SPECIAL ADVISORY: The Yale University Art Gallery is open to the public on Friday evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays and offers access to Yale ID holders on weekdays. Advance reservations are required for public hours.Plan Your Visit

Overview and Highlights

Founded in 1832, the Gallery is the oldest university art museum in America. The museum collects, preserves, studies, and presents art in all media, from all regions of the globe and across time, with a collection numbering nearly 300,000 objects.

Departments

African Art
African Art
American Decorative Arts
American Paintings and Sculpture
American Paintings and Sculpture
Ancient Art
Art of the Ancient Americas
Asian Art
European art galleries.
European Art
Indo-Pacific Art
Modern and Contemporary Art
Numismatics
Photography
Prints and Drawings

Recent Acquisitions

Edgar Degas print of two ballet dancers in a rehearsal room.

The Gallery acquires new objects each year through gift, purchase, and bequest. Our acquisitions lists allow scholars, students, and the public to keep current with our growing collections and discover new artworks to assist them in teaching, learning, and research.

Between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020, the Gallery acquired 3,700 works of art.

Learn More

Conservation

Conservation

The Conservation Department works with all departments at the Gallery to ensure the long-term care of the collection. The department recognizes the importance of preventive conservation and recommends, develops, and institutes measures to ensure appropriate conditions for the storage, transport, and display of art. Conservators examine and analyze objects in the collection to inform treatment methods and further teaching, scholarship, and research.

Learn More

Collection Resources

The Gallery welcomes individuals and groups to view its collections in the public galleries as well as in a number of special study centers and rooms, online resources, and archives. Find information about the Furniture Study Center, Nolen Center Library, Sol LeWitt Wall Drawing Archive, Wurtele Study Center, Study Room for Numismatics, and Study Room for Prints, Drawings, and Photographs.

Learn More