The Barnes Foundation

Incredible collection, but a bit overwhelming for a one time visit.

My wife & I had a «spare day» and decided to visit the relocated Barnes Foundation. The first experience was parking in. It is a pleasure, and leads directly to the museum building. The architecture & grounds creates a lovely serene environment (a wow!).
lobby provides a lovely transitional from the outside. And then the collection!!!
My wife & I were astonished that one person had the wealth and taste to amass so much beauty. The collection of Renoir’s, Picasso’s, El Greco’s. Van Gogh’s, Cezanne’s, and on & and on, were overwhelming!!! I look forward to returning to the wonderland Barnes created.

While the building is meant to showcase the large private collection of the late Dr. Barnes, it is itself the star. Any photographs you may have seen do not do justice to the superbly detailed architecture and fine craftsmanship that make this a place to experience. The exterior spaces are refined and elegant, too. I know I am supposed to comment on the collection, but I felt it was that — collecting a lot of stuff, with but a few truly noteworthy and remarkable items among the many on display. Come enjoy the collection, but savor the building.

It’s been nearly two decades that my wife and I visited the original Barnes Foundation in Merion PA. We thought it was fabulous back then. Over the years we’ve always said ‘let’s go to the new Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia’. Well finally we went this past Monday. We decided on the spur of the moment to go and there were tickets available all day. We got there about 1 o’clock and there were very few people. We were able to park on their lot for $ 12. The new Barnes Foundation is basically a building within a building. The exterior is stunning. Its location in the city has been transformed to give you the idea you’re in the country. But once you enter Doctor Barnes gallery you are transfixed for hours. Although we were there for about two and a half hours I can easily see for the afficianado spending the entire day there. The collection is set up according to Dr Barnes wishes. It’s a very eclectic way of viewing art. He was most interested in the post impressionist paintings and he probably has the largest collection of Renoir, Cezanne and other post impressionist painters. It is stunning. My only regret is that I haven’t visited many times before. The admission price of $ 25 will be the best you spend. This is a great place to take your friends, your family, and guests. They will thank you.

^ 5 stars & worth it to visit this art gallery if 1) you’re a student (w/​valid id) and 2) it’s a weekday bc then the admission is free. Otherwise, you have to pay $ 10 if you’re a student visiting on a weekend or $ 25 if you’re an adult. I would say the gallery is rather small to justify the hefty $ 25 fee, which, I gather, has led to the dissatisfaction of some reviewers.
Outside Barnes is quite beautiful and a great place to take artsy pictures. I really like how Barnes organized his collection. He didn’t conform to the usual criterion of genre and time period to separate the artwork but juxtaposed pieces from the 1600s and 1900s in a way that made sense to him. I loved listening to the audio. I loved how the rooms were quite small, with a bench in the middle. You sit down and you’re only 3 feet away from the artwork. There are no labels below each painting (the pieces are explained in a booklet you can find in a slot in the bench), so the ensemble of paintings really exude an organic feel to them.
There’s a café and a complimentary coatcheck and seriously nice bathrooms (each individual stall has its own sink & mirror) in the basement.
I do have to mention, though, some of the rude staff that we encountered during our visit. One security person practically yelled at visitors to stay at least a foot away from the artwork. Then, another staff member said with a glare, «I’m talking here» when we unintentionally interrupted him. I thought it was odd to face these experiences at a place like Barnes.
But overall, come if you can avoid the regular admission price; you won’t be disappointed!

Nice place with an extensive collection of artwork from around the world. We came to see the Picasso exhibit, and toured the permanent collection as well. I’m not much of an art person, but we still spent better than 3 hours walking around, looking at everything. Very interesting place.
Small coffee shop and gift shop on the lower level.

