadelphia, the country and the world. Bravo, Dr Barnes!!

The Barnes Foundation has a dizzying number of well-known painters' works. You will be astounded by predominantly celebrated European master work upon celebrated work. Barnes' uniquely crafted "ensembles" with his focus on line, color, light and space was an obscure concept to me. I overheard a docent describing the layout of the paintings to her tour group, but it seemed like the reasoning was pulling at straws to make a connection. But, my confusion may be a a recommendation for registering for the docent tour! The museum itself is spectacular and takes about 2 hours or more if you stop for longer on one of its numerous benches or have a coffee at the coffee shop where artists share their enthusiastic discoveries and unlock the possibilities of their future creations.

I do single out an issue with data collection and the museum's paperless approach. I paid cash upon entry yet the museum questioned for "survey data collection" my phone number, my address, my zip code, my full name, and my e-mail while in the ticket line in earshot of other museum goers. They would not accept a "prefer not to answer' response, except the e-mail. Upon entry and exiting the rooms, the visitor must swipe their entry ticket (to keep track of the number of people). Shouldn't you give the visitor the right to keep information private? What is happening to that data? Is there a shelf-life or is it being stored forever? Are they selling it to others? Data collection should be less overt and more seamless, if at all. Also, in the aftermath of "Covid", they have gone paperless. To see the names of the paintings with small blurbs, you must use your smartphone with the reasoning that people's gazes remain on the paintings rather than their heads in a book. Nonetheless, dodging phones being used as cameras is the norm as in many tourist sites. Maps of the museum are hard to come by - I found one on a table when I had finished my tour.

Beautiful grounds and building; impressive collections of 19th and 20th century artists. A delightfully surprising amount of Cezanne, Renoir, and Monet paintings in amongst many impressive works. Social distancing was enforced by limiting the number of people in the museum at any time of the day and also in each interconnected room. Worth an hour's investment...

We visited the old location for this museum and this was the first exposure to the new location within the city proper. The permanent exhibits are true to the setting of the former location .

There are some absolute treasures of art in this building, but the way it is curated is confusing and detracts from the art. They’d be better off, showing fewer pieces with informative signage rather than cramming the walls with everything and relying on a QR code mobile guide that doesn’t work half the time. It’s too bad. There’s some lovely art here, use my reciprocity membership to get in free

The Barnes Foundation is a collection of mostly post-Impressionist art. The collection is displayed on two floors with a total of about 20 rooms, and we covered just about everything, in detail, in about 3 hours.

The artist with the most paintings displayed is Renoir (181 are owned by the foundation; I don't know how many were displayed but there were a lot!). There are also a very large number of Cessanzes and Matisses, a few Van Goghs, a small number of Seurat, Corbet, Manet, Picasso, El Greco, and (AFAIK) a single Frans Hals.

The paintings are displayed in a very eclectic way, according to the wishes of Dr Barnes, the original owner of the collection, now long deceased. Not all paintings are at eye level, some are hung high over other paintings, and there is no obvious rhyme or reason as to why a given painting is next to some other painting.

Unlike other art history museums, there are no plaques next to the paintings to describe who painted it, when or where it was painted, or what the subject matter is.
Instead, there are two tools available: in each room there are a few papers listing each piece of art with a small picture with the artist and date. In addition, the Foundaton hosts a website with special technology; On your smart phone, you use your browser to go to their website. The phone's camera is taken over by the website, and when you aim your phone at a painting on the wall, the web browser displays a page that tells you about the art work. This tends to drain your phone's battery fairly quickly, and the technoogy is somewhat flaky in that it can take a while to get the phone to recognize the art work. It's kind of impressive yet a bit of a pain to deal with.

The museum is not cheap at $30 per adult but students are only $5.
We found parking right outside on Ben Franklin Parkway, and paid $6 for 4 hours through the meter machine on the sidewalk.

There is a small café and a small bookshop inside.

