Admission to the Butler Institute of American Art is free.
- Open Tuesday – Saturday from 11am – 4pm, Sunday from 12pm – 4pm.
- Location: (Map It) 524 Wick Ave. in Youngstown, Ohio
- Phone: 330-743-1107
- Web: https://butlerart.com/
The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown is known worldwide as “America’s Museum.” It was established in 1919 as the first museum dedicated to curating and preserving art created solely by citizens of this country. Its ever-expanding collection now exceeds 22,000 pieces in all media types, dating back to 1710.
Always on view is a permanent collection of American masterpieces from four centuries: Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, Fitz Hugh Lane, Georgia O’Keefe, Chuck Close, and many more. The Beecher Center in the south wing of The Butler Institute of American Art and includes exhibitions of digital media–holograms, laser light pieces, video, and other installation works. The Butler North Gallery, connected by a glass skywalk, houses their Americana and Folk Art Collection. The Hopper Library houses the Butler’s reading (non-lending) library of art books.
The centerpiece of the museum’s 19th-century holdings is Snap the Whip by Winslow Homer. This painting of children playing outside of a one-room schoolhouse is known as “America’s Mona Lisa”. The Butler’s permanent collection is a true reflection of America’s history, arranged in chronological order. A walk through The Butler is like a walk through American history, with masterpieces leading the way.
Designed by leading beaux-arts architects of the time, McKim, Mead and White, the museum is constructed of Georgian marble, in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. It is considered an architectural masterpiece and is listed as a landmark on the National Registry of Historic Places.
