The Walters Art Museum

Baltimore Trip #7
«Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.»
― Pablo Picasso
When my best friend and I take these short trips, we always fill them with history and art. On our last visit to Baltimore, we went to the Reginal F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History. This time we picked the internationally renowned Walters Art Museum (WAM) in Mount Vernon. Here is some info for you:
*FREE admission!!!
*“The collection presents an overview of world art from pre-​dynastic Egypt to 20^th-​century Europe, and counts among its many treasures Greek sculpture and Roman sarcophagi; medieval ivories and Old Master paintings; Art Nouveau jewelry and 19^th-​century European and American masterpieces.”
*William and Henry Walters (father and son) had a love of art, collecting 22,000 pieces of art between the two. Read more about the history of the museum and their story.
*They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Also, WAM’s hours are 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. expect for Thursdays which is 9 p.m.
*Thursday Nights at the Walters – Discover the collection, take in a gallery talk, make art, and have a drink. They now offer California wines and regional beers for $ 5 each. Check out the event calendar for special events on Thursday Nights.
*Still photography is allowed in the permanent collection, but video cameras and tripods are prohibited. Also, special exhibits or art on loan cannot be photographed.
*There is a coat check room.
*Strollers are permitted but may be restricted during peak times. There is a limited amount of free strollers available (first-​come, first-​served basis). Ask at the Visitor Information Desk.
*WAM is committed to making their programs and exhibitions accessible to all visitors. They even have Sensory Mornings for those who have Sensory Processing Disorders and Touch Tours for the blind. Check out their website for information.
*I walked there, but I know there are a couple of parking lots nearby: Centre and Cathedral Streets. If you become a member (
), you receive discounts at these lots.
*There are lots of ways to help to support WAM and keep it free. This link tells you how.

Best part of Baltimore right here. I’ve only been to this museum twice but I was introduced to the work of Gérôme here so I will always have a soft spot for this museum.

LOVED the museum. It’s amazing to be able to enjoy family fun for FREE. The exhibits were more than enough to keep the interest of my kids (6,11) and my spouse. The curator was AMAZING and so knowledgable. I wish we had time to listen to her entire talk, but we learned a lot in about 10 minutes. Would love to return.

Such an interesting museum. A must see if you are in Baltimore. It’s free. Top floor has an interesting history of the Walters family and their bootlegging business. I explored other floors. Wide range of art and antiquities. The depth of the Walters collection is incredible. I heard them rehearsing for an afternoon concert and the acoustics were phenomenal.

What an odd and wonderful place. The pieces are mostly a collection of two men (brothers?) and the pieces range from polar bear skulls and suits of samurai armor to Russian faberge eggs housing miniature depictions of royal homes.
There are a few larger collections of art: Medieval, Islamic, etc., and many more sporadic displays of animal pellets, jewelry, and other odd and not so odd items.
It’s a lot of fun to walk through, and probably one of the best museums I’ve been to, given the uniqueness of items and size/​spread of collections.
Best of all the museum is free!

Great FREE museum. There are four floors and some dead ends so make sure you get a map to avoid missing exhibits.

*****It’s Free*****
Very nice collection, as fine as any you might hope to see. My two favorites were the Egyptian jewelry (take a magnifying glass with you to view details) and the Renaissance paintings. I noticed there is an audio tour, icons on the exhibits gave me the ‘clue’ but I’m not sure how the process works. Check previous reviews or contact the Walters for specifics. Gift shop and café onsite.
With convenient parking (check parkopedia) and good restaurants nearby, such as Helmand and Akbar, the Walters is a wonderful way to spend a rainy afternoon in Charm City.
Also … it is very child friendly with a child’s play area in the basement. On ⁵⁄₁₄ a mini play area was set-​up on the 2^nd floor to give little ones a break from the usual museum experience.

Free admission and great collections. This place is usually not overcrowded like smithsonian museums. I always take my guests to visit this gem. You won’t be disappointed!

I walked to the Walters Art Museum, located in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon section, on a Sunday after visiting the Washington Monument.
The museum building, which opened in 1909, is beautiful. It houses an extensive collection of art from just about every part of the world.
During my visit, there was a special exhibition by 15^th century Italian artist Carlo Crivelli of Venice. His works were extraordinary and included his vision of the Last Supper, where some of the apostles are chomping on pickles.
Like the Baltimore Museum of Art on the Johns Hopkins University campus, the Walters does not charge an admission fee. Both museums attracted a large number of children. It was heartening to see them being exposed to art at such an early age.

