A place like no other near Baltimore in Maryland
The Walters Art Museum, founded by Henry Walters in 1931, houses one of America’s most distinguished art collections spanning more than 7,000 years of human creativity. Located in Baltimore’s historic Mount Vernon cultural district, the museum is renowned for its exceptional holdings of ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman antiquities, medieval illuminated manuscripts, and an impressive array of Art Nouveau decorative arts. The collection also includes significant works from 19th-century European painting, Japanese netsuke, and Chinese porcelain that draw visitors from around the world.
Henry Walters assembled the collection over several decades and eventually bequeathed it to the city of Baltimore, ensuring that the museum has remained free to the public since its opening. The museum’s main building, a Beaux-Arts mansion originally constructed for William Thompson Walters in 1914, provides an elegant setting that enhances the experience of viewing such a wide-ranging collection. The building underwent a major expansion in 2000, adding the MSAL Building which houses special exhibition galleries and a dramatic new entrance.
Among the museum’s most celebrated treasures are a set of 27 illuminated manuscripts from the medieval period, including the famous “Hours of Catherine of Cleves,” considered one of the finest illuminated manuscripts in existence. The collection’s Egyptian gallery displays mummies, funerary art, and artifacts that trace the development of one of the world’s oldest civilizations. Visitors can also explore galleries dedicated to Greek and Roman sculpture and jewelry, Islamic art, and an extensive collection of Renoir, Raphael, and Titian paintings that represent the full sweep of European artistic achievement.
The museum offers a variety of interactive programs and guided tours that make its collection accessible to visitors of all ages. Family weekends feature hands-on art-making activities, story hours, and detective-style gallery hunts that keep children engaged while introducing them to masterpieces from around the globe. The Walters also hosts evening lectures, concerts in its Sculpture Garden, and rotating special exhibitions that draw new audiences and provide fresh reasons to revisit the museum throughout the year. Whether you spend an afternoon exploring the ancient galleries or attend an evening reception in the city views overlooking Mount Vernon, the Walters Art Museum delivers a cultural experience that rewards both first-time visitors and seasoned art enthusiasts.