Isabella Stewart was born in New York City in 1 840.Her father made a great deal of money in the trade.During school,her parents took her to Italy to explore the country's many cultural treasures. 

One of the private art collections Isabella visited in Milan had a deep influence on her.She wrote to her friends about her dream of owning a house one day with an art collection like the one she had seen in Italy. 

In Paris,Isabella became close friends with one of her classmates,Julia Gardner,whose family was from Boston.Julia would later introduce Isabella to her brother,Jack.In 1 860,Isabella Stewart married Jack Gardner. 

The couple had too much art to fit inside their home.So they decided to start planning a museum.Mrs. Gardner didn't like the cold and empty.spaces of many museums during her time.She wanted a warm museum filled with light.She once said that she decided years ago that the greatest need in her country was art.America was a young country developing quickly in other areas.But the country needed more chances for people to See beautiful examples of art. 

After her husband's death in 1 898.Isabella knew she had no time to lose in building her museum.She bought land,hired a building designer,and supervised every detail of her museum's construction. 

Mrs.Gardner opened her museum on January 1,1 903,which was then called Fenway Court.She invited her friends that night for a special musical performance.The next month,she opened the museum to the public.At first,visits were limited to twenty days out of the year.Visitors paid one dollar to enter. 

Isabella Stewart Gardner died in 1 924 in Boston.In her will,she left the museum a million dollars and a series of requirements about how it should be managed, one that the permanent collection cannot be changed.
Where was Isabella Steward born? What was the name of her classmate in Paris she became close friends with? What had great influnce on Ms. Steward in Milan? Why did the Gardners decide to open an Art museum? Where did Isabella's parents take her to study the countries many cultural treasures? What was the date Mrs. Gardner opened her museum? What was the name of the muesum then? What did Mrs. Gardner leave the museum in her will? Did she have any requirements to how the museum should be managed? how long after the initial opening was the museum opem to the public?
New York City Julia Gardner One of the private art collections she visited Isabella didn't like the cold and wanted a museum full of light Italy January 1 ,1903 Fenway Court a million dollars Yes The next month