Meadows Museum

Free parking and entry Thursday evenings after 5! Really worth getting the tour. Our guide had so much information. I never would have thought to ask about pieces in a museum. Who's the perfect place to meet up with a friend and then go around the corner for ice cream.

Beautiful small museum with works by some of the most important Spanish artists. I highly recommend taking one of their free, docent-led tours. Below are photos from the latest exhibition.

Lovely art museum on the SMU campus. There is free parking in the garage under the museum but that is not obvious from the signs. You have to get a ticket that says you owe money but can then get the ticket validated at the front desk. They have mostly paintings, but some sculpture. The collection includes a Picasso, an El Greco, and several Velasquez. We were fortunate that we arrived just as a volunteer docent arrived and ended up getting a personal guided tour.

Visiting the Meadows Museum was amazing!!!! The collection is really impressive and the people that work there were so nice!! They made our visit very memorable. We hope to go again soon!!!

This is my second visit to the Meadows Museum. Always such an enlightening place. This time around, I went to appreciate and delight myself with an exhibition that was brought from my island, Puerto Rico. The Sense of Beauty is an exhibition that presents diverse paintings and that I hold them in a special place in my heart. These paintings in special Flaming June made me fall in love with art. So for me, seeing her again was just magic. Thank you Meadows Museum for such an incredible & fascinating experience.

Parking is free and really close to the museum. There are a few cool sculptures outside. When you walk in the first floor is free and features was small art works. You have to check in at the gift shop to buy tickets to enter the second floor. Overall the museum is pretty small there is a big wooden bench when you walk up the stairs that looks like it's meant to be sat on. It is a piece of artwork. The art works weren't really my type of art, but come visit to draw your own conclusions!

I’m quite surprised there aren’t more reviews for this lovely museum. There is easy and free parking, a nice gift shop, and a nice representation of Spanish art through the centuries. They have some works from some very high profile artists too. Some of the works have QR codes to scan to get more information, which was neat. My only complaint is that for some of the works, especially the larger portraits, the lighting wasn’t right on the pieces so there was quite a glare on them.

It was Sunday, so it wasn’t crowd. They are having an exhibition focused in Naples, so if you enjoy Spanish culture, you might like it! Hoping to visit some other museums, I love culture, history but also contemporary art, taking suggestions! Thank you

We visited the Meadows Museum on a school field trip, and it was an outstanding experience from start to finish. The program was well organized and very engaging for students. They began by learning about the seven elements of art in a clear and age appropriate way. After that, they created their own clay sculptures, which allowed them to apply what they had learned in a hands on and meaningful way. The highlight was when a docent guided the students through the galleries and taught them about different art pieces. The explanations were thoughtful, interactive, and kept the students genuinely interested. Our class left inspired, excited, and talking about art long after we left. This was an excellent educational experience, and I highly recommend the Meadows Museum for school field trips or anyone looking for a rich and memorable art experience.

Took the kids and it was so calm and relaxing. The museum, from what I saw, has a focus on Spanish and religious pieces. Currently, there is a photography exhibit dedicated to Mexico. I recommend you check out that exhibit before it closes. There are a few of the famous artist everybody knows, like Salvador Dali. There's a nice park out front where the kids got the wiggles out after spending a quiet morning enjoying the art. There are garbage cans so you can have a picnic lunch if the weather is nice. Bring a blanket. There is some parking, but I didn't notice if it was for permits only or public.

The Meadows just keeps getting better and better. As I've mentioned in other reviews,I discovered it on the SMU campus many years ago. Before they moved to this new facility it was very small and seemingly inconsequential. However,they did have a small collection of religious narrative 15th century Spanish art. That collection has grown with the addition of many masterpieces old and new. I can't get enough of The Meadows and it's especially nice when traveling exhibits show up Like the Legacy of Vesuvius. This show tells the story of King Charles of Bourbon and the impact his art collecting had on the world. Extremely interesting. Here for another month you still have time to catch it Go!