The Barnes Foundation is really an incredible collection. The amount of Renoirs is astounding and since I love Renoir, I love this collection.
I enjoyed this place when it was in the suburbs and was curious to see the new building in Philly. It did not disappoint. It really is incredible how much artwork Dr. Barnes was able to collect.
I would definitely recommend a visit here. The audio tour is included with your admission and although it only talks about a few of the paintings in each room, it still was worth listening to. Allow at least two hours if you are doing the audio tour. You could easily spend more time here but two hours was enough for me.
There is a private parking lot that is small but if you are going early or on a day that it is not crowded, you should be able to park there. It is $ 12 to park.
The restaurant in the foundation is mostly salads, no sandwiches and is kind of expensive. Definitely not kid friendly.
Small gift shop has some unique items. Admission was $ 20 for an adult. I would consider membership if you live in the area.

Wonderful collection of the late Dr. Barnes. Never saw a museum quite like this! Paintings were grouped and arranged in a unique way with architectural pieces (door knockers, keys and metal works) as well as furniture on display as well! Worth the trip if you are in the city. Would recommend getting an audio tour iPod (free with admission) to better experience. There were private docents going around as well. Great for the kids. As a teacher, I was listening in to a docent on a family tour… They are VERY good with kids and asked great, probing questions so the children could experience the art as well. Learned alot of info on Picasso, Renoir, Van Gogh, etc.

They didn’t let us in because I had a stroller!!!
Completely incompetent!!! They also wouldn’t give our money back!!! I was forced to wait an hour. The security supervisor could not explain why other strollers and wheelchairs got in. The lady at the frond desk laughed and they sent someone that wasn’t a supervisor to talk to us. we were forced to be humiliated at the front!!!

An unique museum, it really stands out as the vision of one eccentric rich person who had unusual ideas about how to arrange paintings around a wall.
Lucky for us that he had good taste, and also that the state of Pennsylvania went through legal hoops to get his collection out of his old house and to Philly for all of us to enjoy.(1)
There are so many Renoirs here you’ll get sick of Renoir. If I never see another Renoir again, I’ll be fine. There are almost as many Cezannes, but I could never tire of Cezanne. Cezanne’s painted oranges are almost better than the eating of real, ripe oranges.
There’s a Cross and a Signac, both beautiful. Not so many Picassos but the ones here are from his Blue period and are excellent. One rare Van Gogh nude, and also his famous Postman, which is referenced a billion times in movies and pop media anytime someone stands in front of colorful wallpaper. Also Modiglianis and Soutines and Pascins, and quite a few painters less known. (There’s also non-​European art, but European modern art from the 19^th-​20^th centuries really dominates.)
It’s a small museum compared to places like the Met or even MoMA, but it’s densely and uniquely packed. You could probably have a good visit in under two hours, but I was here 4 – 5 and it felt like not enough. To quote a stranger I chatted with during my visit, «This place really keeps on giving.»
(1) Speaking of legal hoops, if you’re curious, there’s a movie about this:

In the long tradition of eccentric zillionaires bequeathing huge art collections to be viewed in their home (or in this case a strangely reconstructed facsimile), the Barnes shows that money can’t buy me love, but it sure can buy an entire city block’s worth of Renoir and Cezanne.
The building itself, especially the exterior grounds and the main atrium outside the galleries, is an aesthetic marvel, and the collection it houses is vast. My friend summed it up best, the art galleries themselves are dense. You’ll have to see it for yourself, but they don’t label any of the pieces because there just isn’t enough room, every wall is crowded with as many paintings as will fit, so instead each room has a booklet with the relevant information. The collection centers mainly on pre– and post-​Impressionism, with some random outliers thrown in like Ming-​era Chinese art and some Renaissance religious works, plus scads of ironwork fixtures like door hinges and weird slotted spoons. If this were a private residence, I’d get out immediately for fear the owner was stark raving mad.
As it is, it’s a treat but also a slog to get through every room, so pace yourself and don’t feel like you have to inspect every single piece or you’ll burn out. Overall, a cool collection that you could spend hours perusing, and a fun way to spend an afternoon.

