Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

Modern art museum · Central Business District ·

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

Modern art museum · Central Business District ·

Modern art museum with 20th-century works & striking architecture

Information

420 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202 Get directions

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10 Affordable Spring Break Destinations in the U.S. and Mexico

"A compact yet significant modern art museum with notable 20th‑century works and an intimate setting that highlights influential artists and movements." - Lauren Dana Ellman Lauren Dana Ellman Lauren Dana Ellman is a New York-based writer and editor who specializes in travel, lifestyle, food, and shopping content. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

https://www.travelandleisure.com/affordable-spring-break-destinations-in-the-us-and-mexico-8598983

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

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Travel Guide to Charlotte, North Carolina

"A prominent modern art museum frequently recommended as part of Charlotte's cultural circuit, known for its contemporary collections and accessible location in the city center." - Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel is a writer with more than eight years of experience editing and writing for both brands and online publications—with a particular focus on travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She’s also the founder of the travel site justpacked.com. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

https://www.travelandleisure.com/guide-to-charlotte-north-carolina-8623979

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

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The Weekend Guide: Public Art, Fried Chicken, and White Water Rafting in Charlotte

"Take your pick of nearby museums, including the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art—Niki de Saint-Phalle’s mirrored Firebird is a popular photo spot."

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/weekend-guide-charlotte-north-carolina

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

@cntraveler

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8 Best Museums in Charlotte

"The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, is a premier modern art museum with architecture to match. A unique terra-cotta structure framed by glass and concrete, the four-story building has a soaring glass atrium that extends siphons in natural light. Works by Miro, Giacometti, Calder, Warhol, Klee, and Picasso fill the museum, with media encompassing sculpture, paintings, drawings, and even tapestries. Don't miss the outdoor terrace for a view of the city, or any part that details how the Bechtler family built its permanent collection." - Stephanie Burt

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-museums-in-charlotte

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

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Mario Botta’s terracotta jewel celebrates mid‑century modern masters and hosts lively programs like Jazz at the Bechtler. Often cited by national travel writers as a must in Uptown’s arts district.

https://www.bechtler.org/visit/museum-cafe

Things to Do in Charlotte (2025)

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Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

c “cfl” L.

Google

Good art museum with an eclectic collection of modern art modalities. Friendly staff and nice views of the city on an upstairs patio. Close to the Mint museum for a full a full afternoon of art discovery.

Arch S

Google

Enjoyed our visit to the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art! We visited on a Wednesday and the entrance was free. “Every Wednesday from 5–9 PM, enjoy free admission and live entertainment at four rotating venues: The Mint Museum, The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, The Harvey B.” Collection: The museum's collection primarily comes from the Bechtler family, who donated over 1,400 works by major figures of 20th-century modernism, including artists such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Alberto Giacometti, and Andy Warhol.

Africancrab

Google

The museum if featuring the work of Icelandic artist Hildur Asgeirsdottir Jonsson, born 1963 she works mainly with silk threads and dyes. The museum is a 36,500-square-foot building with space dedicated to the exhibition of mid-20th-century modern art. I, found out from one of the staff, that it is part of the new Levine Center for the Arts in Uptown. The museum building itself is an impressive architectural piece designed by architect Mario Botta. Look up Botto for more on the inspiration behind this building! Leave me a comment below, if you like my post! “Do not leave for tomorrow, what you can do today!”

Todd D.

Google

A couple of hours to visit and read all the signs, but worth it if you like the intersection of art, history, and culture. It would be helpful to have a video summary of Kafka's "Der Prozes" to be able to understand the prints. We found one on YouTube. Be sure to park at the Mint or the Green and get your ticket validated in the museum. We didn't and it cost $30 to park in the garage!

alexia

Google

Nice museum, clean installations and there’s Andy Warhol works 👍🏼 also interesting books to purchase

Volodymyr B.

Google

I’m really glad I decided to visit the Museum of Modern Art. From the moment I walked in, I was warmly welcomed by a friendly staff member at the front desk. She kindly explained which galleries were open and what I could explore. Since it was Sunday, I was lucky enough to get in for free—definitely a nice surprise! However, the fourth floor was unfortunately closed, which was a bit disappointing, as I would have loved to see the full exhibition. Despite that, I truly enjoyed my visit. The museum has a great selection of modern art, and the atmosphere is inspiring. If you appreciate contemporary art, this place is definitely worth checking out. I’ll definitely come back again to see what I missed!

Carmen B.

Google

Wow, this museum was pretty dope. I love how quiet and peaceful it was. They have 2 floors of amazing art. They offer u coffee and water. 10 bucks a person.

Rosemary P.

Google

This is such a cool spot downtown to take a break and see some art. It is a smaller museum than some but still a gem in the city. A joy to behold!

