Baltimore Museum of Art and Walters Art Museum: The Cone Collection, Antoine-Louis Barye, and Two Free Museums in One City

Baltimore is home to two of the most distinguished art museums in the United States, and a remarkable feature of Baltimore's cultural infrastructure is that both museums are free to enter. The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) and the Walters Art Museum together provide one of the deepest and best-presented art collections of any American city, accessible to international visitors and Baltimore residents alike without admission fees.

The two museums are complementary rather than redundant. The Walters Art Museum is encyclopedic — covering Egyptian antiquities, Greek and Roman art, medieval European illuminated manuscripts, Renaissance and Baroque painting, French 19th-century academic art, Asian decorative arts, and Art Nouveau — across approximately 36,000 objects. The Baltimore Museum of Art is more focused — strong on European Old Masters and especially on modern art, with the Cone Collection providing one of the most important concentrations of Matisse, Picasso, Cézanne, and Van Gogh in any American museum.

This guide walks both museums in depth, explains the strongest collections and what to prioritize, and provides practical advice on planning a single-day or two-day visit. For broader Baltimore travel context, see the Baltimore university map and the 5-day Baltimore-DC-Annapolis itinerary.

Comparison: BMA vs. Walters

The two museums are approximately 2 miles apart — a 10-minute drive or Charm City Circulator ride. A determined visitor can do both in a single day; a more relaxed pace allots a day to each.

Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA)

The Baltimore Museum of Art sits at 10 Art Museum Drive in Charles Village, immediately adjacent to the Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus. The museum was founded in 1914 as a small institution and rapidly grew through donations from Baltimore industrial fortunes — particularly the Cone sisters in the 1920s and 1930s and the Mary Jacobs and Saidie A. May bequests of the 1940s and 1950s.

The current museum building, designed by John Russell Pope and opened in 1929, is itself one of the finest American Beaux-Arts museum buildings. Pope is also the architect of the National Gallery of Art West Building in Washington DC and Mellon Memorial Bridge in DC; he designed the BMA in a similar Beaux-Arts neoclassical style with a grand columned entrance and substantial central rotunda.

The Cone Collection

The Cone Collection is the BMA's most famous holding — and one of the most important art collections in any American museum. Etta Cone and Claribel Cone were sisters from a wealthy Baltimore family (their brothers operated the Cone Mills textile manufacturing empire) who collected modern European art primarily during 1898-1949. They had personal friendships with Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso — they visited Matisse's studio repeatedly, purchased work directly from him, and corresponded with him throughout their lives. After their deaths, the entire collection was donated to the BMA, opening to the public in 1957.

The Cone Collection includes approximately 3,000 objects, with the most important holdings:

• Henri Matisse: approximately 500 works, the largest and most important collection of Matisse in any American museum. Includes major paintings (Blue Nude (1907), The Pink Studio (1911), Two Women on a Couch (1923), Pink Nude (1935), multiple Nice period odalisques), drawings, prints, sculptures, and the textile patterns Matisse designed for the Cone sisters' Baltimore apartments. The Cone Collection allows visitors to trace Matisse's stylistic development across his entire mature career.
• Pablo Picasso: substantial holdings from his Blue Period, Rose Period, Cubist period, and Neoclassical period. Includes Mother and Child (1922), multiple drawings, prints, and ceramics
• Paul Cézanne: major paintings including Mont Sainte-Victoire landscapes, still lifes, and bather compositions
• Vincent Van Gogh: substantial holdings including A Pair of Boots (1887) and other works
• Edgar Degas: ballet scenes, racing scenes, and pastels
• Pierre Bonnard, Édouard Vuillard, Renoir, Gauguin: solid representative holdings
• Paul Klee: among the strongest American collections of his work

The Cone Collection sits in a dedicated wing of the BMA — the Cone Wing, completed in 2001 — designed to display the works in the way the Cone sisters originally arranged them in their Baltimore apartments. The wing is one of the most visually rewarding spaces in any American museum.

Other BMA Collections

Beyond the Cone Collection, the BMA holds substantial collections in several areas.