Very quiet, well lit, and well kept. Staff was friendly. Unfortunately half the museum was closed due to switching exhibits so that was disappointing. Nice for a night out took about 30 - 45 to walk through.

Not a large collection but interesting nonetheless. (Lots of portraits.) A nice way to pass the time in chilly surroundings on a hot Dallas day.

"Dali: Poetics of the Small, 1929-1936" through January 6th, 2019. An amazing collection of paintings of small-format works. Viewing in this intimate setting of the smallest of details of Dali's. A treasure it is to to have an extensive, exquisite, and mind boggling collection of Spanish art here at Meadows Museum. Always enlightened and enriched I am of understanding their exhibits by attending their workshops, lectures, and programs. CHEERS!

Very precious and tranquil time amid pandemic. My friend and I visited this museum due to the fact DMA and Nasher sculpture center closed due to the pandemic. However it was more precious because there's only one mother and daughter family the other side the room, the limitation of 7 per one room, and plenty of time to enjoy Spanish Art and photographs. For many months people have had difficult time because the money maker and spender stayed together all day long under one roof and trouble, nagging, not a peaceful time. We need fresh oxygen, air, and arts. This museum is the right place to refresh our mind.

Even before entering the museum has some beautiful pieces outside. The Salvador Dali artwork was exquisite and fascinating. There were other galleries to walk through, along with permanent exhibits. The gift shop was nice. I would recommend this museum.

As someone born and raised in Dallas (I no longer live there, but visit about once a year) and who loves art and art museums, I'm ashamed to say that I had never visited the Meadows Museum until this past weekend. I visited with my family (dad, stepmom, brother, sister, grandmother) on the Sunday before the Christmas holiday. We got there at 4 and they close at 5 on Sundays, so we rushed to take in as much as we possibly could - and we all left VERY impressed. When we visited, they had an amazing exhibition of Salvador Dali small-format paintings - Dali: Poetics of the Small, 1929-1936, which was extended to January 6, 2019 (so you can still make it - go now)! They had a second Dali exhibit downstairs - Dali's Aliyah: A Moment in Jewish History (that runs through January 13, 2019). The permanent collection really impressed us as well. The core of the collection was assembled by it founder (Algur Meadows) after he developed an interest in Spanish art. The museum has an amazing collection of paintings by Spanish artists. There are also some interesting sculptural pieces outside the museum (which we waited to view until after 5, when we had to leave the exhibitions), including a very large Jaume Plensa. Admission is $12 per adult, $10 per senior (65 and over), $4 per student, and children are 12 are admitted free). SMU faculty, staff, and students receive free admission with university ID. Active military and their families are also admitted free. And the museum is free on Thursdays after 5 (and open until 9). Parking is free for museum visitors. We were so impressed by our visit to the museum that my dad said he's going to try to come back before the Dalis are gone (especially since we timed our visit so badly that we only had an hour in the museum). It was a great visit - we saw pieces by Dali, Velasquez, Giacometti, El Greco, and more! A wonderful museum that I should have visited years ago!

Stopped at this unassuming museum on a random Thursday night. It's located on the SMU campus and has an adjoining parking structure that allowed avoiding the drizzle. They are celebrating 20yrs and have curated an amazing collection of Spanish artists. We were there for almost two hours and didn't get through the entire building! Lovely landscapes, portraits, sculptures, pottery, one room even had film posters! They are still limiting capacity, but you don't have to wear masks in the building. They have a great mobile guides for a lot of the artwork so you can learn a bit more than what's on the placards next to the pieces. Great museum in the heart of Dallas and SMU.

