washington county museum of fine arts

Described as an outstanding but smaller art museum, this lovely building in the City Park, beautifully situated on the large lagoon, offers the opportunity to enjoy a range of artistic works.There is no entry fee (suggested donation $ 5.00/person) and ample free parking. Allow an hour minimum; 90 minutes is probably more realistic especially if you spend time in the special exhibits. The staff/docents are very friendly and helpful, including in the gift shop which offers numerous fun and interesting items (some locally made) and very affordable prices. The museum is convenient to both the historic downtown Hagerstown attractions and dining and is also only about a 10 min drive to the outlet mall. The design of the museum is traditional, ie. not offering interactive interpretive activities for children. Any children will need supervision and depending on their interests and age, may tire quickly (hint: checking out the ducks and swans in the lagoon may offer parents an easy fall plan plan to keep young ones engaged) Adults however will not be disappointed! This is a charming, wonderful stop in Hagerstown that should be part of anyone's visit.

Location is easy to access, as is the museum's collection, which is quite outstanding for a small, boutique-like entity. From medieval portraits to original Rodin(s) and a Rockwell; luminists to sculptures to glassware and silver. Docents are available, even eager, to engage w/ visitors and answer questions. "Art is in the eye of the beholder" is certainly in play here, as we question - and questioned - why many of the items displayed warrant display. Even the docents admitted to not liking some of the exhibits selected, but exhibits - and tastes - change. This really is a wonderful "hidden gem" of Washington County. Admission is free too. Well-worth an hour (and more) to peruse and explore.

Take a friend with you to this art museum, better yet take a date who loves to shop. Visit this place, first. Walk a few blocks in the downtown district and pick a place to stop and eat. Afterwards go to the outlet stores. You will leave, not only with the goods bought in stores but with the feeling that you experienced something worthwhile with some one else, the feel of a small town... and a brush with culture!

It is not your typical large city art museum, but is full of many fine examples of art from local to historical inside a wonderful building on a lovely site. it takes about 1-2 hours to walk through the dozen or so rooms depending on your interests. This was our last stop before leaving the city and was well worth the time.

We came upon this museum by accident -- just following signs to the City Park. From outside, it doesn't appear to be that large, but it is and it holds a wonderful selection of art! There is NO fee to get in and the staff was very friendly. If you are fond of art, or just interested in seeing something different, you must stop by. And don't forget to stop by the gift shop -- I bought this cute hat at a VERY reasonable price! As a matter of fact, why not make a day of it? After enjoying the art inside the museum, walk around the park and enjoy the art of nature!

This museum is larger than it looks from the parking lot. We were very pleased with the variety of items from decorative arts to fine art. It's spacious, not over-packed, so you can actually walk around and look at each item, without distracting overlap.

Set in one of the most beautiful city parks in the US, this little museum offers a surprisingly vast and varied collection. The staff seem to have a new exhibition up their sleeve at all times and fellow art lovers are sure to find their time well invested in visiting. In the center of the structure is an airy atrium that seems like a good place for a reception or something like that.Would have liked to see a café on the premises, but I understand the challenge of keeping patrons from bringing refreshments into the exhibitions areas.

If you are an art lover, this is something you should certainly check out. The admission is free and it's easy to navigate. It's located inside a very pretty park, with walking trails and a pond. I was visiting with a couple of children, but would love to come back by myself, or at least with other adults. We had to kind of hurry so that their little hands wouldn't get curious and want to touch. There is a wide variety of art pieces from sculpture and paintings to tapestry and furniture. There was also very pretty pottery and glass works. The kids loved a case that was filled with art projects made by children from items in nature and garbage. They wanted to go home and see if we could find some things to make art of our own. I'm not sure if that is a permanent exhibit, but they loved looking at it. The only thing that bumps them down from a 5 is the staff. Since I showed up with children, I think they assumed they might be unruly, and I was told in a not so nice tone that this isn't a place that caters to children and they might not like it. I told them I'd make sure they were good, as I'd prepped them before entering that this is a place, like church, where we don't yell and run, and we don't touch anything. I noticed as we entered the second room that there was a security guard following me. I'm not sure if it was on purpose or if he was just following his route, but he seemed to stick with us. It made it a little less enjoyable feeling like we were under a microscope, but if you don't go with children, I assume you won't receive this kind of treatment.

it is a great museum there is lots to see. however, there is not much variety of mediums or styles. Most of the art seems very European.

Excellent. Well worth the trip. The museum is fascinating, and the park is absolutely gorgeous! The displays will not disappoint. The environment is clean and well-kept.

It only takes about an hour to see the whole museum. Admission is free, and the museum is located in a pretty park. Very nice exhibits for a small museum.

The museum is situated by a spacious natural park facing a clear lake with jumping fishes and graceful swans. The entrance is welcoming and the side glass pavilion reveals a beautiful Diana sculpture (see photo). This museum has great layout for comfortable and relaxed viewing of the collections ranging from classic to modern pieces. There are also a small room dedicated to impressive glass art collections. I am indeed impressed by my discovery visit of the museum!

We were in Hagerstown for another event and decided to visit the art museum. It is in a beautiful location next to the lake. At first it didn't seem like much but it is very nicely laid out and so much bigger than it looks. The artwork was amazing for such an out of the way town. Really enjoyed seeing an original Norman Rockwell painting and the Danish art. They also had a nice pottery exhibit, which we really enjoyed. You could easily spend a couple of hours there and we thought it was certainly worth the stop.

This is a beautiful art museum, next to a lake within the city park. There is a constant change of art, for those who like to frequent it.

This is an amazing venue for art. It has a wonderful and varied collection of art. Not only paintings-but pottery, crystal, silver, furniture. The quilt collection was beautiful! The museum itself is laid out beautifully. Don't miss the gift shop--interesting pieces that are quite affordable.