American Visionary Art Museum

For starters you can go to their gift shop called the “side show” for free and support those artists. Normally gift shops are steep, but this one is not that way. Everything is priced really fairly and has been curated over many decades. I spent about 2hrs at the museum. The museum two buildings, the round mosaic building has 4 floors of art. When I was there it was mixed media. The second building (which you get to by walking through the outdoor sculpture garden) has kinetic art, which means it moves! It has three floors, the third one lets you go into this cool birds nest balcony. There is a lot of attention to detail and cohesion, jam packing art even into the bathrooms or elevators. The stair railings incorporate the cast metal look tree branches and organically bent metal tubing that cohesively can be found if you look closely in the benches, outdoor sculptures, and door handles across the multiple buildings. This is not just celebrating art but showing by example how it can be incorporated into mundane furnishings. Next to highlight the platform and investment this museum put into the children of the community from displaying art to having the mosaics projects that adorn the building involve them. Highly recommend you support .

Explore Baltimore - American Visionary Art Museum 800 Key Hwy, Baltimore, MD 21230 Open ⋅ Closes 5 PM (410) 244-1900 JOHN CULVER Untitled Low Res.jpg What is Visionary Art? Like love, you know it when you see it. But here's the longer definition, straight out of our Mission Statement ​ “Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself.” ​ In short, visionary art begins by listening to the inner voices of the soul, and often may not even be thought of as 'art' by its creator. ​ What is Art? The ancients—the Greeks, Egyptians, Hopis, and the New Guinea tribesmen— were among earth’s most prolific art-making peoples. Yet, none had any word for “art” in their respective languages. Rather, they each had a word that meant “well made” or “beautifully performed.” Our American Visionary Art Museum believes that this view of what art really means is as perfect an understanding of art as ever was. It speaks to an art incumbent upon all its citizens, pervasive throughout all the arts of our daily life. Its emphasis is on process and consciousness, not mere artifact. Martin Luther King, Jr. expressed his profound respect for the true artistry each member of a society can uniquely evidence to bless our communities, “If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the Hosts of Heaven and earth would pause to say: ‘Here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well. ’”

This place is really cool!! There's so much to take in! Each room focuses on different artists. There was an deaf artist with Downs syndrome who created amazing sculptures out of found objects. There was an artist who embroidered pictures to tell the history she lived during the holocaust that was unbelievable. I would highly recommend this place! We ate next door at the Rusty Scupper afterwards. We actually parked in the public parking across the street from the museum and validated our parking ticket for $10 parking for the whole afternoon! Also- if you have AAA you'll get an extra discount into the museum. You'll need to ask for it though!

Very interesting art museum! I really love this museum because it is very different from any other art museum that focuses on classical art. Each piece has detailed information of the art piece and the artist which is interesting. Museum has 2 builidngs where the first building focuses on painting and objects whereas the other building focuses on statues and mechanical toy art which is more interactive. I was able to get the student discount so make sure you bring your student ID for discount. I highly recommend this place!

One of the best museums in the Baltimore/Washington area I always tell people that stay in DC to visit so they can see cool things like this that DC would never have. It's always a treat to visit and see what's new and interesting. Bring kids!

Took my little one here on a whim while on our trip to Baltimore and so glad I did, what a hidden gem! It was full of interesting things. She loved the wooden contraptions that moved, cuz you pushed a button to operate them. Apparently, they are a kid favorite. She didn’t want to leave. 2 buildings, each with multiple floors. Free street parking cuz we went on a Sunday, bonus!

Visited Sunday and it was no wait to get in. and we were greeted and given a quick tutorial of the museum and exhibits. Not necessary, but was special. Enjoyed walking through seeing all of the different exhibits, both visiting and permanent. Seeing the Rouse building after was neat seeing the moveable sculptures, recycled robot family, the poodle float and hot air balloon was one of my favorites!

My new favorite museum. Hilarious one moment, then deeply affecting in another. I wish I could visit again. Plus the most fascinating museum shop. Inspirational too in its insistence that anyone can express themselves artistically.

Had an amazing time here! Attended a work event and had the pleasure of taking a tour and enjoying the artwork while I was there. Service was fantastic and every person at the museum was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Valet parking was complimentary and the location was very easy to find. The Amercican Visionary Art Museum is known for the fun art created by individuals using standard media resources to express their ideas about various things that surround us. This museum is really popular for the event space. The artwork was stunning and I saw some decorated screens that really reminded me of what I consider old Baltimore from my childhood days. I will definitely visit again and had a wonderful time. It's only a short walk to Federal Hill or the Inner Harbor.

