Great ornate fine detailed art works of religious icons. Easily immersed and delighted by the images and quality, while appreciating the significance of the period works. Soothing background music enhanced our experience. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed spending a few hours at the Icon Museum viewing the exquisite art and craftsmanship of each icon. The displays are well spaced and with the background music, it is a place of peace and tranquility. read more

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Kudos to the Museum of Russian icons for bringing out more Ukrainian pieces. Ukrainian icon displayed in the museum's lobby is titled "Mother of God Pokrova, 1800s, Ukraine." The Pokrova, or Protection of the Mother of God, is one of the patron saints of Ukraine. The Museum will be displaying the works of contemporary artist Lesia Sochar. It's an exhibit inspired by the tradition of decorated Ukrainian Easter egg painting that will be on display from March 17 to the end of July. They have stated that they absolutely condemn the Russian military aggression against Ukraine and they support the people who are speaking out against it. read more

Thank You Open Studio for promoting this great museum! Full of local history and a hidden gem. A must visit. read more

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Fun facts: 1. The owner of the museum sometimes walks around and asks you what you think of his collection, he is so nice! 2. This three story museum has an awesome collection of Icons, and they are all displayed really nicely 3. The tea house has amazing Russian chocolates. Try them and a nice cup of hot tea, it will literally relax you onto cloud nine. Went with my friend on a recent visit to Boston. So worth the drive to middle of Mass, Clinton! This museum is one man's personal treasure chest and he clearly loves the work. He even is the voice of all of the audio tour snippets. read more

Icon Museum and Study Center - Upstairs, love that the lights change color. - Museums Near Me - Clinton, Massachusetts

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Nice small museum the building renovation inside is almost as interesting as the Russian Art Work.

I can't really top Maria V's review. Her review was done in-depth. I can say I, too, enjoyed it and found it to be a hidden treasure. A friend knew about it and invited me to go with him. Yes, the staff there was enthusiastic and ready to answer any questions. I learned that there are close to 500 artpieces in the permanent collection. That's pretty impressive. There was an exhibit on loan from Moscow while we were there that was in a new area of the museum. All of it was well presented, even for me -- the non-Russian, non-exposed-much-to-saints person. And the building/space in which the work is presented? Very aesthetically pleasing. Definitely put it on your list for a look-and-see! read more

This place is absolutely stunning! It's somewhat mind blowing that such an amazing collection of Russian icons can be found in the cute town of Clinton, MA. Regardless of one's faith tradition or experience, this is a wonderful museum worth a visit. In the Eastern Christian Church, icons play a huge role in spirituality and faith development. There are over 500 icons at the museum and most are incredibly old (circa 1450-1650) artistic paintings of Jesus Christ, Saints, biblical characters, and depictions of certain biblical scenes. The system and method of creating icons is amazing and you can easily learn the meticulous and prayerful process of writing an icon. I stood mesmerized by one icon of John the Baptist from 1450. We went on a tour with one of the staff members. She went piece by piece explaining the rich history, details, and theological significance of each icon. At one point, she share through tears how much she loved a particular icon because it reminded her of her son who had died. She was incredibly knowledgeable and personable. If I could remember her name, I'd recommend getting a tour with her. The collection of icons are owned by a gentleman named, Gordon Lackton. He took an interest in icons when visiting Russia and has since visited Russia bi-yearly to gain more icons for the collection. He is at the museum every afternoon and spent some time with us talking about the crazy adventures he's had purchasing the hundreds of icons in the museum. The museum only costs $7 for an adult, it's an entirely "green" building, and there is a cute town square with beautiful churches, buildings, and restaurants to visit.You can also enjoy some Russian tea in their Russian Tea Room. The building of the museum also has some interesting history as a courthouse and prison. If you have an afternoon free, I'd highly recommend a visit to the museum. read more

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The museum is a stunning collection of religious icons. My husband and I enjoyed exploring and learning about this art form that we previously knew little about. The museum is quite large, and we found ourselves getting bored after a while as while there is a lot to see there isn't a lot of variety in such a specific collection. Definitely would recommend a visit for anyone looking for a unique experience. read more

What a wonderful Museum this is. If you like icons and would like to know about their symbolism and history this is the place to go. It has the largest collection of Russian icons outside of Russia. We received a tour by the docent, Mr Flynn. He was very knowledgeable. read more

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In Clinton there isn't much to do. But there is the Russian Icon Museum. I'm not sure if this falls in the category of things you actually want to do! I found it boring. Not my cup of tea. If you are "in" to Russian Icons, I'm sure it is fabulous. I was in and out in about 2 minutes. read more

