Lovely museum with a variety of exhibits…read more I was very excited to view the new armor collection they have on exhibit. It's a vast collection with full suits of armor down to the smallest embelishment, cerfemonial or functional. Pieces include European and Asian examples. The exhibit is included with admission and has timed entry so be sure to book ahead to get your desired time slot. A small kids area in the exhibit has art supplies and books in case the adults are taking too long. Directly across from the armor exhibit we viewed the "Peaceable Kingdom" exhibit. Artists around the world have submitted works of their interpretation based on the original painting. Some artist included information explaining their thoughts working on the project. Many of the pieces are very insightful. A recreation of an Italian palazzo courtyard showcases a roman mosiac floor. Gorgeous. Also on this level is a 12th century Charter House moved from France. The museum has adorned this space with period stained glass from England and mimic candle light with electric candelabra to set the scene. A small cafe near the moasic floor offers sandwiches, coffee, tea, water, sweets, soft drinks, soup and salad. The gift shop is by the entrance on this side of the building and offers a large variety of gift items including note cards, ornaments, books, games, kitchen items, hand bags and more. On the next level up in the palazzo are a series of galleries flowing into each other displaying European art from the 11th century to the early 20th. Behind this area you will find egyptian art and more. One exhibit included a kiosk with more information about items in that collection and a comfortable sofa and seating. At the time of this review, the third level is being renovated. The fourth level is modern art (Andy Warhol and Christos for ex.) and collection preservation labs. Fifth level seems to be an event space. Free lockers are available in the coat rooms near the ticketing desk. Class rooms are located near the Lance St. entrance. See their website for available classes. A free parking lot for museum patrons is available across Lance St. There is a cross walk with wheelchair ramps on/off the sidewalks here. An elevator is available to the left of this entrance if you cannot navigate steps. Interior elevators move between levels as do staircases. Restrooms are on a couple of levels and have diaper stations. A water fountain (bubbla) is near the elevator and restrooms. A few wheelchairs are available on a 'first come' basis. Discounted entry is available, see website for details. Most definitely recommend. I very much enjoyed our visit. Plan to possibly spend a few hours. You can easily spend hours looking at all that armor. You can also make a quick run through if you are short on time. On a side note, the Salisbury Mansion is located behind the museum and well worth a look if you have time.

The Worcester Art Museum is packed with memorable exhibits, and I had a great time exploring them…read morefor 2.5-3 hours. I was able to make it through the entire museum at a leisurely pace. The Asian art section, especially the Japanese prints exhibit "Reflections of a Changing Japan: The Evolution of Shin Hanga" was a standout. The Roman mosaics taken from a floor of a home were definitely memorable. They're incredibly well-preserved and shows stories about life, mythology, and religion. I was amazed by the amount of skill and detail it must've taken to puzzle it back together after transporting it across the world. The ancient Egyptian exhibit was super cool, packed with statues, sarcophagi, and other artifacts. They also have some restored European and American oil paintings that were truly stunning, some looked insanely realistic. I spent the most time admiring this exhibit. I wasn't a fan of the contemporary art but one can say that I lack whatever it takes to fully appreciate it. It's a small museum but worthy of a visit.

Wow! What a transformation of the place. So happy Worcester is changing and what a change…read more Really blown away by the space and the hosts. The event was opening night of the Worcester arts annual largest exhibition of contemporary art. This is truly going to define the gentrification of this downtown with multi diverse and talented people choosing the woo. Visit and enjoy.

An arts community in the heart of Worcester. Clean, bright gallery, welcoming staff and talented…read moreartists. A place to come back again!

I learned about this place from a fellow Yelper who posted an interesting event that was happening…read morehere yesterday. Open Studios is a studio and gallery which sometimes hosts art shows to showcase the work of their artist residents. Basically, the artists open up their studios and work spaces to visitors and we can go in, see the artwork up close, and discuss the art process, media, muses, etc. I would like to give a special mention to the guy at Firefly Press. He invited me and a friend into his studio, showed us all of his amazing turn of the century/mid-century printing equipment, and even let us work one of the printing presses! Definitely a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I will be back for future art showcases.

spent a couple hours here and really enjoyed the afternoon. the studios are sort of hard to find…read moresince it's tucked away on braintree st, but you can use the giant american flag as a landmark. sculpture, painting, abstract art viewable with tuning forks aids, self portraits, jewelry, soap, and letter press, there was art there for everybody to appreciate. what a perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon! i just wish i had endless amounts of money so i could have purchased some of the gorgeous art available.

