Today’s Forecast

37º | Sunny | 6% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:12 a.m. | Sunset 4:28 p.m.

Isabella’s will stipulated that nothing in the galleries should be changed. | Photo by @mgeise

On March 18, 1990, two men disguised as police officers stole multiple pieces of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in what would go down in history as the single largest property theft in the world.

The Fenway neighborhood museum today reminds visitors of the ongoing mystery, as various gold frames hang empty throughout the galleries.

With the 33rd anniversary of the still unsolved case coming up, we’re donning our detective caps and diving into the case.

By the numbers

13 — The total amount of stolen artworks.
81 — The number of minutes the thieves spent inside the museum.
$200 million — The cost of the artwork the thieves stole, valued at $500 million today.
$10 million — The current reward for sharing information that leads to the recovery of these pieces. Got any tips to share?

We recommend taking a virtual tour through the galleries, exploring each of the 13 artworks in more detail.

Flowery courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum — Ponder this mystery while admiring the beauty of the courtyard.
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Photo by @yyueliu

The puzzling particulars

While so much of this mystery has left investigators and the public baffled, here’s an overview of some of the most perplexing pieces of the puzzle.

The thieves appeared to take their sweet time, spending over an hour looting the museum. For context, the average art heist is ~10 minutes.
They didn’t trip the motion sensors on the first floor, though the alarms were reportedly working. The alarms on the second floor went off multiple times.
While the robbers did walk away with some of the most treasured pieces, they didn’t steal “The Rape of Europa” by Titian, the museum’s most expensive work.

Keep reading to learn about a few of the stolen pieces + a documentary, podcast, and book that share more of the story.

MORE HEIST HISTORY

Events

Thursday, March 16

Four Days of St. Patrick’s Shenanigans | Thursday, Mar. 16-Sunday, Mar. 19 | Times vary | Telegraph Hill Kitchen & Bar, 289 Dorchester St., Boston | Free | Kick off the Southie bar’s festivities with the first evening of celebrations, featuring food specials like an Irish reuben and boiled corned beef dinner.
2023 Image Awards | Thursday, Mar. 16 | 6:30-8 p.m. | MIT, Koch Institute Public Galleries, 500 Main St., Cambridge | Free | Join in-person or virtually to hear lightning talks by MIT scientists and engineers concerning global health challenges.
Jack Daniel’s Tasting Party | Thursday, Mar. 16 | 7-9 p.m. | Nash Bar & Stage, 253 Tremont St., Boston | $20 | Saddle up for a tasting event at the downtown bar with free Jack Daniel’s merch, craft cocktails, and live music.

Friday, March 17

St. Patrick’s Day at the Irish Cultural Centre | Friday, Mar. 17 | 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. | Irish Cultural Centre, 200 New Boston Dr., Canton | $20 | Head to the South Shore for live music, Irish dancing, vendors to shop, and corned beef and cabbage served all day.
Don’t Tell Comedy Show | Friday, Mar. 17 | 8-9:30 p.m. | The Charles River Speedway, 525 Western Ave., Brighton | $25 | Visit Garage B for a lot of laughs from local and nationally touring talent.

Saturday, March 18

St. Patrick’s Day Darty | Saturday, Mar. 18 | 3-8 p.m. | Lamplighter Broadway, 284 Broadway, Cambridge | Free to attend | The brewery will be pouring an export stout and the Irish dry stout.
Let’s Draw: HMSC Sketching Weekend | Saturday, Mar. 18-Sunday, Mar. 19 | 1-4 p.m. | Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge | Free | Try your hand at sketching and elevate your creative process with Harvard Museums of Science & Culture facilitators.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

Click here to have your event featured.

100+ MORE EVENTS

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Arts

Experience the work of a living American composer

Julia Wolfe’s “Her Story” explores women’s ongoing fight for equal rights, invoking the words of female leaders from throughout history. | Photo via Unsplash

From a letter written by Abigail Adams to the words of Sojourner Truth, Julia Wolfe’s “Her Story” — part of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s current festival — is a personal and emotional response to the ongoing quest for equal rights for women.

Bostonians can catch the concert tonight at 7:30 p.m., tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., and Saturday at 8 p.m., and make plans to attend a free panel discussion featuring Dr. Jane Kamensky of Harvard University, Dr. Robyn C. Spencer-Antoine of Lehman College, and Julia Wolfe herself. (You read that right: a living composer.)

Hear the panelists discuss the history and process of building “Her Story” on Saturday (March 18) at 5:30 p.m.*

RESERVE FREE TICKETS

News Notes

Weather

48º | Partly cloudy | 0% chance of rain

Development

Wynn Resorts, the operator behind Encore Boston Harbor, has closed a deal to purchase a 45-acre site in Everett. While there have been talks of bringing a soccer stadium to the area, official plans for the site across Broadway have not been released yet. (Boston Globe)

Coming Soon

Sullivan’s Castle Island is expanding to a new South Shore location, set to open this month. The 6,000-sqft Hanover Crossing location will offer indoor dining options with a bar area and patio + takeout ordering like the Southie spot.

Drink

Sam Adams and Wicked Retro Night have collaborated on a new brew to celebrate the largest gaming convention on the East Coast. Raise a glass to the launch of “The Last Boss” at the taproom’s release party on Thursday, March 23.

Sports

The Patriots have signed free agent wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $33 million deal. The move comes a day after receiver Jakobi Meyers left New England and signed a three-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. (Boston Globe)

Watch

Netflix has announced a three-part docuseries called “American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing.” The new series will air on Wednesday, April 12, just ahead of the tragedy’s 10-year anniversary. (Deadline)

Civic

Somerville residents can make their voices heard during the city’s first Participatory Budgeting process. Submit ideas on how to use $1 million in funds from March 20 through May 20 for the chance to influence local improvement projects.

Number

8.1 million. That’s how many sports betting transactions were recorded in Massachusetts during the first weekend of mobile sports betting. Check out our guide if you’re looking to wager a few bucks or if you’re curious about this new offering. (BetMassachusetts)

Tech

Looking for a new laptop that checks all the boxes without breaking the bank? Enter: the Acer Chromebook 311. This lightweight laptop is decked out with all the essential Google apps — like Google Chrome and Google Calendar — it’s quiet, and it has up to 10 hours of battery life.

LIFESTYLE

Play along: St. Patrick’s Day Bingo ☘️

Graphic of a Bingo card with nine items relating to St. Patrick's Day

Email us if you manage to get Bingo. | Graphic by BOStoday team

Bostonians were the first to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in North America, and naturally, our city continues to host some of the most festive celebrations around.

With so much to do in honor of St. Paddy, it seemed only fair to issue a celebration challenge. Here are a few ways to participate:

Visit an Irish pub

While you’re at one of these historic pubs, grab a Guinness and dance along to any live music you hear to cross off three items at once.

Go to the South Boston parade

Have questions about the annual event? Send them over and we’ll do our best to answer them in tomorrow’s newsletter.

Explore a stop on the Irish Heritage Trail

The route goes from Downtown Boston through Back Bay and over to Fenway Park.

If you’ve secured tickets to a Dropkick Murphys concert or registered for Sunday’s road race, you’re already ahead of the game.

VIEW THE BINGO CARD

The Wrap

Today’s Edition By:
Sara

From the Editor

I’ll be the first one to point out a fake Boston accent when I hear one, so it’s no surprise that the cast of the “Boston Strangler” series was told to omit it entirely.

Still, I can’t say I’m not a bit bummed that I won’t get to hear Keira Knightley say “pahk” instead of “park.”

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