This Spanish Colonial revival-style mansion, 5 miles north of downtown and originally owned by artist Marion Koogler McNay, is spectacular. McNay's 700-piece collection of European and American art, which she left to the city after her death in 1950, is even more stunning.
The collection
The McNay Art Museum now holds over 22,000 pieces in its collection. Wandering between rooms you encounter treasure after treasure, with Van Gogh’s Women Crossing the Fields standing out amid works by European artists, such as Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Munch, and Rodin. The modern and contemporary art collection has a diverse mix of photography, sculptures and paintings, including pieces by Alexander Calder, Magdalena Abakanowicz, and Joan Mitchell. There are prints and graphics from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well medieval artworks. Not all the collection, which stretches from the Renaissance to the 21st century, can be displayed at any one time.
Exhibitions
The Stieren Center, a self-described "translucent two-story box" attached to the original mansion, opened in 2008, vastly increasing the museum's gallery space. It hosts temporary exhibitions and events.
Tickets and free admission times
Tickets can be bought online in advance or at the museum on the day of your visit. Reservations may be required for special exhibitions. General admission is free on Thursdays from 4pm to 6pm, and the first Sunday of every month.
Accessibility
The museum's entrance is wheelchair-accessible, and there are elevators to each floor. Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis – ask at the front desk.