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American Museum of Western Art

American Museum of Western Art

American Museum of Western Art
4.5
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
About
The American Museum of Western Art provides access to the Anschutz collection, one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of Western art in one of the most unique settings in the country, the historic Navarre Building. The Museum’s permanent exhibition includes over 300 paintings, drawings, and sculptures by more than 180 artists. The artists and styles represented span nearly 200 years of American history. Self-Guided Tours provide visitors the opportunity to explore the Museum at their own pace during open hours. Audio guides are included with admission. Guided Tours and docent-led tours offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:00am and 1:00pm.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Neighbourhood: Central Business District
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  • RagsKP94
    State College, Pennsylvania739 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great, concentrated collection.
    Great, concentrated display of Western art. It is about 98% paintings with a few scattered sculptures. A few names of artists were recognizable. And a few were a surprise to me. There are hundreds of paintings in what amounts to a 4 story house. Use the free audio guide if/when you want some detail. I had the time and listened to most of it. I was through in a little over 2 hours. It should be noted that I generally take museums very slowly so most people will get through a lot faster. It is only open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So plan accordingly.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 18 March 2024
  • mrlan
    244 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great for an afternoon visit, photos forbidden
    Impressive collection of western art, and not just the famous painters such as Frederic Remington. It's well organized, and provides a snapshot into the inhabitants of the American West, including native tribes and American settlers from 1800 to 1950. It's a shame photos are not allowed.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 22 May 2024
  • Eva T
    United Kingdom5,659 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very special place
    It was my husband who suggested to visit this museum. Coming near to it we thought it's closed as there was close gate infront of the stairs to the main door. Then we spotted few people coming out from basement whch is the actual entry to the musem. There is a button you should press and member of staff will open the door. We paid 10 dollars as entry fee for 2 people. You cannot take any water or food or backpack with you into the exhibition area, ours was stored in the room near the entry. It is also prohibited to take photos. The museum has 3 exhibition floors over the lobby in basement. All walls are literally covered with an extraordinary collection of paintings but there were also a few small sculptures. Our favourites were paintings from the end of 19th century and beginning of 20th century and those portraiting indigenous folks. You can find also modern ones but these haven't been of our taste. There was an elevator which helped me moving between the floors as I use a walking stick. In our view you should visit this place if in Denver, especially if you are from Europe. It is special and unique.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 June 2024
  • Dean F
    1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful, moving collection of art.
    Wonderful, wonderful collection of art, which we very much enjoyed. They have a strict ‘arm’s length’ policy, which is over enforced, as we were scolded for simply leaning in to read the small inscriptions on the name plates. Otherwise, a most enjoyable experience.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 21 June 2024
  • grace g
    Denver, Colorado6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing art, terrible schedule
    This was an amazing experience! The collection is truly superb and the historic building adds to the experience. That being said, it is an absolute shame that this museum is only open Monday Wednesday and Friday. I have been wanting to take my husband for a year now, but like the vast majority of employed people he can’t make a weekday before 4:30 work. It really closes off the collection and limits the museums impact in the city.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 25 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles141 reviews
Excellent
111
Very good
21
Average
7
Poor
0
Terrible
2

Whinbrook
Greater London, UK725 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
Fantastic less well known Denver museum. It's only open three days a week and we were lucky to be in Denver on one of them. Packed full of wonderful paintings spanning the centuries all devoted to the Wild West culture.

Very friendly docents who had interesting anecdotes on some of the pictures. There were very few visitors when we went to it was a very relaxed and intimate visit.

Its housed in an interesting historic property with a colourful past and has a bargain admission price of $5.

A criticism maybe, the walls were totally covered with the painting, so some were high up and others almost to floor level so not all were very easy to view and the lighting of the paintings might have been a bit better too. However, it should not be missed.
Written 6 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rpqnz
New York City, NY281 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
As a tourist, I was really looking forward to visiting the American Museum of Western Art. I enjoy visiting smaller, under the radar museums and find myself pleasantly surprised by the works of art and kindness of staff, but here, I was left very disappointed. Upon arrival, I found the front desk staff uninterested and not engaging. Perhaps it could be from the mask wearing and the difficulty in reading emotion from the mask wearing? Possibly. Thank goodness when I arrived up to the gallery floors, the security guards were friendly and knew the works of art very well. The art displayed was wonderful but the lighting was too bright and very strong in the gallery. The furniture, which surprised me were not all original items. It was from the same period but I left wondering how sure are we that these furniture pieces were legit from this period as well? I left feeling underwhelmed.
Written 30 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SFmama_11
San Francisco, CA90 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
This is a fine collection of Western art displayed across 3 stories of an historic house. It is a private collection displaying the passion of the Anschutz family for Western Art. Over 250 years of art is represented, from early travel paintings commissioned by railways to Thomas Hill’s grand vistas to Georgia O’Keefe’s Southwestern art. The audio guide provides an excellent interpretation of the collection.
Written 21 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mary M
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
Our docent, Karen was knowledgeable and pointed out certain paintings during our tour. The problem was that we were given NO time to actually look at the art. We listened to her talk about those selected pieces, and then immediately went on to the next bay and set of paintings. Our tour lasted just over one hour and I feel like we really didn't get to see the art!
Written 7 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RagsKP94
State College, PA739 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Solo
Great, concentrated display of Western art. It is about 98% paintings with a few scattered sculptures. A few names of artists were recognizable. And a few were a surprise to me. There are hundreds of paintings in what amounts to a 4 story house. Use the free audio guide if/when you want some detail. I had the time and listened to most of it. I was through in a little over 2 hours. It should be noted that I generally take museums very slowly so most people will get through a lot faster.