The Barnes Foundation is home to amazing art collection and it’s interesting to think that this collection was started by one person, Albert C. Barnes. The museum itself is split up into multiple rooms that display the vast art collection. Let me tell you, the art collection is quite extensive. There are a ton of pieces of art, brass fixtures, jewelry, and dishes. The art collection is full of Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse, and even some Van Gogh. We were really excited to see Van Gogh’s The Postman picture– I have seen it in pictures but never in person. I also loved the Renoir collection– he is one of my favorite impressionist pictures and it was clear that Barnes was a fan.
It is expensive to go this museum so planning ahead is key. However it is worth a visit, especially if you like art.

Barnes is expensive and the set up is cramped (intentional) and controversial (Barnes had no intention of relocating his collection ever but the art were moved to downtown Philadelphia anyway). However, if you are a fan of Renoir, Cezanne, or Matisse (amongst many other impressionist painters whose works are shown here), you must not miss this museum.
As a Cezanne fan, I loved my visit. In fact, I have not seen a more impressive impressionist art collection in the US. I even enjoyed the layout of artworks haphazardly hung in small rooms, jostling against each other, as it made for a very stimulating visual experience. I can see how this could turn some people off. It is best to understand this before going so you know what to expect and not let it ruin your visit.

If you like Renoir then this is the gallery to come to!
The architecture of this building is pretty amazing. Although, the layout is a little odd and there is alot of wasted space inside. There are multiple rooms to walk through, with at least one Renoir painting in just about all of them. Some of the rooms are quite small When we first arrived it seemed a bit disorganized and it was kind of confusing as far as where to start. Side note: check big, puffy jackets at the coat check downstairs before trying to enter the gallery.
It is a little expensive to come here and you may want to come when they have the free entrance day (I want to say it’s the first Sunday of the month, but can’t remember 100%).
It is a little sad that the wish of Mr. Barnes was to have his collection of artwork available to the public for free, and now the gallery is charging a hefty admission fee. If you can put that aside, then definitely come check out the collection!

Great collection of art at the beginning of the Parkway. The installations are different from other museums in that the art is grouped together in rooms with antique furniture. Each room/​gallery has a guide that you use to learn about the art and antiques. There are plenty of early modern masters represented here (Picasso, Matisse, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Monet, to name a few) as well as some eastern art.
I loved the great room — it really does take your breath away to see the art together like this. It’s even cooler to head up a floor and see it from there.
Pro-​tips: they have strict size limitations for bags, so you’ll probably have to use the coat/​bag check. Buy your tickets online as they are timed and you don’t want to risk not being able to go if they are busy. They have a café and a great book store as well.

