El Paso Museum of Art
Modern art museum · El Paso ·

El Paso Museum of Art

Modern art museum · El Paso ·

Art reflecting American, Mexican, European roots; free entry

free admission
local art
rotating exhibits
downtown
southwest art
gift shop
modern art
paintings
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null
El Paso Museum of Art by null

Information

1 Arts Festival Plaza, El Paso, TX 79901 Get directions

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1 Arts Festival Plaza, El Paso, TX 79901 Get directions

+1 915 212 0300
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Jan 26, 2026

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"A municipal art museum included among notable cultural institutions in the city, presenting visual art exhibitions and collections to the public." - Skye Sherman Skye Sherman Skye Sherman is a travel writer based in West Palm Beach, Florida. Aside from traveling, she's also a pilot, scuba diver, bookworm, and fourth-generation Floridian. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, USA Today, Palm Beach Illustrated, Atlas Obscura, and more. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

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El Paso Museum of Art

K M.

Google
This is a good way to burn some time downtown El Paso. This is not a typical Museum, the art displayed on the walls is painted by what I assumed to be local people or artists. There are different types of art, from paintings to handmade objects. It was pretty neat to see. There is no complaining when the entry is free. The place is well-maintained and very clean. Overall, it was a great stop while you are downtown. Conveniently placed across the parking garage downtown!!

Deepak U.

Google
El Paso Museum of Art is a wonderful place that depicts the long history of El Paso since its inception. The artifacts kept in the exhibit are quite interesting. It has various diverse elements. The building architecture and surrounding is also very good. The museum is very well maintained and free to visit for the public. It has a small kids' play zone. Need to plan an hour or two to properly explore the museum. The location is easily identifiable and has other relative museums of the city that are close by as well

Patrick K.

Google
Very nice building and very clean. It was easy to get to, only a 10 minute walk from our hotel and it was free admission. The museum itself had some interesting exhibits, but overall I found it boring. It didn’t take long to walk through the whole thing. I felt it wasn’t as captivating as other art museums I’ve been to. But it is worth a visit if you are in the area.

Kamileah K

Google
Loved this free entry museum!! We took our time looking at every piece and it was better than museums we’ve paid for! The Selena features were unexpectedly informative and added an extra personal touch connecting it to such an icon who’s performed in El Paso. Would definitely come again.

Lara S.

Google
Soooo glad we squeezed in a visit after our meetings while we were in El Paso! An amazing little jewel of a museum with a truly varied and moving collection. A must-see! Will visit again my next trip to the area😀

Tracey B.

Google
Unique, diverse art experience that we really enjoyed!

KaP R.

Google
Great museum that is free to visit! There is so much to look at. Definitely a great addition to the community. They have events listed inside for members of the art exhibit. The halls are wide enough that you could comfortably bring children and have them by your side without risking them knocking into anything expensive. We went over a weekend and it was not very busy.

Ron R.

Google
BEST place to appreciate art. My son attended the art camps there, and now he is an author of his own comic book. #DinoDudes
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Paul L.

Yelp
My recent visit to the museum was to spend time in the galleries devoted to the Old Masters, a collection overwhelmingly due to the Kress donation. Kress was a discount store from many decades ago. Mr. Kress had assembled a truly monumental collection. Upon his death, paintings were given to quite a number of art museums around the country. The El Paso Museum of Art is one of them. I'm always blown away whenever I see the paintings donated by Kress in various museums that I've visited. I think that this museum received an especially vigorous selection and so many of the works on display seem so fresh and bright. These aren't lesser works by iconic artists, either. These are amazing and the collection alone make this museum a must-see. My favorite work on display is Vincenzo Catena's 'Portrait of a Woman', an oil on canvas work from about 1520-25; oil on canvas. The young woman staring directly at the viewer looks quite modern-day as if she's posing for a selfie to show off her finery; and, what finery it is: red velvet and fur with a large-jeweled broach. This is where Catena is also showing off: his skill in making the velvet and fur seem so real. This is quite the lush painting. I was also sure to visit a selection of paintings on the first level that presented works by local students. My favorite was Zoey Odette Valles' 'Tumbled Away, an acrylic on canvas piece that seemed ready for the permanent collection. Well done, Zoey! Some museums are hindered by their spaces. This museum falls into that category. This is an overhauled Greyhound bus station that I remember using years ago when I'd travel with a little backpack across the country. The space works as well as they can make it work and the engagement with the local community is truly impressive. However, if this museum's collection were in a truly dedicated space, people would trek here just for the art.
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Travis D.

Yelp
A great venue for an outing. As you're cruising downtown stop by the Art Museum, you won't be disappointed.
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Clara A.

Yelp
If you are in the area go here. It's free and LGBTQ+ friendly. They encourage donations but if you don't have cash definitely you can leave it electronically. Not only that but this place definitely shows you some incredible pieces of art. You can take your time or go through it quickly. My favorite part was that there was an exhibit dedicated to Selena.
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Felice L.

