Bang for the buck, and the quality of exhibits, spanning 50 centuries of art, it is very, very hard to beat the Worcester Art Museum. Very well laid out, airy, bright, friendly staff. The museum has been well funded, has some amazing pieces of art, including the frescos from the Roman Empire when you come in, and a rebuilt interior to a French monastery chapel. Yes, the real chapel - INSIDE the museum. It is by far the crown jewel of Worcester, Massachusetts and a worthy place to visit if you're in the area. You'll be stunned at the quality and quantity of the exhibits in this unlikely location - the heart of a decaying mill town. read more

free for WPI students and they had a great collection! I was very impressed with the impressionism section too. Fun place in Worcester, can't wait to go back and see more. read more

We recently got married at the WAM - a long distance event I might add. Janice was great to work with and she coordinated the vendors seemlessly. We weren't bothered by anything on our wedding day. The Chapter house is a great place for a small to medium sized wedding, and reasonably priced. The whole place looked fantastic. If you're looking for some place classy, but a little different for a wedding; then WAM should be on your short list. read more

Went there for their Knights special exhibit, which was pretty cool. I liked that they has a sample gauntlet for you to try on, and as an equine enthusiast the collection of shaffrons was awesome. The rest of the museum was OK. I liked the imported reconstructed chapel, and the mosaics, but I have to say that the viewing the galleries was hindered by their HVAC which might need some maintenance ... each gallery was very stuffy and had this smell ... also strangest elevator I've been in in a while to get up to the 4th floor! Also their new "remastered" galleries are supposedly salon style but the spareness created small clusters rather than that sort of overwhelming aspect that I think of when I think of salon style. All and all, worth the money and travel time from Somerville, lovely way to spend a Sunday morning. read more

I grew up in Wustah. In the ghetto. Like Plumley Village, Austin and Piedmont Ghetto. Thankfully, I liked to read, became good at it, and was placed in a program called PEAK: providing enrichment for able kids. I did this for several years in elementary school, and I firmly believe it got me to take education seriously in grade school. It should be noted, I am the only person in my family to go to and graduate college, My favorite PEAK program took place on Thursdays as the Worcester Art Museum. It was a magical place for an elementary school kid. I got to explore and work in the museum's workshop rooms, dark rooms, get education from the museum docents, staff, and generally get enthralled by amazing works by those famous, like Piet Mondrian and Georgia O'Keefe, and those not as famous, but equally inspiring. I wouldn't trade my experience at memories at WAM for anything, for I remember them more vividly, and think they did more to inspire my life, than anything I learned in my regular elementary school classes. read more

This place is amazing. The art exhibit is wonderful with many cool artifacts from all over the world. Years ago, there was free Saturday mornings. Now, it looks like it's only the first Saturday of each month. Ugghh... Philadelphia Art Museum is doing the same thing as well. I guess these art museums are struggling. So, support your museums!!! Well, you won't be disappointed here. I just loved the floor mosaic once you enter the museum. read more

I went in June of this year with a group of middle school students and adult chaperones. It was one of the most informative and enjoyable fieldtrips I have ever attended. The staff was knowledgeable and could connect with the students. The facility is first rate and the cafe offers a first class menu for the hungry visitors to savor. read more

My daughter organized a family outing today which included a visit to the Worcester Art Museum. It was Bank of America Day so free entrance with a BOA card. Mom used the house wheel chair so it was a breeze. The Kennedy to Kent State Images of a Generation Exhibit was so powerful and moving. It runs until Feb. 3 and is highly recommended. I loved the artwork of Matisse, Gauguin and Monet as well. Such lovely treasures in a remarkable collection. We did not dine today in the cafe but years back we loved it very much. The menu is positively sublime. read more

A great place to spend a day, it gets pretty good traveling exhibits for being a "lesser" known museum. The only problem I had with them was their security team following me around one day. I wanted to turn to them and say "I'm an anthropology major/history minor. You don't have to worry about me!" But whatever. EIther way, go here. read more

