Founded in 1876, the Museum of Fine Arts is Boston's foremost art museum. The museum covers all parts of the globe and all eras, from the ancient world to contemporary times. The collections are strong in Asian and European art, but the uncontested highlight is the gorgeous Art of the Americas wing.
The four-story Americas wing includes 53 galleries exhibiting art from the pre-Columbian era (on the lower level) up through the 20th century (on the top floor). On level one, you'll find some treasures from colonial era Boston, as well as an incomparable collection of paintings by John Singleton Copley. On the second level, a highlight is the gallery dedicated to John Singer Sargent, including The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit.
The collection of European art in the museum's northern wing also covers all eras, with highlights from the Italian Renaissance and the Dutch Golden Age. You'll find an impressive display of Impressionists and Postimpressionists, including one of the largest collections of Monet paintings this side of Paris.
In the southwestern wing, the MFA's collection of Asian art includes the exhibits in the serene Buddhist Temple room. Wide-ranging displays of ancient art, housed in the southeastern part of the museum, include two rooms of mummies in the Egyptian galleries.
The Linde Wing for Contemporary Art is full of surprises. The exhibit changes regularly, with plenty of room for video, multimedia and other experiments. Look out for the remarkable Black River, a huge tapestry of discarded bottle caps by the Ghanaian artist El Anatsui.