Yelp
I had a short amount of time to do a run-through of the open exhibits here before closing time. The museum is accessible and while viewing inside, there was an engaging community mural being created outside of the entrance. Some of the museum was closed off, however much of what I did see was particularly impactful. Firstly, I enjoyed the Puente Libre, Francisco Delgado exhibit featuring what life is like for those commuting, living and working on the border between the U.S. and Mexico. The tortoise and hare moral application through his work was powerful. Equally amazing were the mixed media works of many young artists displayed on the main floor of the museum. I was thoroughly impressed with the detail and meaningful themes exhibited and the overall talent displayed. What a treat for a quick afternoon visit!
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Tiam L.

Yelp
What an awesome and interesting museum! Loved everything here and was completely immersed in what was offered and exhibited. The Selena exhibit was really cool especially seeing a lot of the items were donated by local El Pasoeons. It was very cool seeing some of her concert outfits up close. I think the installations through out the museum are definitely the highlights for me. Very thought provoking. If you're in El Paso definitely make a stop here!
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Michael B.

Yelp
Was in El Paso for the weekend. Popped by here to mostly beat the heat but ended up spending more than I imagined here. Was enamored by the various art work and the regional take on it. It was refreshing to not just see the typical Picasso and religious art. They have exhibits by Black and Brown artists and womxn of color which is really cool. There was a lot of art that represents the importance of natural resources in the area. Most notably light and water. With the border right there, there was a ton of art and a visiting exhibit from Juarez. It's free to visit but donations are encouraged. Its only open from 10am to 6pm. I went midday. It was very quiet. Maybe 15 people at the most. Even if it was packed, the halls and exhibits are large so I couldn't imagine you feeling claustrophobic there. It's also centrally located downtown so it's easy to spot and to get around to other places.
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Staci J.

Yelp
Decent venue with some interesting art. Very quiet and not much foot traffic visiting the museum. We decided to visit since we had extra time. Only negative was that a female security guard asked that I wear my small purse/backpack in my front vs the back. Reasoning was to prevent bumping into exhibits. Well, the museum isn't packed with items, actually has excessive space between their items. I decided to leave because I didn't want to feel uncomfortable. It's not the Louvre (which I have visited). On a positive side admission is free.
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TJ R.

Yelp
Such a treat. Been several times. Its not real big but they do rotate out some interesting exhibits. Standard items are present: religious, modern and abstract, creepy stuff, nudes, sculptures, beautiful nature scenes. Its usually pretty clean and quiet - always free - that's the best part. I love that I can stroll in anytime and that anyone can have exposure to art. Its right downtown with lots of other fun activities so include it in your next visit!
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James T.

Yelp
Here for a special event my niece was apart of. Foundation that helps children with different abilities in science, engineering and art. Beautiful Minds of MALI is the organization. MALI stands for Making Art with Love and Imagination.
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Terrell B.

Yelp
I wanted to do something different with my family. We stopped by and received a bonus ourselves haha! There was a play with the UTEP theater majors. My kids loved it.
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Samantha B.

Yelp
We visited the museum on a Saturday afternoon in an effort to get to know El Paso a little bit better without blistering in the summer sun. It wasn't too busy and there was just enough in there to keep us occupied for a bit of time. There's an interesting mix of modern Texan and Mexican photography as well as more classic European works of art. There were also a few sculptures around the museum, which added some variety. I'd love to see more art like that and hope they add more!
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Michelle L.

Yelp
My sister and I stumbled upon this museum on a recent visit last weekend to downtown El Paso. It is a really nice, clean, and quiet museum. But it has a lot of very interesting and unique contemporary and modern art! There is also a special exhibit called "Spirit Lines" by Helen Hardin etchings that is being displayed on the first floor, as well as some humble Hopi art. More of the classical European art, and a special exhibit about Cochilean red dyes is currently being showcased on the second floor. We really enjoyed this museum! And it's nice just to take a stroll inside if you are in downtown! It is absolutely for free! And a great place to visit if you like modern and contemporary art!
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Rick W.

Yelp
Very nice donation based art museum, full of from in and around El Paso. Clean bathrooms and air conditioning
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Alexis B.

Yelp
Yes, the museum is on the smaller side. But I liked that it had a lot of Western and regional art. It makes this museum unique! It's free and it has a great little gift shop as well! The next time you're in downtown El Paso, check it out! It's worth a visit!
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Saif A.