If you don't like Impressionist or post-impressionist works, don't go.
There is just about nothing else here.
But if you like being surrounded by Renoir, it's a great place to be.

Extraordinary collection of Impressionist art plus some art from other eras. Many reviews focus correctly on the sheer volume of art here particularly Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse and Picasso. But the venue is not without its issues. You cannot wear any kind of light jacket although hoodies seemed acceptable. This is enforced very fiercely by the staff. The choice of who has to check their jacket in and who doesn’t also seemed pretty arbitrary. Heavy coats and big jackets I could understand. Several people like me having to walk around in thin shirts or tee shirts … and it’s not warm! Spoilt the experience. You also need your phone if you want any information about the paintings. Barnes also had a fairly eccentric and unique way to display the art meaning that paintings are piled high up the wall. Maybe it was because I got so cold but the visit could have been better.

There is some nice art here for a smallish museum. They have a massive collection of Renior, who happens to be my favourite artist. I'm not sure I like the way you get information on the art which is through an app.

I also found the museum (or some of its patrons) to be a bit pretentious. There seems to be this air of superiority amongst people in the place that just doesn't sit well with me. i disliked this part of the place.

Give it two hours here at the most and you'll cover it all.

Outstanding Impressionist art! Gallery after gallery showcasing great art. The museum building is the perfect setting. Parking easy, staff friendly and the City of Philadelphia looks great. The museum's backstory is interesting as well! Highly recommended if you love art!

In Philadelphia for a conference and had some free time. My spouse and I had heard of the Barnes Foundation collection so we walked over from the Convention Center. A nice walk.
The admission is very reasonable $25 a person.
The collection is impressive. Corot, Braque, Lautrec, Monet, Manet, Cassat, Seurrat, Miri, el Greco, Van Gogh, Sisley, some Flemish school and nd - a MASSIVE about of Renoir large pink nudes. Wonderful Picassos, many many Cezannes. A MASSIVE amount of Matisses. There is also African Art, religious art of the 15 and 16 hundreds and, interestingly, a wonderful extensive collection of furniture hardware.
Why do I go through all this list? Because the volume of materials is overwhelming. We spent three wonderful hours but felt that, IMHO, it could use some editing, or, failing that, a printed guide that would highlight those pieces in each of the 14 rooms as it was frustrating to try to take it all in.
The collection exists for art education and may need to remain intact for that purpose.

Next time we will arrange for a guided tour which should help appreciate this collection more fully.

As it stands the collection is a bit of a “data dump”.

What a surprise. This is an overwhelming experience and a really well curated museum and all due to an entrepreneurial and most likely eccentric Philanthropist.

I have seen many art museums but I have never seen as many Renoir’s and Cézanne in one museum.

It is overwhelming and wonderful.

Can truly recommend a visit and I recommend starting with the 25 minute introduction given in “the classroom”

Really amazing collection. If you can go to one of the intro talks that explain the mind of Albert Barnes and his unusual approach to art display. It seems chaotic and confusing at first, but he had his methods. You will never see more Renoirs at once. And if you have time, the restaurant is EXCELLENT. We spent most of the day there and really left because of fatigue more so than actually being done. There is a good app for those people that are frustrated by lack of signage.

I believe it is the most beautiful museum I have ever been to, there is a huge amount of works, organized in an exemplary way. The building is beautiful and I believe the exhibitions of Renoir and Monet are fixed

I came here with my wife right before Thanksgiving and we had a blast. The staff were great. The ambiance was amazing. And the place itself is just incredible. There is so much to do in Philly but this is definitely in my top!

There's a truckload of Renoirs in this place including a lot of the really horrible ones. But there is also an impressive array of his early better pieces as well as some gorgeous Cezannes and a Van Gogh or two. Located in a subtle and sleek modern building the collection is definitely worth a visit. The place is laden with docents and guides who do a marvelous job to inform and instruct.

