Columbia Museum of Art

The main exhibit on the second floor was closed, and the first-floor section was only partially accessible due to filming. While admission is free for South Carolina residents, out-of-state visitors are charged a $15 entry fee. Paying full price to see barely a quarter of the museum felt like a pretty raw deal.

Arts & Draughts at the Columbia Museum of Art is hands-down one of the best ways to spend a Friday night in the city. The vibe was amazing—great crowd, cold beer, and incredible art. The silent disco was a blast, and the Sam Gilliam exhibit was a powerful experience. Beautiful atmosphere, creative energy everywhere, and something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you're an art lover or just looking for something different to do, this event delivers. I’ll definitely be back!

We really enjoyed the artwork from Printmaster, Sam Gilliam. Unfortunately, the upstairs exhibit was closed for renovation and will not be opened until January 2026. We also visited the Intersection on Main Street: African American Life in Columbia exhibit, which was extremely informative! I am so grateful to Faida for taking the time out to tell us about very interesting facts about the USC and surrounding areas. I highly recommend everyone going at least once.

The Columbia Museum of Art is a cultural treasure in the heart of downtown, featuring an impressive collection spanning centuries and styles. The museum’s highlights include Renaissance masterpieces, modern works, and engaging rotating exhibits. The space itself is bright and inviting, with a beautiful sculpture garden for reflection. Perfect for art lovers and families alike, the museum also offers hands-on activities for kids and educational programs. Its central location makes it an ideal stop to explore Columbia’s vibrant art scene.

I wish I could have visited while they had more exhibits open. When I went, they only had the first floor open which included 2 rooms. The entire second floor was closed, but they still charged full price. We were finished looking at the art well under an hour. The exhibit they had was nice but I wanted more!

As of now, 7/2025, the second floor is closed for upgrades. That being said there are three galleries, one hands on activity room and an exhibit that are open. We went on a free Thursday but I would have difficulty justifying their ticket cost with quantity of galleries. The staff were really nice and very helpful. The quality of art and exhibits were excellent. There was also a guided tour and discussion that we didn’t stay for. There is limited on street parking for $1.50 an hour.

This is a nice, small museum that houses visiting exhibits and a permanent collection. The visiting exhibit we saw (from Monet to Matisse) was lovely. The permanent collection is eclectic, but has some gems. The museum itself is light and spacious. Definitely worth a visit.

This was my husband and my first visit, and we enjoyed our experience. I highly recommend a visit.

A great art museum in Columbia SC. We went to see the French painters exhibition. The exhibition was well worth the trip.

What a great find especially if you come the first Thursday of the month it's free. We came here during Christmas break while family were in town and it was the perfect find. They had some exhibits that were closing at the end of the ninth because they switch them out periodically. I'm not huge on art museums but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Staff were friendly and they even had binoculars and such to make the time here funner for the kids. You really can't beat waiting to come the first Thursday of the month when it's free.

This was my first time at the Museum of Art. When you walk in, you will first come to the help counter and they will tell you about no food, drinks, or gum. No flash photography and to NOT TOUCH the exhibits! There are so many exhibits here to see. It's two floors full of art. There is also an African American exhibit on the thriving Washington St. businesses held by African Americans. It was a pretty cool exhibit as I didn't know about that history of Columbia. It's free for SC residents during the summer. All you have to do is show your state ID.

This is a great place to take the kids. They have outside play areas, which is a place of creativity. On different days, they have reading time, too. Inside, you have the art and a creativity room for kids. The room is set up for different activities like drawing, weaving, and blocks. The price is great too. It was free for South Carolina residents and temporarily free for active duty military. The art may be a little too advanced for young children. Check it out and see if it piques your interest.

Wow this place is really fun and cool place to spend a few hours. The fact that locals got free admission with proof of ID made this an enjoyable carefree adventure with the kids on a hot summer afternoon. Definitely recommend this museum even if you had to pay for admission. So much to see and they have revolving exhibits so always something new to explore!