Yelp
I love this museum and try to visit it as much as I can, especially when they bring in new exhibits. I get so caught up in the art that I always forget to check in. The museum is beautiful and offers a variety of art to look at with the exhibits changing every few months. This weekend I visited for the Dia de los Muertos: Day of the Dead celebrations, performances and workshops. They truly did a great job, however, I had an issue which was going to make me drop my review to 4 stars but decided not to. At the event they had music and food trucks, but one of the biggest issues was they did not close the road properly. This forced drivers who took the road to realize that they couldn't get out through the other side and either had to u-turn or reverse on a one way road. I ended up having to guide about 8 vehicles so they could get out of the street safely. I also informed the police department so they could come and assist. I tracked down the event organizer with the frizzy hair and she smacked back at me, "Yes we know about the problem, the ones that were supposed to shut down the street shut down the wrong one, so it's not our fault." I was not blaming anyone I just wanted to make sure they knew about the issue so it could be corrected. Huge events like this are difficult and stressful, which could be why she talked to me the way she did, but overall my family and friends had a great time and I think the Museum of Art rocked it.
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Kailey P.

Yelp
Honestly I absolutely loved this place. The art is truly gorgeous and they had some beautiful and rather famous peices Id only ever seen in books or online. It was absolutely crazy being able to get so up close to such amazing and famous peices. The place was well laid out and had some fascinating and gorgous art from history with some really cool details about a few of the peices and best of all its all free.
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Erick L.

Yelp
Great place to spend a couple hours for a change of pace and great place if you love Dali, or to see some very unique local artwork. Two thumbs up!
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Gertie V.

Yelp
A fascinating place to visit. Sure it is not the Metropolitan Museum of New York City or the Huntington Library and Art museum or the Getty Museum. Yes, their collection is limited, the vibe is great and that is what counts. We enjoyed our visit and will be coming back in the future.

Jacqueline V.

Yelp
Quite a few exhibits but not too much to the point you get bored and not to little got you wanting more. It is completely free which is really nice. There is also benches in every exhibit so you view the art at your comfort. Overall great experienced.
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Robert C.

Yelp
Traveling to El Paso you really need to take a stop at the El Paso Museum of Art. It's really historic it's really Texas or it is historical pictures of paintings to see and you really get a glimpse in the field of Texas or Texas history here and it's really worth coming in and take a good look around it's worth it
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Kim D.

Yelp
Free admission, 'nuff said. No, but seriously the EPMA is conveniently located in downtown and although there was a lot of construction when we went, the short walk there made it easily accessible. There are plenty of pieces to look at and the exhibit is nicely spaced so there's room to wander and ponder.
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Lisa A.

Yelp
I like this museum a lot. It's a great size and it's free. I think it's the largest art museum in El Paso. They always accept donations. I try and donate whenever possible. This is a great place to bring the kiddos and family. I especially like it when new exhibits are displayed. A lot of the art includes Latino culture. I've always felt like this museum welcomes the El Paso community with open arms. They participate in many local events. I would say one of the largest events for them would be Chalk the Block in October. It's always a fun weekend whenever this annual event happens. Creating chalk art and being able to view art from various artists is fun imo. Another busy time for them is during their Day of the Dead celebration in November. There's usually a parade and other events within the vicinity. Being a freelance writer, I've been invited to several art receptions and events over the years. My schedule is typically very busy so unfortunately I have not attended any yet. I hope to do so in the near future. If I do, I'll update the review. Check it out, you won't be disappointed. There is something for everyone to appreciate here.
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Mel G.

Yelp
First, lots of appreciation to the fact that there is free admission to the museum. That is a huge thing in my book. There are a number of interesting exhibits, including rotating ones. The actual space and layout is really nice, and a number of interesting pieces. No doubt if you are already in the area strolling around, this would be a great place to stop by and check out.
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Monica L.

Yelp
Such a great place to come for date night especially if you're just cruising downtown. The gift shop has local art for sale and decent prices overall. Plenty of sections and eras. 10/10 recommend
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Judy B.

Yelp
Excellent art musuem! Nothing beats free so this place automatically scores in that department. Of course, donations are always highly encouraged to keep the beauty of art readily available for all to see, such as this place. I'll admit, it took me a year to finally come out here since parking downtown always discouraged me to even come near the place. But thankfully after a bit more exploring plus the need to complete a museum report for my art class, i now lool forward to coming here as often as i could! Especially whenever they change out exhibits. Find that lil parking lot across from tcby/Mrs. Fields, we spent about 2 hrs there and only paid 3$! Pretty good if you ask me! The other rates they have for longer hours is also great there, just take a look at what suits you best. They have such a great variety of sculptures and paintings. The building is much bigger inside than it seems from the outside. And if you get tired from walking, plenty of benches to rest on and water fountains if you get parched. Theres also a really neat shop with cool household goods and art related toys or books. It's such a cool place to visit after having a delicious lunch downtown! I cant wait to go back!
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Mia N.

Yelp
Stopped here for a quick visit. I took a stroll around for about 15 minutes. There are cool modern art pieces downstairs and in the foyer upstairs. The back rooms upstairs have more classical art pieces. Really fun little visit and you can't beat the price (free :-P)
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Albert K.