Arte es vida! This is a fantastic museum in the middle of Southern Methodist University in Dallas. This is rumored to be the second largest permanent collection of Spanish Art in the world, behind the National Museum in Madrid. The museum is a two-story collection of quiet galleries with such Spanish masters as Goya, Picasso, Dali, and others who bring a depth of art unlike an other selection I've seen. The exhibits are interesting, in a wide variety of media- my favorite are their religious paintings. Parking is notoriously difficult at SMU, so they have a dedicated parking garage attached to the museum so you don't even have to walk in the elements to get to the museum. When I went, a few of the galleries were closed for a renovation so they could change out the art, and they let me in for half price! Viva! They act like they don't get very many visitors here, the galleries were mostly empty when I went, and they acted surprised to get a guest when I came in. When this place opened, they got a visit from the now-exiled King of Spain, His Majesty King Carlos II. Be sure to check out the Santiago Calatravas moving sculptural work out in front of this museum- this is the architect who made that new big white bridge that crosses the Trinity River.

In response to Governor Abbott's recent announcement allowing Texas museums to operate up to 75% of the total listed occupancy, the Meadows Museum is cautiously increasing its capacity to 35% in all its galleries and public spaces combined, effective November 1, 2020.

I have a Dallas routine of the art museums that I visit. Routines are not always beneficial. I never knew about the Meadows and I can only imagine the exhibitions that I've missed. It's not a large museum but the quality of what is on display is very impressive. Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, Rafael Coronel, and Jaume Plensa dominated my viewing time. Coronel is especially intriguing to me because he achieves such drama on his canvases with such little paint. A favorite for me is António Casanova y Estorach's 'Favorites of the Court', an 1877 painting, depicting colorfully well-dressed bull fighters with man buns paying their respects to the royalty. The opulence, the detail, and the light and dark shadows engaged me. I felt like I was not a viewer but part of the scene. I'm already planning the next visit to Dallas in my head and I'll shake up my routine so I can make a return to this museum a priority.

I like it here. If you visit the museum on Thursday evening after 7pm it's free admission. There is also no longer a charge at the parking meters after 7 pm. I discovered (too late, since it rained while we were there) that there is a parking garage right below the museum. There is plenty to see and appreciate at Meadows Museum, if you go I think you will enjoy the experience.

There is free admission Thursday evenings from 5-9pm. This is a decent museum, on the smaller size, but featuring a great number of Spanish art pre-1900s. There was a special exhibit featuring Alonso Berruguete, a Spanish artist from the 16th century who inspired mannerism and whose work featured expressive religious iconography and figures. If you're a fan of those subjects, you'll enjoy the museum, but there's not much (only two rooms) of more recent works (dated after 1900). The sculpture garden outside the front entrance is also small but there are a few impressive statement pieces. Plenty of parking too.

You ever wonder what conversation at the Meadows' home was like? (circa 1964) "So honey, big day running the oil company? What would you like to do tonight?" "No Monday night football...think I'll donate all my art from our frequent visits to Madrid to SMU so they can start a museum and name it after me." "Don't forget to make the museum free on Thursdays with plenty of free parking so the poor can enjoy it as well." "Spot on idea! Should we give them the Rodins and the Reaughs or the Goyas and Picassos?" "Hell, donate the lot of them. They are just taking up room in the house and I need a place to put the treadmill." "Done! Can't have my honey's hiney getting flabby." And they did. Meadows is responsible for the accumulation of one of the best collections of Spanish art outside Spain. The museum is amazing. They have visiting exhibits as well, including the current "New Light on the Etruscans" which was brought together by the archeology department of SMU and enlightens us all about the ancient Northern Tuscan archaeological site. One can see sanctuary pieces, gold jewelry and other unearthed treasures. And though I've never eaten there, The Gates restaurant serves lunch and it's always looked fun. Admission is $8 unless you go to SMU or are under the age 12. Admission is free on Thursdays. They are closed on Mondays.

This is a small but nice museum located on the SMU campus. It has the feel of a larger city museum, with docents wearing blazers walking around and there is a gift shop on the lower level. The focus is mainly on art from Spain including religious art as per the wishes and holdings of its founder/benefactor. If you're looking for a quiet place to take in some art, this could be it.

