On March 18, 1990, two thieves disguised as police officers walked into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and left with 13 priceless artworks worth over $500 million. It remains the biggest unsolved art heist in U.S. history. Despite decades of investigation, the stolen masterpieces, including works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Degas, have never been recovered.

Fun Facts:

• Two thieves, cleverly disguised as police officers, devised an audacious plan to convince museum guards to let them in, claiming they were responding to a disturbance. Once inside, they handcuffed the guards and spent 81 minutes looting the museum, leaving everyone astonished at their daring act.
• Among the 13 stolen pieces were some of the most valuable artworks in the world, including Rembrandt’s “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee”, Vermeer’s “The Concert”, and five sketches by Edgar Degas. The enormity of this loss is felt deeply in the art world.
• The museum has offered a massive $10 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the stolen artworks—the most significant reward ever offered by a private institution.
• Investigators believe the thieves had inside knowledge of the museum’s security system. Some even suspect organized crime involvement, but no arrests have ever been made.
• Despite decades of searching, none of the stolen pieces have been recovered. The museum keeps the empty frames on display, a constant reminder of the crime’s ongoing impact and the hope for their return.
• With an estimated value of over $500 million, this remains the most significant art heist in U.S. history—and one of the most significant unsolved crimes in the world.
• Will these masterpieces ever be found? The mystery continues…