Yelp
The El Paso Museum of Art truly is one of this city's treasures, it is a fantastically curated museum whose galleries showcase the best local and Southwest visual art as well as great pieces from all around the world, it is refreshingly culturally balanced. How good was that intro? That's some review of the day quality stuff, it almost sounds like I know what I'm talking about! I don't know much about art, but what I was saying is that I liked the pretty paintings and I think you'll have fun looking at them, like I did. Also, I was happy it wasn't all just Mexican stuff, there's paintings and sculptures from all over, and I think it's a good thing that the museum showcases local and regional art without being ethno-centric. The last time I visited there was a Picasso on display, it wasn't a super famous piece, but still, for El Paso, is pretty cool. They enforce the no photo policy very strictly, so despite my best effort to sneak a snapshot, I wasn't able to, which just might be a brilliant ploy to get repeat visits. YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME, PABLO! There's also lot's of sculptures and statues, and fortunately those are okay to photograph, so they're great for selfies. Like I said, I don't know much about art, but I did learn quite a bit and enjoyed my visit, which means the museum is doing a good job. I definitely recommend visiting, plus it's a great place to bring your out-of-town visitors. Art, yay!
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Jacques R.

Yelp
This is a great (and cheap) to spend a hot afternoon in El Paso. the building is gorgeous and very condusive to the works themselves, they have great collections and children are welcome (but just barely). Thankfully, it's not all Southwestern pieces, there is plenty of Baroque, Medieval, Renaissance, Americana, and PoMo pieces to view as well. I went to see an special exhibit on the French Impressionist movement. It was absolutely breathtaking. Definitely worth the (FREE) trip.
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アリア

Yelp
I had a bunch of fun when I went. I also saw a piece that I regret not remember the name and the artist. It was perhaps made of wax and it was a person on a tube like for when you go swimming. With the yellow cap. If you know the name of the piece that would be super awesome! I will share it on the photos. Since I took a lot. I had a bunch of fun there exploring and living in some of the works. I really recommend giving the museum a try if you haven't already.
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Jeremiah G.

Yelp
Place is super dope. Downstairs was kinda BLAH but the gift shop cashier was really helpful. Glad we ran into her because she was able to give us the run down over every exhibit the museum offered. Free event for the community on Thursday with drinks and food. Learned so much about Cochineal that I now appreciate the color Red and art so much more after visiting. Will come back again. Highly recommended. Talk to people and find something new out
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MTex G.

Yelp
I'd say this is a small to medium sized museum, compared to other cities, but very nice. I've come here several times to see different traveling exhibits, that were only here for short stints. I've also been able to attend some of the presentations, where a particular artist or a type of art is discussed, very interesting indeed.
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Sky Y.

Yelp
Nice museum. I especially enjoyed the art prints by the Southwest artists in the gallery downstairs. Museum was larger and with more exhibits than I was expecting. The gift shop had some unique items, including some items created by local artists. It was a good way to spend an hour or so and there is no admission fee.
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Tim L.

Yelp
There are two excellent exhibitions here right now. One is a collection of El Paso artists' work that is wide-ranging and fascinating. The other is an amazing collection of Edith Head costumes, which is just something else. Plus, the museum is free! Well done, El Paso.
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Sam L.

Yelp
The museum is a good effort on the part of the city of El Paso. I know it's rude, but I thought it would be a lot worse. The (free!) Saturday films are a wonderful feature. I am curious why the curator placed a Gronk (Glugio Nicandro) painting in an office on the second floor rather than having it displayed as part of their permanent exhibit - maybe it is privately owned by someone in that particular office. Hmm...
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Rich P.

Yelp
Small but very nice museum. Had a little of everything. I liked the day of the dead exhibit the most. My wife was less impressed. We live near NY.
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Magdalena B.

Yelp
Took the kids since it's summer and the museum is free and has ac. Hey have summer art call for the kids, though I don't know the cost. The art is nice, and a pretty good collection of sculpture and different styles. Is it the Met or something of that scale? No, but it was a very nice display and the kids enjoyed it. We had some good discussions about the art and you can't beat free admission.
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Greg W.

Yelp
The museum had an excellent mixture of art from across time. I didn't expect to see a Canaletto or Stuart's portrait of George Washington as well as several other well known artists. "The Migrant Series" by Don Coen was very impressive. His use of sprayed acrylic over a photo provided a very unique viewing experience. Incredible accuracy from a distance and an abstract up close.

victor m.

Yelp
i wet on a trip with my school for art class . when we got there it was like airport security . the people there were so rude to us . me and my friend were talking in a low whisper voice and a man told us to be quiet and and not to be playing around . MY SCHOOL DID NOT HAVE FUN ON THIS TRIP . I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED