Puzzles, Toys & Games

“I envy you, who always, even at your worst, loved the game, whatever it might be, and delighted in playing it. How we others must bore you — old mummies like Henry James and me — who can see nothing in the game and only lunacy in the players . . .” - Henry Adams, in a letter to Isabella Stewart Gardner from 1603 H Street, Washington, D.C., after 1906

Throughout her life, Isabella Stewart Gardner was a spirited competitor who enjoyed challenging games. As Gardner biographer Louise Hall Tharpe writes, Isabella was not worried about games in life or politics; rather, she was literally interested in games and the joy of entertainment. Explore Gift at the Gardner’s selection of puzzles, toys, and games for all ages which harken back to the Museum, its founder, and her love of entertainment. And remember: "Win as though you were used to it and lose as if you liked it."