Armistead J.

Yelp

Quite an interesting place. It not only has modern art pieces by various artists but also an exhibit about the influence of modern art on the architecture of the building, particularly the clay shingles. The prices are low and you can easily spend a few hours. This place is definitely worth checking out.

Cynthia R.

Yelp

Highly recommend going to their jazz series on Friday evenings. I believe it's held 1st Friday of the month. Cash bar, clean restrooms, friendly staff, great music. They also have a new living room setting which I opted to sit in instead of the regular seating. It was very nice and truly made the show even more awesome.

Cristina R.

Yelp

We really enjoyed this museum! It's a digestible collection that can be seen in just one or two hours - and that includes reading all of the descriptions. The collection's foundation is a private family collection that was donated to the city of Charlotte to create this museum in 2010. It's cool to learn more about the Bechtlers, who lived in Switzerland, and their personal relationships with many of the artists. The museum houses works by Picasso, Miró, and other well-known names along with many that were new to us. There's a small-scale model of a moving fountain sculpture in the lobby, and you can see the full-size version in action inside an office building just a few blocks away. Admission to the Bechtler is reasonable at $9 for adults (with discounts available for students and such). I'm looking forward to returning when a new exhibit is on display!

Julie F.

Yelp

Twas a cute lil museum, on the smaller side but it was very slay and I think if u get a ticket there u get a discounted ticket for next door which is kinda slay

Jessica L.

Yelp

I went with a small group and we had a lovely time. The Alberto Giacometti & Flora Mayo exhibit was wonderful with different with sketches, sculptures, paintings, timelines and film and a lot of history shared. The staff encountered was extremely helpful and friendly. A delightful afternoon.

John S.

Yelp

A really good value for an Art Museum. Nice collection of sculptures, prints, drawings, and painting. Not too big- easy to see everything in an hour or so. Well worth the price of admission.

Daniel P.

Yelp

although it's not really my cup of tea nor the greatest show in town it is totally artsy and modern inside which is sorta better kinda. odd that though many of the pieces here are postwar european they resonate with the heres and nows of the post modern, post industrial, post random thoughtlessness on the interweb world... not sure if it is a such a thing but the collection tells tales from a particular point of view: much like encycolpaedic dictionaries which were guided by schools of thought rather than personal preference of the individual contributor. currently they've got an delightful feature-length film by Yasuma Morimura showing upstairs on a repeating loop the show examines the stories of a half dozen heavies in the art world ranging from da Vinci to Warhol in a novel if not viral manner. in my inflated opinion it's totally diggy and worth two hours of your time - the first covers your expenses, the other is for watching the show.

H S.

Yelp

Visited in early December 2023 and brought a friend who had never been. I was sad to find so little on display at this time.

Kaela M.

Yelp

Let me start off by saying I LOVE art and can easily spend eight hours in a single museum. That being said, I only spent 30 minutes here. I feel that this would better be titled as a collection rather than as a museum. As an individual collection it was pretty impressive, but as a museum it fell flat. I went into Bechtler assuming there was going to be a large collection of at least 3,000 unique pieces of art. Instead, I find less than 20 works on floors one and three combined, 30 on floor two, and about 100 black and white photographs on the fourth floor. I'm not interested in fine art photography (just not my thing), so the only floor of interest to me was floor two. Granted, the work on that whole floor is by well known artists, but none of them were exceptional. I did enjoy how they had them displayed, though. I thought it was very unique, as I have never seen that kind of display in a museum before. I've attached a photo to my review of the entirety of the second floor so you can determine if you would like to pay the $10 to see it. If you're into photography, I think the fourth floor exhibition is worth a look. But if you're not (like me!), I would go to Mint next door instead.

Joe D.

Yelp

What a terrific modern art museum, and I have seen a LOT of modern art museums. The Bechtler family collection is the core but they had a traveling exhibition of modernist tapestries from Picasso, Miro, Dali, etc. The building itself is interesting and looks very new. The staff couldn't have been nicer. AND it was only $9 ($5 for kids and seniors). In particular I loved the building, which is right on one of the main thoroughfares in downtown Charlotte (look for the VERY blingy Firebird sculpture on the corner). If you are anywhere near the Lynx light-rail rapid transit, that is the best option as nearby parking is limited and pricey. Get off the Lynx at the Convention Center stop and it's 2 blocks away. Now I have only just enough knowledge of modern art to sound vaguely convincing but I thought the collection was stellar, and the best I have seen outside New York. The art here comes from a Swiss family whose son made Charlotte home, and donated the art. Their original collection was high-profile enough to get additional traveling exhibitions with even better famous artists, so this place punches above its weight class. Maybe I am used to the "gallerista" types that man the ticket booths and answer questions in New York, L.A. and other big modern art museum locales, but the staff here was EXTRAORDINARILY nice, polite and helpful. The front desk even held onto my umbrella (and a small cookie LOL) for me. Recommend this place highly...definamente.

