We had a living history tour with George, the butler. It was wonderful and I highly recommend it…read more He made life in the house come alive. It seemed as though the family was just out for the day!

We attended a living history tour with Livy Clemens (aka Beth in the present day), who was a…read morespectacular tour guide. Within about two minutes, the entire tour group was under her spell, never doubting that she WAS Livy. Seeing the gorgeous, perfectly restored house through her eyes and learning the history of the family from her perspective was fascinating. She even asked if she could practice playing for us the piano piece she had memorized so she wouldn't be so nervous playing in front of guests at her upcoming piano recital! Livy/Beth was so gracious and patient with my mom, who needed a little extra time getting up and down the stairs. (For other visitors, it might be helpful to know that there are railings on BOTH sides of the main staircase that leads up to the 2nd and 3rd floors, but the kitchen staircase only has a railing on the left.) And Beth even stayed after the tour to answer "modern-day" questions once she was no longer portraying Livy. We would love to come back and take another tour with Livy or any of the other actors who expertly bring this gorgeous national treasure to life.

Absolutely loved our small group tour through Chelsea art galleries. Merrily is delightful and the…read moreperfect guide - knowledgeable, prepared, and totally up to date on the ever-changing art scene in NYC. We had art novices in our group as well as those with more arts experience and we all had a great time. She shared interesting info about each artist, including previous work and info on future shows/exhibits. I am already looking forward to my next trip to New York and will book tours with her again and again, including the Chelsea tour as the exhibits change often.

Had a great small group tour today with Merrily. The galleries had each had different styles of…read morework and some really major artists. She also told us about interesting buildings along the way. Merrily 's style is informative, relaxed and knowledgeable, I never felt like we were in a "lecture". I'm so glad I went!

Walking through a world-class museum you may see and marvel at amazing, famous works of art. Or…read moreyou may see very new, contemporary works of art few have had the opportunity to enjoy. In both scenarios, Lauren Kaplan will help you understand and appreciate the art you are looking at by a multiple of ten thousand. You will be amazed and floored by her explanations, her breadth of knowledge and art history, the background of each artist, and the meaning the artist has infused in every work. She will help the entire art experience come alive in ways you do not expect. And you will wonder how you ever walked a museum or gallery without her. For us, she brought alive the Biennial at the Whitney and turned a simple museum visit to a huge learning experience. Am I recommending Lauren? More than that, I am suggesting you hire Lauren to make your art experience awaken and come alive in ways you could never predict.

My boyfriend's parents recently invited me on a private tour of the Guggenheim with Lauren Kaplan…read more Private tour! Guggenheim! I am no fool, so obviously I said yes. FYI, I'd never been on a professional museum tour and I'm not exactly a visual art fanatic-- I like specific types of art, hate some others. Well, Lauren was super eloquent and nice, and I really appreciated how the tour wasn't about getting you to necessarily love the art -- it was about providing you with the knowledge to understand the art, the processes behind it, etc. so that you could form your own educated opinion. She was totally nonjudgmental, and I would definitely recommend her to both art lovers and skeptics alike. Plus, she brought PROPS!!

It was great when it WAS here!…read more This must be very out of date as Van Gogh exhibit closed more than a year ago!

I don't know who put this all together, but it was a genius move. Spectacular way to display Van…read moreGoghs work, even if you don't know another about him, you will get all you need heretic room where everything definitely wakes up is so beautiful, and the VR was really cool too. Look up the immersive experience in your town and go!!!

Little Italy's at downtown IS OPEN located in the same building…read more 114 State St Springfield MA 01103 Come check us out vintage jewelry, clothing, collectibles. Gretchen's area in the shop with the oddities is closed. Jennifer Tatro Owner of little Italy's at Downtown