It is only open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So plan accordingly.
Written 18 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lindsay F
Langhorne, PA32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021 • Solo
Excellent small art museum! Staff is very welcoming, coat check available and audio tour included in admission. History of the American West, Native American people, and landscapes. This is not a history museum, but rather a collector’s choice of art depicting the people and events surrounding the American West.
Written 1 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paul F
13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
100% worth it. Since they (for some reason) don’t want you to take pix, the ones already on Trip Advisor are accurate. Floor to ceiling, but still accessible. Hours of operations are ludicrous, but make the time. The self-guided tours were excellent- and included with the $5 admission. Yes $5. When you’re the collection of a billionaire, you can be like that. Give yourself at least 90 mins. Yes, the paintings are almost 100% done by Americans/Europeans, not Native Americans, but the point of this collection is to show the evolution of the West from mythology to realism to the modernism for an expanding settler population and society.
Written 21 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Eva T
United Kingdom5,659 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Couples
It was my husband who suggested to visit this museum. Coming near to it we thought it's closed as there was close gate infront of the stairs to the main door. Then we spotted few people coming out from basement whch is the actual entry to the musem. There is a button you should press and member of staff will open the door. We paid 10 dollars as entry fee for 2 people. You cannot take any water or food or backpack with you into the exhibition area, ours was stored in the room near the entry. It is also prohibited to take photos. The museum has 3 exhibition floors over the lobby in basement. All walls are literally covered with an extraordinary collection of paintings but there were also a few small sculptures. Our favourites were paintings from the end of 19th century and beginning of 20th century and those portraiting indigenous folks. You can find also modern ones but these haven't been of our taste. There was an elevator which helped me moving between the floors as I use a walking stick. In our view you should visit this place if in Denver, especially if you are from Europe. It is special and unique.
Written 4 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Connie M
Edmond, OK48 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Solo
Very, very disappointing. The museum’s collection is poorly displayed. It is impossible to read the name of the artist, painting or the dates of the work without getting close to the painting. This information is shown on a small brass plate on the frame. The brass plate hasn’t been cleaned in many years and has become darkened. If you walk over to read the plate and bend your head close to it, you will be reprimanded by a guard who demands that you stand an arm’s length away, despite the fact you’re an elderly woman alone, wearing glasses and holding your hands behind your back. I felt like the guard was rude, and I was thoroughly embarrassed.

The older paintings are displayed in bays that are numbered. The audio device provided for a self-guided tour will display only one of the paintings, information regarding that painting and maybe a couple more. You cannot get information about a painting of your choice. There are some 8” x 11” booklets on benches, but the booklet in the bay I was in did not show the painting in which I was interested.

I was so embarrassed by the guard incident, I left disappointed without completing the tour.
Written 27 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Taylor B
Chicago, IL8,479 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
The American Museum of Western Art in Denver, Colorado, is the permanent home for the Anshutz Collection, a formerly private collection of paintings that surveys the art of the American West from the early 19th century to the present. Located at 1727 Tremont Place, the museum was founded in 2010 and features a collection of art that spans nearly two centuries, including examples of early American expeditionary painting, Hudson River School and Rocky Mountain School landscapes, 19th century American narrative painting, early American modernism , Expressionism, Cubism and Abstraction, American Regionalism, New Deal Art and Abstract Expressionism. But the Anschutz Collection is the main attraction. It is the outcome of the efforts made over 50 years by the Anschutz family and businessman Philip Anschutz, a lover of art who established a fortune in oil, real estate and telecommunications and traveled widely to 10 different foreign countries to promote American Idealism and acquire masterpieces that are on display in the museum. The Anschutz collection is made up of over 600 paintings, drawings and sculptures representing more than 180 artists. Among the most noted paintings are Burial on the Plains (1890) by Richard Lorenz, The Death of Minnehaha (1892) by William de Leftwich Dodge and The Peacemaker (1913) by Ernest L. Blumenschein.
Written 28 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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AMERICAN MUSEUM OF WESTERN ART (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

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