Beautiful museum in an ugly city. The WAM markets events and exhibits as friendly for toddlers and preschoolers, but it doesn't feel like it once you're there. We went for Meow, which includes a live interactive cat exhibit. The WAM website lead us to believe that we would be allowed to spend 30 minutes in the room. So we packed up our kitty obsessed toddler and off we went. The museum is not entirely friendly to young children. It was also very difficult to navigate with a stroller. Older children should be fine (although based on a previous review, maybe not). Every one of the halls we went into the docents were closely following us and on the rare occasion my toddler was out of his stroller, stepping in front of us. It was disconcerting and uncomfortable. This makes me sad, because I want my child to grow up with a healthy respect for the arts. Since I know people are wondering why we took our toddler to an art museum, the WAM marketing clearly states that it is good for toddlers, preschoolers, etc. Anyways, the reason we went, Meow, and the interactive cat exhibit. The Meow artwork was awesome, but the interactive exhibit was lame. We were allowed 2 minutes in with the cats. I get the concept, but we could have spent more time with cats at our local animal rescue league. Overall disappointing. read more

I went here to check out the "Knights!" exhibit. I've been to the Higgins' Armory Museum a couple times before it closed and really enjoyed it. That collection of arms and armor was brought here after the closing of Higgins Armory. I don't think that the entire Higgins' collection was displayed, which was unfortunate, but it was still really cool; especially if you have kids, or like medieval armor... It was my first visit to WMA, and I thought it was great. The architecture inside was nice, and somewhat unexpected... they did a really nice job. Besides the "Knights!" collection, they had some great exhibits. The WMA was free for the entire month of August (when I went)... but I feel that it would be totally worth admission, and will probably go again sometime. read more

I wish I had visited this art museum before! For such a small museum, they have quite a fine collection or art. The building is just beautiful and well maintained. It's a great place to explore on the weekend and the people that work there are so helpful and informative. The museum restaurant is also fantastic! I can't wait to go back! read more

Worcester Museum of Art is an amazing facility somewhat overlooked. Their collections are extremely impressive, with a lovely variety of permanent collections, blended with temporary displays as well. A wide range of paintings, from Matisse to Rembrandt to John Singer Sargent will have you wandering their halls for hours. Antiquities abound, and the Antioch tiles at the entrance are astounding. Lunch at the Cafe was a great treat as well, with a constantly changing menu and wonderful food. Free admission during July and August! read more

Punches way above its weight. As a previous reviewer noted, this museum has a near-encyclopedic collection - in a jewel box of a museum. Key gems include a Rembrandt, a Monet, and possibly a Leonardo. Strong early American collection with Copley, Sargent, and Stuart well represented. While I had heard great things about the WAM, I had no idea about the weight of its lineup. Lots of other European art with the usual names including Old Masters and Impressionists. Solid 19th century American collection too. Good representation of Ancient Greek, East Asian, and South Asia art as well. A great intro to art for any age, without the crowds. Free parking too! read more

World class collections. Amazing space. But please tell me why it smells so bad???? read more

What a great day! The museum is huge and there's much to see and appreciate. There was live music, and varied themes. There were so many things I appreciated! It was a Saturday and there were many kids and families. It was nice to see that there was so much for children to do. I will definitely be going back several times through the year to see the changing exhibits. read more

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The WAM is world renown for their collection of art from around the world. Room after room of priceless gems paintaings, scultures, armor, reliefs, modern art and ancient art to ponder and to admire. The building is light and airy and very well maintained...with lots of room to have privacy with your thoughts. My son Matthew took a class there when he was about 15 for his art passion and he loved it. They introduced him to many depths of art he didn't realize. Well worth the money invested for his future. He also was in a competition through his high school and is considered valuable in his portfolio. I'm very proud to have such a wonderful art museum in Worcester of all places!! read more

I can't say enough about WAM. I've enjoyed all the temporary exhibits. And the place has a killer permanent collection. It's absolutely a joy and I go several times a year. They purchased most of the defunct Higgins Armory Museum collection. Comprehensive and beautiful. And if you have the time, scoot over to the Higgins building. It's the coolest building, my most favorite in the world. read more