Absolutely LOVED this tour!…read more I read about it recently as it was mentioned in O Magazine which is Oprah Winfrey's Magazine and I knew that I HAD to do a short trip from Chicago to NYC to take this signature and insightful tour lead by Professor Andrew Lear! Dr. Lear is the Founder and Master Guide of the Shady Lady Tours and is a leading scholar in the area of the history of sexuality. There were seven people in my group and we met at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in front of the Giant Pharaoh in the main lobby. Dr. Lear then distributed the entrance tickets and the Nasty Women of the MET Tour commenced. The Nasty Women of the MET focuses on the "[f]eisty, path-breaking women--women who had more power and/or independence than we usually think women in the past had." (According to Dr. Lear's Web Site). I saw many works of art that I probably would not have spent a lot of time exploring on my own..but Dr. Lear provided "the backstory" of each painting, sculpture, vessel, statue, and cultural artifacts that were explored. I have to admit that my favorites included the Gertrude Stein painting in which she was painted by Pablo Picasso and it took about 90 sittings to complete! I find her intriguing. I also was fascinated by the Female Pharaoh Hatshepsut of Egypt who ruled 1500 years before Cleopatra....in the Egyptian Wing. Hatshepsut's statue shows her dressed in female attire, "[b]ut she wears the nemes headcloth, a royal attribute usually reserved for the reigning king." (As listed in the MET's formal description of her statue sitting on the throne). The final stop was the John Singer Sargent portrait of a young woman Edith Minturn from the mid 1860s. While the artist's choice was a request that Ms. Minturn dress in an evening gown during the sitting she showed up in a two piece outfit in which her skirt did not touch the floor-but her shoes were readily seen. Her husband stands behind her and she smiles vibrantly as if she "knows" that she has clout, class, and authority as well as individuality. FYI-her husband stood in for Ms. Minturn's Great Dane when the dog became unavailable to sit for the portrait. The stories and featured art that is/was explored on this tour were exceptional and as diverse as the "Nasty Women" that were peppered throughout the MET. I would like to return to attend the "Shady Lady Tour." Truly impressive tour, well paced (2 hours) with an entertaining and educational experience provided by Dr. Lear.

Finally went on a tour with them again today. I was fortunate to have Andrew Lear be the guide. The…read moretour was educational, fun, and interesting. I say this as someone who doesn't really like art, but does in the way that he teaches it. It's amazing to me hearing about who the paintings or sculptures are actually of and the story that goes with them. Cool tidbit: The goddess Aphrodite was supposed to be executed but her lawyer pulled her top off exposing her boobs and then they acquitted her LOL. The Paris tour looks amazing as well but don't think I would ever be able to do it. In any case, if you want to go to the MET because you feel that you should but find art zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, take this tour. Two hours of showing you interesting pieces. Great way to spend a rainy, cold day in NYC.

If you are looking for art tours in NYC, you can stop looking -- you've found the best one. I…read morefound Emily a few months back while looking to give my wife several art tours as a gift. Emily helped me pull together a special gift and we had the first tour today. Emily is a remarkably talented guide, combining both incredible knowledge with a gift for storytelling. We spent several hours today at the Met with Emily and she was able to make the tour interesting and engaging for both my wife, who has background in art history, and myself, an art novice. Emily deftly crafted an itinerary based on my wife's favorite types of art while also bringing to life pieces that we'd previously have walked by without any second thought. Truly cannot recommend Emily more highly enough. We have two more tours with her and are so, so excited.

We recently had the pleasure of taking 2 private tours with Emily at both the MET and the MoMA…read more She is highly knowledgeable, and had interesting insights into the art and the artists. If you want an informative focused tour through these enormous collections with someone who knows their stuff, I highly recommend visiting them with Emily. Thank you Emily - for 2 unforgettable days!

Jody is a fantastic guide. She not only knows the best gallery shows, but she is very knowledgeable…read moreabout art and artist. We had an amazing tour of the best NY galleries.

From the owner: Art Gallery Toursread more

We went on a Lower east side tour with Marian and had such a great time! She was personable and the…read morecompany was extremely accommodating to our schedule. The immersive art was interesting and something we never would have found on our own. Such a great experience for New Yorkers and tourists.

Great value for the money! Took a chance on a tour with these guys and really enjoyed it. Heart for…read moreArt Institute is a new and unique concept in a sea of culture that is New York City. Tour guide Gabi was excellent in her delivery of concise and interesting information and structuring an engaging tour. Our tour was on surviving the intrigues of the court of Henry VIII and was set up to mirror a Game of Thrones like storytelling based on various Metropolitan pieces relating to said time period, which I thought was very cool. Will definitely take another tour with this company and possibly write an updated review as they expand their offerings.

A small but very nice museum in the heart of Simsbury. Built in 1771, five generations of the…read morePhelps family lived here before donating the property to the Simsbury Historical Society. The museum looks at the various Phelps generations and major personalities, and has quite a few exhibits highlighting the property's years as a tavern from 1786 to 1849. One of the very cool exhibits included a blackboard describing the food served at the taven back in the day. On the breakfast menu were broiled shad and smelts with pickled watermelon rind and horseradish vinegar. The lunch menu included turtle soup and a choice of rice, maize, or buckwheat puddings. Dinner items included hash, meat patties and stuffed eel. Bon appetit!