A surprisingly vast and impressive collection in downtown Columbia! Admission is $15. There is one free exhibit, an exhibit on the first floor that changes, and a mostly permanent gallery upstairs. The main gallery has a large variety of pieces displayed by "themes". The most impressive piece in my opinion is the Botticelli - it is apparently the only Botticelli painting outside of Italy! There is also an Andy Warhol, a Monet, and a expansive collection of paintings, sculptures, carvings, furniture, and other pieces representing a vast range of styles and time periods. The current exhibit downstairs is Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous. The exhibit displays photographs taken by Ray of McQueen during his career. You can also see a large number of McQueens pieces and sketches. It takes you through this part of his life chronologically leading up to his death. It's extremely insightful and personal - I heavily encourage a visit before this gallery is changed! The free gallery walks you through the history of the African American community in Columbia. There are a number of artifacts and photographs, giving a specific look at Washington Ave. down the street. I highly recommend walking through this gallery as well - Columbia's African American community has a beautiful story that needs to be heard. The service in each gallery is pretty satisfactory. Each room in every gallery has a staff member present and ready to answer any questions one has about a piece in the gallery. It is pretty cold, so I recommend bringing a jacket. The plaques have pretty tiny writing, but large print booklets are available.

For $15 admission this quiet unassuming museum has much to offer. From the outside you would not think there would be much inside. The first floor has its share of modern art featuring genres of the current age issues painted, drawn, sculpted to demonstrate various expressions of pain or thought. The second floor I was truly impressed with. The layout was organized more by theme than era. One room contrasted emotions..mixing in Asian and European collections. The format makes one think and actually look at the pieces because they don't fit together but taken another perspective they do. It is amazing this small gallery contained an oil done by Monet, also a colorful piece by Warhol and a painting by Botecelli. There's such a mish mash of collections from Tiffany silverware to Turkish serving ware. This museum is worth a visit to view and appreciate the works of art.

It was my first time here the first floor was closed but the second floor is pretty big. The art is beautiful and some have powerful statements with them, The price is $13 for adults which I payed $26 because there were two of us. I would recommend visiting if you like art!

Definitely worth it to check out this museum while in Columbia! The prices for the tickets are very affordable! This museum is HUGE and there are SO many incredible pieces!! My only thing was how often workers would watch you or come into a very small room with you just to see what you were doing. It made looking at the paintings a little stressful.

I was here over two hours and had a wonderful time. The museum is limiting the number of patrons inside at a time and there is excellent signage to help with social distancing including limits inside each gallery. Masks are required at all times inside the museum. The large temporary exhibit is M.C. Escher and there is a lot of his art, history and perspective. I knew about some of his work but there were new pieces I've never seen before as well as some of his earliest. Lots of mind-bending drawings that trick your eyes and bring a fresh look. After that, there is a lot more to see. I was very pleased with the massive Chihuli glass installation hanging over the lobby, Monet's "The Seine at Giverny", Andy Warhol's "Mao", an 18th century French armoire, a 12th century BC cuneiform clay tablet and a 16th century Italian painting. All this, in Columbia South Carolina. There is metered street parking nearby and the museum has a dedicated lot. They also have a free wifi for guests. [Review 14776 overall, 278 of 2021, number 804 in South Carolina.]

Went foe the MC Escher exhibit. So cool and worth going for. The other exhibits upstairs were very good as well. They have a Botticelli and a Monet on display at this museum.

There's always a unique exhibit here and I make the drive up from Charleston at least once a year. This time it was the Rodin: Contemplation and Dreams exhibit and I also discovered a new artist that I was so impressed with! Anila Quayyum Agha: Let a Million Flowers Bloom is a truly stunning and powerful immersive art experience. I could have stayed all day in these special galleries! Getting lost in beautiful art is so soothing and I'm grateful for it! The permanent exhibits here are wonderful too. I will be back again soon!

