the butler institute of american art

This museum is great - it is beautiful, despite its age - and has some of the best American art in the world!!!! And - did I mention, it is free (though donations are encouraged)!!!!!!!

There is nothing to dislike about the first art museum dedicated to American Art. Beautiful surrounding on the YSU campus with ample parking. Take a stroll through all the galleries, eat in the cafe and then walk the beautiful campus of Youngstown State University.

I have been a YSU student for nearly 4 years now, and just recently made it back to visit the Butler Art Museum a few weeks ago. This museum is a popular destination for local elementary school field trips, and the last time I visited, I was in 3rd grade. It is a good destination for a 2-4 hour visit with friends, family, even smaller children might enjoy the museum. It is easily accessible from state route 422, located just north of the downtown area on Wick Ave., and there are plenty of parking spots in front of or beside the museum. The visit to the Museum earlier this month was no disappointment. In the past several years, the Butler has added a new cafe and has acquired an old church situated next to the original museum. There is now a glass bridge from the original Butler museum to the church, where more art exhibits are to be found.The Butler has permanent collections, such as a fantastic room full of Native American themed art, as well as temporary exhibits. One of the temporary exhibits this past visit were works done by the Pastel Society of America. We visited on a Wednesday, and were treated to a performance by the YSU Dana School of Music Flute Choir - which is a recurring event on Wednesdays in the museum. The museum is open and airy, with plenty of windows and skylights to let in natural light. It is easy to navigate on one's own, or they do offer free tours occasionally. It is big enough to house very large paintings, but small enough that the visit is not overwhelming to someone who only wants a taste of fine art rather than a total day immersion. It is well visited, but not so busy that you can't stop and take in a particular piece of work for a good long while without being bothered by other patrons.

We were in nearby Austintown visiting family over Thanksgiving & decided to get out of the house & see something. I was pleasantly surprised! They have a very nice collection that is nicely displayed. They have a few excellent pieces, most prominently Winslow Homer's "Snap the Whip." Everyone in the family enjoyed the museum--from the teenagers to the senior citizens. It's free with the suggestion of a donation. It was easy to find the location, & parking was simple in the adjoining lot. I give it a thumbs up & will certainly return when in the area!

For a wonderful afternoon, make a stop. The works on display are awesome. Should make this an annual visit

This museum is very nice. Well laid out, plenty to see. Great selection of diversified art, from paintings, sculptures, to real life looking mannequins. Museum grounds well kept too. Compared to other museums in big cities, i.e. Chicago, this definitely compares well for its location. Free admission, suggested donation. Over the summer when I visited, they had the Maurice Sendak exhibition, they offered these amazing cookies that were the face of the main character in his stories. This museum seems to update and offer the community many interesting events and exhibits throughout the year. I enjoyed my Sunday there and would recommend to anyone visiting Youngstown.

The Butler Art Museum is a world class experience. This was the first to open for American Art and continues to showcase both known and up-and-coming artists. The Butler offers children's classes and community shows and holiday opportunities for the public to buy local art and crafts.A wonderful place to visit!

This museum dedicated to American art is totally free and that includes parking! Inside you will find one of the best collections anywhere. They often have special exhibits. I visit this museum several times a year. Highly recommend.

Hard to believe a museum of this quality is in Youngstown, OH.This museum has the best collection of 19th century American art anywhere. Great examples of 20th+ century art as well. Technology wing that's entertaining & educational. Childrens gallery for hands on fun for the kids. Lovely cafe for breast or lunch. Easy to get to if traveling across I 80. Located approximately 1 hour from Cleveland, Pittsburh & Akron.

The Butler Institute of American Art is so easy to overlook. I've lived in northeastern Ohio for 20 years and enjoyed my first visit this weekend. Wow! Virtually all of the important American visual artists are represented and the museum offers an unusual and eclectic series of special shows. It's difficult to believe that such an important and interesting collection is in Youngstown, but the more I learn about this city the more I appreciate that it's much better than its reputation, especially with all of the culture in the downtown area. Highly recommended!

Next to the Whitney Gallery in New York City this is the world's most prestige collection of American artists. Tucked on the hill next to YSU, an art officiendos must see just off Rte 680/ near Rte 80 and the Pa and Ohio Turnpikes. The likes of snobs like Rauschenberg and nice guys like Tony Bennett came off the beaten path to show here. Small café for coffee; local artists/ gift shop and two blocks from bistros and downtown restaurants like V2 and O'donalds Pub or Inner Circle for pizza.

This museum is well worth a few hours of your time. The opening hours are limited, but don't let this deter you. You probably won't need more than a couple of hours to browse the diverse collection of American art. It is staffed with a friendly bunch of volunteers and though it is free, I recommend putting a good donation in the box to keep this place intact. Though I found some of the lighting a bit challenging, the works are all begging to be seen by you. Enjoy your visit! They also have a nice gift shop and a shop that sells the work of local artists. Take your wallet with you. I think the cafe is open 7-2pm.

The museum is by far the gem of the Mahoning valley. It has important works from important American painters and the museum is well organized, meaning you can pretty much take a chronological journey for American art simply by taking the correct route. Visitors will find Warhol, Rockwell, Cassatt, Close, Wood, Hopper, Singer-Sargent, Wyeth, and many other notable American artists represented.I can visit here once a month and find something new every time. I find the curators and staff rotate the artwork enough that repeated trips are worthwhile, and I enjoy seeing piece from deep in the collection. They do a nice job of rotating new exhibits in as well.Please consider a donation since there is no admission charge, which is a shock these days. My only issues with the museum have to do with a couple of the rooms. In one room, the walls are a little dirty and some of the paintings and accompanying information signs are crooked. I also loathe seeing Snap the Whip since I have to endure the documentary being played on an endless loop. It takes away from an enjoyment of the entire gallery. Perhaps a motion sensor or simply a play button would be an easy solution.

Who knew that Youngstown had such a great museum! Two buildings, make sure you see both of them. This was well worth a good hour.

Few museums are dedicated just to American art (and this was the first). We enjoyed ourselves from our first glimpse of the McKim Mead and White marble building. The paintings inside are extensive, from the most famous - Winslow Homer's "Cracking the Whip" - through various Hudson School painters to contemporary painters. This was a real find for us, and I hope we'll return.