The Barnes museum always has a great collection of art and also they have special events there fundraisers that are really lovely to go to holiday parties it’s a exquisite place to go and enjoy the evening

Organized like a cluttered junk shop. My eye didn’t know where to look. Absolutely detested the choice to display fine art this way. Slip this and hit up the real art museum up the road. Two thumbs down.

If you like impressionists, this is a must see. Gorgeous building and fascinating to see how Albert Barnes laid out the works.
Enhance the experience by using the website barnesfoc.us where you can hold your phone up to an artwork and instantly get information on it.

The Barnes Foundation is an absolutely magnificent building from outside. And the collection is just unbelievable : an incomparable number of Renoirs and Cézannes plus many Matisses and other artists of the French impressionist era. The inside of this place has its drawbacks though : the tapestries are a bit too old-fashioned in some rooms and there are too many paintings hanging on each wall, which gives (sometimes) the impression that they have been put here without thinking about how some of them could have been highlighted.

Everyone who visits Philly must visit this museum-its unique and not too big-homey atmosphere--located in house-went during an event when I was in Philly for a conference-

Room after room of remarkable art. It is almost too much. Imagine 181 works by Renoir alone! See the orientation to the Barnes which i done hourly. The special exhibit of the work of Marie Laurenein is also quite wonderful. Our only disappointment was the cafe which has a very limited offering compared to other comparable museums (we should have tried the Garden Restaurant).
At one time there was a limited admission policy and timed tickets but this no longer seemed to be the case.

I would recommend people skip this museum and spend more time at the Philadelphia Museum of Art instead. I found this museum very disappointing. The art seems to me to be second rate. The paintings are displayed very close to each other--the walls are full of paintings. In addition, the works are in plain frames to save space, I suspect. It just does not give one the experience of a real art museum. It does not show the works to advantage. I am afraid this place will turn people off to art museums if they have not experienced the really famous ones. Using cell phones to identify the works just does not do it for me either.

We recaptured 75% of the cost of membership in visits while in Phily for a few days and now either have to go to Paris or return here one time to get our money out of the membership. The world's largest collection of Renoirs means that if you appreciate impressionist art, this is a must see. I noted that one person who gave this a terrible rating gave it such because the names of the artists are not identified on the wall. They are written on the picture frames. I did not see them at first. The other really cool thing was the app that lets you point your phone and it then tells you information on the painting. Sometimes really briefly and sometimes some good details. After going through, I learned that the metal door hinges on the wall are meant to add to the painting nearby as the shape of the hinge is complimentary to some element in the painting. People are complaining that they turned a private collection that the public was not allowed to see into a pay to see museum. Better now than when it was all hidden, in my mind. And the staff were super friendly in our experience. And knowledgable about art.

The Barnes Foundation is home to one of the most extraordinary and idiosyncratic art collections in the country, if not the world. The sheer depth of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modern works — from Renoir and Cézanne to Matisse and Picasso — is staggering. Dr. Albert Barnes had an unorthodox approach to collecting and displaying art, and his unique “ensembles” offer a completely different way to experience visual relationships between works.

That said, visiting the Barnes also brings with it a layer of controversy that’s hard to ignore. The museum was originally housed in Merion, Pennsylvania, and Barnes’ will very explicitly stated his desire that the collection never be moved or altered. Despite this, the collection was ultimately relocated to Philadelphia in 2012 — a move that critics argue violated his legacy in favor of broader accessibility and institutional control.

The new building is sleek and beautiful, and the curators have done an admirable job preserving the idiosyncratic spirit of the original layout. But for those who value donor intent and the integrity of artistic vision, the move remains a sticking point — a tension between access and authenticity.

A must visit and make sure you have time for lunch at the lovely garden restaurant.

The permanent collection here is scattered and difficult to enjoy. The way the place is set up, without individual tags on the pieces, and no real theme or logical progression of the art is disconcerting at best. However, the "30 Americans" special exhibition was excellent, and I did enjoy the cafe.

