Founded in 1934, The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore MD features collections of art from around the world. The museum offers lectures, art-making events, and performances for visitors.
The museum’s collection spans seven millennia and includes 36,000 objects. Its historic buildings house beautiful works of art. From romantic 19th-century images of scenic French gardens to mesmerizing Ethiopian icons, the museum has something for everyone. Read on to find out more.
History
From romantic 19th-century landscape paintings to serene icons of Buddha, The Walters Art Museum beckons you to explore thousands of years of art. But if you are to truly appreciate and understand the collection, you must know its history.
Upon his death in 1931, Henry Walters bequeathed his art collection, two buildings, and an endowment to the city of Baltimore “for the benefit of the public.” Originally called the Walters Art Gallery, the Museum renamed itself in 2000 to reflect its growing stature as a public institution.
In the interest of promoting diversity, equity, and access, The Walters has begun to address its hard histories—the business practices and personal opinions that led founders William and Henry Walters to support the Confederacy and have a biased Eurocentric worldview that informed their collecting and connoisseurship.
Exhibits
When you walk through the Museum’s historic buildings, you’ll come face to face with a stunning panorama of thousands of years of art. From romantic 19th-century images of scenic French gardens to mesmerizing Ethiopian icons and ancient Roman sarcophagi, the Museum’s collection inspires wonder in all who visit.
The Walters’ collection of European art includes works by the Barbizon masters, academic masters, and Impressionists, including Odalisque with Slave by Ingres; The Catskills by Asher Brown Durand; Springtime by Claude Monet; and Edouard Manet’s realist masterpiece, The Cafe-Concert.
The Museum also offers a rich array of works from Asia and the Islamic world. The collections include calligraphy, ceramics, cloisonne, lacquerware, metalwork, and manuscripts. These objects explore themes that are both culturally specific and universal to the human experience, including devotional practice, consumable goods, and natural world innovation. Discover More about Baltimore here.
Admission
The Walters Art Museum is one of the most distinctive museums in America. Located in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, its collections span seven millennia and encompass 36,000 objects from around the globe. Its collection ranges from romantic 19th-century images of French gardens to serene images of the Buddha, mesmerizing Ethiopian icons, and ancient Roman sarcophagi.
The museum’s goal is to serve Baltimore and Maryland by embracing its role as educator and storyteller and leveraging its collections to support learning, dialogue, and community engagement. As part of this commitment, the museum strives to be a welcoming space for all.
General admission is free (excluding special exhibitions). Kids under 18 are always free. The museum also offers a variety of free family programs. The museum has a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy and requires all employees to be fully vaccinated.
Parking
The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore is a cultural hub for art lovers. It is located in the historic Mount Vernon neighborhood and features art from various cultures across seven millennia. Its collections include ancient Egyptian and Greek sculptures, Renaissance bronzes, medieval ivories, and Chinese ceramics.
Unlike many other museums, The Walters Art Museum offers free admission to all visitors. It is also accessible to people with limited mobility. The main Centre Street entrance is fitted with a wheelchair lift, and the parking lot at 600 Cathedral Street (LAZ Parking) has a number of accessible spaces.
Taking public transit is the most affordable way to get to the museum. The Charm City Circulator is a convenient bus service that stops near the museum. There are also several local bus lines that provide service to the museum, including Silver, Green, Yellow, Purple, and Pink.
Restaurants
Although the cafe inside the museum closed in early July, there are still several dining options close to the museum. The Gallery Grill is a short walk from the entrance, as is Dooby’s, a Korean-inspired eatery serving Bahn Mi and Ramyum.
Baltimore’s Walters Art Museum boasts collections spanning seven millennia, from pre-dynastic Egypt to the 21st century. The Museum is situated in the iconic Mount Vernon Cultural District, a neighborhood of art museums, theaters, concert venues, and historic landmarks.
The Museum also offers a range of educational and accessibility programs, including Touch Tours for people with early-stage memory loss and sensory impairments. For more information, visit the Museum’s website. The Museum Store is also a must-visit, with stationery, gifts, and educational products that highlight the Museum’s collections and exhibits. Discover more interesting articles.
Driving directions from Superior Soft Wash to The Walters Art Museum
Driving directions from The Walters Art Museum to Baltimore Museum of Art