Paul L.

Yelp

'The Firebird,' Niki de Saint Phalle's blingy sculpture, stands proudly at the entrance of the warm terracotta-tiled museum exterior. Once past the entrance doors, it's quite the let down as the presentation of this collection is confoundingly poor. (Did all the money go toward that expensive exterior?) Very bad lighting -- when there is lighting at all because one gallery remained dark during my visit -- and amateurish exhibition spaces intrude on the enjoyment here. I watched most visitors breeze through these galleries like they were at the local convenience store. I have a personal maxim: if I can find at least one fascinating work of art then the museum was worth my time. Fortunately, the small collection of works by Alberto Giacometti were incredibly worthwhile. Known as one of the 20th century's greatest artists, he's famous for his sculpture and paintings. Here, some of the jewelry he designed is on display. Would I visit again? If a compelling exhibition were here, yep. Of course, I would hope that they'd figure out a way to to turn on all the lights.

Chelia S.

Yelp

Come and hear the JAZZ! Since my Initial review I have visited on many more occasions. My first experience here was kind of bland, but within the past year things have definitely stepped up with the exhibits. I never had any criticisms for the artwork itself, but that the quantity of the exhibitions seemed so scarce the 1st time I visited (it's been 5 years) that I just felt cheated! However, that isn't the case anymore...there is much more to see. More art, more activities, more interactive --- as a museum should be! Another great feature of this museum (the best feature in my opinion) is Friday jazz! Just about every 1st Friday of each month (and occasionally a Saturday) there is a jazz performance after hours in the auditorium area of the museum. Seating is limited on a 1st come basis. There are also drinks (yes, alcohol) for purchase. I can honestly count on one hand the number of performances that I have missed in the past 2 years since I started coming to them. The performances are ALWAYS awesome!

Alexis B.

Yelp

The Bechtler is pretty tiny. When you walk in, they tell you that it is four floors of art, but that's a little misleading. Most of those aren't entire floors but just a room or maybe two. That being said, the exhibit they had when we visited this past weekend (Nomadic Murals: Tapestries of the Modern Era) was excellent. However, there wasn't that much in the rest of the museum. Overall, it's quite small. The highlights were definitely the temporary exhibit and the building itself (designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta). Worth a visit if there's an exhibit you're interested in!

Jean Y.

Yelp

Great museum in Uptown Charlotte, NC. Bechtler reminded me so much of the museum in Hannover, Germany, especially Sprengel. Beautiful modern building, spaciously hanging paintings and sculptures made us to stay there for a long hours.

Jim D.

Yelp

Art is the highest form of hope - G. Richter. I love modern and contemporary art (see other reviews I wrote) and was looking forward to visiting the Bechtler, but was underwhelmed. The good news is that it is relatively inexpensive ($8 adults, $6 seniors), but the bad news is that there is not much there. This museum is literally next door to the Mint Museum (uptown). It is an impressive looking building with a statue in front called the Firebird (17 feet tall) by Niki De Saint Phalle. It has been open about a decade. One wonders why Bechtler did not give his art to the Mint and perhaps build an additional wing there. But, egotism is strong: people love to get their names on museums, hotels, etc. Anyway, inside is modern and contemporary art, with a leaning toward European artists (Bechtler is Swiss). The special exhibition up until 9/9/18, which takes up the top floor, is "Wrestling the Angel: a century of artists reckoning with religion". I was not impressed and much of the work in the show was not museum quality. Moreover, there was little on the other floors. Although I usually spend hours in a new museum (slowly absorbing great art), one hour was plenty at the Bechtler.

Tasayeh N.

Yelp

Such a nice little spot to visit in Charlotte! I highly recommend. The man who we met on the top floor was very knowledgeable and polite. The exhibits were awesome and I would definitely visit again in the future.

Jess G.

Yelp

A decent place if you are in the area and are an art fan but I expected much more. There are 4 floors but when I went the 3rd floor was closed. The galleries in the 2nd and 4th floor are pretty small and not very diverse. When I was there they featured Mexican artists but they were mostly photographs. It's nice that Charlotte uses this space the way they do but I think it should be expanded a bit to include more galleries. If you are military you and your family get in for free which is nice.

Emmy K.

Yelp

Beautiful, quiet and everyone was very friendly. I would definitely recommend to any art fans.

Jo Ann E.

Yelp

I loved this small museum right by The Mint. Try something new, the building itself is beautiful. The people working there clearly love it too, they will engage you if you ask them a question.

Paul J.