My sister, my 11-year-old son, and I went to the Worcester Art Museum from Baltimore to see their Cat Exhibit. This has been my sister's dream for the summer and I'm so happy I was able to share it with her. I am also so happy that my son, who has social anxiety disorder and Asperger-like Autism, had a good time. He loves cats and was very well behaved in the Cats-In-Residences room where live cats from the local animal shelter stay in an aviary. We waited in line twice so we could go into the aviary with the cats; on the second occasion, we actually got to pet one of them. We also learned that 2 cats had been adopted during our visit, for a total of 10 cats adopted during the entire exhibit. My son also really enjoyed the Interactive Medieval Demonstration on Knights armor and weapons. He was chosen to participate in 2 demonstrations and he was very talkative during the entire presentation. Afterwards, he and the curator talked for quite a while and she could not have been kinder to him. My sister and I enjoyed the rest of the museum much more so than my son. I especially enjoyed the exhibit with cat artwork, particularly reading the history of cats' influence on art and artists. My sister's new favorite artist is Will Barnett. The gift shop was, of course, expensive, not unlike all museum gift shops. My son got a stuffed paper-weight cat, which he loves. I bought my mother a silver cat bracelet, my dear, crazy-cat-lady friend a cat magnet and cat pot holders, and my husband a refrigerator magnet. My son and I waited in the courtyard while my sister explored the remainder of the museum. There were plenty of tables and chairs in the shade and we enjoyed looking at the little birds hopping around looking for dropped crumbs. read more

#ThisIsNewEngland visited WAM, the Worcester Art Museum because it was raining, and we had never been there. We expected to see the Samurai display and the Knights, mostly a collection bought from Higgins Armory, and we expected a 1 hour visit. What we got was ever so much more. 3.5 hours, and we will have to go back. Art, Culture, weapons, painting and more. A must see. To read our review see http://www.thisisnewengland.com/2015/06/wam.html read more

I love the museum, but really love & use the perfect gift shop all the time! It's not huge, but whenever I need to get a gift for anyone -- from my 70+ year old parents to friends my age to their tweenage kids to my 1 year old nephew -- I can always find something interesting and perfect there. Easy to use too, park in the Salisbury street side lot and pop in that entrance for free and easy entrance to the gift shop. read more

Once again showing my GF father around Worcester and was lucky enough to stumble into WAM during their General Admission free months (July - August). Very enjoyable and relaxing. Really enjoyed seeing the John Singer Sargent paintings and a Monet painting. I also like, the Mosaic in the middle of the first floor. The staff was very approachable and friendly. If someone accidentally tried to sit on something (not me I swear), that was a piece of art and not a bench the staff was firm but polite with their approach. The only thing is I wish the gift shop was more WAM orientated, the shop itself seems to be a bit hodge podge with no clear indication of anything in the shop being associated with WAM other than postcards and gift cards. For instance there are these cat plates they are nice but what do they have to do with WAM, other then they can be considered art. Maybe some replica items of the Art work displayed in WAM, souvenir tiles of the roman mosaics or even WAM T-shirts would be nice. read more

This is a small treasure. An oasis in a manufacturing city. A gift from a bygone era of philanthropy and wealth. There is a cafe and gift shop. I used to come here as a kid to visit the Chapter House, a reconstructed medieval chapel. An admirable collection with impressionists, pre Colombian and modern. Combined with the excellent restaurants in Worcester, the museum is well worth a day trip. read more

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Very disappointed with my overall experience. Was spoken to very disrespectfully. Was harassed and followed by a security woman who made me and my family feel very uncomfortable. Worst experience of my entire summer. If zero stars was an option id select that. read more

Love this museum as it is local and easy to get to. Has free parking and an intimate setting. Great employees throughout our visit.

It's a lovely little museum, but not one worth going out of the way to visit. It's a good medium sized museum. One odd thing is that it always has an unusual musty smell. read more

One of the best small art museums in the world. Pieces in the museum's collection incude ones from Rembrandt, Picasso, Cezanne, Monet and Renoir. I absolutely love coming here at least once a year to enjoy all the pieces on display. Worth the trip into Worcester just to see this museum. read more

i've made (surreal) good memories there with friends and there's art from many cultures / walks of life. so far i have no complaints. their restaurant makes really tasty blt read more

When you step into the main hall, with its huge Roman Mosaics, flanked by a Medieval French chapter house and Chinese Buddha statues, you will find it hard to believe you are standing in Worcester, MA. The Worcester Art Museum is on the small side, but everything they have is of a very high quality, from the Ukiyo-e prints to the Rembrandt "Saint Bartholomew," from the El Greco "Mary Magdalene" to Edward Hicks' "Peacable Kingdom," from the Jackson Pollocks and Franz Klines to the Aztec idols, this is a first rate art museum in any town. About twice a year it hosts large-scale exhibitions, which can be very good. No matter where you hail from, if you're in the area, you should stop in Worcester and check it out. read more