We visited in early January to see their Van Gogh exhibit. For a museum of this size (i.e., in Columbia, S.C. versus being in NYC or London), I thought they did a very good job with the exhibit. OTOH, we visited on the final weekend (Saturday) of the exhibit and the crowds were amazing. Thankfully we had booked tickets online, which saved us probably an hour in line; however, we still had to wait for about 40 minutes in line just to enter the exhibit space. To be completely fair, I'm not really criticizing the exhibit or the museum. If I had it to do over again, I'd have tried to go in the middle of the exhibit's run (maybe even on a Monday/Friday, since we had to travel) in hopes of avoiding crowds. And I'm not sure what more the museum could have done re: crowding, other than institute some sort of timed-entry scheme (which is probably overkill for the problem). They appeared to be limiting entry more in terms of safety / fire-marshal capacity. Once inside the exhibit space, it was difficult to check out individual works without joining the slow conga line of patrons. We ended up staying in the exhibit for under 90 minutes, but (given the crowding) got the most out of it that we could. We enjoyed it. We also then checked out the rest of the museum (i.e., the 2nd floor). I was impressed at the wide range of works they had in their permanent collection. There were paintings and sculptures from disparate countries and periods (Chinese, European, early American, etc.). If I lived in the area, I'd be glad that they had a museum of this apparent quality to visit. So overall, this was a bit of a learning experience for us in terms of planning for visiting a temporary exhibit of this level of popularity in another city. Parking for the museum (for us) wound up being in a pay-lot across the street. Street parking on the weekend in downtown Columbia is apparently free, but there is some (Saturday /weekly?) farmers' market / craft sale that is adjacent to the museum on a blocked-off street, so that saturated the street parking in the area before we arrived.

Ive been several time to events at the art museum. They are reasonably price and always bring the community nice events and art work. It is really worth a stop and stroll to see what they have going on each month. They usually coordinate events with the library which is close by. Very clean, modern well kept, the staff is very knowledgeable. They do have a gift shop that artist have put on consignment I believe. I will be visiting them for yrs to come, and hopefully more people will support them also. I attended a WREN event that supports women a few weeks ago, everything was nicely decorated and pleasant. They have rooms that they use for events thru out the facilty. A few yrs ago I attended all white dinner and we were in the basement, it was decorated for the event so lovely. Never new that area was available, now everyone knows!! Go and enjoy!

My first impression: Wow. Literally wow. The museum is so much larger than what it seems from the outside. Two floors filled with different exhibitions. You can spend hours here and get lost in the amazing art. I really loved that the staff was super friendly and willing to answer some questions along the way! Great price for admission, 10 dollars with additional discounts depending if you're a student, military etc. With admission, you have access to the museum all day! Super nice if you want to get a bite and then head back and finish the rest of your tour through the museum. 10/10 experience!

Very fine museum. Nicely laid out and easy to navigate yourself from room to room. We caught the last day of Visions From India which was a wide perspective of the varieties of art currently being produced by their artists. Lots of excellent works in different media. Very nice and this museum is known for the exhibits and shows that they bring in. Admission discounts are available for seniors, military and students. It took us two hours of roaming to see all that they had. We were very impressed with how the art was exhibited. Each of the many galleries were small groupings. Some from eras, some on styles, some three-dimensional, some historical, some by artist and some were famous works that you see in text books or art books. Very nicely done. Highly recommend putting this on your to-do list when visiting Columbia. Well worth your time.

Amazing time spent! Nicely priced for what they have. It's FREE on Thursday and it's open until 8pm. Also they do have a live band there Thursday and food outside for sale. The atmosphere was enjoyable, quiet and friendly overall. I would go back again. I would like to take my time next time. A slower walk and deeper look.