Absolutely grand, soul-cleansing, inspirational collection and space! It is a very interesting little museum. Well worth a visit. Full of quirky mechanical artifacts. Very child-friendly and interactive! Great staff! If you plan to visit Baltimore I highly encourage you to go to this must-see attraction.

Baltimore's American Visionary Art Museum is fantastic. It's not huge but there are three buildings and a lot to see within each. Even approaching from the outside, you can tell this is going to be fun, thanks to mosaic walls and mobile art. The exhibits I saw were thoughtful and unique, with a focus on diverse communities and alternative art. This museum charges you to reflect on what is considered art, but does so without pressure. I love museums but I'm not one to spend a lot of time in them. Here, I stayed and reflected for a while. It's an awesome museum and I highly recommend.

A great place to spend a rainy afternoon. We spent Veteran's Day walking around the museum and street parking was free for the holiday. There are two buildings. Make sure you go into the main building first to get your tickets before you go into the building with the bird's nest. They are famous for their eclectic gift shop which is worth a visit on its own. Don't sleep on the second building! This was my favorite part. You can easily spend two plus hours in the whole place. Give you self time and check out the elevators and the basement!

I think I picked the wrong day, because they had a floor closed to install an exhibit, and a lot of their other spaces were taken up due to some big private event. But I still wanted to see it and they still wanted to charge me full admission, so here we are. The amount of art actually on display held my attention for less than an hour. Their gift shop was intriguing, with a lot of weird vintage stuff and cheap gag items that are likely to entertain any small children (among others). But when the gift shop is the highlight, things are not going great. A few other interesting pieces were on display, but not enough to really be worthwhile. The architecture of the buildings held some intrigue, and my guess is that if more things were open it would be a better experience. Additionally, they were in full mask mode, with some degree of added snark. While I'm not speaking in my professional capacity, at the time I'm writing, this was not common practice and it's not a good look for them either. The whole vibe of promoting independent, creative behavior is quite at odds with mandatory facelessness. If there's someone there who thinks they're somehow practicing public health, they are mistaken. Don't quit your day job, guys. You're an art museum. Focus on doing that better.

Loved it. So many different artists and mediums. Learned a ton. And the big ball of bras!! The gift shop is something special, too.

Absolutely amazing museum, one of the best I've ever been to, in the U.S. and Europe. "Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself" usually using found objects.

I was really excited to take my daughter here since I used to take students here years ago. A 2-hour drive wasn't it and although we had time the tickets, the museum staff let us know that if we are late it would not be a problem which was really helpful since we did hit traffic. When you first walk in they let you know there are three buildings of art to see and you can come and go all day as you please as long as you show your ticket stub. When we walked up the ramp you are immediately hit with walls of art and lots of 3D sculpture hanging from the ceiling and also just randomly placed around the room which was beautiful. My daughter just really enjoyed walking around and seeing all the art and she particularly loved the 3D recycled art. Her favorite piece of art was in the lower level called the fart machine. A person could step on a button on the ground and the machine would make dozens and dozens of various fart noises which my daughter did not want to stop playing with. Lol The second building was pretty much just a entertainment or staging theater so it wasn't much there. The third building is where workshops happen and there are mostly 3D artworks or the first floor. The third floor was closed for a private event so that was about our but my daughter really enjoyed the 3D interactive art. There were glass casings filled with wooden objects that had a handle You could turn to make them move in action. She probably played with those for a good hour alone. Overall it was a good experience but it was hard keeping a 6-year-old's attention on to the art and explaining why it was made where all she really cared about was interacting with the art which is something I will keep in mind when I am on my museum hunt again

Quirky, engaging, perfect for the whole family, we enjoyed visiting the American Visionary Art Museum. Tickets cost $16 per adult and our five-year-old was free (kids six and under are free). Easily ordering tickets online the night before, we went at 11 a.m. on a January Sunday. Once we entered, a kind woman behind the counter walked us through how to navigate the museum. The main museum building has four levels of exhibits with inspiring quotes around every corner. On one floor, we read a story about a girl who escaped the Nazis in Poland during World Wat II and our four-year-old daughter was engaged the entire time. Of course, we had some good laughs too. The fart machine next to the basement bathrooms is hilarious! Spend some time on the ground floor's store! It's filled with so many wonders from trinkets to crafts to dolls to books. We spent almost an hour just browsing! The museum store manager even gave our daughter a free ring! Before you leave, spend time in the two other buildings and the sculpture gardens outside each. We parked for cheap on the street nearby and explored nearby Federal Hill Park, a park with a beautiful view of the harbor.