Like the Prado, but without the crowds and the airfare. It's a little gem as others have said, mainly focused on 17th-19th century Spanish painters and featuring some superb works by Goya, Velazquez, de Ribera (especially) and more. Most of the works are not covered in glass and the guards are tolerant about letting you get right up to the paintings to study the brush strokes. The spot lighting has some fun with this here and there: check out the highlighted forehead on Goya's Sabatini portrait (looks like he was asked to paint over a zit) and the billowing white curtain out a second floor window in Rico y Ortega's Venice streetscape. A practical note: be sure the museum is open before you park in the underground lot. You have to get a "validator" inside the museum to exit and if you don't have it there's a $20 fee.

Amazing collection of Spanish art! This place really earned its nickname as Prado on the Prairie. Was treated with a fine collection of Spanish art by Goya, Dali, Picasso, Velasquez as well as other lesser known names. They also had some work by Diego Rivera and other non-Spanish artists. Took the train from downtown to Mockingbird Station and then walked about 10 minutes to reach the museum located on the campus of Southern Methodist University. It was well worth the trip. What a nice surprise to find this museum in Dallas. Students should ask for the student rate. Highly recommend!!!

Tucked away at the SMU campus, this little museum made for a great visit. I looked to help my son round out his Social Studies project on Spain and at the time of our visit were showcasing the painter Martin Rico. The museum docent was very knowledgable and helped keep him engaged and interested in learning more. The museum gift shop was well stocked and reasonably priced. The museum if free to visitors every Thursday from 5-9 p.m. and parking is included, as well. Enjoy!

We came here on Thursday with my class from SMU. They have a great variety of paintings. Between all of the artists and styles, you definitely need at least two hours to see everything. On Thursday evenings it is free to the public. For SMU, students and staff, it is free all the time. Come check it out!

This place is such a great treasure! It is the largest private collection of Spanish artwork outside of Spain and most medium sized American cities would kill to have a collection this great! If you are in the area and have the time, go and see it. It is a flat 10 minute walk from Mockingbird Station DART.

Located on the SMU campus, Meadows Museum is an unassumingly small museum with an impressive collection of Spanish art. From what I understand, Meadows Museum's collection rivals that of the Dallas Museum of Art (correct me if I'm wrong though). My boyfriend's parents and I came here specifically for the Salvador Dali exhibit and were blown away by the museum's permanent collection. If you're into Francisco Goya (and really, who isn't), this is the place to go as there's a small gallery dedicated to the man. My favorite Goya piece from that collection was "Yard with Madmen" (1794) - Google it and educate yourself for a moment. Once you're done perusing the inside, end your visit by checking out the sculpture garden and get a bird's eye view of The Wave, a kinetic sculpture on the first level. You can't miss it; that will be the landmark you see before pulling in to the parking structure. Admission is $10 and free tours are offered every hour (I think).

The Meadows Museum is the largest collection of Spanish Art outside the Iberian Peninsula. It was a gift from the Dallas Oilman, Algur Meadows. It is said that in the early 1950s he went to Spain in search of oil and the oil that he found was on canvases! I love the museum. The building is a classic box-style museum, very symmetrical, with a massive stone staircase in the middle of the building. http://smu.edu/meadows/museum/ Admission is free on Thursday nights. They also have a nice program of free lectures that are frequently also on Thursday. The programs are listed on the website. The Museum is tucked away on the southern end of the SMU campus. Look for the large Calatrava moving "sculpture" that is streetside out in front of the Museum. Parking is under the Museum. The entry to the parking garage is on the south side of the building. If you miss it the first time, just circle around and come back and try again!