This museum is a beautiful sight right in the middle of Downtown Columbia. Just on the outside there's lots of beautiful landscaping, statues, and sculptures that immediately catch your eye. It made me excited for what was inside. A big plus, is that it's free for any college ID holder. Score for me. There were two featured exhibits at the time of my visit. "Dasfuskie Memories" that displayed a series of photographs capturing isolated African-American life on Daufuskie Island; It was interesting seeing and reading about their cultures and customs. And "Big & Bold" that featured various massive sized and colorful displays; it was breathtaking. The pieces in the other displays were nice as well, I just wish that they had more pieces featuring black artists. The museum could've also featured more interactive exhibits, but I still enjoyed myself. All in all, the Columbia Museum of Art is a great time for anyone wanting to soak in some culture.

Outstanding art collection carefully curated to indicate themes across pieces of art which otherwise appear completely unrelated. We wandered through the rooms, moving from one to another, walking around a corner to a new surprise or finding. Our teens were intrigued and debated the value of one piece of art vs. another... mission accomplished! And thanks to the great front desk and docents, who welcomed and helped us get started.

I loved this museum! I came to visit during a summer vacation and was pleasantly surprised. They had wonderful exhibits & it was very empty! College students receive discounted tickets for $5. I would highly recommend stopping by here if you are in the area

Beautiful museum in Columbia, SC. I attended a black tie event featuring Kirk Hammett from Metallica. His It's Alive gallery showing of his personal collection of horror movies. The museum is beautiful, the night was amazing, the food was amazing. If your an art lover, this is another museum worth the visit.

I am so glad that they were open on New Years Day, easy (free) parking in the local parking garage. If you want tickets for the Van Gogh exhibit, you can purchase online. They do offer senior and student discount. I love that they have portable chairs that you can carry with you in addition to plenty of seating throughout the museum. Cute gift shop. We spent about 2 hours. Great day trip from HendersonvilleHendersonville, NC.

Enjoyed the India exhibit. Nice collection of art and we had a nice visit. Would love to find out how they select to show. We have a SC artist who visited with me and some of her stuff would make a great addition

Very great place to visit I had a splendid time and will come back again with my companion

I drove about 6 hours round trip to see this museum, and it definitely didn't disappoint! I went to the Columbia Museum of Art for the "Van Gogh and His Inspirations" exhibit. It was stunning! I loved the set-up and all of the historical information provided within the exhibit. The rest of the museum was wonderful as well. There is sooooo much art to look at in the building - you for sure get your money's worth. The people at the front desk were also very helpful in recommending a local eatery to me. The lady at the gift shop was super sweet! She helped me find an item that wasn't on the shelves and she tried her darndest to give me a discount for being a member of a museum (sadly, I didn't qualify lol). If you're ever in the area and enjoy art museums, check it out!

Went this time to see the Van Gogh exhibit. The art was solid but I was more impressed by the recent remodel and the art notes. A lot of effort is going into creating a meaningful experience.

Just got back from the Van Gogh Exhibit. It was grand. The history of his development from shiftless, moody young man to a passionate, artistic genius begins here. Everyone should see it before it's gone on January 12th!

Love this museum. Great visiting exhibitions and wonderful selection of permanent items. The Chihuly in the lobby is breathtaking!!

Currently considering a membership here. We (myself, my son, my parents) cherish this museum. We have been long-time visitors of the CMA and try to see each new exhibit. I love the gift shop and all the things it offers for people of all ages! We appreciate so much the free second Sundays, discounted renovation prices and the interactive exhibits/spaces for kids. My son knows how to carry himself and appreciate art with many thanks to being raised coming here once a month. We feel lucky to have this in our neighborhood.

Love this place so much I enjoy seeing all the talented artists works of art. Check out the free documentaries at noon sometimes they will expand your knowledge of different types of art and artists. I saw one recently about a glass blowing master from Seattle and today I saw one on Remington and his works on the early west. Sunday is the best time to go because the main exhibits are free. Check out the gift shop for cool postcards to send to friends and family. Nice place to relax and free your mind and possibly learn something new.