European Old Masters. Works by Anthony van Dyck, Hans Holbein the Younger, Frans Hals, Rembrandt, El Greco, Goya, and other major European masters from the 15th-18th centuries. The collection is solid but not as deep as at the National Gallery in DC or the Met in New York — the BMA's strength is more concentrated in 19th and 20th century holdings.

American Art. Works by John Singleton Copley, Charles Willson Peale (the Peale family was a Baltimore institution), Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church, Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, and the principal American artists from colonial through early 20th century. The collection is particularly strong in Maryland artists — Charles Willson Peale's family produced several generations of Baltimore-based painters.

Modern and Contemporary. Substantial holdings beyond the Cone Collection, including post-war American art (Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism), contemporary European art, and substantial recent acquisitions from African American artists. The BMA has been particularly active since approximately 2010 in acquiring work by African American artists, building one of the strongest such collections in any American museum.

Asian Art. Strong holdings in Chinese ceramics, Japanese woodblock prints, and South Asian sculpture and painting. The Asian collection includes notable Korean ceramics and substantial Japanese ukiyo-e holdings.

African Art. Significant collection of West and Central African art, including masks, sculpture, and textiles. The collection has been enriched by recent restitution discussions and contemporary curatorial framing.

Sculpture Garden. The BMA's outdoor Antoine-Louis Barye and Lillie Carroll Wilson sculpture gardens display approximately 30 large-scale outdoor sculptures from the 19th century through the present, including works by Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, and contemporary artists.

Visit Information for BMA

• Address: 10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, MD
• Hours: Generally Wednesday-Sunday 11 AM-6 PM; closed Monday-Tuesday. Verify current hours
• Admission: Free (special exhibitions occasionally have separate admission)
• Time on site: 2-4 hours (longer for serious art enthusiasts)
• Parking: Free on-site parking
• Public transit: MTA Light Rail does not directly serve the BMA; Charm City Circulator Banner Route stops within walking distance; Hopkins Shuttle for students and visitors traveling between Hopkins campuses
• Accessibility: Fully accessible
• Cafe: The BMA Cafe offers casual lunch with quality cuisine; recommended

The BMA also operates a substantial gift shop with strong art books, prints, and museum-related merchandise.

Walters Art Museum

The Walters Art Museum sits at 600 N. Charles Street at Mount Vernon Place, in the heart of Baltimore's most architecturally distinguished neighborhood. The museum was founded in 1934 when Henry Walters (1848-1931) bequeathed his vast art collection and the substantial Beaux-Arts mansion-and-gallery building he had built to display the collection.

Henry Walters was the son of William Thompson Walters (1819-1894), a Baltimore liquor merchant and railroad investor who began collecting art in the mid-19th century. The Walters collection grew across two generations: William Thompson Walters concentrated on French 19th-century academic painting and bronzes; Henry Walters expanded into ancient art (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine), medieval art (illuminated manuscripts, ivories, metalwork), Renaissance painting, Asian decorative arts, and Islamic art.

The current museum building has three connected components:

• The 1909 Walters Building (Beaux-Arts, designed by William Adams Delano) — the original purpose-built museum
• The 1974 Hackerman Building (modernist, designed by Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott) — major expansion
• The 1991 Centre Street Building (modernist) — additional space and storage

The combined complex displays approximately 3,000 to 5,000 objects at any time (with more than 30,000 objects total in the collection), organized chronologically and geographically across the three buildings.

The Walters' Strongest Collections

Egyptian Antiquities. The Walters holds approximately 3,000 Egyptian objects, including substantial sculptures, mummy cases, and decorative objects from across the Old Kingdom (2700-2200 BC) through the Roman period (30 BC-395 AD). The Egyptian gallery is one of the strongest in the United States outside the Brooklyn Museum and the Metropolitan Museum.

Greek and Roman Art. Substantial collections of Greek vases, Hellenistic sculpture, and Roman portraits and decorative arts. The Hadrianic-era Roman portrait sculptures are particularly notable.

Byzantine and Early Christian. The Walters holds one of the best Byzantine collections in any American museum, including substantial Byzantine ivory carvings, enamels, icons, and liturgical objects. The Hamilton Byzantine Collection acquired in the 1930s includes major works.

