The Taft was established 75 years ago. The American Palladian structure originally served as the home of President William Howard Taft’s family. Taft even accepted the presidential nomination there. In 1927, the family bequeathed the house and its 690 works of art to Cincinnati. It opened to the public in 1932.
The house holds a wide range of art collected by the Tafts. Some notable collections include European and American master paintings, Chinese porcelains and European decorative arts. Artists collected include Rembrandt, Hals, Goya, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Turner, Ingres, Whistler and Sargent. Some highlights of its holdings include Turner’sEuropa and the Bull, Whistler’s At the Piano, Ingres’s Mademoiselle Jeanne Gonin, and Duveneck’s The Cobbler’s Apprentice.
The museum regularly hosts special exhibitions. Those have included a showcase of work by American artists in Holland, watercolors and drawings from the New-York Historical Society, vintage Christmas photographs, and contemporary African-American art.
Taft Museum of Art Information
- Public Transportation: No (Public Transportation is not readily available)
- Parking: Free onsite parking is available
- Handicapped Accessible: Yes
- Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11am – 5pm
- Admission: $8, Students and Seniors $6, Guests 18 & under are Free
- Tours: Not available. Group Tour are offered; $7/adult, $6/ children
- Membership: Individual memberships are $45, Family/Dual Membership is $60. Benefits for all members include free admission to the historic house and permanent collection, free or reduced admission to special exhibitions, invitations to members’ previews and receptions and two, one-time-guest passes for free admission. Students, Teachers and Members who live 75+ miles from the museum are entitled to $10 discounts on memberships.
- Other Benefits: Upper Level Memberships ($125 and up) receive all above membership benefits, plus acknowledgement of support in Biennial Report and reciprocal admission and discounts at 30+ art museums throughout the US.