Yelp

Loved this Museum. The space is beautiful inside and overall. Beautiful art on display and loved everything! Free for Military (Active and Retired like me ) :) The art is displayed on all floors but the mail art displayed are on the 2nd-4th floors. I would definitely recommend this for a date day or nice family outing. I will be back here again on my next visit to Charlotte!

Mary M.

Yelp

This is a wonderful museum from a private collection that would not otherwise be seen. It is not an "immediate wow factor" kind of place except for the building design and Firebird welcoming committee ;) I read previous reviews and I respectfully disagree with the dissenters. I enjoyed the commentary with pieces explaining meaning behind most works of art. 20th century art has been an interest lately. It was a dramatic 100 years filled with terrible wars so it is intriguing how it affected artists. I was at a recent exhibit at LACMA for Marc Chagall and was in Madrid a few months ago to see Guernico by Picasso. I loved the Picasso pieces in this exhibit. Thanks to the Bechtler family for sharing!

Jo S.

Yelp

Before visiting the Charlotte area for the holidays I looked into the local museums since I love art. The Bechtler Art Contemporary Museum stood out to me as having a few floors, full of grea pieces of art in their collection by major painters. Well, that was misleading, the reality is different. I haven't seen any painting by Miro for example.So, their site is inflating things. If you visit Charlotte, you might find better museums than this one. Yes, it has 4 floors, but they are tiny. I liked their British Invasion exhibit and the one about Niki de Saint Phalle who sculpted the Firebird, the piece that's in front of the museum. I love her work, I've seen some of her sculptures in Paris and San Diego. Other than that, there's not a lot to see. We were out of there in less than an hour, including the visit to the museum's store, which is nice. Parking was difficult to find, too. I was disappointed with this place, and paying $8 for admission is a rip off.

Mary S.

Yelp

Treated like royalty, cheap admisson price on top of a teacher discount, and a great smaller museum. WOW, I was shocked to find Warhols and Picassos here.The docents were pretty amazing too.

Tim S.

Yelp

A great find in Charlotte. Beautiful, new modern art museum in the city. Though not large, they had a nice selection of works from artists such as Giacometi, Picasso, Eames, and Saint Phalle, including her incredible "L'Oiseau de feu sur l'arche" on display outside the museum. Highly recommend!

Antonia L.

Yelp

I attended the "We Got The Jazz" Fest on Sunday and the museum and staff were so accommodating! The bands were great although some where running behind due to set up but the music was great! I would recommend this as a date night to visit the museum and take in the modern art exhibits and as a venue for formal events

Curt C.

Yelp

A really modern museum! I'm a big fan of art museums, and this was a really fun one. The design of it all is so, well, modern! The architecture is really cool, with a minimalist interior, and a textured brick tile exterior of the place. The museum opens up in a huge open space when you walk in, with the reception desk at one end. They send you up, floor by floor through the galleries, each with a different theme, or artist. The 2-3 floors didn't have much to them, rather small display areas. We saw Andy Warhol in one exhibit. The fourth floor is the best of the galleries. It's wide and expansive. They have a variety of different artists, with many famous artists I'm sure you've heard of. I was interested that they had a piece of Picasso pottery, as usually I've known him as a painter. The gift shop was fun, and had all kinds of fun gifts and gadgets for your desk. The prices were alright, even better if you get a membership. The museum staff was quite friendly, and were eager to tell us about the art. I didn't realize that you weren't supposed to be taking pictures of the art until I had Snapchatted the whole museum. Sorry Bechtler! I hope my selfies didn't harm the art. The museum ends with a kids area, where you can sit on beanbags and draw up art in the style of your favorite artists, or watch a video on art. My favorite thing about this museum was the sculptures. The area on the patio and the balconies are positioned with big sculptures that are thought provoking and beautiful. The whole museum can be toured in an hour or so.

Irina S.

Yelp

I enjoyed attending several functions in this museum, excellent service. Convenient location and a beautiful entrance. I will plan on visiting the museum next time.

Tiffany H.

Yelp

This place is located next to or in the vicinity of some other museums in the area. The appearance on the outside of the building is luring and a nice design. I came in on a Sunday and it was not crowded. They have a gift shop in the front with several unique finds to highlight the museum. The staff were friendly and informative. The current exhibit was maestros Mexicanos de la fotografia moderna. The information specialist noted they are capturing the Mexican art. The main exhibit for this was on the fourth and second floors where it was mainly black and white stills. The photographers captured great images, however the museum didn't capture the Mexican culture. It was pictures on the wall with video clips. There was tons of room and space where they could of used the area to showcase all the elements of the time being presented, the artists, etc. Level 3 was the selected works from the Bechtler collection. It was a very small room and I was told it does not change. There was not purpose or clear background why the elements were significant to the charlotte area or for the museum. I liked the kids or create area where you can be an artist. You can go through the museum in roughly minutes without a tour guide. I will probably return and may update the review because they have jazz and I am intrigued to see what that is like at the art center. If you never left Charlotte or from a small town and have never been to a great art museum then this is wonderful for you. For someone who travels and explores different levels and areas of art this place can grow.