I came back, wanted to spend a good amount of time here as I'd heard great things about this museum. It was actually pretty interesting, loved all the art brut displays, the stairs, the variety of art put together by non-traditional artists. I was blown away by the Esther Krinitz exhibition and the way it's presented. The video in the room helped put her survival story in context, and her embroidered works made it so very real. My only complaint, management please train your workers to be more polite, professional and inviting. Start by getting them off their phones. I came in the main door and purchased my ticket. I then went up the little ramp headed to the gift shop. As I went by I showed my ticket to the girl worker. Her only reaction was a thumbs up. Weird, but that's all fine. About 20 minutes later I was on the same floor close to the main exit to the building. The worker singled me out, asked me if I had just come in through that door. She said, "I heard the back door close, did you just come in the back door?" Uhm, really AVAM? It was weird. The girl kept following me with her sight as I was trying to enjoy the museum. A little later she had the audacity to ask me if I had my ticket with me. Unfortunately, the thug-like ambiance puts a damp on the greatness of the museum. Needless to say I had seen this worker on her cell phone texting the entire rest of the time. So, even as I walked in right by her initially, and after she gave me the thumbs up when I arrived upon showing her my ticket, she was so lost and confused that she didn't even recognize me as I walked through the exhibitions. I was flirting with the idea of buying a year pass as I live walking distance. After that I was completely turned off. Glad I came and saw, no need for me to be back.

I've been quite excited to visit this museum after driving by the outside sculptures. Went on a weekday and there may have been 15-20 of us, total, in the main building. While I wasn't sure what to expect, I was a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, lots of the pieces were awesome and intriguing. Also, the eclectic store inside the first building was full of relics and wonderment. You can easily spend an hour in that store alone. However, I did the first two buildings in less than 1.5 hours and was a underwhelmed. I was expecting more exhibits and less offices. At least I can scratch it off my list.

Okay, so we didn't actually go to the museum, just the giftshop, which is an option if you don't feel like strolling the halls. The shop is called, SIDESHOW, and it's like a flea market you would find in a Quentin Tarantino or John Waters' movie complete with art prints of Divine for sale. There's also a Zoltar on site if you want to know your fortune. This was such a fun place to explore, almost like a mini museum of its own with gag gifts from the 50's and an entire box of N'Sync postcards. There was a wooden card catalog file with different, $.25 treasures hidden in each box. The wares are a collection of imported, vintage, and handmade goods that were all incredibly well-priced. I got a pair of amazing, strawberry-beaded earrings for under $20, and my son bought a book that was half off cover price. If the gift shop is any indication of what the museum has to offer, we're definitely going back to explore when we have more time in the city. But if, like us, you only have a half hour to spare, stop by Sideshow. You will not regret it.

This place is definitely not for everyone. I loved it though because the art was really unique and there were a lot of great quotes that really spoke to me. My friend who lives in the area recommended it and came with us along with one of my friends who is blind so we were had fun taking turns describing some of the images to her. They had everything from intense to dark to healing this time around. The great thing about this museum is that it is do-able in a day. My favorite exhibit was a black and white exhibit that showed meditation images and a boat made out of toothpicks. It's four floors! It's about $15.95 for an adult ticket. There were a few images that reminded me of the artwork of some bands that I follow so that was great for me! A few of the exhibits both my friend and I had difficulty explaining to her. The gift shop is the best part. It's really affordable. I ended up picking up candies that are known in this area in particular. Check it out if you're looking for something unique to see in Charm City.

We love the American Visionary Art Museum! It's a treasure to have in Baltimore. The funky uniqueness is a perfect fit for Charm City. What we don't like is the stupid website that outright lies. We like to show up with out of town friends when we feel the need to visit. The out of date website ( screen shot included) claims you can't do the spontaneous thing, that's a lie! On our cumbersome visit, we waited in a line behind seven guests without tickets, who were all allowed to purchase tix on site. We cued up, hours after a inspiration hit, to be greeted same as anyone who was lucky enough to not visit the AVAM website. Are you like me and don't care to share all your personal data on the internet? Well don't follow the rules on the stupid, out of date AVAM website, which will require all your data, boo.

