Admission: Free
Website: The Walters
Address: 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore Maryland
Why this is the best museum in America
For me, The Walters, really captures the spirit of what a museum should be for the average person. The key there is "average person". You see, I have visited a lot of museums. So I have a fair amount of experience looking at museums, pieces and exhibitions. And.... they are all wonderful. But they tend to be "high brow". What I mean is that you see these extraordinary works of art by famous sculptors, painters, and artists. And you can somewhat appreciate it all. But, how much can you really appreciate it without doing some research?
And, in the bigger, wealthier museums, you literally have a long list of these masterpieces. So, you end up spending a little bit of time at a variety of pieces. And maybe you pause at a few that catch your eye.
There are people that devoted hundreds of hours to studying and understanding just one work of art. And it's worth that time and effort. But for us, the average person we want to and should derive something different from museums and art works.
We want an overview, an understanding of major concepts, major movements and in easy layman terms. And we want to see individual works of art. This doesn't dilute the magnificence of art. It simply communicates it in a way we are comfortable with and easily understand.
And it can be done in a very intelligent and rewarding way. And this is what the Walters does. Let me give you two examples derived directly from my visit there.
Oh and one more thing. If you didn't notice it before -admission to this museum is free. Should I say any more? So, are you an average person who wants to experience art in a museum? This one is aimed at you and it doesn't even cost you a penny.
First the regular museum. I do enjoy everything about a museum. And of course The Walters has this experience.
They also have a wonderful collection of weapons and armor.
A gun shield. It is an actual gun mounted right into a shield.> This is quite a rarity and there are a few of them still around.
But where it really shines is in the unique way it really immerses you into an idea, concept or artistic realm. I will give you two examples of this. The first being something called a "Chamber of Wonders"
 Let's continue and see the Chamber of Wonders
The Medieval World: The Walters Art Museum
The Medieval World: The Walters Art Museum presents some of the most important aspects of medieval art, through the examination of nearly 150 stunning objects from the Walters Art Museum, one of the richest collections of medieval art in the United States. It features superb examples of sculpture and carvings, metal and enamel work, stained glass, jewellery and illuminated manuscripts, ranging in date from the Romanesque and early Byzantine period to the late Gothic and early Renaissance period.
Divided into subjects such as the classical tradition and artistic process in the Middle Ages, the church as a heavenly space, saints, relics and devotion, and earthly possessions, each chapter is generously illustrated with artworks, special feature boxes, and details, which provide a fuller understanding of both the formal qualities and social context of medieval art.
A wonderfully written and illustrated introduction to the subject of medieval art and society, The Medieval World also features an extensive checklist, bibliography and index.
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