Brazil
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
French Guiana
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Denmark
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Finland
France
Greece
the Netherlands
Hungary
Ireland
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
Poland
Portugal
the United Kingdom
the Czech Republic
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Canada
Mexico
the Dominican Republic
South Africa
Australia
Fiji
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Museum · New Haven, Connecticut
Yale University Art Gallery
The oldest university art gallery in the Americas, founded in 1832, with a collection ranging from ancient to contemporary art, including The Night Café by Van Gogh. Admission is free.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About Yale University Art Gallery
The Yale University Art Gallery was founded in 1832, when painter John Trumbull donated his Revolutionary War scenes to the university. It is the oldest university art gallery in the Americas. It occupies three connected buildings on Chapel Street, including the first building by Louis Kahn, from 1953, with brick walls and a concrete triangular ceiling.
The collection has about 300,000 objects, from coins and ancient sculptures to Asian, African and Americas art. In European painting, the best-known work is The Night Café by Vincent van Gogh. There are galleries of American art, with colonial furniture and silver, and modern and contemporary art.
Across the street is the Yale Center for British Art, Louis Kahn’s last building, opened in 1977, housing the largest collection of British art outside the United Kingdom, from Turner and Constable paintings to prints and rare books. It also has free admission.
Both institutions are part of the campus and are used for teaching, but they open to the public with their own hours.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
Two to three hours for the art gallery; an additional one to two hours for the Center for British Art.
Best time
Any time of year, on weekdays for fewer crowds. Opening days and hours vary; confirm before you go.
How to get there
It’s on Chapel Street, one block from the New Haven Green, about 2 km from Union Station. There is no admission fee.
Tip
Cross Chapel Street and also visit the Center for British Art on the same day. The shop and café are near the entrance.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Yale University Art Gallery
Does the Yale University Art Gallery charge admission?
No. The gallery and the Center for British Art across the street do not charge admission.
What is the most famous work in Yale’s art gallery?
The Night Café, by Vincent van Gogh, is the best-known painting in the collection, alongside John Trumbull’s scenes of the American Revolution.
Where is the Yale Center for British Art?
Across Chapel Street, opposite the art gallery, in a building by Louis Kahn.