The Cleveland Museum of Art

11150 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA

Address:	11150 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
Phone:	+1 216-421-7350
Site:	clevelandart.org
Rating:	4.9
Working:	Closed 10AM–5PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 9

A Private User

You may not know this, but one of the worlds great art museums is in Cleveland, Ohio. If that isnt surprising enough, admission to the permanent collection is always FREE (not including some special exhibitions). In addition, you rarely have to deal with large crowds even when viewing some of the most famous works in the collection. Im telling you... this place is golden! The CMA is an comprehensive art museum (around 43,000 objects) which has always focused on quality over quantity. You will find some of the finest examples by the worlds greatest artists. Caravaggio, El Greco, Monet, Degas, Picasso, van Gogh, Manet, Poussin, Gauguin, Rodin, Matisse, Tiffany, Faberge, Dali, Warhol...and the list goes on. The museum is in the midst of a $350 million dollar renovation and expansion which has already resulted in the complete restoration of the original 1916 building and the 1971 Marcel Breuer building. The new East Wing opened in 2009 with the west wing and atrium yet to be completed (2013). The following parts of the collection are currently on display: African. Egyptian, Ancient Near East, Greek, and Roman, American Painting and Sculpture, Contemporary Art, Decorative Art and Design, Drawings, European Painting and Sculpture 1500 to 1800, Medieval Art, Modern European Painting and Sculpture, Photography, and Prints. My personal favorites at the CMA include: The stunning Armor Court, the Apollo Sauroktonos attributed to Praxiteles, Lots Wife by Anselm Kiefer, La Vie by Picasso, The Dream by Salvidor Dali, Christ on the Cross by El Greco, The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew by Caravaggio, The Large Plane Trees by van Gogh, Cupid & Psyche by Jacques Louis David, and Marilyn x100 by Warhol. Please note: Some of the galleries/collections will not return to display until the completion of the building project. These include: 13th century - 16th century Europe, Western Medieval, Art of the Americas, Islamic, Textiles, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian and Southeast Asian Art.

A Private User

The Cleveland Museum of Art has always had a terrific collection. It has been sad to see so little of it the past few years, but FINALLY it is coming back to life. There really are some excellent pieces in this collection. If you can go, then go. My only negatives .. There are two. First, the staff is hit or miss. Many of the docents are absolutely wonderful. It is the paid staff who sometimes can come across with an attitude. You really do not see that in other museum settings very often. They act inconvenienced to answer questions. My second knock isn not the museum - it is the patrons. My impression is many local "patrons" have less interest in the arts and more interest in being seen in an art museum. Sad, but true. The words that came to mind immediately were "pretentious" and "rude." I love to see families and kids in museums - it is theirs, after all. It should not be a social hang out for flaky "50 something" art wannabes... Sorry, truth hurts.

elmer2flp

I have been in many art museums in the US and Europe, but this museum is by far the best, in a class all its own, due to the beauty of the architecture and the astounding breadth of the collection. You can have the Louvre, the National Gallery in Washington, the Vatican, etc. This museum has them all beat. Its like stepping into art history textbook of the entire world - a deeply moving experience. I was awestruck and overwhelmed by the beauty of this place. If youve ever taken an art history course, you will mentally start down the list of all the renowned artists youve studied, and as you walk through this museum you will say, over and over again, I cant believe it, they have example of that artist, and that one, and that one, and on and on, until you are dumbfounded.

Robert Bishop

The Cleveland Museum of Art is deceptive at first. When looking at the building from the outside, I thought that it was a relatively small museum. However, the Cleveland Museum of Art is the combination of and older building and a new, modern extension. The amount of space within the structure is simply amazing - and it is filled with amazing artwork. An excellent location to stroll around and view different pieces, there are also relatively large statue gardens on the exterior. The museum guards are friendly and talkative, and will help you find what you are looking for or point out new pieces. Contains a wide variety of pieces sorted by regional work. Also contains a large atrium for events, a good cafe, and best of all its free.

Anthony Iacobucci

I have attended the Cleveland Museum of Art since I was a freshman in college at nearby Case Western Reserve University, which was over 50yrs. ago! I just came back from a visit and had the opportunity to use their new interactive gallery wall whereby you can view the entire collection, select your favorite works of art, download them to your i-pad or a rented one( for $5) and create a customized tour for yourself. This is the most I have enjoyed myself in all of the times I have visited this museum. It is the first museum to utilize this new technology and I cant wait to go back, and as everyone has said "its free". take that NY and Chicago!!!!! A great museum with the latest tech and no admission charge!

Doc Purpleman

The Cleveland Museum of Art just keeps getting better. The collection is world-class with many major works of all periods. The armor exhibit is a great draw for kids who might otherwise think that museums are boring. The Tiffany glass exhibit is magical. The lobby space formed between the new wing and the 1916 building is an instant classic, it has become one of Americas best indoor spaces, a huge well-lit indoor plaza where you can go for a stroll in the warmth and sun even in the dead of winter. The cafe food is a bit disappointing but the setting is nice. Best part of all? Admission is free, except for special/traveling exhibits.

Linda Brashear

If I could give more stars, I would. Ive been in art museums around the world, and the Cleveland Museum of Art compares favorably with all of them. The permanent collection is huge, with works spanning all of human history from around the world. The special exhibitions are always extremely well done. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The building is fantastic and peaceful and is set in the lovely University Circle. I always enjoy the cafe, and the full service Provence restaurant is wonderful. Overall, this is a fantastic place to visit, and a real treasure for Cleveland and, quite frankly, the USA.

Joshua Griffin

Yes, it is free. Very nice museum with enough art to occupy one for at least three hours, and thats if they just want to stroll through without really taking time to smell the painted roses. If youre an art lover/ critic/ student/ obsessed consumer, then you can easily spend a whole day here. There is also a neat little cafe, but be aware that they have neat little prices ($$$). If you ask me, there is a stellar hot dog stand right across the street from the main entrance in the park. Definitely hit that up for a Polish dog and an Italian sausage, $2.50 and $3.00 respectively. You wont regret it.

Christian Savage

A huge permanent collection, an eclectic mix of temporary exhibits (one of my favorite things about the seasons changing in Cleveland is seeing what new exhibit the museum will be showcasing next), absolutely stunning architecture (I could sit inside the atrium and people-watch for hours). Oh, and admission is free? What’s there not to love about this place? Protip: if you want to avoid paying the $10 parking charge at the garage, there are plenty of metered parking spots (free on weekends) on East Blvd. and on almost all of the side streets North and East of Wade Oval.