Wow, what a nice surprise the Meadows Museum turned out to be. I was visiting the university and took the time to also visit the museum. Outside the museum are several spectacular sculptures, two of them are hard to miss. There are also several smaller sculptures surrounded by greenery and benches so you can sit down and truly enjoy them. The collection of Spanish artist was extensive. Having visited the Prado and knowing nothing about the Meadows before my visit to SMU I was stunned to see such a large collection of Spanish art outside of Spain. If you are in the area and have a couple of hours to spare or half a day you would be wise to spend it here.

First off, admission is free on Thursdays after 5pm. They also have some free tours on certain nights. I missed it, but would love to come back for it. The museum is small, but there is plenty of beautiful works to see. A spendid museum located on the SMU campus. There is a cool wave piece outside, as you walk up the steps to the museum. It sounds like it's powered by electricity, but looks like it could be powered by the wind. The wave reminded my nerdy self of a contraption that my high school physics teacher put together to demonstrate wave length, amplitude, and velocity. Cool! I wanted to jump up onto it and run with the waves, but there was a sign stating that the area is under surveillance. The Buddhist Cave Temple exhibit was great. Seeing some of those super old statues that were pretty much carved into the side of a mountain was amazing. The exhibit also had pictures of original sites of the statues and home of the monks. The best thing about this museum though was the Prado exhibit. The Spanish paintings were mind blowing. Goya and Ribera's works were too, too beautiful. This a must-see museum in the Dallas area!!

Excellent collection of Spanish art now featuring paintings from El Greco. I was surprised by the quality of most of the paintings from Sorolla, Goya but most surprisingly by contemporary artists reinterpreting Spanish masterpieces. I loved one altar piece that covers one of the main walls. I really liked the outdoor area with sculptures and the fact that it is not a huge musem, so you can cover everything in a reasonable time. This museum is not expensive and not crowded at all so it helps the experience. At some point we were aproached by a teacher that works at the Meadows, very enthusiastic and helpful in giving us interesting facts.

I think the Meadows Museum at SMU is one of the best kept cultural secrets in Dallas. Admission is very reasonable, parking is ample and the beautiful SMU campus drive is great for a stroll after wards. The permanent collection features pieces ranging from the Spanish masters to a giant mesh sculpture of a head out front in the garden. The travel ling exhibit is currently "The Lost Manuscripts from the Sistine Chapel" and it was amazing to see the workmanship that went into the calligraphy, miniatures and bookbinding in previous centuries. Make sure you stop in the gift shop- they really do have an interesting array of items for anyone who loves Spanish decor or art.

I'm no art junkie, but it's cool to me! I've been here several times now and I just went this past weekend to see the Coming of Age exhibit that's gonna be there till the 24th of February. It's a collection of Art made in America from the 1890's(?) to the 1950's. As you start from the landscape pictures and on towards the modern stuff you can actually see the change in art styles. My favorites were the 3D models that they had up. They do have a permanent collection of European, mainly Spanish works and they have a restaurant!(a review for another day!)

The Meadows Museum offers free admission on Thursdays after 5pm. This was a real treat because they have a large permanent collection with rotating exhibits (right now it's Jusepe de Ribera). I was approached by a docent once and a guard once while here. I really thought I was going to be told that I was standing too close to one of the paintings or something but the guard wanted to make sure I was aware there were additional info packets about the art and the docent wanted to make sure I was aware there were magnifying glasses to study the Ribera drawings. Kind and very knowledgeable, I would have missed out had they not said something. The docent was super passionate about the art and walked around answering questions and offering up details to visitors.

Reasonable price! And if you are a student you get a discount on the ticket! There was so many paintings to see! I wish I had time to see all and observed. But the one that I saw that was my favorite was "Venus de Milo with Drawers" by Salvador Dali! is a small white statue!

I had an amazing first experience here. Meadows museum hosted a free wine tasting. There were over 100 wines to sample and the wine class was exceptional. The service was excellent. The art is amazing (apparently this museum has the largest Spanish collection outside of Spain). This is a great place to go on a date or for a little culture :). Get on their email list for events and special exhibitions

The staff was cold and indifferent as they fail to acknowledge our arrival with any type of greeting.