Any review of this fantastic venue seems to be an understatement. A must for any art lover. And for anyone who could be interested in a beautiful learning experience. The app that identifies every art piece and sends all your scans to your e mail was impressive. It was my main objective when I chose Philly and it was well worth it

What a wonderful and unique experience! So many Renoirs, Matisses, etc. Actually, mind boggling! Dr. Barnes' theory of viewing art was a revelation. The Cafe is delightful. Two hours is enough for your first visit. A second visit will allow you to spend time with works that truly speak to you.

I mean, I've heard about Barnes and have been to the city many times, but I always slept on it. Don't. Its beautiful and full of treasures.

Recommend the "lesson" before starting the tour. It made our understanding and appreciation of the Barnes collection a much better experience. It's an incredible collection!

There is no other art museum like the Barnes. The greatest collection of Cezannes and Renoirs ever owned by a single collector, and many other masterpieces, presented in a highly idiosyncratic manner. Superb.

This last visit was my first to the "new" Barnes. Minus the difficulty of gaining admission to the Merion location, all the brilliance of the collection survives. It's hard -- no make that impossible -- to imagine that all of these works were under one roof and collected privately: it's probably the single most important collection of Cezanne in the States. The personal touch of the manner in which the collection was hung in its original setting is meticulously maintained, and one can now take a break at the restaurant to re-energize when necessary. If the permanent collection is not enough, there is a special exhibit space; when I visited a retrospective of Suzanne Valadon, work that enhanced the overwhelming experience of the Barnes itself. The Barnes is a world class collection, conveniently housed in city center.

An interesting, and contemporary building on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, promoting art and horticulture.

The Barnes foundation has a truly magnificent collection. Everyone thinks of Barnes as housing so many of the Impressionists, and that collection is unparalleled, but the collection is much broader than this one group. For example, there are many southwestern and Mexican retablos of excellent quality from some of the 19th and early 20th century Santero masters scattered throughout the museum, as well as many other European and American paintings from many different centuries.
The Barnes also has a fine coffee bar and a quality restaurant, plus a small shop with books and reproductions. A fine visit to this museum will be rewarding.

This was a really fascinating experience and there were some really beautiful artworks on display.

The way the rooms are laid out and left open to visitors interpretation made this a totally unique visit.

I also attended a short presentation which was engaging and really interesting.

The space was relaxing and I would definitely visit again.

This is my third time to the Barnes. It never disappoints even though it’s a small collection it’s just so unique in its history and scale. The new Museum is such an improvement over the old one… So if you saw the old one and haven’t seen this one, it’s a must see.

If you like Impressionist art, especially Renoir, this is your place. There are paintings by other artists including Monet Mamet, Picasso and others. Plan to spend a few hours enjoying the art.

The Barnes has been a wonderful addition to the Benjamin Frankly Parkway in downtown Philadelphia. The museum and it's exterior grounds add so much to the area. The nicely landscaped exterior grounds have nice water features and seating for pedestrians to sit and enjoy the green space of the parkway. This area is open to anyone who wishes to walk around it and enjoy the scultpures and other features.

The museum is home to Dr. Barnes' world class collection of impressionist art, antique furniture and other collectibles. The Barnes regularly offers special exhibits and workshops for all ages. They have also a large space where they have feature musical and dance performances which are included with the price of admission.

We have mixed feelings about our visit to this museum. It has many wonderful pictures, but as others have said, the hanging is overwhelming and forces a particular style of gallery visit that we dislike ( wandering past many pictures). We noticed a number of people walking vaguely through, mainly the lower galleries. No floor plan, so you are forced to wander through and no labels, so you are forced to use their app, which doesn’t cover all the pictures.

Good cafe with delicious vegan soup and a lovely lady serving. Would we go again to use the second day on our ticket….? Mmmmm, maybe not.

Repeat visitor. Always outstanding - as other reviewers will note, fantastic collection of French Impressionism, but more besides. It's all top notch. Two nits prompt this review. Post-covid, they've done away with the handy cards that identiy paintings - that's a serious loss. Second is that i happened on a free first Sunday - wait in line to get ticket, wander around and wait for your slot. Not too bad - but it does end up being a bit crowded, particularly if you follow your natural inclination moving from room to room, some are small at at times it does feel uncomfortable. You're conscious of not lingering too long to look, yet some of the pieces are so good, you really would like more ... time ... to contemplate / wthout feeling as if you're holding up the shuffle.

We went to the Rousseau show at the Barnes recently and also toured the main collection. This museum is such a gem. Finest paintings per square inch compared to anywhere I have ever been. Staff is super helpful and friendly too.

This museum is quite different from other art museums in that the paintings are arranged in what may seem a haphazard method. Dr. Barnes was somewhat of a noncomformist & insisted the paintings be arranged by what he thought looked nice together with no regard to artist or period. Various artifacts may be interspersed among the paintings hung over a piece of furniture he collected. The collection of primarily Impressionalists is beyond compare with Renoir leading the pack. It is definitely worth a few hours for any art lover.

There is a wonderful app for your phone at barnesfoc.us. You point your phone at any painting and it gives you the information. So wonderful! Much nicer than using the audio tours. It allowed us to wander at our own pace and look up information on specific paintings or art. The staff was incredibly helpful anytime we had trouble with the app.
We toured the rooms on the 1st floor, then took a lunch break and then toured the 2nd floor. A stop by the giftshop at the LL was fun as well,
We were fortunate to stumble upon a lecture on impressionism that was starting in a few minutes as we passed the lecture area. Oh my-- what a skilled presenter!!! Very interesting information on the origins of impressionism.
Lunch in the Garden Cafe was a lovely experience. The food was delicious and the surroundings serene. We were seated along the glass wall and my view was of the garden and reflecting pool.
Two of my most cultured friends had mentioned the Barnes during a dinner we shared in NYC. Both had commented that it was their favorite museum in the world. I certainly appreciated learning about this. It was a perfect day trip from Baltimore. We plan to return and enjoy it again.

Do not over sell tickets as we found out once we arrived at the Modigliani exhibit. A 1 1/2 hour wait to get in to see the work, a timed ticket for 2:00 only meant you got in to the building, not the exhibit. Outrageous! We got our money back which is hardly satisfying. We traveled a great distance and were treated very badly. This was my 3rd visit to the Barnes and I will NEVER return!

Fabulous experience. Such a variety of art and memorabilia arranged is interesting combinations to stimulate looking at this era in a new way.

I really like this place calming and charming. The staffs are very nice and helpful. The wonderful collections with Dr. Bernes inspirations and meanings. It must see in Philadelphia. I recommend reserving online before you visit since they limit numbers for the visitors.

An indescribably extraordinary art collection now housed in an extraordinarily faithful recreation of the original mansion displays, but now displayed in state of the art world class architecture for a broader audience to enjoy.

Has to be one of the largest collections of Renoir and Cezanne. Over the course of four decades, Dr. Barnes assembled what is now considered one of the world's greatest collections of impressionist, post-impressionist, and early modernist European paintings, with works by Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Chaim Soutine.
He was not a fan of cubism.

It's crazy to think a private citizen like Dr. Barnes could compile an art collection like this but here it is. 2 floors, room after room, wall to wall, floor to 10/15 feet up of art. Van Goghs, Picassos, Renoits, Degas, Cezannes are all over. Many famous works, too. The temporary exhibit was of de Kooning and Chaim Soutine. Everything was great. This is a museum on par with the greats in the art world. We bought timed tickets a few days beforehand. The walk from our hott el in Rittenhouse to the Museum was about 20 mins. 25 bucks each, we spent almost 3 hours here. Would see why the TA community has this place ranked so high. We highly recommend it.

This museum had one of the best Impressionist collections I’ve ever been to. Fantastic! I loved the way the art was displayed. Highly recommend.