Where to see Van Gogh in the United States?
The guide to American museums that hold his major works: The Starry Night, The Bedroom, The Iris, The Night Café, Sunflowers and several portraits, cypresses, and landscapes of Auvers.
The United States has several essential Van Goghs
For a first discovery, prioritize New York for The Starry Night and the cypresses at the Metropolitan Museum, then Chicago for The Bedroom, l-Self-portrait from 1887 and The Poet's Garden.
Washington, Philadelphia, New Haven, Boston, Detroit and California then allow you to follow almost the entire career: Paris, Arles, Saint-Rémy and Auvers-sur-Oise. However, there is no single 'Van Gogh museum' in the United States. The paintings are distributed among major institutions, and their presence in the galleries can change due to a loan, restoration, or new installation.
Eight steps to build a Van Gogh trip
The order below follows a geographic logic. For a short stay, the first two steps are enough; for a true panorama, add Washington, Philadelphia, and New Haven.
New York
MoMA and Met: Night of Saint-Rémy, olive trees, cypresses and irises.
2 museums · 1 to 2 daysChicago
The Bedroom, self-portrait and Garden of Arles on the same floor.
Art InstituteWashington
The Mousem, fields of Auvers and bouquets at the National Gallery.
Free admissionPhiladelphia
Sunflowers at PMA and Joseph Roulin at the Barnes Foundation.
Two collectionsNew Haven
The Night Café, one of the most radical interiors of 1888.
Yale UniversityBoston
Roulin, The Berceuse, The Ravine and houses of Auvers.
Museum of Fine ArtsMidwest
Detroit, Cleveland and Saint Louis: portraits and last landscapes.
Three citiesCalifornia
The Iris at the Getty and six oils at the Norton Simon in Pasadena.
Los Angeles · PasadenaCombine New York and Chicago. You will see the most famous painting, The Starry Night, but also a collection that allows you to compare the intimate space of The Bedroom, the face of the artist, the trees of Saint-Rémy and the decorative studies of Arles.
Ten major artworks to add to your list
This selection does not claim to rank Van Gogh. It brings together immediately recognizable works and other paintings that illuminate a decisive moment in his painting.
The Starry Night, 1889
The sky does not simply reproduce the night seen from Saint-Paul-de-Mausole. Van Gogh combines observation, memory, and invention: vertical cypress, reconstituted village, moon and stars surrounded by halos, blue flow that gives the sky a life of its own.
See reproduction
Wheat Field with Cypresses
Nested masses — wheat, shrubs, cypress, the Alpilles, and clouds — create an almost tactile landscape.
See reproduction
Self-portrait, 1887
Short, directional strokes make the face and background vibrate. The portrait becomes a study of color as much as a self-image.
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The Iris, 1889
A field without a horizon, filled to the edges with leaves and flowers. The white iris creates a variation in repetition.
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Sunflowers, 1889
This Arles variation explores a range of yellows, ochres, and greens where each flower has its own state of maturity.
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The Night Café, 1888
The perspective draws the eye toward a central door, while red, green, and yellow create a deliberately oppressive atmosphere.
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The Mousem, 1888
The Provencal model is transformed by Van Gogh's Japanese imagination: monumental silhouette, sharp outlines, and tightly packed flowers.
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Self-portrait with straw hat
Painted in Paris, it heralds the complementary contrasts and energetic brushwork that the artist would develop in the South of France.
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The Mulberry Tree, 1889
The yellow-orange tree blazes against the blue rock. Trunk, ground, and foliage seem animated by the same rhythm.
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Adeline Ravoux, 1890
The innkeeper's daughter of Auvers appears in profile against a decorative background, in one of Van Gogh's last portrait studies.
See reproductionMoMA and the Metropolitan Museum
Start with gallery 501
MoMA indicates The Starry Night and The Olive Trees as visible in gallery 501. First, look at the relationship between the two works: in one, movement invades the sky; in the other, it moves through the trees and the ground.
Check at MoMA
The cypresses then the flowers
At the Met, Cypress is announced in gallery 825 and Wheat Field with Cypresses in gallery 822. The museum also holds a spectacular bouquet of irises. The visit reveals how a single sinuous line can organize a tree, a cloud, a mountain, or a stem.