We visited as they were setting up the first floor for a special exhibit. As a result we just were able to view the second floor which houses the permanent collection. I'm sure our assessment would have been higher if both floors were open. However you can only assess what you actually see. The permanent collection is small. It is organized chronologically, the way I like it, but unfortunately it is not strictly time oriented. There are a few big names, but quality is more important to us than names. And we did not find as many no-name gems as we would have liked.

A wonderful experience! I thoroughly enjoy my time at the museum. It is a truly magical feeling that I would like to experience more.

Free on Sundays to visit this relatively small clean museum, easy to park on the street...Two hours should be sufficient for an average visitor to complete the entire museum.

This is truly one of my favorite places in all of Columbia! I can stay here for hours without getting anxious. The staff is cordial and the inside is always clean. I wish they hadn't taken the ice rink out during the winter

This place was fantastic. We came when they had "Mural" from Jackson Pollack on display and it was wonderful. The museum permanent collection is impressive too. There's a great Chihuly piece in the center and that alone is worth seeing! There's also a hidden gem....the Richland County Library has an awesome machine in the foyer that prints out short stories. It's really cool.

Like they said - Art, drink and be happy! Take a trip to the museum, have a nice micro brew or glass of vino, and look at the nice pictures. This is another nice venue for Columbia- a nice way to spend a Friday night. ! Life is good! Nice :) "Arts & Draughts is a new series designed to be an interactive party on the first Friday of every month at the Museum. " The last time this will be available is April 1st- ??? Beer and wine cash bar provided by The Whig. Featuring Thomas Creek Brewery from Greenville, SC. The best party band in town, The Capitol City Playboys will take the stage at 8 p.m. Inspired by independent and SC Skate culture, Sk8 and Create will be on display in the Community Gallery. Affiliates from Pour it Now and Bluetile will showcase a short skate film in the Orientation gallery. (Check out last year's Sk8 and Create opening on Youtube.) The Power Company returns to Arts & Draughts to stir up the crowd promoting their show on April 15th and 16th in Columbia. Their spring show will feature a repurposed version of their previous performance designed around the Lesley Dill exhibition, "I Heard a Voice." Internationally acclaimed design firm, The Half and Half will sell concert posters and showcase original installations based on typeface.

Really nice museum, the entry prices are a little high to me. Most of the museums I've been to are free entry and donations welcome. Being military helped a little with the military discount. The pieces in the museum were awesome, but I felt it was kind of small. That's just me though.

Great way to spend a Saturday afternoon out of the heat! Staff was very friendly and helpful. Wide variety of art on display. Took 2 children, ages 6 & 8, and they enjoyed the museum, especially The Cross Hatch (which has great interactive things for both kids and adults to do). And the plaza outside is great with some shade and seating for kids.

I always like to try something different for my birthday and in 2017 I wanted to go to an art museum. I decided on taking a small trip to the one in Columbia. I had Yelped it to get a feel for it, but actually being there was amazing!!! You have to witness it for yourself!!! There was so much to take in. I couldn't hardly contain myself!!! There was so many styles of art and many different artists represented. There was some type of street festival going on, but it ended early in the afternoon. This made it kind of hard to find a parking spot on the street, but I did find one not far from the museum. It was also very inexpensive for admission to the museum. I took so many pictures inside the museum. I think I took well over 200 pictures just inside the museum. If anyone is looking for something to do while in Columbia I suggest that you put this on your bucket list of things to do in the SC!!!

Loved it! The "Remix" exhibit really makes you think. The permanent exhibitions are beautiful. The kid zone was pretty cool, too. It's just the right size to explore in a few hours without getting total museum fatigue. Bring your earbuds so you can listen to the TAP Tour on your phone. No download required, it's just an easy-to-use mobile website. The audio (and sometimes video) really enhances what you learn about the art and gives you more time to look at it, rather than at the label. Friendly staff and cool location.

