It used to be pretty much a secret that one of the world's greatest collections of impressionist and postimpressionist art -- 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes (including his Card Players), 59 Matisses, and masterpieces by van Gogh, Degas, Picasso, and others -- was on view in the little town of Merion, 8 mi west of Center City. That was the way Albert C. Barnes wanted it. The son of a Philadelphia butcher who made millions by inventing Argyrol (used to treat eye inflammations), Barnes considered his art collection an educational tool, and until a 1961 court order the collection was open only to students of the educational institution he had chartered. Now that the trustees of Lincoln University have taken over, Barnes's public-be-damned attitude is a thing of the past. Recently, the Foundation was given permission by the court to relocate its gallery to a new building on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, next to the Rodin Museum. Until 2009 you can see the Gauguins, Tintorettos, and Degases displayed as they have always been: wallpapered floor-to-ceiling and cheek-by-jowl alongside household tools, Amish chests, and New Mexican folk icons. Reservations are required, and should be made at least two months in advance for the busiest months of April, May, October, and November. If you don't arrive in time to join the limited first-come, first-served docent tours, at 10, 1, and 2, opt for the $7 audio tour. SEPTA's Ardmore-bound 44 bus runs from 15th Street and Kennedy Boulevard to Old Lancaster Road and North Latches Lane half a block from the museum; or take SEPTA's R-5 train from 30th Street Station to the Merion Station stop, turn right on Merion Road and left on Latch's Lane, and walk 1/2 mi to the museum.