See the details of CypressArt Institute of Chicago
Three works to compare in gallery 241
The gallery page brings together The Bedroom, l-Self-portrait and The Poet's Garden. It is a rare opportunity to go from an intimate space built with flat areas to a face worked with small touches, then to a garden in Arles designed as a backdrop.
Check gallery 241
The Poet's Garden
Van Gogh enlarges the trunks, simplifies the silhouettes, and spreads a carpet of warm colors in the foreground. Facing The Bedroom, the work shows that the artist constructs interiors and gardens with the same decorative intent.
See reproductionNational Gallery of Art
A free and very diverse collection
The National Gallery lists ten paintings by Van Gogh. The Mousem and Green wheat fields, Auvers are announced in gallery M83; Roses is also listed as exhibited. One can thus connect the Arles portrait, the Saint-Rémy bouquet, and the last spring of Auvers.
Explore the Van Goghs at the NGA
Green wheat fields, Auvers
Without any dominant figure or architecture, the field occupies almost the entire surface. The brushstrokes make the wind pass through the greens, blues, and pale yellows.
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Look at the gesture
Come closer to follow the directions of the brushstroke, then step back to see the field become a continuous mass.
Museum profilePhiladelphia Museum of Art and Barnes Foundation
Two museums, two ways of looking
At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, look for the version of Sunflowers with yellow background. At the Barnes, the Postman Joseph-Étienne Roulin appears in a dense hang, surrounded by other artists and objects: a very different experience from the monographic room.
Check the SunflowersCompare the yellows
The vase, the background, and the petals belong to the same color family, but the impasto, the outlines, and the greens prevent any monotony. Also look at the wilted flowers: the series is a meditation on time, not just a sunny image.
See reproductionA night in Arles and several familiar faces
The Night Café on the second floor
Yale indicates the painting is visible on the second floor. Van Gogh wanted to express a place where one could get lost: unstable perspective, isolated pool table, harsh light, and red-green contrast. Admission to the Yale University Art Gallery is free.
Check at Yale
Roulin, The Berceuse and the landscape
The MFA holds six works by Van Gogh. Its collection allows you to find the Roulin family, but also The Ravine, Houses at Auvers and a Enclosed field. Display may vary: check each sheet before moving.
See the portrait
The Ravine
A landscape of Saint-Rémy almost without sky, carved by the rhythms of the rock.
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Houses at Auvers
The roofs, the hillside, and the sky respond to each other with tight brushstrokes.
See reproductionThree museums to go beyond the iconic masterpieces alone
The first Van Gogh acquired by an American public museum
The Detroit Institute of Arts acquires its Self-portrait in 1922, becoming the first public museum in the United States to purchase a Van Gogh work. The painting is announced as on display and marks a milestone in the American reception of the artist.
Check at the DIAA face built with color
The blue of the blouse, the yellow of the hat, the greens and reds of the face do not seek a neutral skin tone. They test the complementary contrasts learned through contact with modern painting in Paris.
See reproductionCleveland · Adeline Ravoux
A profile of Auvers on an ornamental background, indicated in the galleries of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Museum profile
Saint Louis · Staircase at Auvers
The ascent, the houses, and the figures fit together in a compact composition, announced in gallery 218.
See reproductionRead the last spring
Compare the Auvers works from Cleveland, Saint Louis, Boston, and Washington: same hillsides, very different solutions.
Explore the landscapesGetty Center and Norton Simon Museum
The Iris and the Getty construction
The Getty Center remains open in 2026, but some galleries are progressively closing for renovation. A general closure is announced from March 15, 2027 to spring 2028. The Getty plans to present a selection of masterpieces at the Getty Villa during this period: be sure to check the location of Iris.
Status of IrisSix Van Gogh oils
The Norton Simon presents its collection as the most complete Van Gogh collection in the western United States. The Mulberry Tree is announced as visible; also look for the portrait of Patience Escalier and the other paintings depending on the hanging.
Explore the collectionWhich museum to choose based on your time?
MoMA
Choose it to see The Starry Night, the most famous Van Gogh image in the United States.
New York
MoMA in the morning, Metropolitan Museum in the afternoon. Reserve time slots and check the galleries.
Northeast
New York, then train to New Haven for The Night Café, with Boston as an extension.