I've visited this museum a few times over the years and I always enjoy it. I love the uniqueness of the artwork and the creativity of the artists. The last time I visited was in October or November I believe. I really thought it was interesting how in some of the exhibits the artists used their work to tell the history of their people. I would suggest going to the museum with several hours to devote because there can be alot of reading with some of the exhibits if you really want to take away what the artist is trying to share. There are several spots nearby the museum on the street the runs alongside federal hill and the museum. Those spots are pay to park.

We took a friend and became patrons. Part of the museum was closed but we enjoyed the rest of it. The gift shop is pretty amazing. My favorite part is the sculpture park outside of the museum.

This museum is definitely something to visit in Baltimore. The art is beautiful. They have art in two buildings, and outside sculptures. The building itself is beautiful outside. They have a cafe inside it was closed, because of Covid. There also is a great gift shop, with lots of interesting things. If you in Baltimore you have to visit!

One of my personal all time favorite museums, go see for yourself O.o Adult admission 10 dollars, with indoor and outdoor exhibitions. Annnd plenty of neat bathrooms. O! And one of the coolest little gift shop that is like a time traveler's collections of cheap tourists souvenirs. So fun!!!

The American Visionary Arts Museum in Baltimore is one of the best places to visit in the area. Two of us came here this morning to soak up some outsider art and to revisit this favorite museum of folk art and outsider art. The entrance to the museum is on Key Highway and there is ample parking in the back along Covington Street at the foot of Federal Hill. It costs $31.90 for two people and I assure you it is well worth the cost. We began on the third floor and worked our way down. There were so many many beautiful and provocative artworks here-- we spent hours in amazement of the variety, quality, and intensity of the artwork here. Some of it is heartbreaking. Some of it is heartbreakingly beautiful. The gift shop is worth a visit in and of itself. Conveniently, if you want to shop here but not pay for admission you can ask just for entrance to the shop and it's all good. This is a great place to shop for weird stuff! OMG, this place is such eye candy! This is just one of the Best Museum Shops ever. Seriously. We left feeling inspired, moved, and entertained. Thanks, AVAM! We will be back.

We enjoyed our time at this museum! The parking lot was a little confusing to figure out, but we found street parking less than a block away and it was very cheap, so we just went with that. The museum was quirky and had interesting exhibits- I teared up a few times. There were also a few cool art pieces. There are multiple buildings at the museum- the second one was having an event, but the third one we were able to go into and it housed some of our favorite pieces- like a family of robots, some interactive/moveable pieces, and a hot air balloon. Definitely worth spending an afternoon to check this place out!

This super quirky & interesting art museum has been recognized by Congress as America's national museum for self-taught art. AVAM features the art of normal, untrained artists or "outsiders". I've driven past this museum for years but have never stopped to look at it more closely. I'm so glad I was able to spend some time admiring the interesting "Bling Universe" art pieces outside this museum. I can't wait to check out "The Secret Life of Earth" exhibit inside! Check out some of the cool art I found outside this museum.

Interesting variety of art and that was intriguing to view. There were three floors with lots to see. It took about 1.5 hours to see everything. Truly made for a memorable day.

Great museum. It is not only quirky...it also has some truly educational and informative exhibits. The talent display is amazing. The gift shop is a lot of fun with quirky items, nostalgic items & classy items as well. Good supply of books too. Great location right off the Inner Harbor. Short walk to Fed Hill restaurants.

This place is a gem. Such interesting artwork and interesting artists' stories. Really enjoyed the experience. Lots to see too.

Check out the attached pix to see my honey and the bronze rash thinker contemplating Fort Sumter, the inspiration for the Star Spangled Banner which would uhhh be our national anthem (for some reason . . . since a) we lost that war against Britain; and b) it had nothing to do with the revolution or the founding of the country). But what do I know? So you ask what do I know? Well I do know that the AVAM is one of my favorite museums in the world and I think it has the neatest museum gift shop any/every-where. Sign me, David "Turismo" M

Came here for an event given by the National Kidney Foundation (thanks Isaiah,Yelp Baltimore CM!) I brought my sis as my guest, as she is on the kidney recipient list and she deserved a night on the town given all she has been through over the last year. We parked on Key Hwy, which was a stone's throw from the museum (be aware, you can't park there until AFTER 6:30pm and it is paid parking via a parking machine (debit, credit or cash-coins excepted). We were greeted by the event's pleasant staff and took the elevator to the 3rd floor, where the event took place. It was a wonderful event! We couldn't leave without touring this unusual and eclectic museum. The exhibits were not run of the mill by a long shot. They were quirky, flashy, flamboyant and down right interesting. I enjoyed them all. All in all, as I stated, the event was wonderful and the museum tour was a one of a kind experience. A must for those looking for a museum that is exciting and different!

