Plan Your Visit

Hours and Admission

The Addison Gallery of American Art, which is free and open to the public, is located in a stand-alone building on the campus of Phillips Academy at the corner of Route 28 [Main Street] and Chapel Avenue in Andover, Massachusetts, a 30-minute drive from Boston.

Public Hours

Tuesday through Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Closed on Mondays, national holidays, December 24, and during the month of August.

Admission to all exhibitions is free.

To help increase cultural accessibility, we are proud to participate in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, Massachusetts Health Connector, and Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program. We welcome all EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders to our exhibitions. See the full list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.

Know before You Go

Robert Frank and Todd Webb: Across America, 1955 (through July 31, 2024): Level 1, Galleries 102–105

Laying the Foundation: Exploring the Nucleus of the Addison’s Collection (through July 31, 2024): Level 1; Exhibition Hall and Gallery 109

A Long Arc: Photography and the American South since 1845 (through 7/31/24; Level 2, Galleries 201–208)

Finding American Form: 20th-Century Selections from the Permanent Collection (through 7/31/24; Level 2, Gallery 209)

Models of American Sailing Ships (permanently on view): Lower Level

Gallery Map >

The Addison continually strives to create a safe and welcoming experience so all visitors are able to fully engage, learn, and be inspired. We also take our role as guardians of the objects in our collection very seriously. Please take a moment to review these guidelines to ensure the best experience for everyone while visiting the museum.

Please:

  • Bring kids! Please note, children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult; please keep small children within your direct control. Child carriers must be worn on the front of the body; do not carry children in backpack carriers, on shoulders, or on back.
  • Leave at the Visitor Services desk:
    • backpacks and bags larger than 11 x 14 inches, double-wide strollers, and other bulky items;
    • umbrellas, camera tri-pods, ball point pens/markers, or other devices with sharp or pointed tips;
    • food and beverages.
      Note that items may be subject to inspection. The Addison is not responsible for any lost or stolen personal items.
  • Be mindful and considerate of the safety and experience of others. 

  • Be respectful and courteous of other visitors. Abusive, harassing, discriminatory, or threatening statements or behavior toward Addison staff or visitors will not be tolerated.

  • Follow the instructions of the museum’s security officers. They are there to ensure the safety of all staff, volunteers, and visitors, as well as to protect the artworks on display.

  • Take photos! Within the museum, non-flash photography is permitted for private, noncommercial use only. Photographs cannot be published, sold, reproduced, transferred, distributed, or otherwise commercially exploited in any manner whatsoever. Read more in our Photography Policy, below.
  • Keep your hands and body away from the art, as well as the walls.
  • Do not bring into the building any weapons, or any animals, except service dogs.


We appreciate your cooperation in following these guidelines. Please see Visitor Services or one of our security guards if you have any questions or need assistance.

  • Designated handicap parking spaces are available on Chapel Avenue; see the campus map for locations.
  • An accessible lift to enter the building is located down a ramp to the left of the main entrance staircase.
  • All of the Addison's galleries are wheelchair accessible. An elevator allows access to all floors of the museum.
  • Wheelchairs are available for free use on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • A wheelchair-accessible, single-stall, all gender restroom is available on the main level of the building, just off the rotunda.
  • Trained service dogs are welcome.
  • Staff members are available to provide assistance as necessary; please visit the front desk or check in with a security guard at the museum, or call ahead of time to request assistance: 978.749.4015.

For groups of 12 or more: please contact Sequoya Molzan, Visitor Engagement Coordinator (smolzan@andover.edu or 978-749-4015), Tuesday through Friday, 10am-5pm for recommendations on the best time to visit.

School visits: find information and sign up for a visit in the School/Class Visits section.

  • Within the Addison Gallery, photography is permitted for private, noncommercial use only in galleries displaying the permanent collection. This includes cellphones and handheld cameras set to take non-flash still photos.
  • Photographs cannot be published, sold, reproduced, transferred, distributed, or otherwise commercially exploited in any manner whatsoever.
  • Flash photography, tri-pods, monopods, additional lighting, movie and video cameras, and professional video equipment are prohibited.
  • Photography is not permitted in areas designated as “No Photography.”
  • Any commissioned or commercial photography, including members of the media photographing or filming for the purpose of news coverage, require prior written permission from the Addison Gallery. Same day requests will not be considered or approved. All organized photo shoots require an escort by a member of the Addison staff and all costs associated with these shall be the responsibility of the photographer.