Alice B.

Yelp

If you haven't visited, I suggest you plan a trip. Admission tickets can be purchased online, but I also suggest following them on social media, in order to be in the know about special events that happen . Events that I have attended have been Jazz at the Bechtler, where for a small fee, you can gain access to a pretty substantial live performance of jazz. The event is set up just inside the lobby with chairs and some VIP tables, as well as cash bar to the side. The acoustics are amazing . Another event I've attended is Bechtler By Night . This event is typically free, and allows you to somewhat 'sample' the museum. You will be able to access all floors of the museum where there are exhibits , as well as access a cash bar should you choose. There is generally an activity that art lovers of all ages can participate in as well, so it could be a family outing. The last activity I did at Bechtler by night involved creating your own version of a watercolor painting inspired by a French artist whose work was on exhibition at Bechtler at the time. The museum itself is a piece of art, designed very well which makes it a neat place to be and explore.

Nevaeh M.

Yelp

Very small 15 bucks and spent maybe 30 minutes in the building. Employee sat on their phones on a pull out chair and seemed incredibly disinterested in their job

Kitty C.

Yelp

This is not a huge space. But, it's used wisely. The curators do a great job of giving context to the exhibitions. And what they show is excellent.

Kia T.

Yelp

Bechtler by Night is a great event. It's every 3rd Friday from 5-9pm and it's free!!!!! Frrreeeeee!!!!! You can't beat that. Each month is a different theme. And you have access to the exhibits for free. There is a cash only bar and they usually have a mixed drink special. Tonight's special was a margarita. This month's theme was game night. We played Bechtler Bingo where you have a bingo card with pictures and you go through the exhibits and cross off the pictures as you find them in the exhibits. We have played 3 rounds of trivia. There was also big Jenga set up outside. Up stairs on the 2nd level, they had a room where you could create art. I tries my best to create a piece using surrealism. Epic fail. Overall it's a good event and something different to do on a Friday night. I'll be back for future events.

Yelena J.

Yelp

Not impressed at all. The exhibit was all photography that was very boring. The permanent art was just okay also, there's a few Picasso pieces that were alright. But worth the money.

Julia S.

Yelp

Awesome. That's what this museum is. Awesome architecture, awesome collection, awesome staff. 3 levels of gallery - largest on the 4th floor, smaller rooms on the 3rd and 2nd. Open, clean, airy gallery space. Polished concrete floors give a nice shine as you glance down. If you're a quick visitor, you'll be done in under an hour. If you grab some (free, currently) headphones and listen to the audio tour, it'll take you closer to two. The collection is informed by the Bechtler's taste so there's an autobiographical feel happening (which I tend to like). They liked books and sketchbooks - there are a number of them. A few prints here and there but paintings were far more prevalent. The Warhol family portrait made me giggle. Interesting sculptures, some good, some mediocre. Most interesting part of this collection, for me, are the tapestries. Painting-sized weavings hung or draped, attributed to a variety of modernists (Miro, Picasso, etc). I'd never seen this style of art in a permanent collection before, amidst large, more conventional paintings, and was fascinated. I don't know how I feel about them hanging side-by-side with other flat works - they appeal more to the craft side of my brain and require a different reading. But still, awesome. For 8 bucks and discounted parking, this is a rad way to spend a few hours. The store's a little tiny but there's some interesting wares, jewelry, MoMA design objects. Cafe looks promising. The building is just gorgeous, a huge Sol Lewitt design lingering over the lobby. I can't wait to see what kind of exhibits this place attracts to CLT. Thanks, Bechtlers, for elevating the Art Museum scene in the Queen City to the next level. We needed it.

Tonya P.

Yelp

Even if the Bechtler didn't have art, I spent a lot of time, looking at the space itself, the stairwell, looking at the views of downtown Charlotte out of the windows. Beautiful space and location. It's kind of hard to believe that a family owns all this art, amazing. My absolute favorite piece was Pol Mara Nachtzug 1969. Go see her, she is beautiful.. There is construction going on right now on the fourth floor, so the whole gallery isn't open, but you can peak through spaces in the walls. I only got a little reprimanded for my camera by the security guy. Doesn't he know I get that everywhere I go? Hey! You can't take photos in here.. Oh, yes I can!!! teeheeehee

Stephanie M.

