North Carolina Museum of Art

The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) — set in Raleigh, NC — is one of the most historically significant art institutions anywhere in the Southeast. Opened in 1956, the NCMA holds a genuinely rare distinction: it was one of the first museums in the United States to receive government funding specifically for the purchase of art, reflecting a groundbreaking commitment to making fine art publicly accessible. That founding-era commitment to accessibility continues today through free general admission to the permanent collection.

The museum houses a collection spanning over 5,000 years — from ancient Egyptian artifacts to modern and contemporary works — alongside the sprawling 164-acre Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park, one of the largest museum art parks in the country. Be sure to check out the YouTube video and pictures below to get a feel for the North Carolina Museum of Art before you go — or to relive the visit after.

A Collection Spanning 5,000 Years — With the Southeast’s Largest Rodin Sculpture Collection

The NCMA’s permanent collection covers a genuinely broad sweep of art history. Ancient Egyptian artifacts, Greek and Roman antiquities, European Old Masters (Botticelli, Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt, van Dyck), 19th-century American landscape paintings (Thomas Cole, Winslow Homer), 20th-century American works (Georgia O’Keeffe, Edward Hopper), African art from Central and West Africa, and contemporary works all share space across the museum’s galleries.

Several holdings stand out as genuinely distinctive. The museum’s collection of Auguste Rodin sculptures is the largest in the Southeast — thanks to a landmark 2011 donation from collector Iris Cantor, whose 30-piece Rodin collection made the NCMA one of the most significant destinations for Rodin in the eastern United States. The Judaica gallery is one of the few dedicated Judaica galleries in American art museums, featuring ceremonial objects and artworks from Jewish communities spanning centuries. And the museum’s Peter Paul Rubens holdings are among the largest in the country — one of the deepest concentrations of the Flemish Baroque master’s work in the United States.

The collection is displayed across two connected buildings: the East Building (the museum’s original 1983 home) and the West Building (opened in 2010, featuring contemporary architecture by Thomas Phifer that integrates natural light throughout the galleries).

Rotating Special Exhibitions

Alongside the permanent collection, the NCMA hosts rotating special exhibitions throughout the year — spanning contemporary art, cultural history, and traveling international shows. Recent notable exhibitions have included “Dutch Art in a Global Age” (a 2024-2025 exhibition drawn from the NCMA’s own collection of 17th-century Dutch paintings by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and other Dutch Golden Age masters, examining how Dutch artists depicted the era’s expanding global trade networks and colonial encounters). Special exhibitions rotate significantly year to year, so return visitors regularly encounter new programming alongside the returning favorites of the permanent collection.

Check the NCMA website for current special exhibitions during your visit — some special exhibitions have separate ticketing beyond the free general admission to the permanent collection.

The 164-Acre Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park

The Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park covers 164 acres on the museum grounds — one of the largest museum art parks in the country. The park is one of the NCMA’s genuine calling cards: many visitors come specifically to walk the trails and see the outdoor sculptures without ever stepping inside the museum buildings.

Named outdoor sculptures and installations anchor the park’s public art program. Landmark works include “Gyre” by Thomas Sayre (1999) — three massive earth-cast concentric rings that have become one of the NCMA’s most iconic images; “Cloud Chamber for the Trees and Sky” by James Turrell (2003) — a walk-in camera obscura structure that projects the sky inside a small enclosed room; “Wind Machine” by NC folk artist Vollis Simpson — a kinetic whirligig; and stainless steel dendroid sculptures by Roxy Paine including “Askew” and “Blue Loop [Ellipse].” Additional works by Martin Puryear, Alison Saar, and other contemporary artists round out the outdoor collection.

The park’s trail system is equally distinctive. The Museum Park Trail — a 1.7-mile paved loop — winds through the park connecting the major outdoor sculptures, and connects to the broader Raleigh greenway system through House Creek Greenway and Reedy Creek Trail. The Reedy Creek connection makes the park a natural launch point for extended trail rides or walks toward the neighboring William B. Umstead State Park — a genuinely wonderful outdoor cross-connection for visitors combining an art walk with a broader recreational day.

The outdoor amphitheater — designed by artist Barbara Kruger with integrated public art — hosts summer concerts, “Movies in the Museum Park” film screenings, yoga classes, and seasonal community events. The park is free and open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset, making it one of Raleigh’s most accessible outdoor destinations, regardless of whether visitors plan to enter the museum galleries.

Good to Know

• Location: Raleigh, NC (2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607)
• Opened: 1956
• Historical distinction: One of the first museums in the United States to receive government funding for the purchase of art
• Admission: Free general admission to the permanent collection; special exhibitions may have separate ticketing
• Collection scope: More than 5,000 years — ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, European Old Masters (Botticelli, Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt, van Dyck), 19th and 20th-century American (Thomas Cole, Winslow Homer, Georgia O’Keeffe, Edward Hopper), African, Judaica, and contemporary
• Notable holdings: The largest collection of Auguste Rodin sculptures in the Southeast (anchored by the 2011 Iris Cantor donation); one of the largest Peter Paul Rubens collections in the US; one of the few dedicated Judaica galleries in an American art museum
• Buildings: Two connected buildings — the East Building (1983) and the West Building (2010, contemporary architecture by Thomas Phifer)
• Special exhibitions: Rotating throughout the year; recent exhibitions have included “Dutch Art in a Global Age” (2024-2025); check the NCMA website for current programming and any separate ticketing
• Museum Park: 164-acre Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park, one of the largest museum art parks in the country
• Notable outdoor sculptures: “Gyre” by Thomas Sayre (1999), “Cloud Chamber for the Trees and Sky” by James Turrell (2003), “Wind Machine” by NC folk artist Vollis Simpson, “Askew” and “Blue Loop [Ellipse]” by Roxy Paine, and additional works by Martin Puryear, Alison Saar, and other contemporary artists
• Trails: 1.7-mile Museum Park Trail (paved loop); connections to House Creek Greenway and Reedy Creek Trail (which extends toward William B. Umstead State Park)
• Outdoor amphitheater: Designed by artist Barbara Kruger; hosts summer concerts, “Movies in the Museum Park” film screenings, yoga classes, and seasonal events
• Park hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset; free access to the park regardless of museum admission
• Programming: Rotating special exhibitions, outdoor concerts, film screenings, seasonal community events, educational programs
• Hours: Check the North Carolina Museum of Art website for current museum hours
• Best for: Art enthusiasts, families with children, outdoor recreation-goers combining a park visit with museum culture, sculpture, and photography enthusiasts, and visitors making a full downtown Raleigh museum day
• Pair with: A visit to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, the North Carolina Museum of History (which houses the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame), the North Carolina State Capitol, the City of Raleigh Museum, Mordecai Historic Park, or a broader Wake County day of exploration

A Raleigh Highlight

The North Carolina Museum of Art is the kind of stop that stays with you for the sheer accessibility of it all. The 1956 founding, as one of the first US museums to receive government funding specifically for art purchases, established a commitment to public access that persists in the form of free general admission today — a genuinely rare model that most world-class collections don’t offer.

The 164-acre Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park adds a dimension few other art museums anywhere can match. Between the outdoor sculpture, the miles of walking trails, and the natural amphitheater programming, the NCMA works equally well for a serious multi-hour art visit or a casual afternoon walk with public art woven naturally into the landscape.

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Resources

North Carolina Museum of Art Website

North Carolina Museum of Art Facebook

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