Explore Eight Inspirational Artist House Museums in the Northeast

When looking at a work of art, the setting counts. It’s a distinct and arguably more inspirational experience viewing paintings in the studio where they were originally created. You might gain a deeper understanding of maritime artist Winslow Homer by sharing the ocean view from his studio terrace, or better appreciate Jackson Pollock’s Abstract Expressionist technique by observing the state of his paint-caked floors.

Moreover, you may come to understand your favorite artists as people. Did realist painter Edward Hopper have enough chairs to invite friends over for dinner? What items did minimalist Donald Judd enjoy collecting? Below are eight illuminating artist house museums across the Northeast, showcasing the lifestyles and artwork of renowned painters, architects, photographers, and sculptors.

Renee & Chaim Gross Foundation, New York

You could almost miss this house museum nestled in a nondescript four-story brick townhouse at 526 LaGuardia Place in Greenwich Village, an area dense with NYU students and trendy eateries. The ground-floor windows, once a storefront but converted in 1963 into the dramatically skylit studio space of modernist sculptor Chaim Gross, are filled in with bricks. However, on Thursdays and Fridays, the wrought iron gates at the entryway to the Renee & Chaim Gross Foundation are unlocked to visitors.

The foundation’s guided tours highlight Gross’ wood and marble sculptures as he left them in the studio, and upstairs, visitors can explore his living areas where plush velvet furniture coexists with over 200 artworks from his personal collection.

Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, New York

When Abstract Expressionist painters Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner moved to East Hampton as newlyweds in 1945, their modest house lacked indoor plumbing and central heating. After borrowing money for a down payment from Pollock’s dealer and patron, Peggy Guggenheim, they renovated the home gradually, typically after successful gallery shows provided them with enough funds.

Krasner initially utilized the back parlor as her studio, while Pollock painted in a barn on the property. The paint-coated floor still holds remnants of his monumental poured paintings. After Pollock’s death, Krasner took control of the barn studio, where traces of her expressive paintings adorn the walls. Opened to the public as the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center in 1988, quirky treasures are now on display. Among the oddities is a human skull that Pollock retrieved from the Art Students League, where he studied in the 1930s, and a broken anchor found during a walk on the nearby beach, now mounted on the wall.

Andrew Wyeth Studio at Brandywine Museum of Art, Pennsylvania

While Andrew Wyeth’s contemporaries delved into abstraction, he focused on realistic landscapes and portraits of his neighbors. Many of his works were inspired by his surroundings in the schoolhouse-turned-studio in rural Pennsylvania. Wyeth resided in Chadds Ford for two decades and created art there for almost 70 years, within walking distance of his father, the renowned illustrator NC Wyeth.

Currently, the Andrew Wyeth Studio, which belongs to the Brandywine Museum of Art, contains cherished items belonging to the beloved painter. There are around 900 miniature soldiers, books focused on his favorite artists, and a carton of eggs among his paintbrushes and pigments—a nod to Wyeth’s frequent use of egg tempera, an ancient artistic technique.

Donald Judd Foundation, New York

The home and studio of minimalist artist Donald Judd, now known as the Donald Judd Foundation, form a postmodern five-story installation piece encased by a historic cast-iron building dating to 1870 in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood.

After purchasing the entire building in 1968, Judd arranged his live-work spaces as a complete artwork. His kitchen utensils, including a Russian samovar and industrial meat-slicer, coexist with artwork by Marcel Duchamp, Jean Arp, and Judd himself. Books remain intentionally scattered on the studio floor, while the pottery Judd collected holds equal value alongside artwork by Frank Stella. Guided tours are required to explore the installation fully, and all guides are practicing local artists.

Winslow Homer Studio and House, Maine

It seems obvious that an artist like Winslow Homer—known for his seascapes and paintings of men on boats—would reside near the ocean. However, he only made that decision after spending two decades in the hustle and bustle of New York City, following a childhood around Boston. At age 48, an unmarried Homer moved to a carriage house in Maine with panoramic views of the Atlantic, where he ultimately spent almost 30 reclusive years.

The Winslow Homer Studio and House, recently restored by the Portland Museum of Art, now opens for guided tours. Visitors can explore the artist’s personal furnishings, photos, and artworks, while stepping out onto the studio’s second-floor balcony to enjoy the same ocean view that inspired Homer.

Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center, New York

American realist painter Edward Hopper had just two addresses during his 84-year lifetime. The first was his lower Hudson Valley birthplace, where he lived until his 20s, and the last was a sparse fourth-floor walk-up at 3 Washington Square North in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. Both locations are open for visits, with the Manhattan studio accessible by appointment only. However, the more elaborate exhibit is at the Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center in Nyack, where Hopper’s sketches, holiday cards, and family memorabilia are on display. Recently restaged, Hopper’s childhood bedroom allows visitors to see the view of the Hudson River he cherished from his window, along with some early artistic materials.

Walter Gropius House, Massachusetts

The New Englanders dining at the home of Walter and Ise Gropius must have been taken aback by their first look at metal and leather chairs, glass bricks, and chrome banisters lining the spiral staircase. This modern design aesthetic, imported from the Bauhaus—a progressive German art school founded by Gropius in the early 20th century—was initially perceived as radical by Massachusetts natives accustomed to colonial brick and decorative woodwork. Nevertheless, Gropius’ influence as a professor at Harvard University’s graduate design department soon swayed his neighbors.

The modest Gropius House resembles a miniature design museum featuring a Marcel Breuer-designed double desk and a molded womb chair created by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen.

Alice Austen House, New York

This traditional Victorian cottage on New York’s Staten Island is named after its unconventional resident: Alice Austen. One of the earliest female American photographers, Austen produced more than 8000 photographs in her lifetime and was the first woman in her borough to own a car. Additionally, she had a romantic relationship with another woman, Gertrude Tate, for over 50 years.

Unfortunately, an impoverished Austen lost ownership of the house in the 1940s, leading to severe disrepair and a demolition plan. Nevertheless, a group of activists rallied and raised funds to save the Alice Austen House, which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance and as an important LGBTQ site. As a museum, the house showcases Austen’s captivating photographs and artifacts related to her extraordinary life.