Washington County Museum of Fine Arts — Attraction in Hagerstown

My recent visit to the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, MD, was an enriching and enjoyable experience. From the moment we walked through the doors, we were greeted warmly by the on-site security guard, who was not only kind and welcoming but also informative. He provided us with a museum map and even suggested a great starting point for our self-guided tour—an excellent first impression.

The museum offers a well-curated selection of historical artwork, including paintings, sculptures, and other captivating pieces. Each exhibit included informative panels that allowed us to better understand the context and significance of the works on display, making the experience both educational and inspiring.

One of the standout features of the museum is its support for local artists. A diverse array of modern works—including digital photography, digital art, and traditional paintings—showcased the creativity and talent present in the community. It's always a pleasure to see regional artists given a platform to share their work.

The museum also dedicates space to showcasing art from children, presumably from the local area. While it’s heartwarming to see young artists given the opportunity to share their creativity, I did feel that the space allocated for this exhibit—one of the larger zones—might have been better suited for more mature or historical works. A smaller, dedicated section for children's art may offer a more balanced layout while still celebrating youthful talent.

Overall, our visit was thoroughly enjoyable. The museum not only provides free admission, which is a commendable effort in making art accessible to all, but it's also ideally located within Hagerstown City Park. This adds to the experience, offering visitors the chance to enjoy a peaceful walk or explore additional outdoor attractions before or after their visit.

The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts is a cultural gem in Hagerstown, and I highly recommend a visit for anyone interested in art, history, and...

I visit Hagerstown periodically and finally found some time to go visit. This is a lovely little museum that's surprising in a city with such a small population. It has a very diverse permanent collection including old European, American, Asian, Native American, African, modern American and European pieces. Paintings, sculptures, glass art, and textiles. When I visited there was a terrific photography special exhibit AND the best treat of all: an artist in one of the galleries in the midst of doing a copyist painting of one of the old masters.

I also loved the two stone "virgins" imported from the Singer benefactors' home greeting you on the steps leading to one of the rooms. I want to steal them LOL or have replicas made.

What a local treasure and I am glad I took the time to finally visit. I spent about 1.5 hours including reading most of the plaques next to the art pieces.

It's within a beautiful building in and of itself, set within a wonderfully designed public park area. I felt like this was a jewel box example of what philanthropists did back in the day. We need more of these kinds of free community art and nature spaces.

Did I mention it's free!

As someone who has visited many museums this one is now dear to my heart because it is so well done, so accessible, so endearing, and so diverse...

I went for the floating beauty exhibit, but ended up going through all other exhibits. The museum is not big, but it is nicely organized with lots of fun items ranging from its own collection of Japanese prints, Chinese bronze and pottery items, Native American crafts, African crafts to Rodin’s sculpture, paintings, drawings, Wedgwood tea pots, and a painting attributed to Titian. The American arts works are arrange to cover both classical works to modern works. I also found a painting by Alfred Stieglitz. The E.O Hoppe photography exhibit of Women’s portraits are equally great! I really enjoyed everything in the museum. The staff are super friendly. I think the city is lucky to have a fine Art museum in the city park and everyone shop at the nearby outlets should make a stop at the museum as a routine. I really...