Grand tour
New York + Washington + Philadelphia, then flight to Chicago or Los Angeles.
| MoMA, New York | The Starry Night, The Olive Trees. Check gallery 501. Official website |
|---|---|
| Met, New York | Cypress, Wheat Field with Cypresses, irises and other works. Official fact sheet |
| Art Institute, Chicago | The Bedroom, Self-portrait, The Poet's Garden. Official collection |
| NGA, Washington | Ten paintings, including The Mousem, Roses and Green wheat fields, Auvers. Free entry. Official fact sheet |
| Philadelphia | Sunflowers at the PMA; Le Facteur Roulin at the Barnes Foundation. Barnes |
| Yale, New Haven | The Night Café, announced on the second floor. Free admission. Official website |
| MFA Boston | Six works, including Roulin, The Berceuse, The Ravine and Houses at Auvers. MFA |
| Detroit | Self-portrait, historic acquisition of 1922. DIA |
| Cleveland | Adeline Ravoux, generally presented in the European galleries. CMA |
| Saint Louis | Staircase at Auvers, announced in gallery 218. SLAM |
| California | The Iris at the Getty; six oil paintings at the Norton Simon. Pay attention to the renovation schedule 2027–2028. Getty calendar |
Loans and rotations: "Belongs to the museum" does not mean "visible today". A work on paper is particularly sensitive to light and may be shown on rotation. Rely on the exhibition mention on the official record.
The Van Gogh collections from the shop
See Van Gogh in American museums
In which American museum is The Starry Night located?
The Starry Night belongs to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The MoMA currently displays it in gallery 501 with The Olive Trees. Check its official listing before visiting, as a loan is always possible.
Which US museum owns the most Van Goghs?
The answer depends on what you count — paintings, drawings, prints, or works actually on display. The Art Institute of Chicago lists eighteen works in its online collection; the National Gallery of Art announces ten paintings; the Norton Simon holds six oils. None of these numbers guarantee that everything is visible simultaneously.
Where to see Van Gogh's Bedroom in the United States?
The Art Institute of Chicago holds one of the three painted versions of The Bedroom. The museum announces it in gallery 241, near theSelf-portrait and the Jardin du poète.
Where to see Van Gogh's Irises in the United States?
The large composition Iris from 1889 is at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has another painting, a bouquet of irises in a vase. The Getty is entering a long renovation phase, so check the exact location from March 2027.
Where to see The Sunflowers in the United States?
The Philadelphia Museum of Art holds a version of the Sunflowers on a yellow background, painted in Arles in 1889. It is one of the variations of the famous series intended for the decoration of the Yellow House.
Can you see Van Gogh for free in the United States?
Yes. The National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven offer free general admission. Policies may change; always check official practical information.
What is the best Van Gogh museum in New York?
The MoMA is a priority for The Starry Night. The Met is preferable for comparing several cypresses, landscapes, and flowers. Ideally, visit both, as they show complementary aspects of the Saint-Rémy period.
Are the paintings always on display?
No. Museums lend, restore, and move their artworks. Some galleries also close for renovations. Check the object’s information page, look for the mention "on view," and verify the gallery number on the day.
What Van Gogh itinerary can you do in one week?
Spend two days in New York, then travel by train to Philadelphia and Washington. Add New Haven if The Night Café is a priority. Chicago or California then requires a flight and is a separate extension.
A guide verified on July 18, 2026
- MoMA — Vincent van Gogh : works and galleries announced.
- Art Institute of Chicago — Van Gogh and gallery 241.
- Met — Cypresses and Wheat Field with Cypresses.
- National Gallery of Art — Celebrating Van Gogh.
- Philadelphia Museum of Art — Sunflowers.
- Yale University Art Gallery — The Night Café.
- Detroit Institute of Arts — Van Gogh in America.
- Norton Simon Museum — Van Gogh.
- Getty — renovation schedule and Irises.
- MFA Boston — Van Gogh.
MoMA — ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0.
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Art Institute of Chicago — Pinotgris, CC BY-SA 3.0.
National Gallery of Art — AgnosticPreachersKid, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Philadelphia Museum of Art — Heather Dong, CC0.
Yale University Art Gallery — Ragesoss, public domain.
Detroit Institute of Arts — Michael Barera, license indicated on Wikimedia Commons.
Reproductions of works by Vincent van Gogh: public domain; files and photographs according to credits from institutions and Wikimedia Commons.
Gallery locations and exhibition statuses are subject to change after the verification date.
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