Medieval European Illuminated Manuscripts. The Walters' collection of medieval illuminated manuscripts is among the most important in the world — exceeded among American institutions only by the Morgan Library in New York and the Houghton Library at Harvard. The collection includes:

• The Walters Bible (W.71), a 12th-century French illuminated Bible
• The Beauvais Sacramentary (c. 1145)
• The Carrow Psalter (c. 1240, English)
• The Saint-Omer Hours (c. 1340)
• The Adelphi Hours (c. 1505)
• Substantial Books of Hours from the 15th-16th centuries
• The Hamilton Bible (c. 1450, German)

These manuscripts are displayed in rotating exhibitions; particular manuscripts may be on display or in storage at any given time.

Renaissance Painting. Substantial holdings including works by Raphael, Tintoretto, Veronese, El Greco, Hieronymus Bosch, and other Renaissance masters. The collection is broader than at the BMA but includes fewer truly major Italian Renaissance paintings than at the National Gallery of Art in DC.

French 19th-Century Academic Art. The Walters holds the most important American collection of French academic painting from the École des Beaux-Arts and Salon traditions. Includes substantial works by Jean-Léon Gérôme (one of the finest collections of his work in any museum), William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Antoine-Louis Barye (see below), Theodore Chassériau, and Pierre-Auguste Cot. The collection reflects William Thompson Walters's mid-19th century collecting interests.

Antoine-Louis Barye. The Walters holds the most important collection of Antoine-Louis Barye (1796-1875) bronzes in any museum — including substantial groupings of his animal sculptures (lions, tigers, panthers, bears, horses), his decorative bronzes for furniture, and his mythological subjects. Barye is regarded as the most significant animalier sculptor of the 19th century, and the Walters collection allows visitors to trace his entire career.

Asian Decorative Arts. Substantial collections of Chinese porcelain (especially Qing dynasty), Japanese ceramics and lacquer, Korean celadon, and South Asian sculpture and painting.

Islamic Art. Notable collection of Persian and Arabic illuminated manuscripts, Persian ceramics, and Islamic metalwork. Includes major Shahnameh (Book of Kings) manuscript fragments.

Art Nouveau and Decorative Arts. The Walters holds substantial collections of Art Nouveau jewelry, glassware, and metalwork — particularly notable holdings include works by Lalique, Tiffany Studios, and contemporary European decorative arts of 1880-1910.

Visit Information for Walters

• Address: 600 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD
• Hours: Generally Wednesday-Sunday 10 AM-5 PM (Thursday until 8 PM); closed Monday-Tuesday. Verify current hours
• Admission: Free (special exhibitions occasionally have separate admission)
• Time on site: 2-4 hours (longer for serious art enthusiasts; the encyclopedic collection rewards multi-visit engagement)
• Parking: Limited street parking; nearest parking garages on Charles and Cathedral Streets
• Public transit: Charm City Circulator Purple Route stops directly at the museum; from Penn Station the museum is a 12-minute walk south on Charles Street
• Accessibility: The 1909 Walters Building is partially accessible (some galleries require stairs); the Hackerman Building is fully accessible
• Cafe: The Walters Cafe offers casual lunch with light cuisine

How to Plan a Visit

Single Day, Both Museums

For a determined single-day visit covering both museums:

BMA + Walters route

Morning (10:30 AM-1:30 PM): BMA. Start with the Cone Collection (allow 90-120 minutes — this is the most important collection at either museum). Continue with the BMA's modern and contemporary galleries (60 minutes). Lunch at the BMA Cafe.

Afternoon (2:30-5:30 PM): Walters. Start with the medieval and Byzantine galleries (60-90 minutes). Continue with the antiquity galleries (Egyptian, Greek, Roman) for 60 minutes. Finish with the Antoine-Louis Barye sculpture rooms and the Renaissance painting galleries (45-60 minutes).

Evening dinner in Mount Vernon (multiple options at the Marconi's Restaurant, The Owl Bar, or one of the casual restaurants in the Charles Street commercial corridor).