Hands-down, one of my favorite museums is the AVAM! Creativity at its finest! It's a safe space to enjoy unusual, quirky, amazing art! I love visiting this museum BUT I greatly enjoy browsing the GOFT SHOP (every few months). You don't have to pay to get it to the museum if you're just going to the gift shop. I found the most wonderful, unique, creative gifts for myself and others at AVAMs giftshop. Plus, it's a wonderful place to support local artists.!

I had a blast exploring the various quotes, the hidden gems of art or sayings. The humor in some of the hidden gems. The gift shop is worth stopping by, but please take your time. There's so much to see and so much love and humor inside it as well.

Great Weekend Outing for Family and Dates. I can spend hours here, if time permits. I like this museum because it was informative and relatable. I appreciate the accommodation the staff members were able to extend during the Covid . The gift shop was interesting! It's a gift for everyone. There is plenty of parking on the street but if you attend during a busy time, you may have a hard time finding parking.

We had a great experience visiting this museum. While on a visit to Baltimore's Inner Harbor, local friends who live in area recommended it. So, after brunch we headed over ( walked about a mile), and we were pleasantly surprised. The exhibit centered around the theme of Mysteries. There was a recurring theme of various multicultural beliefs. Explored themes of lucky charms/?amulets/sacred objects: ie. rosary beads, rabbit's foot, wish bone, Egyptian Ankh, religious imagery of many cultures. I felt the various media and artworks were thought provoking and thematically well combined. Some of my favorites are pictured in my photos. I would highly recommend a visit!!

Such a cool museum. Definitely worth the journey out to see just how far humans can push their creativity and expand their minds.

The museum was on my "To Do" list for almost two years. I really wanted to like it but was underwhelmed when we finally went. There were definitely interesting sections- we enjoyed Esther and the Dream of One Loving Human Family and the Visionary Center. I definitely thought there would be more to the museum or the artwork would be more of what we saw in the Visionary Center. We went through everything in about an hour and a half. The museum still requires you to wear a mask whether you are vaccinated or not. There is plenty of metered street parking next to the museum. I'm glad we went to see what it was all about but I would not go back.

We have driven by the AVAM of Baltimore several times over the past few years. We have talked about going several times as well. We finally got to go. What an amazing place. First off, plan to eat lunch at the Museum. I do not often say go and eat museum food. It is normally quite, well bad. Not at the Visionary Museum, the food is amazing! The museum is in three buildings, we didn't get to go into the second building because of a wedding. Plan on at least two hours to see the entire place. It is amazing! Make a day of it and stop by Ft. McKinley first! (or walk over and visit the fort second)!

A must see museum if your in Baltimore its really interesting and the time goes quickly. My favorite were the crank up art pieces that moved and also the fart exhibit for a bit of humor.

If you're looking for unusual art this is the place for you. We visited for the first time and really enjoyed it. The exhibits were interesting and very creative. The museum wasn't at all crowded when we went so we were able to view everything easily. It was clean and the workers were friendly.

Incredible art museum! I truly don't even know where to begin. I'll start by saying I was a bit hesitant to come to this museum. I read a bunch of reviews and based on the reviews the museum seemed somewhat amature in nature because the works are basically created by people who just feel the need to create. I decided to take a chance and see what this place was all about. To my delight I was blown away by the pieces in this museum! You first start in the main museum where there are 3 floors of exhibits and you purchase your tickets here. Every single floor is filled with exotic, mind blowing, beautiful, intriguing and unique artwork! The pieces are so special that you want to take your time going through each one! The second part of the museum is a slight walk outside the main building nearby. You walk through the gardens outside and a big warehouse and you see another huge warehouse building where even more art is contained. This building has two floors of art as well. There was just so much contained in these two spaces. It's definitely a must see museum in Baltimore, probably one of the best museums I have ever been to in my life!