I had been trying to schedule our first visit to the CMA to fall on a night when they had a cool event going on so naturally we came for Arts & Draughts. I was completely blown away by the Norman Rockwell:Behind the Camera exhibit. I'm not a big art critic but that exhibit was really mind blowing. My favorites were The Golden Rule and New kids in the neighborhood. He did not shy away from civil rights as his subject matter and I loved that. The exhibit is going on until January I definitely recommend you dont miss it.

An exquisite small museum offering a great overview of art through the ages - galleries include art from europe, asia and the Americas, and cover medieval, renaissance, baroque, and 19th and 20th century American periods - an incredible amount for the space. If you enjoy spending an hour or two in pleasant contemplation or perhaps even a few moments being challenged by the art you're looking at - CMA is a good good place to spend some of your time in Columbia. Truly enjoyed this visit!

We went back in February. Having a clear vision of the museums in Charlotte, I was not expecting CMA. A massive two-story complex with hundreds of pieces in their permanent collection and nationally-recognized rotating exhibits. A trip through the permanent collection is like walking through the pages of an art history text. You are first met with pottery and sculpture from ancient Rome before moving on to an exceptionally large collection of Renaissance art from Italy, France, and the Germanic states reflecting the artwork of the Catholic Church. It was absolutely breathtaking to be face-to-face with masterworks that were hundreds - and in some cases, thousands - of years old. Looping through the various rooms, you come upon one of the other strengths of CMA, their collection of centuries-old artwork from China, Japan, and Korea. Paintings, porcelain, stone, jade, and glass works make up this portion. There is also a section of American colonial furniture and Tiffany glass, as well as space dedicated to emerging local artists and area school art programs. The touring exhibit on our visit was the Impressionism exhibit. You could easily see the evolution of this style through examples across the board. The well-known landscapes of Monet and Renoir, John Singer Sargent, and French salon works. A beautiful exhibit that I feel lucky to have been able to catch! The CMA is something I can see making a day-trip to visit again in the future.

When our oldest daughter first moved to Columbia, she lived quite near the museum. I have been fortunate to have been able to visit on a number of occasions. Love the special exhibits which I have seen. The permanent collection is also quite impressive. I enjoyed the journey through ancient arts and civilizations, up through more modern times. The courtyard and grounds outside are also very nice, the fountain, benches, flora. A peaceful respite in a busy urban setting.

I really enjoy visiting this museum. I've even been to a wedding reception here and it was beautiful. My favorite traveling exhibit was definitely the Egyptian exhibit, complete with mummies. I took my kids because I knew my oldest would be fascinated. Turned out to be a mistake because the baby started crying and we were kindly asked to take him outside. Prices have gone up to $10, but every Sunday is free, which makes for easier parking anyway. It's a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

EMILY WAS VERY MEAN TO ME. All i did was talk to emily on the phone and she was very mean and hung up. I like the museum tho so good rating still!

I love this place. This museum gets some of the most interesting and well-curated exhibits, and the admission price isn't bad. (It's worth it to get a membership if you visit even just a few times a year.) The museum always has interesting educational opportunities for kids. Also, I am loving the Chihuly chandelier that is being installed right now. This museum is a must-visit whenever I'm in Columbia.

Very good collection of art which is free, unless you want to go into the featured gallery which was worth the price, during my time it was a gallery of Hollywood costumes from accurate eras of time.

First museum I've been to that was organized by theme, not time period. Curators did a beautiful job of making it a conversation. Great natural light, inviting warm hardwood floors and welcoming docents and staff. Loved the courtyard outside - bring a picnic! My bias comes out 'cause I didn't expect a museum in SC to be so worldly. Absolutely love the Warhol and Pollock. Got such a thrill out of seeing the originals from so many of my favorite children's book illustrators at the special exhibit of Coretta Scott-King illustrators.