The Addison Gallery reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to withhold and/or withdraw permission to photograph on its premises or to reproduce photographs of objects in its collection.

Please send requests and inquiries for other information to jsousa@andover.edu.

Please note: While visiting the Addison, you may be photographed or filmed. The footage may be used in promotional materials, including advertisements, brochures, social media, and on addisongallery.org.

The shop at the Addison offers a diverse selection of artisan-crafted jewelry, blown glass, ceramics, handbags, and more, often inspired by our shows and made just for us. The shop also features catalogues and publications relating to our collection as well as our exhibitions, and a line of Addison-inspired apparel, mugs, cards, and tote bags.

Friends of the Addison receive a 15% discount on all merchandise.

Although the Addison Gallery does not have a restaurant, several dining options are available close to the museum.

On the Phillips Academy campus, just across Chapel Ave at the Andover Inn, Samuel's Restaurant offers lunch Wednesday–Friday, 11am–2pm, and dinner Tuesday–Saturday, 4pm–9:30pm. 

Additionally, the town of Andover features restaurants with a wide variety of styles and cuisines. Search the map »

Directions and Free Parking

Directions

The Addison Gallery of American Art is located on the campus of Phillips Academy at the corner of Route 28 [Main Street] and Chapel Avenue in Andover, Massachusetts, a 30-minute drive from Boston. 

If using a GPS or web-based map, enter 3 Chapel Avenue, Andover, MA as the address.

By Car

From Boston, take Rt. 93N. Take exit 35, turn right onto Rt. 125, go 2 miles. Turn right onto Rt. 28 north, go about 3 miles to the Phillips Academy campus. Turn right onto Chapel Avenue. The museum is the first building on the right.

From Rt. 495 North, take exit 99A (Rt. 28 South, Andover) and proceed south on Rt. 28 through the town of Andover. Phillips Academy is approximately one mile south of the center of town. Turn left onto Chapel Avenue. The museum is the first building on the right.

From Rt. 495 South, take exit 99 (Rt. 28, Andover/Lawrence), go right at end of ramp, and proceed south on Rt. 28 through the town of Andover. Phillips Academy is approximately one mile south of the center of town. Turn left onto Chapel Avenue. The museum is the first building on the right.

By train

From North Station:
Take the MBTA Commuter Rail, Haverhill Line, to the Andover Station. The museum is approximately a mile walk from the station.

Turn left on Railroad Street when you leave the station. Turn left and cross the tracks on Brook Street. Stay to your left and go up Essex Street, turning left at the end and then right at the lights onto Main Street. Continue south on Main Street up the hill until you reach the campus. Turn left onto Chapel Avenue. The museum is the first building on the right.

By bus

Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority:
The #32 MVRTA bus travels from Buckley Transportation Station in Lawrence to the corner of Main Street and School Street in Andover. From the Main Street/School Street stop, walk one block south to Chapel Avenue; the museum is the first building on the right on Chapel Avenue.

Parking

Car Parking

Parking is available in the parallel spaces on Chapel Avenue; in the parking lot between Cochran Chapel and the Andover Inn (across the street from the Addison on Chapel Avenue); and around the circle at the end of Chapel Avenue. Nearby on-street parking is available on Bartlet Street. Accessible parking is available on Chapel Avenue.

Campus map >

Bus Parking

Bus Drop Off
Buses may drop off students on Chapel Avenue at the steps leading to the front of the museum, where groups will enter. The accessible entrance is also located in the front of the building – proceed up ramp from Chapel Avenue.

Bus Turn Around
Buses may proceed down Chapel Avenue to the circle in order to turn around.

Bus Parking
If buses are waiting for students while they are in the museum, please park at the circle at the end of Chapel Avenue. Please do not park or stand buses for extended periods on Chapel Avenue or in the parking lot between the Chapel and the Andover Inn, as this is a busy area and a fire lane. Please leave bus driver number with group leader to notify bus when group is ready to leave the museum.

Addison Artist Council logo

Bartlett H. Hayes Prize Recipients

2023:

Reggie Burrows Hodges

Exhibition | Residency | Publication | Acquisition

2025:

Tommy Kha

Exhibition | Residency | Publication | Acquisition