We stumbled upon this museum when viewing senior citizens' art (it was quite cool) in a shop window downtown. The museum was closed that day, so we made an extra trip back into Gloucester the next day for a visit, mainly to view art.

The woman at the front desk was welcoming and enthusiastic. The admission is affordable; I think it was $8 per person. The building itself is beautiful with natural light, especially floor 3.

We were fortunate to see the special exhibit, "Greenheads" by Sam Holdsworth. This alone is worth the price of admission. There are two Milton Avery pieces, he is a major player.

Lastly, the Fitz Henry Lane Gallery is excellent and it, too, is worth the price of admission. What a master of sky, water, and sunlight. His subjects are seascapes, harbor scenes, ships and vessels, and a few local, rural scenes. It is deeply fulfilling to view his paintings then to experience the real thing in person,or vice versa of course.

This beautiful small museum, partly lodged in a fine 18th century house, is a gem of New England art and history. It has the largest collection of paintings by Fitz Henry Lane, a local 19th-century painter of seascapes - many are atmospheric with beautiful light and reminded me of the Hudson River School of the same era. Also fine examples of 18th-19th century furniture and things from the China trade, which I did not have a chance to see since I had only an hour to spend. Give it two hours! Closed on Mondays.