Yelp

My first visit to this wonderful museum and I came away being SO impressed by the Bechtler family collection of art that is shared in this wonderful museum setting that is picture worthy all by itself! I met a fellow yelper who was already familiar with this wonderful museum and took what he calls the Sun Dial Tour...meaning we took our time listening to the commentary for some of our favorites (some more than once so that we could clarify our discussion about some of the pieces). Niki de Saint Phalle's pieces were without question my favorite including the huge Firebird that can be seen on the street to the lime green and black 'Nana' which I think is my favorite...something about the piece (and the others in the collection) being shared along with the story behind it just struck a chord with me! The collection is quite varied and I would definitely recommend it as a must see for everyone! A close second in terms of favorite would have to be the Miro 'artist's rag' that was gifted to the Bechtler family - the way it is displayed, the commentary on the audio tour and just the simple 'wow' factor behind the piece is worth the $8 admission in my opinion. The museum staff was very friendly and knowledgeable and we spent a few minutes discussing a piece with one attentive employee, collaborating on what each of us 'saw' portrayed in that particular work - a wonderful interaction with him and an addition to a great experience at the museum. I will definitely return to the museum in the future (maybe sooner than later to revisit some of my favorite pieces one more time!). The Bechtler is a wonderful addition to the Charlotte community, my only regret is that it has taken me so long to visit before now! My best suggestion is plan to take your time, take the audio tour and take a friend to share this wonderful museum with! You won't be sorry you did!

Rohan D.

Yelp

Nice little modern art museum in a beautiful modern architecture building laid out in a pleasant minimalist spacious modern design. The workers are friendly, polite, and unobtrusive as they should be. I good collection of modern art with a smart selection of important famous artists and high quality local works. In walking distance of other museums I think this is a one to two hour museum unless you come for the evening jazz shows.

Corey Tess T.

Yelp

Review of the event "Jazz at the Bechtler" The AOK is for the music itself. Amazing band. I don't want to be a downer, but the set up of this event is the oddest thing I have ever seen. They featured gypsy jazz - amazing music - full of life and vigor and soul - then had everyone sitting is stuffy rows with a few reserved tables at the front. I guess I will never understand the kind of people who want to hear music that was pulled from the souls of the traveler, the hobo, the bohemian while sitting perfectly still and emotionless during the entire thing. I love ballet, the opera, live theater etc - but when it comes to music, can we get a little dancing room, please. I guess this is the Angelino in me and maybe the Southern audience is more into this sort of set up. I love venues where they play jazz and have room for dancing, lounge areas for sitting, tables for having a bite to eat etc... Also, they were serving SOUP as a food offering. That was also rather odd. It was a warm day and all the people stuffed shoulder to shoulder in folding chairs - then soup on top of that? Just rather odd. Some lady in front of us kept giving us the evil eye because we were apparently enjoying the music too much and dancing in our seats. My advice if the owners ever read this is choose the event set up inline with the music you are featuring. The age range of the audience was on the plus 60 side, but perhaps you could offer a late edition that takes away those folding chairs and allows people to really enjoy the music in the setting in which it was created. Of course, this is the problem with a lot of art galleries in general - art is usually created in a messy, boho space - then displayed in a sterile, clean modern space... removing is creator from the creation... I think it would be truly cutting edge to see music, art, dance ... in a setting more akin to it's birth... that would be very cool.

Hailey H.

Yelp

I was fairly unsure of what I would find inside the Bechtler, I knew I really wanted to see the School of Paris collection and to enjoy some jazz while I browsed - everything else was extra. And was I in for a surprise. As I walked through the first two floors, I was shocked by how small the rooms and displays were, the first holding a bit of history and background to the museum and family, the second mainly dedicated to a living room set-up (with beautiful designed pieces). But once I reached the third floor, the whole place opened up. The School of Paris exhibit is fairly extensive compared to the amount of room in here, and took over most of the floor, and then towards the end we entered a long room filled with pieces of Picasso, Miro, Warhol, and a beautiful Degas (among many others artists). Who knew? I think next time I'll do the audio tour, I feel like I could pull a lot more out of this small museum with it (just didn't really make sense with jazz playing). There are some great gems, and I can't wait to see the Niki de Saint Phalle pieces!

Angie P.

Yelp

Yesterday was my first visit to Bechtler & I was just in awe of the building itself. Like Tonya, I love the layout, the outside, the inside, the stairwell...& the cute little cafe & "souvenir" shop. While the Bechtler has really only 2.5 floors of gallery space, it has the potential to pack in a lot of art. The details are stunning...bright white ceilings, walls, natural light, the logo, the cute little metal "button" you get for admission, the audio tour (nice little handheld device you punch in the numbers of certain displays to hear more details). The admission is small at $8.00 for adults & they do offer student discounts with ID. Currently, they're doing "Jazz @ the Bechtler every first Friday night...I need to get there for one of those events.