Very nice museum with lots of creative and interesting art! Really opened my mind to some new and cool ideas out there! There were great photo options and some parts of the museum were interactive! It took me and my friend about around 1.5 hr to get through all of the exhibitions (3 floors + special exhibition). Their gift shop had all sorts of little things ranging from cute earrings to vintage postcards, books to actual CDs! Street parking was pretty easy to find on a Sunday morning and the surrounding area was a nice fun walk as well! Ticket prices were pretty reasonable. If you forget your student card, you can also just show them your online academic schedule/curriculum like Blackboard. It was my first time visiting Baltimore and would definitely recommend for travelers who are interested in art or just looking for some fun things to do in town!

Phenomenal and interactive museum! We spent around three hours here. They have a ton of art and a ton of information on each artist. They had several exhibits and each of them were fun to walk through. Definitely check it out

Having visited museums all over the world, and worked for several as well, I can honestly say that the Visionary is one of my favorites. It's as quirky and unexpected as Baltimore. Every time I go, I discover new artists that I've never heard of before and walk away full of wonder. AVAM is tucked away in Federal Hill and can be a little tricky to find if your in town for business or a conference without a car. The Charm City circulator (Banner or Purple lines) can get you close for free, but you may have to wait a while for a bus. But, trust me, it's worth it! The gift shop looks like a cross between a five and dime, a bookstore, and a gag shop. It has amazingly eccentric items that will delight toddlers to old folks. I've not eaten in the cafe for many years, and it has changed hands in the interim, but it's a beautiful space with an interesting menu. I adore Baltimore and all the kooky things about it. AVAM found a perfect home here and I'm glad it has!

One of the more unique museums I've ever been to. The art is all created by untrained artists and ranged from more classic pieces to a few that were quite out there. Also one of the best gift shops I have seen in a while. Make sure to check out the sculpture garden and the annex building.

Super cool museum! One of my coworkers recommended this museum for more "weird, interesting" art & I loved it! It has some interesting pieces & exhibits & I enjoyed the more interactive ones! Definitely a fun place to check out! The gift shop was also very fun & pretty affordable!

OMG OMG OMG!!! I Looooooooooooved this museum!!!! I cant even describe the excitement that ran through my body as I explored the work of these visual artistic geniuses. I love abstract art but this took creativity to an entirely different spectrum! The stories told through art gives each piece sooooo much meaning. That's what I love about art; the ability to tell your story in a way that enlightens and inspires others!!!! So happy I was able to visit, ALL SMILES!

If you're looking for *different,* this is the place to be. They have a lot of "outsider art," meaning art done by people with mental disorders like schizophrenia, as well as a lot of pro-ecology artists. They're extremely left-leaning, even for me, which is just something to be aware of. Note: Backpacks are not allowed inside the museum.

A Baltimore go to rather your a local or visiting! This place is always offering new exciting art to go along with some if their key pieces. Don't for get the building it's self, the glass outside is so neat! The programming here is fasinating from dog parades, kids craft events, and races. The side show gift shop is very affordable and fun to explore!

If you are into wacky out of the box creative art then look no further! This place features art from individuals who are not formally trained artists and use their imaginations to create their masterpieces. The mediums range from buses covered in glass pieces, a gorgeous wheel made from paper plates and straws to a life-sized angry bird made of peeps! We some some pretty unique things during our trip which features an exhibit on food. The exhibits do change but I imagine they are always unique and interesting. There are two large buildings as well as some art outside. A word of advice, admission here is $16 for an adult. I would highly recommend purchasing the Harbor Pass, we got option C which included this museum plus the National Aquarium, Babe Ruth Museum and Top of the world. Worth every penny and a huge money saver.

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I went to the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. It's located in the Federal Hill area of the city, and was within walking distance from Inner Harbor. We visited the museum because we wanted to check out the BAZAART event on the third floor of the building. Basically, it's a pop-up market where independent artists sell their pieces and other works to museum patrons looking for unique holiday gifts. We did a quick walk of the market and saw some some really cool stuff. Since we were there, we decided to explore the rest of the museum (the other two floors), as well as check out the surrounding art pieces located outdoors. Overall, I had a good time. It took me about an hour and half to check out AVAM. There are definitely some challenging pieces on exhibit, but it's a unique and wonderful art museum. It's worth at least one visit if you're going to visit Charm City.

