Ohio's industrial history and generous benefactors have created a collection of varied and important museums, many of which are free to the public. They range from the sparkling glass collection at the Toledo Museum of Art to Impressionist painting and sculpture at the Cleveland Museum of Art to American at at the Butler Institute in Youngstown.
The next time you find yourself in Ohio, make sure to visit one of these important museums. If you're an Ohio resident, don't miss a visit to these local cultural institutions.
Located in Cleveland's cultural hub, University Circle, the Cleveland Museum of Art (pictured above) was established in 1913. It offers an extensive collection of Impressionist paintings and sculpture, medieval art, and Asian art. The museum's permanent collection is closed until early 2008 during a remodeling project. Until then, the museum is hosting a series of temporary exhibits (these are not free), such as "Monet in Normandy," showing February 18 - May 20, 2007.
Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44106, 216 421-7350
Located in the heart of Toledo's "Old West End" historic district, just west of downtown, the Toledo Museum of Art was founded in 1901 by the head of Libbey Glass, Edward Drummond Libbey. The gracious Beaux-Arts building houses a varied art collection, including many Impressionist and 18th Century European paintings as well as re-constructed rooms, including a medieval cloister. New in 2006 is the museum's Glass House, which features the Toledo Museum's over 7000 pieces of glass art, ranging in age from pre-historic to modern.
The Toledo Museum of Art is open Tuesday - Thursday from 10am to 4pm, Friday from 10am to 10pm, Saturday from 10am to 4pm, and Sunday from 11am to 5pm. The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays.
Toledo Museum of Art, 2445 Monroe St. at Scottwood, Toledo OH 43620, 419 255-8000
The Allen Memorial Art Museum, located halfway between Cleveland and Toledo on the campus of Oberlin College, has a small, but interesting, collection of over 11,000 objects. It is considered by many to be the finest college museum in the country. Highlights of the Allen's permanent collection include 17th century Dutch and Flemish Art, 19th and 20th century European and contemporary American art, and its American, Asia, and European works on paper.
The Allen Memorial Art Museum is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10am to 5pm and on Sundays from 1pm to 5pm.
The Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, 87 N. Main St., Oberlin, OH 44074,440 775-8665
Butler Institute of American Art
The Butler Institute of American Art, located on the campus of Youngstown State University, was the first museum in the world to feature exclusively American Art. The museum, founded in 1919, features work by Edward Hopper, Robert Rauschenberg, John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, and the collection's centerpiece -- Winslow Homer's "Crack the Whip."
The Butler Institute of American Art is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11am to 4pm; on Wednesday from 11am to 8pm; and on Sunday from Noon to 4pm. The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission is free.
The Butler Institute of American Art, The Beecher Center, 524 Wick Ave., Youngstown OH 44502, 330 743-1107