Julia M.

Yelp

The building's architecture is beautiful inside and out... and I absolutely love the Firebird statue out front. The downside is that the museum is on the small side and a bit sparse. But, they do have a variety of art - including architectural sketches, a couple of lamps & furniture pieces, tapestries, oil paintings, prints, bronzes, sketch books, a nice alabaster, and some cool outdoor garden art out on the patio. Lots of 1960's modern art. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that the art they have is unique and worthy of a museum, but it doesn't take long to get through the whole place. Unless they host visiting exhibitions, I don't think I will be going back anytime soon.

Chelsey G.

Yelp

This museum is VERY SMALL. However, for fans of Modern Art, it is worth the entrance fee of around $10. If you aren't a fan, you could probably see the whole thing in 15 minutes.

Luke S.

Yelp

very cool, very exciting, very fascinating art pieces here. The place is very clean too. Great place for groups an if ya wanna throw a party they have some great rooms for it. Its 6 bucks to get in. Its worth checking out you'll definitely see some art pieces you'll dig a lot. Its a very huge place an they make the most of each room.

Ana O.

Yelp

This museum has some interesting pieces, but it's a lot smaller than I thought it would be. This museum has four floors, but the first three have only a a few pieces on each floor. The fourth floor is really where most of the pieces are found. My baby brother and I went when they had the Niki de Saint Phalle exhibit, which had quite a large collection of her works. They look up most of the fourth floor with that exhibit, which was quite cool. The guided tour was quite helpful, really giving insight into her life and her work. They also had some fun sculptures outdoors that you can pose with (which, of course, I did). They also have some Andy Warhol paintings and some very interesting European art. The building design itself was quite interesting and unique. They also offer a small gift shop and cafe, if you're into that sort of thing. The regular admission is $8, but you can get discounts for students (even college students), groups, and seniors. My big complaint is this place is quite small. I didn't expect it to be as big as the Art Institute of Chicago, by any means, but it sure didn't take more than a couple of hours to get through all the exhibits, even with the audio tour. All in all, it's a cute museum with some great pieces and interesting exhibits.

Thomas R.

Yelp

Located in downtown Charlotte, The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art offers a place to view the Bechtler Family's modern art collection. Before walking in, you are taken aback by the beauty of the building. The Bechtler Museum building itself is art. Colorful, grand, and unparalleled the outside of this building sets a very quality tone and ensures that you are in the right place. Once inside, you are greeted by a cafe, gift shop, and a counter to pay for entry. The cost to enter range from $4 - $8. The staff was helpful and you do get a complementary audio guide with the purchase of your ticket. In the lobby there was also a series of family portraits of the Bechtler's done by Andy Worhol and the results of the North Carolina Google Doodle contest. Both were interesting to view. Personally, I was shocked with the size of the collection and museum space. Since the building seems so big from the outside, I was expecting a significant collection. However, once you get inside and view the collection you are thrown a loop at what all of the space is actually used for. Overall, the collection is smaller but significant for a city the size of Charlotte. If you are looking to fill free time this is a nice museum. However, if you must choose between this and the Mint, I would suggest choosing the Mint.

Bernard L.

Yelp

I do not understand the less than stellar reviews. I am from Maryland. Each time I visit Charlotte I make a beeline for the gem that is the Bechtler. The Bechtler always something different and informative! Shows are challenging and insightful. Let's all agree that the Bechler's primary function is "to display modern art." In reviews about cultural institutions, it is best to focus on reviewing how an entity performs its primary function. Don't criticize the actual primary function that the museum chose for itself--that might be for another review on the topic of, say, why the person does or does not like modern art! In response to another poster, the probable reason the Bechtlers chose to open their own eponymous museum is a perfectly good one--control over accessions; exhibitions; and policies. The same reasons Mrs. Gardner chose to open her own eponymous museum--and her strategy worked beautifully!

Ben S.

Yelp

I have to say the first striking thing is the exterior of the building. It's really impressive and gorgeous in its own right. The interior design is also spacious and thoughtfully designed. I liked the orientation of the four square glass windows all facing an interior space and giving the illusion of a connection between rooms. Anyways, the actual art.... Floor 2 and 3 and not full exhibition floors. The minority of the floor has art for view on it. Not for this reason, but the main gallery on Floor 4 was my favorite. Floor 4 is what I personally think of when I think of modern art: there were pieces with color and texture and a cool sculpture. Floor 2 also has a small outdoor patio area where there were a few sculptures that I liked. The rest of the museum contained a lot of lithographs. The museum was not busy on Sunday at all. There is no photography allowed. There was only 1 staff person I saw as I walked through the galleries. She was on Floor 3 and offered to answer any questions that we had. Aside from her, information on the exhibits can be gained from reading - lots of it. There is a larger gallery intro typed onto the wall near the start of the gallery and then fairly detailed descriptions and background by each piece. I would have liked to see information presented in another format than just print.