Pulled directly from the Barnes Foundation website: The mission of the Barnes Foundation, which dates back to its founding in 1922, is «the promotion of the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts.» My review operates from the knowledge that this is their stated purpose for existence.
I have never, in all my museum loving days, had such a hostile, off-​putting, rude museum experience as I did on my very first (and last) visit to the Barnes on the Parkway. I was treated with condescension, suspicion and hostility by nearly every representative of the museum and frankly, by the design.
The architecture of the building is spectacular. The exterior and grounds are worth walking through just for that. However, the gaping dearth of signage is simply unacceptable for a public facing institution. There are a handful of signs directly you to a small outbuilding to buy tickets. Fine, cool, good. When I got there, a handful of security guards looked at me like I had four heads and an IQ of 50 and told me that no, the signs were incorrect and I had to buy a ticket inside. Fine, I can do that.
When I arrived inside, I took a wild guess as to where in the lobby one buys a ticket. I’m a grad student at a Philadelphia school and when I presented by student ID for the student discount, I was quizzed on my school, as if I had created a fake ID to get discounts. After buying my ticket, I wandered away, again, no signs, and was aggressively stopped by a woman who demanded that I check my bag. The guidelines for bags, which I checked from home, are 8“x10“x6″. My bag falls within that, but whatever. Okay. Did she direct me to where bag check is? Nope. Simply stared imperiously and huffed when I bothered her with my silly bourgeois questions. I made my way to bag check downstairs and checked my bag successfully. The bag check girl was lovely and friendly (hurray!)
Now back upstairs, from the beautiful atrium, there is no direction of any kind as to where the collection begins. I wandered to what I now know to be a special exhibit where I was asked for my ticket. Don’t you think that anywhere in the previous process they would have told me that I would need to present my ticket later? Having just come from the Philadelphia Museum of Art where my ticket was done after it was paid for, I left it in my bag at bag check. Silly me. So I was held, at the special exhibit, by staff until a 2^nd ticket could be printed for me. This was the solution suggested by the staff member, which yes, is probably more convenient for me than going back down to bag check, but seriously?
After this is resolved, I look through the special collection. I was easily the youngest visitor in the room by at least 30 years and found that there were at least 2 security guards within 10 feet of me at all times. Did they think I was going to rip a piece of ornamental metal off the wall and make a break for it? I don’t know. I finished quickly in there and went back to the atrium. At this point, I did ask the staff member at the door where the main collection is and why there is absolutely nothing directing visitors as to where to go. «The architects didn’t plan for that» Well, gosh, then I guess that’s it then. Pack it in. Never mind maps or floor stanchions or floor markers. We mustn’t interfere with the integrity of the atrium architecture.
After presenting my new ticket at the main collection, I entered the collection. Shock of all shocks, there are no signs or employees taking initiative to tell you that you will need to audio guide to do anything but gaze briefly (before you’re bumped by another visitor) at the paintings. So I did not have an audio guide. My art history knowledge is pretty solid, so I wasn’t utterly bereft of insight, but the experience likely would have been greatly enriched with it.
As part of the flooring, there is a dark wood embed penning in visitors throughout both floors and all rooms (unidentified or explained). At one point, with no less than 10 feet between me and any art, I dared cross this hallowed line to look out a window and see if it had yet begun to rain. Man, the security guards are on. the. ball. At this point, I was entirely fed up and rolled quickly through the remaining galleries and got ready to leave.
My key frustration with the entire experience is that the purpose, the very most central idea of Dr. Barnes purchasing and sharing this enormous collection of art, was to expose people to a wider range of art and teach them about art appreciation. This is noble and well executed. Moving the museum from Merion to the Parkway was controversial and was justified by the fact that the Parkway location will give far greater access to more people. I agree with that as well. So when your very existence, the expense of millions of dollars in construction and design are both predicated on education and access, how exactly do you justify the total impenetrability of your institution to newcomers?

The Barnes Foundation holds the unique collection of western and non-​western fine and decorative arts assembled by the late physician and businessman, Dr. Albert C. Barnes. For many years it was housed in purpose-​built galleries located in Merion, PA (in a building which still exists and continues its educational mission together with the surrounding arboretum). After many years of financial difficulties and limited accessibility (in part because of concerns in residential Merion where neighbors severely restricted access to those with advance reservations which were often booked months ahead), and a regrettably long and contentious legal battle, the collection is now conveniently relocated to central Philadelphia. It is next door to the Rodin Museum, and mid-​way between popular downtown attractions and the famed Philadelphia Museum of Art further up Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The Barnes exterior is a modern design by husband and wife architecture firm Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Architects. The interior, while featuring a large modern lobby and new special exhibition gallery, recreates the original room layout and dimensions, including fenestration, for the permanent collection so that those familiar with the Merion original designed by Paul Philippe Cret will feel quite at home in the new location, and the hanging of the paintings and other works of fine art as well as the placement of the decorative arts maintains the precise relationships created by and mandated for preservation by Dr. Barnes himself. His salon style hanging of 1000’s of works of fine and decorative arts, including dozens each by Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse and Picasso (none of which are ever loaned) make the Barnes a unique experience. There are many places to see works by these artists, but nowhere else to see them hung in quite this way, in relationship to each other, to fine and decorative works from many cultures spanning hundreds of years, and also in relationship to an entire philosophy of art that Dr. Barnes evolved and which is still taught by the Foundation through not only tours, but also courses offering as part of a certificate program.
Given its popularity it is advisable to purchase tickets online in advance. In addition to the permanent collection and special exhibitions the Barnes includes a full service restaurant (fortunately, there are other eateries available in the neighborhood), gift shop and auditorium. The building is full accessible, with facilities located on the lower level. There is street parking in the surrounding neighborhood and they have their own attended (paid) lot as well. Admission includes an audio guide. Despite timed tickets, the galleries frequently become crowded, but the quality of the art make it worth the effort; it takes repeated visits to come to terms with all the riches on display and to begin to see relationships between what at first make seem to be disparate works.