If you have some free time while in Baltimore, drop in at the The Walters Art Museum. With more than 25,000 pieces of art AND free general general admission, you’d be silly not to!
We arrived right after open, and it was awesome — felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. My girlfriend and I enjoyed a morning filled with knights’ armor, statues, colorful paintings, furniture, and many small and lovely objects from around the world.
The museum hosts a variety of free family programs as well, from drop-​in art classes on Saturdays and Sundays to museum tours with family-​friendly guides. In no time, we were quickly surrounded by all sorts of group — young and old!
FYI
Mon+Tue: Closed
Wed-​Sun: 10am-​5pm
Thurs 10am-​9pm

Surprisingly awesome.
Passed by on A Thursday to sip some wine and enjoy free entry. I prefer the Baltimore Museum of Art which is always free but this had a nice vibe of the wine drinking. You can only drink in a seperate area in the lobby, not near the paintings. Some tipsy person probably ruined it for us.
Anyway, there’s a great mix of armor, Renaissance art, sculptures, modern works and cool historical furniture pieces I didn’t expect to see in this museum. It’s in a neat location and I suggest walking by the neighborhood before/​after to get a feel for the unique vibe.
I would highly suggest any art lover to pass by on a Thursday to get your wine and free art on.

This is an awesome museum! And it’s free! They have a lot to see so make some time for it. We didn’t get to see a lot because we arrived an hour before closing. You’re allowed to take pictures which is awesome. A lot of museums don’t allow for it.

Truly another gem in the treasure chest of the Baltimore City art scene!
Today my son received an award for his piece that was displayed through the Maryland Art Education Association Exhibition. We’ve been missing out! The museum is beautiful and not as overwhelming as the Smithsonian museums or as modern as the Hirshhorn. The employees are friendly and helpful and make me want to return to take the free 45 minute tour.
On the lower lever, there’s even an interactive area for tots and school aged children to participate in making their own pieces!
All and all, we will be returning for an official visit. Did I mention it’s free???

The Walters museum is very cool. I highly recommend.

Another great free museum in Baltimore (seriously, how can you give a free museum less than 5 stars???) It has four large floors packed with permanent exhibits, as well as rotating temporary exhibits. The building holds the collection of William and Henry Walters, who gathered artworks from all periods: Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ethiopian, and Western Medieval. Not just limited to paintings and sculptures, there is a wide array of other ancient artifacts like jewelry, weapons, musical instruments, bowls, and more.
Give yourself a couple hours to roam around the building, we only had an hour to spend here, and that didn’t seem nearly enough time to really get into the collection. If you are ever in town, the Walters Art Museum is a must-​go!

LOVED the 4^th floor exhibit — From Rye to Raphael — during Happy Hour. The Delacroix, Manet, Monet, Ingres — wow! It’s been too long!

Lovely exhibits – the Egyptian exhibit was my absolute favorite. Was able to get lost for hours seeing every nook and cranny of this wonderful museum.
It’s FREE but there is an optional donation box in the lobby ;)

This is an awesome, impressive medium-​sized museum. I enjoyed the quiet environment and the carefully-​designed organization of artifacts there. There are a lot of small but worth viewing stuff. I spent about two hours there on a Sunday afternoon, and I didn’t even make it to the third floor.
Besides, it is a great place for families to come with babies because there is a free audio guide for kids.

Words cannot capture the magnitude, the scope and the sheer beauty this museum holds. I wish I had wandered in earlier since they close at 5. That left me only an hour to see 4 floors. Not enough time. I had to choose which exhibit to dash through and I chose the new one on Floor Four that followed the family’s history of acquisition. *pats myself on back* Fantastic choice. It gave an overview of the family and had works that sampled from the entire collection across all spans of time and place. I saw a Manet and am convinced now that Rene Lalique must’ve made a deal with the devil to produce some of the intricate and delicate things he created. Either that or he was touched by an angel (a good one, not a Fallen One). There were sculptures too and this jaw dropping metal dragon waterfall. They even recreated the sitting room where the elder Walter hung his paintings and displayed those same paintings just as he had. Whoo boy, they had some DEEP pockets.
The Walter is like a treasure chest. Open it. It’s free to all. Inside you’ll find a trove of wonders wrought by mankind and collected by two men. I love me some philanthropists (past and present).

Was looking for a good time that reminded me of home, and this is where I finally found my happy.
Every Thursdays, Walters stays open until 9 for late night gallery viewing. I came to Walters for their amazing Valentine’s Day Art Party. Amazing doesnt begin to describe it. Upon entering, a great staff was waiting with wristbands, coat checks, and the wonderful concept of «Hearts For Art»; a fun little thing where we placed small hearts on our favorite works of art as we toured the museum. On top of having a diverse collection from several different milleniums and parts of the planet, they also had a huge hall they had converted into a dance area, filled with DJs tasty food and drinks. Diverse gathering of people, everyone was there to have a great time. Loved it, and looking forward to more events there.