The Birmingham Museum of Art has firmly established itself as one of the Southeast’s most comprehensive and well-appointed museums in the six decades since its 1951 founding. The BMA has a permanent collection containing over 24,000 paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, video, and decorative arts from around the world and spanning thousands of years; holdings of particular note include the Asian art collection, considered the Southeast’s most comprehensive, and the collection of Wedgwood china, the largest outside of England. Outside, the Red Mountain Garden Club Memorial Garden features a pair of reflecting pools and a Rodin statue; the garden is part of the larger Charles W. Ireland Sculpture Garden. Special events at the museum include concerts, jazz brunches, lectures, panel discussions, art talks, spoken word evenings, and storytelling for children. Oscar’s, the BMA cafe, features an all locally-sourced menu and serves beer and wine, for visitors who need a bit of a break.
Birmingham Museum of Art Information
- Public Transportation: Good (within a five-minute walk from the DART Blue line, and BJCTA buses 18, 23, and 40)
- Handicapped Accessibility: Yes
- Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sundays 12 p.m.–5 p.m.; closed Mondays and major holidays
- Admission: Free; some exhibitions have a fee (around $12); discounts available for veterans, AAA members, students, seniors, and groups of 10 or more
- Subscription/Memberships: Memberships start at $50. Discounts on membership fee available for students, families, young patrons, and out-of-towners. Member benefits include free tickets to exhibitions and special events, invites to members-only previews and events, free admission/discounts to numerous other museums, 10% discount on museum store and café, and 30% discount on museum classes
