Bill Z.
Yelp
I wonder how many of you are reading this and saying to yourself, "I didn't realize Vassar College had an art gallery." Well, they do, and it's a gem! It has a surprisingly impressive collection of art works, and best of all, it's free! It opened in 1864, and Vassar became the first college or university in the U.S. to have an art museum as part of its original plan. The majority of the works in the gallery are gifts from alumni or patrons.
The Center is well organized and has a little bit of everything in it. I particularly like the large collection of paintings from the Hudson River School, very prominent in the area, of course.
I'm not sure whether the casual follower would recognize any of the works in the museum, as they appear to be (to me anyway), not-so-well-known works by many famous artists. But you would definitely recognize the artists, such as: Degas, Cole, Leger, Picasso, Matisse, O'Keefe, Miro, Pollock, De Kooning, Munch, Cezanne, Hopper, and Parrish.
I would say plan for 60-90 minutes viewing the museum, modified by how crowded it might be, the size of your own group, and your own speed through galleries.
Rest rooms are in adjacent Taylor Hall. Food and drink are not available. There is a small gift shop at the entrance, where a variety of cards and prints may be purchased, typically in the range of $2-$10.
I recommend visiting when classes are not in session. That allows you to park easily in the spaces reserved for the galleries, and there are fewer people going through the gallery.