One of the joys of life is when a tourist attraction actually lives up to its hype. The Barnes Foundation is definitely such an attraction. My wife and I were looking for a nice date day in the city and we decided to check out the Barnes. Although we have taken our kids to many museums, they are usually not that excited about it and we have avoided the Barnes in the past because of the smaller scale — we are glad we did. This is not a great museum to take the kids — rooms are too small, too much art, and not enough distance.
Although I don’t think we will ever fully understand Mr. Barnes logic, it was so exciting to see art presented in such a different and unique way. I also loved Mr. Barnes philosophy of «loving the artist more than the art» and it was nice to see the evolution of many of the artists represented in his galleries — in particular the evolution of Picasso, Renoir, and Cezannes. I also got introduced to many lesser known artists that I was not familiar with.
I am not a huge fan of Renaissance art of of Impressionism. However, the second floor has a more modern bent so adjust your visit accordingly. I enjoyed the first floor but LOVED the second floor.
Be aware that the museum gets very crowded and the rooms are very small with lots of artists. If you are the type of person that likes to sit and contemplate art from a distance for a long period of time (the way you can in many of the galleries at the Philly MOA) you may be a little frustrated or else choose your visit time wisely — getting there when they first open might be a good idea. We got there about 10:45 and the admission agent had a great suggestion. She said the 1^st floor was already crowded and she suggested we do the 2^nd floor first — at least we got to see half the museum while it was not crowded.
I thought the iPod audio tour was good, but wish there was more narrative e available.
Parking was conveniently available behind the museum.
It took us about 2 hours to get through the museum — a great place to visit.

I bought my ticket ahead of time online and was happy that I had and got started right as they opened. In fact, I got there a bit early and they do let you inside – you just can’t enter the galleries till 10am. It got crowded quickly so if you can get there when it opens, it’s worth it. I am a fan of the Impressionism movement so this museum was absolutely fabulous IMHO. I listened to all the audio guide comments which were really interesting. It took me a good 2 ½ hours to visit the whole place.
Note — the A/​C is cranked up which at first is lovely but after a while was a bit chilly so be sure to dress in layers in the summer.
A little frustrating that they don’t allow any photography.

I subscribe to the maxim ‘life is for the living’ and, although I empathize with the controversial move of the treasures to this new location, frankly, I wish the architects and curators were given carte blanche to display the paintings as they see fit. Instead, they are locked into the legacy of the old Barnes.
That’s unfortunate because this is a powerful collection of art — and that’s an understatement. That one person had the skill, talent, and luck to collect it all is truly overwhelming. For that alone, Mr. Barnes is to be commended. From the beautifully daring building exterior, you can be fooled into thinking you will enter a truly modern space. However, once you get past the expansive and striking 21^st century main lobby, the galleries wind back in time and adhere to how the paintings were exhibited at the old space in Merion. I get it but it doesn’t mean I like it.
Walking through the tiny galleries is indeed a dance as you must keep from bumping into other museum goers. (Keep your camera in your pocket, too, because there’s no room to take photos. The original bylaws of Dr. Barnes’ foundation prohibited making copies of any work even though you can now buy a hard-​cover catalog in the gift shop. Of course, you’ll still see people sneaking blurry photos here anyway.) It’s incredibly difficult to stand in front of a painting to enjoy it for a while without feeling like you’re taking up valuable real estate as others breathe down your neck.
Would I come back again? Yes, and again and again and again. However, as museum visitors, we all have to play by the rules contained in one man’s legacy. From an historical perspective, that’s fascinating. From an art appreciation perspective, it’s suffocating.