Very Over priced for value. Guards followed is in every section watching our every move like we were criminals. I finally asked one if she was intentionally pacing behind us. Not enjoyable at all. Very sorry that I wasted two hours hoping to find something positive about the experience. Higgins was much better experience. Armor now displayed here is accompanied by the Batman costume...how does this fit. I don't recommend this place unless you have no options or get in free. Super disappointed. Used to love Higgins! read more

I'd been told what a gem the museum is. Compared to the surrounding area, yes...it is, but I wasn't as impressed as I wanted to be with the collection. There is a good variety of styles of art - but it didn't feel like the works had a good flow within galleries or from area to area. I was hoping to reconnect with the knights from Higgins, but only saw a handful. Several galleries did not have posted signs identifying the artist or work - it was explained to me that this would help me appreciate the art more without that distraction. When did information become a distraction? There were tablets mounted to posts with the information, but if I wanted to spend the afternoon clicking through a tablet, I could have done that at home. Loved the funky benches in the European section - now those were artistic and creative. Loved the gift shop (great selection of gift items) and the staff overall was very enthusiastic, helpful and available. read more

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I spent four hours here and that was not enough. The first couple of hours I spent walking the course of the gallery and taking in what was presented. I am in love with the French Rural Tradition and was delighted to find a Dupré at WAM. The Polly Apfelbaum exhibit is worth an hour in itself. I was surprised at the depth and thoughtfulness of her work as I had not heard of her previously. I spent the last hour viewing the exhibit "Africa's Children of Arms" and whatever strength I had left was gone for the day. I will not say it left me in a depressed state; strangely, I felt loose and open, wrung like a washcloth, but cleaner and fresher for having been twisted. I will definitely return for another visit when I am back in this area. read more

Visited today for the Flora exhibit. The museum was well-prepared for the crowds and the exhibit was great. Afterwards, after a short wait, we enjoyed a very delicious lunch in the Museum Cafe. I doubt the Cafe is used to huge crowds and handled the entire meal seamlessly. Also, the menu is forward-thinking as well as delicious. No complaints at all. Highly recommend. read more

No one would ever think Worcester would have a decent art museum. Not that there's anything wrong with Worcester. It's just not a cultural haven. But this place is a true gem. The galleries are very well-maintained and their revolving displays of various collections and contemporary artists are always great. I love the reconstructed Chapter House, and the mosaics in the floor. The cafe is also nice (a bit pricey though) and the gift store has some lovely things (perfect for buying special presents for people). One of the best museums I have ever visited (and the one I have visited probably the most!). read more

I attended a wedding here, and it was surprisingly lovely. When I first heard that the wedding was being held at a museum, I was a bit perplexed. I just couldn't picture it. But when I arrived and saw the setup, I was really impressed. Beautiful, colorful, spacious and unique.... The staff was fantastic, and the wedding went smoothly for the most part. I felt the time to get started, and the time between the wedding and the reception was a little long.. but other than that, everything was well-excuted. read more

WAM has become the most happening thing in Worcester. They are undergoing a miraculous renaissance and I hope it spreads throughout woo's cultural institutions. read more

In some ways I like this museum more than Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. The attraction isn't just the art here, it's the museum itself. They have floor mosaics, a Renaissance Court similar to the one at the Massachusetts State House, and a chapter house originally from the Benedictine Priory of Saint John. The museum itself is also surrounded by some beautiful buildings, including an old theater. The European collection includes paintings by Hogarth, Monet, Gauguin and Redon. read more

Drove an hour for the Meow exhibit where you get to interact with cats. SO unbelievably disappointing and falsely marketed. Small space, the kitties were out of reach. It says 30 min visit but that's not inside the enclosure WITH the cats, it's in the designated room. Frankly there's nothing to do for even 15 min in that room. Big museum with a lot of potential but fell short of my expectations. read more

great collection & good offering of classes

This museum is such a diamond in the rough--very cosmopolitan in a city that is, generally, less so. It was also fantastic to find out that there's free admission on the first Saturday of each month if you arrive between 10am and noon. The collection is pretty comprehensive, with the galleries separated by period and region. The space, itself, is gorgeous and impressive. I loved the write ups by each piece of art--the background and facts were both interesting and insightful. I think one of my favorite pieces was a landscape by Samuel F. B. Morse--I had no idea the inventor of Morse code had so many other hidden talents! read more