This museum is simply breathtaking. Meadows and the DMA are my favorite museums in Dallas. What sets Meadows apart is that it is a hidden gem. Not too many people are aware of this museum since it is a smaller museum, and so every time I go I can enjoy it peacefully. Their collection of Latin American and Spanish art is superb. As a previous Spanish and History major I have a great appreciation for the Latin culture. Consequently, their collection blew my mind away. I felt like a child unwrapping presents on Christmas since I was in the presence of renowned artists like Picasso, Frida, Diego Rivera, Murillo, etc. They even had a fabulous Don Quijote sketch on the first floor, which I loved. Since I have read that entire book in Spanish, I was so excited when I saw that. There is nothing funnier than the tales of Don Quijote on his adventure. The curator really did a wonderful job. I definitely think that their Spanish art is superior to the DMA's. I recommend visiting Meadows on Thursdays after 5 PM because that is when admission is free.

Incredible collection of Spanish art. Great to bring the kids to and awesome learning opportunity. Beautiful setting on SMU campus and free parking in the garage underneath the museum.

VERY NICE!! We came here in the winter on a snow day! A great date venue. Wonderful variety of art. I really enjoyed it!

This is a hidden gem in Dallas! A museum with many works of renaissance art accompanied by detailed descriptions of the art's story. Also famous artists like Picasso, Dali, Goya, El Greco... Some of the art was on loan from the national gallery of art! I wasn't expecting much, but this museum is much bigger than you'd think, had beautiful art, and is a wonderful way to spend and afternoon! I took a friend from out of state here and we loved it

Awesome museum and some of the most amazing Spanish art around. I am not sure how so much Spanish art made its way from Spain to Dallas, TX but it is an impressive collection.

Smallish but totally worth the price for admission.

Great museum with the most beautiful paintings I have ever seen. This museum is so great that I don't think words can really convey how great it is. The staff are knowledgeable on the paintings, ask Dick! Words can not express, you should visit!

While we were wandering on the SMU campus, we found the Meadows museum. It was truly a nice surprise on an early Thurs evening, we got in for free! The building itself is beautiful red brick with a terrace. Inside of museum was serene. One of us knew about archeology and noticed all the Spanish art collection and antiques. When we left, we noticed the big star in the horizon off the terrace. Another one of us knew about astronomy and mentioned it probably could be Jupiter since it seemed to be surrounded by a smaller star or its moon.

The Meadows Museum at SMU is a small gem. The permanent collection specializes in Spanish art, which is pretty cool. But its real strength is in putting together or attracting fantastic exhibitions. Two of my favorite museum shows in Dallas in the past year have been at the Meadows: The Simon Perez Collection from Mexico City, and -- weird, but still fascinating -- Tile Design from Valencia. And there's a show opening on November 30 that looks to be superb: American Art from the 1850s to the 1950s. If you like art museums, you really should check out the Meadows. UPDATE: I went back to the Meadows this afternoon to see the show "American Art from the 1850s to 1950s," which was truly excellent. But I also looked again at the Spanish collections, and instead of thinking they're merely "pretty cool," I was really blown away by the quality of several paintings by Ribera, Goya, and Sorolla, which are comparable to masterpieces in the Metropolitan, the U.S. National Gallery, and the U.K. National Gallery (the three great museums with which I'm most familiar). Do not miss Goya's small "Yard with Madmen," which is an incredibly powerful painting. The depth of quality in this collection is VERY fine.

This museum specializes in Spanish art. It is a lovely way to spend the afternoon. The gift shop is also nice. My friends and I are unable to get away without purchasing something.

If you think there is a Salvador Dali exhibition, think again, One fabulous 11X12 (or was it 8X10) painting and some sketches. Not worth the trip.