A real gem! You don't need to be Russian or Eastern Orthodox Christian to appreciate this museum. The space is brand-new, well planned and very fitting for the icons. The icon collection itself is pretty impressive. It's not a huge museum so you won't be overwhelmed by the number of pieces, and every icon is well-explained. You will need a basic knowledge of Christian lore (who is Jesus et cetera), but you don't need to be an icon expert -- they will explain the basic symbology. The location of the museum is in the heart of scenic, relaxed Clinton. It's in a beautiful brick building on the town green (yes, a real town green), and the building itself is modern with fabulous space and lighting on the inside. I believe they're also adding to their performance hall space, which means they will hold more Russian cultural events at the museum. Considering this new museum is already hosting a number of icons from the Tetryakov in Moscow, it stands to be a great new cultural ambassador for America and Russia. I also want to add that the curators at this museum are SUPER NICE. They are so enthusiastic, really happy to answer any questions and very knowledgeable about Russian culture and history as well as iconographic lore. I grew up in the Greek Orthodox church so I'm pretty well-versed with iconography as it is. But even though I grew up looking at them (you'd think I'd be sick of them), I still love icons, I love the methods and symbols behind it, and I love the collection here. It's a little weird for me to see icons that I can't touch -- traditionally you kiss icons at every imaginable juncture in the Orthodox church -- so it was a bit like seeing bits of church on the wall in an unusual context, but they are all treated with the utmost respect, so I was OK with it :) [edit] Note that the museum is totally ok with NON-FLASH photography. So if you bring a good camera you can get as up-close to the icons as you like and take pictures to your heart's content. And hooray for that! read more

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This is a mystical gift of sacred art. I am super biased as I have a fierce devotion to all things Russian and love especially icons . It's great to see so many,learn about their history and be in their stunning presence. As a Catholic Christian this visit was even more memorable for me. I managed to do the whole museum in 1.5 hours but I was not into listening to historical movies and I tend to be a speedy museum goer. My only complaints: I wish they had some better quality icons up for sale at gift shop. And I wish this museum was closer to my hometown of NYC. It's almost like a retreat for the soul and I would be returning here very often for my spiritual medicine. I would certainly say this is a destination museum if you love sacred art. And if you are in Clinton ,Worcester Boston area for any reason,FLY here. As art, the collection is breathtaking in its breadth , variety and intricacy. Once a year , around late July early August, they run a workshop where you can learn icon painting with a master icon painter. It has to be one of the most original art museums I have ever been too. read more

Great museum. Read Maria V's review for a better review. I went on a field trip with my russian class at school to this museum. I loved the small town of Clinton, MA. THe museum had a wonderful collection. The icons were beautiful. The only complaint I have is that the guides give such long explanations of the different works of art. It gets boring after I while. I mean, the depth of their explanations are great- if you are a conosseaur of Russian art or a Eastern European History buff, but for high schoolers, myself included, the tour was boring. Overall though, fascinating museum. read more

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I found out about this lovely museum from a friend, and we went all the way there from the South Shore today. It was terrific. I love this kind of art, and the galleries were spacious, well-lit, and very peaceful with authentic choir music playing softly in the background. The collection is extensive, and there was also a contemporary exhibit by a modern Russian artist who used ancient techniques to create evocative images of modern Russia. I really enjoyed it. read more

While it's a bit of a schlep from Boston, it's definitely worth it - this museum is truly a gem. I didn't really know anything about iconography or the Russian Orthodox Church, but the museum made for a great educational experience. The free audio tour is informative and fascinating - it took me forever to get through the galleries because I wanted to listen to each entry. The building itself is beautiful, especially on the inside, and complements the icons very well. The gift shop is definitely worth checking out if you're interested in traditional Russian trinkets and matroyshkas. Definitely check out the Russian Tea Room in the basement - everything is self-serve, but it's a nice quiet spot to try out some Russian snacks (I especially loved the cookies with condensed milk). It's definitely a nice relief from the crowds and the high ticket prices at most Boston museums, and it makes for a wonderful day trip. Even if religious imagery isn't your thing - definitely check this place out. read more

I had seen this Museum advertised for about 4 years before I finally made the short trip to Clinton for a visit. I can't believe I wasted 4 years before going to this beautiful building and its exhibits. All of the artwork is detailed and for that reason you need to get close to appreciate it, many of the pieces have a magnifying glass with a light that give you a great way to really zoom in and see the craftsmanship This place is world class not to be missed read more