This pace requires substantial energy and a willingness to walk through galleries quickly. International visitors with serious art interest typically prefer to allocate a day to each museum.

Two Days, One Museum Each

For a more relaxed two-day visit:

Day 1 — BMA: Full day covering the Cone Collection, European Old Masters, American art, modern and contemporary, sculpture garden, and the BMA's extensive Asian holdings. The 11 AM-6 PM Wednesday-Sunday schedule allows substantial coverage.

Day 2 — Walters: Full day covering the antiquity galleries, medieval manuscripts (allow significant time for the manuscripts — they reward close looking), Renaissance painting, French 19th-century academic art, Antoine-Louis Barye, and Asian decorative arts.

Children and Family Visit Strategy

Both museums are family-friendly but in different ways:

• BMA: The sculpture garden, the open Beaux-Arts entry rotunda, and the family activity stations (typically in the Cone Wing and contemporary galleries) work well for children. The Cone Collection's Matisse paintings with bright colors and clear figural content engage children better than abstract or non-representational works
• Walters: The mummy cases, the antique armor, the dragon-themed Asian decorative arts, and the Antoine-Louis Barye animal sculptures are particularly engaging for children. The Manuscript Hours interactive room in the medieval gallery is well-designed for ages 8-12

For families with young children, alternating gallery time with cafe breaks and outdoor walks (the BMA's sculpture garden and Mount Vernon Place outside the Walters) prevents fatigue.

Special Programming and Exhibitions

Both museums run substantial special exhibitions and programming year-round.

BMA seasonal programming includes annual lectures, artist-in-residence programs, community open houses, and partnerships with Hopkins academic programs. The annual Cone Sisters Lecture in spring focuses on the Cone Collection's history.

Walters seasonal programming includes annual Manuscripts in Focus exhibitions (rotating displays of manuscripts from storage), Art Storytime for young children, Lunchtime Lectures during the work week, and Walters Late evening events with music and bar service in the museum.

For visitors planning around exhibitions, both museums publish their special exhibition schedules 12-18 months in advance on their websites. Major recent and upcoming exhibitions have included Matisse: The Cone Collection at 100 (BMA, 2024-2025), Faces from the Past: Roman Egypt Portraits (Walters), African American Modernism (BMA), and The Persian Book of Kings (Walters).

Why These Museums Matter

The combined excellence of the BMA and the Walters is the result of two specific Baltimore industrial fortunes deployed for civic purposes — the Cone family and the Walters family — and of subsequent generations of Baltimore donors and curators sustaining the institutions.

The BMA's Cone Collection is, by international consensus, one of the most important Matisse collections outside of France itself. For visitors with any interest in modern art, the Cone Collection alone justifies a Baltimore visit. For visitors interested in the broader history of how American collectors and museums acquired modern European art, the Cone story (two unmarried sisters from a Baltimore textile family making personal trips to Paris in the 1900s and 1910s, befriending Matisse, building the collection over fifty years) is one of the great stories of American art philanthropy.

The Walters' encyclopedic scope is unusual among American art museums. Few American institutions cover Egyptian antiquities, Byzantine icons, medieval manuscripts, Renaissance painting, French 19th-century academic art, Asian decorative arts, and Art Nouveau in equal depth. The Walters does, and the combination provides cross-period and cross-cultural visual literacy in a way that more focused museums cannot.

Both museums' free admission policy is itself remarkable. Most American museums charge admission, often $20-30 per adult. Baltimore's two principal art museums maintain free admission policies, supported by endowments, government grants, and private donations. The free policy ensures broad access for international visitors, students, and Baltimore residents who would otherwise face cost barriers to art-museum visiting.

For visitors planning a Baltimore trip, the BMA and the Walters together provide cultural depth that exceeds many larger and more famous American cities. The combination is, in the practical experience of visiting, one of Baltimore's strongest tourism arguments.

For broader Baltimore travel context, see the Baltimore university map, the Baltimore founding history, and the 5-day Baltimore-DC-Annapolis itinerary. For another distinctive Baltimore museum, see the American Visionary Art Museum guide.