Katherine L.

Yelp

Third Fridays at the Bechtler are free from 5 - 9pm! With a bar in the lobby and a scavenger hunt around the museum (with prizes), we spent about an hour and a half exploring the galleries and completing our worksheet. It wasn't very crowded when we were there, but I think the later you stay in the evening the more crowded it gets. The museum is beautiful to begin with, and I loved the Sam Francis and Andy Warhol exhibits that were going on at the time. We ended up winning 4 free passes to the museum, so I can't wait to go back!

Jacqui B.

Yelp

Took my twin teenagers here, during a visit. We enjoyed this small museum, though one of the things we talked about as we visited was how some sculptures "begged to be touched" but were hands-off. A couple of things that were interesting included an installation that cast a shadow on the floor (my daughter & I automatically avoided "stepping on it") and a sculptural machine that my son was allowed to activate. At the end of the exhibits there was a "children's" area, set up with tables of colorful building blocks and stuff. My kids (14 year old BG twins) ended up playing there for a while. "We need a few minutes to art, Mom."

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Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

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Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

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Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

c “cfl” L.

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Arch S

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Africancrab

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Todd D.

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alexia

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Nice museum, clean installations and there’s Andy Warhol works 👍🏼 also interesting books to purchase

Volodymyr B.

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Carmen B.

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Wow, this museum was pretty dope. I love how quiet and peaceful it was. They have 2 floors of amazing art. They offer u coffee and water. 10 bucks a person.

Rosemary P.

Google

This is such a cool spot downtown to take a break and see some art. It is a smaller museum than some but still a gem in the city. A joy to behold!

Armistead J.

Yelp

Cynthia R.

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Cristina R.

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Julie F.

Yelp

Twas a cute lil museum, on the smaller side but it was very slay and I think if u get a ticket there u get a discounted ticket for next door which is kinda slay

Jessica L.

Yelp

John S.

Yelp

A really good value for an Art Museum. Nice collection of sculptures, prints, drawings, and painting. Not too big- easy to see everything in an hour or so. Well worth the price of admission.

Daniel P.

Yelp

H S.

Yelp

Visited in early December 2023 and brought a friend who had never been. I was sad to find so little on display at this time.

Kaela M.

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Joe D.

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Paul L.

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Chelia S.

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Alexis B.

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Jean Y.

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Jim D.

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Tasayeh N.

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Jess G.

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Emmy K.

Yelp

Beautiful, quiet and everyone was very friendly. I would definitely recommend to any art fans.

Jo Ann E.

Yelp

I loved this small museum right by The Mint. Try something new, the building itself is beautiful. The people working there clearly love it too, they will engage you if you ask them a question.

Paul J.

Yelp

Mary M.

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Jo S.

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Mary S.

Yelp

Treated like royalty, cheap admisson price on top of a teacher discount, and a great smaller museum. WOW, I was shocked to find Warhols and Picassos here.The docents were pretty amazing too.

Tim S.

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Antonia L.

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Curt C.

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Irina S.

Yelp

I enjoyed attending several functions in this museum, excellent service. Convenient location and a beautiful entrance. I will plan on visiting the museum next time.

Tiffany H.

Yelp

Alice B.

Yelp

Nevaeh M.

Yelp

Very small 15 bucks and spent maybe 30 minutes in the building. Employee sat on their phones on a pull out chair and seemed incredibly disinterested in their job

Kitty C.

Yelp

This is not a huge space. But, it's used wisely. The curators do a great job of giving context to the exhibitions. And what they show is excellent.

Kia T.

Yelp

Yelena J.

Yelp

Not impressed at all. The exhibit was all photography that was very boring. The permanent art was just okay also, there's a few Picasso pieces that were alright. But worth the money.

Julia S.

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Tonya P.

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Stephanie M.

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Rohan D.

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Corey Tess T.

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Hailey H.

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Angie P.

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Julia M.

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Chelsey G.

Yelp

This museum is VERY SMALL. However, for fans of Modern Art, it is worth the entrance fee of around $10. If you aren't a fan, you could probably see the whole thing in 15 minutes.

Luke S.

Yelp

Ana O.

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Thomas R.

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Bernard L.

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Ben S.

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Katherine L.

Yelp

Jacqui B.

Yelp

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

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10 Affordable Spring Break Destinations in the U.S. and Mexico

Travel Guide to Charlotte, North Carolina

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8 Best Museums in Charlotte

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10 Affordable Spring Break Destinations in the U.S. and Mexico

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