I waited two years to see this. Missed it last time I was in the Boston area. Well worth the wait. I was told it was a small gallery with a lot of Icons... Well, it was not really small in my opinion. But yes, a LOT of stunning icons. I would highly recommend this as a must MUST see for anyone who has an interest in icons and religious high quality art. I would love to go again. There is actually too much to see in one visit, if you really want to look. There were magnifying glasses very thoughtfully, strategically placed throughout the gallery - so user-friendly!! With a tiny lcd light to illumine the magnification. Wonderful to have the chance to look up close at the amazing tiny perfect detail. A feast for the soul. Another feature is the audio guide. And if only I had more time there are video screens with some aspects of icon making, history, etc on screens throughout the gallery. I did not see but perhaps they are available for purchase. I did not spend a lot of time in the museum shop but if they are not that would be a suggestion and I may check it out on the web site! One thing I would have loved, would have been some wonderful insights in the audio commentary about the meaning, symbology of the various icons.... something to just help me a bit more with a deeper appreciation of the language of this sort of art. And maybe a bit more annotation on the actual images. I took some photographs, but there were no details other than the "around the x.. centurty". Maybe to know what school of iconography. I will definitely be looking for a chance to return next time I am in Boston. Huge thanks to the brilliant collector who so unassumingly chatted with some of the visitors and so generously allowed photographs. read more

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Beautiful hidden gem in Clinton, Ma. Yes, it's all just Russian icons, but isn't that obvious from the name of the museum? Very interesting collection. Teachers get in for free! read more

This is hidden gem. Hidden because it's in a sleepy New England town. It's founder lives and does business in Clinton. Kudos to him for giving the town such a treasure. I am usually exhausted after two hours in a museum but we were there for 4, granted with a 20 minute break in the "Russian Tea Room" downstairs. Its more like an office break room but the tea selection is wonderful as well as Russian treats and chocolate. Even if you don't have tea, don't miss the collection of samovars and nesting dolls. It's beautifully designed in an old brick building and even if you are not religiously minded, it is a fascinating walk through world history. read more

This museum is a real gem. The staff is so helpful and the museum is rich with beautiful icons. This is a great place for a work retreat for any management team as well. read more

Bunch of loosely assembled crap. This place does nothing for the community. I don't know one person in Clinton who has ever been here. Staff is rude. Very bias exhibits that do not present russian history well. read more

Lovely little boutique museum. A supporting discount is offered for MTA (teacher union) card carrying members. Nice for them but discriminates against teachers who choose not to join a union, teach at this discriminates against teachers who choose not to be members and private school teachers or teachers otherwise not aligned with this group. It was suggested that accepting a teacher ID would be more supportive of all teachers. The suggestion was noted but not seriously considered. The reason being that not all teachers have ID's. Hum. It is a security measure most/all schools implement these days. Regardless, the argument doesn't stand as that was the original point: not all teachers are MTA members. How about accepting either an ID or union card? read more

This place was a real gem! I took my mom and aunt on a Saturday and they loved it! There's a self guided audio tour in English and Russian, which was great since my mom and aunt speak limited English. The space is beautiful ad well put together. We even got to meet the collector! He was walking around, asking everyone how they liked the work. We even got a little history lesson from him about the history of icons and how he's been collecting them for 20 years! All for $7 each! Well worth the trip out to Clinton! read more

Nowadays not many people have heard about Clinton, the Museum of Russian Icons is more than enough reason to make the trip. The museum has a magnificent collection of Russian Icons beautifully displayed in two old reclaimed buildings, one of the buildings was a factory, the other a courthouse. A great example of preserving old buildings putting them to the needs of modern times. You will not be disappointed in visiting this museum. The staff is professional and friendly; the Icon-collection superb The adaptation of the old buildings to be now the museum is stunning. read more

Well.......it's different. That is for sure. I am happy to have come here to see this view of history. Has Byzantine references throughout which would be of interest my older son. Would love to come back here with him some day. read more

This museum is an absolute treasure! Whenever I go there, I am completely lost for hours and hours, absorbed with every fiber of my being! The docents are all well educated and helpful, but never pushy, and the founder is even likely to come by and tell you stories about acquisitions. The collections are unbelievably extensive for such a small museum in such a small town, and are displayed in ways that make viewing easy, pleasant, and absorbing. The exhibits change, too. This is a museum with quality that one would only expect in a major metropolis, but then, of course, it would be too crowded to retain its quality! I cannot say enough good about this museum. The only possible down side is that you will want to go again and again. read more