I loved this museum! It was very unique and I especially loved the warehouse style of the second building with all the mechanical artworks. It was much larger of a museum than expected and my husband and I spent two hours enjoying all the exhibits. Great variety from so many creative people. You really need to read the descriptions and bios of the artists to get the full effect of this place. My husband and I are both students and with the discount, our tickets came out to $20 total. Well worth the money! When we were there, the new attraction was the parenting exhibit... we are not parents, but we're intrigued by all the different perspectives. We also randomly were there during a mini aria concert and heard Italian art songs sung throughout the museum.

This museum is so cool! The art is weird, wacky, and wonderful. They currently have an exhibition called, "Parenting: An Art without a Manual" that will be there until September 1, 2019. I was entranced by this one exhibit where the artist, Linda St. John, had short stories about her life and a painting to go with each story. The artist also wrote a memoir, titled "Even Dogs Go Home to Die." The remote viewing paintings were also fascinating. I believe the artist was Ingo Swann. His paintings are featured on the walls as you walk up the stairs. Although I don't believe that remote viewing is real, the paintings are still beautiful and really transport you to another world. If you're not sure what remote viewing is, I suggest googling it. In addition, the museum has a good description of what it is. Also, the gift shop is really cool! They have a ton of odds and ends and trinkets. My boyfriend got a floral bow tie for $4 and I got a vintage ring for $3. We could've spent an hour in there just looking at everything.

American Visionary reminded me so heavily of my childhood that I don't think I could ever say enough about how wonderful this museum was. I'll likely start donating to them yearly, even though they're on the other side of the United States from where I currently reside. I'm from a small town, which if you follow my reviews, you probably knew. Ferndale is known as the Victorian Village and was the home of Hobart Brown - they still throw the yearly kinetic sculpture races he started. On my most recent trip back home I got to revisit his workshop. I hadn't been there since the mid nineties, and now that he's passed it was broken up into three different shops and a museum of some of the old sculpture bikes. His old wall of bike wheels is still there. Honestly, I would bet five dollars someone in connection to American Visionary Art Museum is from my home town and knew Hobart. Some of my favorite memories growing up in Ferndale were playing in his workshop, and accidently spray painting my shoes when he let me help with the sculptures. When I randomly chose the Visionary Art Museum to see on our trip to Maryland I had no idea walking into the secondary warehouse would be like coming back home. Something about the space breathes the utter joy he found in sculptures and I could not stop thinking of him, especially after seeing the set of bikes in the back corner. Unsurprisingly, the first space reminded me more of my mother. Steeped in such strong emotion, with hard childhoods and beautiful clothing and quilts. Every section had something, from the bottle caps on the railing, to the storyline on the ribbon, the beautiful paintings, and the amazing woven pieces, desperate in their creation, holding it all together. The art is amazing, is beautiful, and every piece is crafted with such passion, but what really drew me were the bios written about each artist. Raw, unflinching, amazingly well crafted, they gave even more depth to each work of art. I don't know who writes each of them, but they absolutely add mountains to how heavily each piece hits you, and how much you realize that pain, and circumstances create the person you are. Thank you for bringing me a little piece of home Visionary, thank you.

Of course right after I post a review talking about "strangest museum I have ever been to" I visit another museum that could be a contender for that title. The American Visionary Art Museum is certainly unlike anything I've ever visited before. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea but if you have an open mind and a sense of humor you're going to love it. When I went down to the basement there was a nice older gentleman in a mirror-covered tie who pointed me towards the restrooms. When I exited and was about to go back upstairs I couldn't believe the exhibit he showed me. It was an exhibit dedicated to farting, complete with a jewel-covered column with a button on top of it. Each time you push the button it makes a different fart noise. The man had me in tears I was laughing so hard and I laughed even harder when I watched him show it to other people. The man that created this silly exhibit actually also created the stunning fake tree in front of the museum that is constructed of hundreds (thousands?) of tiny mirrors connected together to form branches and leaves. I'm so glad that we ran into him. The first and third floors were pretty small so it was disappointing that we didn't have access to the second floor because they were between exhibits. That also mean we couldn't go on the extremely cool staircases, which would have been a good photo op. Make sure you visit the gift store on the first floor. Besides the standard museum gift store items it is also packed with retro, gag, and sci-fi items. I spotted a vintage Disney plate that I snatched up instantly. It was pouring rain so we weren't sure if we would visit the other building but we ended up being glad that we did. If you have kids with you they'll love the extensive collection of push-button art. You push a button on the wall and the art comes to life in a repeating series of movements. There are also two 14 foot tall poodle floats that make for some hilarious photos. This museum visit was something we'll be talking about for a while!