HVAC Restoration Closure 2026
Beginning in early 2026, the museum will embark on a major HVAC restoration project—guided by the principles of the Bizot Green Protocol, a set of guidelines developed by international museum leaders to balance environmental responsibility with the preservation of collections. This essential upgrade reflects our continued dedication to both visitor experience and historic preservation.
The Historic House will be closed January 5 – August 4, 2026.
CURRENTLY ON VIEW: Layered Looking: Making Sense of Art.
Reynolda has always been a home that breathes.
When Katharine Reynolds wrote to architect Charles Barton Keen in 1912, she described her vision: “I am anxious for it to be a beautiful, as well as a comfortable, house.” The result was what is still considered the largest bungalow in the world — a sprawling, sunlit structure that embodied comfort in both design and spirit.
More than half of the main block of the first floor is devoted to porches–an invitation to breeziness unseen north of the tropics. Katharine believed that a home should breathe — not just for beauty, but for health. Like a zephyr winding through open windows and shaded porches, it carried with it a sense of ease and well-being. Long before central air conditioning became common, Katharine had the foresight to install systems that improved air quality and ensured comfort — a rare combination of innovation and practicality that set Reynolda apart.
What was once a system meant to ensure human comfort must now safeguard priceless works of art. In some spaces, original air-handling units have already faltered, forcing other systems to strain and compensate. Valves in the basement require frequent manual adjustments to maintain the delicate dance of temperature and humidity that protects the museum’s collection.
Reynolda’s new HVAC system won’t just cool rooms and warm hands; it will keep the very air of Reynolda in motion, like breath itself: unseen and unceasing.
Key Dates: 2026 Closures and Exhibitions
March 10 – July 19: Layered Looking: Making Sense of Art opens to the public in the Babcock Wing Gallery (Historic House remains closed)
July 20 – August 4: Entire Museum closed to the public
August 5: Historic House set to reopen (subject to change pending project completion)
Coming this Spring
Layered Looking: Making Sense of Art invites you to move through Reynolda’s collection through sound, touch, memory, and movement.
Join curator Allison Slaby and director of teaching and learning, Julia Tanner, to learn how art teaches us about the past and ourselves.
Join Deputy Director Phil Archer to learn how “palaces for pigs” and “condos for cows” shaped rural life—and why their legacy still matters today.
Header image: Library Porch, circa 1920. Gift of Brook Reynolds. Reynolda House Museumof American Art Archives.