Baltimore Museum of Art

The Baltimore Museum of Art occupies a 1929 neoclassical building and a series of later additions on Art Museum Drive in Baltimore's Charles Village neighborhood in Maryland, holding the world's largest collection of works by Henri Matisse — over 1,100 pieces including large-scale decorative panels and sculptures accumulated through the museum's long relationship with the Matisse estate. Admission to the permanent collection has been permanently free since 2018, making it one of the most accessible major art museums in the country. The Cone Collection, assembled by Baltimore sisters Claribel and Etta Cone between 1898 and 1950, forms the heart of the modern galleries and includes seminal works by Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin donated directly to the museum. The ancient art wing traces Mediterranean and Near Eastern civilizations through Greek painted pottery, Roman portrait busts, and Egyptian funerary objects. The American wing covers two centuries of painting and decorative arts, with significant holdings by Thomas Cole, Winslow Homer, and contemporary Baltimore artists. The outdoor sculpture garden behind the main building displays large-scale works by 20th-century artists in manicured grounds, and is accessible from the street during museum hours without entering the building. Traveling exhibitions occupy the East Wing and Meyerhoff Galleries; these typically charge a separate admission fee. Docent-led tours depart from the main entrance on Wednesdays and Sundays. The museum's Gertrude's Restaurant, named for the poet Gertrude Stein, serves Maryland-focused cuisine in a glass-walled space overlooking the sculpture garden. The museum is situated on a landscaped campus adjacent to Johns Hopkins University, with campus walkways connecting to the Homewood Museum and the university's central quadrangle.