FREE Gardner Museum Admission for U.S. Military

Members of the U.S. military and their families are always admitted free to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The building is hard to miss. It’s the only structure in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood modeled after a Venetian palazzo.

In addition to the museum’s well-known paintings and sculptures, in the courtyard, a team of horticulturalists is in charge of an ever-changing display of flora that follows a seasonal rhythm.

Hydrangeas and Agapanthus in June and July

In June and July, visitors can enjoy a respite from summer heat amidst the cool of late-flowering hydrangeas. Hydrangeas are native to Japan, where they have been grown as ornamental plants for centuries; Western travelers brought them to their gardens in the late 18th century. Large, showy “mopheads” bloom first, followed by tall Paniculata Grandifolia, or “PeeGees.” In July, the tall and striking Agapanthus, with rounded clusters of funnel-shaped bluish flowers, appear.

Bellflowers in August and September

Visitors can see bellflowers in August and September while the temperatures climb outside. There are plenty of green ferns to see. Visitors can also sit and listen to the calming sounds of the museum’s fountains. The chimney bellflower, Campanula Pyramidalis, appears in the Courtyard; a clumping plant with a base of heart-shaped leaves. The Museum’s horticulturists grow this plant from seed; it takes two years to grow to its six-foot maturity. With deadheading, this plant can bloom for the whole summer, according to the Museum’s website.

Find out more about the Gardner’s living collection.