It was my first tim here over this past weekend. And I had no idea this even existed. I only come…read moreto Hopkinton for the Start of the Boston Marathon but never actually spend time here wandering around. This cute art center has different exhibits but the one I went to was all about the Boston Marathon. I had signed up to do the special package which included a 13 min slide show about the history of some of the statues that are on the Boston marathon course and just some history about the course/ race itself. And then there was a self guided tour to see the winged foot statues and some others as well. And there was a coupon for food at the start line brewery included too. The person who helped me get my tour started was very nice and helpful. This space is on the small side but it is very nice and clean. Feels a bit on the homey side. I would come back here for sure to check out other art exhibits they put on when it's not marathon season.

Went there this past weekend to see a blues concert in which 3 bands performed. The show was…read morewonderful and it took very little time to transition from one band to the next. Seating was on a first come first serve basis, but everything was well organized. There was a dance floor in front which was an added bonus. I will definitely go back to check out other performances. For $25, it was well worth it!

We love the ease of choosing a pottery piece to paint. The choice of colors and the overall…read moreambiance of painting here. We love it and recommend it for everyone.

Very cool place. Definitely a step above plaster fun time!…read moreNote that its Not a paint and take place-- but paint today, wait a week to get your piece kiln fired and glazed, then pick up one week later. Is a bit pricey, wish it were just a bit cheaper, so I could justify going more often, but they do have special events where they discount the studio fee- like a BYOB ladies night once a month, for example. My daughter and I made a mug and bowl for fathers day, and cost us about $60. Ouch! ( loss of one star for the price factor.) Wet back to pick up a week later, hers was ready, mine was not. (I won't drop a star, since we went on a stormy day, and everyone was making fathers day gifts! So I'm sure it was that they were overloaded with items that weekend!) I would recommend, and would like to go with friends on ladies night sometime soon :-)

Worcester, Massachusetts a little bit of unknown fun and our first time here…read more As we were exploring the area around the convention center we ventured to Elm Street and started walking . The streets are so quiet and peaceful here. Each little event is marked with some sort of celebration of history. Then we found the historical significance museum . We are definitely going in . Oh my, the museum was "free to get in and explore. " Who would have known that Worcesters world was not so small after all . It was interesting to think about. Going all the way back to 1840, the monkey wrench was created by Loring Coe in 1840. Shredded Wheat cereal was created by Henry Perky in 1895. The National Women's Rights Convention was first held in Worcester in 1850 with Susan B Anthony attending. The first Valentine Day cards were mass produced here by Esther Howland in 1847. In 1914 the liquid fueled rocket patent by Dr Robert Goddard was issued the very first one . The "smiley face" created by Harvey Ball in 1963 was kicked off . At the museum here they break down each era of Worcesters beginning and outline what happened in that specific period of time. It a chronological masterpiece. In the displays many things have been featured. Make sure and take a piece home of history with you and visit the small area that is the gift shop. Many items aside from the "Smiley Face," were made by local artists. Thank you to the staff and the city of Worcester for all their knowledge and smiles!

Such an underrated gem of Worcester :)…read more Heard about the free admission for everyone until January in honor of a long time Museum Trustee. I was amazed and fell in love with all things Worcester! I had no idea of all the wonderful inventions & creations it had to offer as well as the well informed museum hosts who were so well educated on the history and facts about the museum. So very fortunate to have visited this museum and have even more appreciation for the Worcester community.

After checking out several other local framers in the area I'm glad that I finally ducked into…read moreGaston's. As an artist I can tell that this shop is run by fellow artists, the framing examples on their walls are gorgeous and they have a visible workshop in the back. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for beautiful and unique work. They have an impressive stock and were the most down to earth, hands-on framing shop I've visited near Worcester. The woman working there helped me find an elusive mat board I was looking for, completely saving my upcoming art show! Where other shops offered to order it and overcharge me for an entire sheet, she had just enough in stock to sell me the exact amount I needed.

Two years ago I had three giclee prints made at Gaston Art & Frame. I was not able to sell them at…read morethe time and they were in storage for some time. When I resurrected them to present them to a shop, they were refused because of chips in the print. Nothing had happened to cause those chips; it seemed the inks had simply peeled off. I was devastated. With much trepidation I returned to Gaston Art & Frame with the prints. This was my only and last resort. I showed the Mr. Gaston the giclees and explained the circumstances. Much to my relief and gratification he agreed that there had been problem with the print process or the canvas two years ago and said the words I thought I would never hear: that he would do them over. Two years later! Gaston Art & Frame stands by their work! I picked up the prints a week later. They are perfect. Thank you!

Beautiful, handmade art. No pressure while browsing :) so much to see! Many local artists have…read moretheir pieces featured here

I had a strange experience. I found a small painting that I liked and wanted two more similar but…read morenot the same. I asked the woman behind the counter if I could reach out to the artist. She didn't like that idea. I asked if I could leave my contact information and she said "but I have no where to put it." So weird.