The Museum of Catholic Art and History — Attraction in Columbus

My wife and I visited The Museum of Catholic Art and History in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, November 26, 2022, to see the Christmas Nativity scenes on display. The museum is located on the first floor of The Columbus Foundation building, a historic building in downtown Columbus that is the former home of the first Wendy’s restaurant. We immensely enjoyed the exhibit, but more than that, we came away with a great appreciation for the whole museum.

First, only a fraction of the collections at The Museum of Catholic Art and History can be shown due to space limitations. However, it is easily observable that the collections on display are well-curated. The staff at the museum have put time, thought, and effort into showing these collections to the best effect. Second, the religious objects and artifacts on display are relevant to Christian (especially Catholic) visitors and are reverently presented. Third, our tour guide was thoughtful, knowledgeable, and helpful in showing us around the museum. These three factors gave my wife and me a wonderful museum experience.

If you are a Catholic Christian living in or visiting the Columbus, Ohio, area, I highly recommend visiting this museum. The value of touring the museum is well worth the price of admission. If you are coming with a large group (more than 4 people), it might be best to call ahead and make sure the museum can...

The reviews about this place are true--it really is a hidden gem. Got a nearly 2-hour tour from the director and it only felt like half an hour. He was very knowledgeable, informative, and easy to talk to. Even after spending so long there, we could easily go back and spend several more hours looking at all the stuff there.

There are not only religious items but also items of great historical significance. This photo is of an amethyst owned by Mary, Queen of Scots. Really stunning to see in person.

The museum is planning to temporarily close sometime within the next year (as I understand it) for renovations and the addition of a whole new building. Rumor has it our beloved Santa Maria--now gone from the riverfront--will be finding a new home there.

You really cannot do any better for free on an afternoon.

(One caveat: the building is not ADA compliant. My husband and I were thankfully allowed to bring in our son's stroller, but we had to carry it up and down the stairs ourselves. It's just a regular stroller, so we didn't have any trouble, but it could be an issue for those with mobility issues. I'm sure that the new facilities will be compliant, so some may wish to wait until...

My mother was visiting from out of town and I thought she might enjoy these Catholic artifacts. We were surprised at how interesting the whole place was even for non-religious folks! Part history, part art museum. The current location (inside the Catholic Foundation) is smaller than the previous site, but they have plans to move to someplace where their full collection can be displayed. Take advantage of the guided tour, they have a lot of insights to share. They are super friendly and let you photograph anything you want and there are even some things you can touch. If you're lucky they might play the organ for you. As of March 2022 they have an art restorer who comes in mid-day on Fridays to fix some of their paintings who you can chat with and ask questions to. Due to the limited display space an hour should be sufficient to see everything,...