Fantastic opportunity to view art and environment on a large scale. You must book in advance as time slots sell out fast. read more

The Chinati Foundation - Art Museums Near Me - Marfa, Texas

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I love living relatively closer to Marfa, Texas. Previously, Marfa was a flight away; now, it's a drive away. The peak of Maria's hipster frothiness seems to have passed. It appears to have settled into a more predictable groove. Of course, the reason for this town's fame is Donald Judd's Chinati Foundation. I do my infrequent pilgrimage to Chinati for one reason: to see his '100 untitled works in mill aluminum.' I like choosing the open viewing versus the guided tour option because it gives me time to walk among the aluminum blocks undisturbed in relative silence with no time limit. The sun's angle hit different pieces producing different angles of contrast and shimmer. Being in these two buildings is like standing in a mash up of a cathedral and an after-hours machine shop. So many get frustrated with Donald Judd's work. They place demands on what it all means and they walk out dismissively when enlightenment doesn't happen. I toss out my brain and my thoughts. I don't come here to figure anything out. I walk the aisles and just breathe it all in. It's soothing and gratifying; part of the spiritual reset that Chinati and Marfa can do. P.S. Chinati still doesn't allow photography inside their buildings or galleries. I visited once when a rare exception was made. Almost every other art institution in North America allows non-flash photography. It's time for Chinati to allow for the same. read more

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You have to be here to appreciate this place. It is a "Place". Located in Marfa Texas unheard of until 1956 when Rock Hudson, Elisabeth Taylor, and James Dean Filmed Giant, Marfa is a small town propped up by a trickle of gentrification over the last few decades. Founded in the 1970s by artist Donald Judd, the once small beginnings art museum is now a full-blown institution with world reach. Set on an old military installation, Fort Russell was established in 1911. Initially, it was established to protect West Texas from Mexican bandits after the Poncho Villa raid. The base was expanded in 1911 to deter people from crossing the Rio Grande into Texas. In 1935 it was established as the home base of the 77th Field artillery. During WW2 it was expanded as a woman corp unit,Chemical mortar battallion and troops guarding the border. WW2 German prisoners of war were also housed here. Post WW2 the Fort was closed and in the 1970s Donald Judd aquired the property. He began converting the buildings to house large scale art installations. The museum opened to the public in 1984. The important history of the buildings has been preserved with little alteration. Only to make useful the art spaces. Over the last few years Ive grown to appreciate modern art more than I used to. I can honestly say that standing in one of these old army buildings and looking at these creations, just for this place, was transcendant. I felt it! wow. You could have never convinced me of that before I went. This is a must see if you are within 200 miles!!! Go! read more

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The tour guide seemed to hate being there. We tried asking questions, but he seemed annoyed or unsure of the answers. Very little information was given about any of the works. Most of the works are untitled and repetitive. We got rushed through Flavin's Marfa Project and couldn't even see other people in different angles wihh th the art. At best, was Robert Irwin's Dawn to dusk. There's a cool statue outside. Inside are hallways with thin opaque fabric separating in half. We were single file marched through. On half is light, the second half is dark. The John Chamberlain building had cool doors to it. Not really worth the cost or the time. I suspect the limitation on taking pictures is to trick people into coming because of the mystery of the art. The upsides: good view of the mountains and you get your steps in. read more

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I mean it's okay. Luckily, my daughter was young enough to not be charged and I wasn't charged either since I'm a health care worker. Which btw if you're a teacher, healthcare worker, veteran, etc there are discounts. Glad it was free for us bc honestly I just didn't get it. I love art of all kinds but this is was reaching. Since we got there in the earlier part of the day, we got to see the galleries of the table like pieces. Some were cool and a lot of it was repetitive. Now I've taught my daughter manners and she definitely knows not to touch anything in a gallery or museum. On this trip, we visited multiple museums and galleries in El Paso, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe without any problems. But apparently we were still walking too close to the tables. So exactly how are we to admire these basic unexciting pieces if we can't get too close? Not that we were all that close to begin with but you know what I mean. After that, we went outside and saw the slabs of concrete. Again lots of repetitiveness with a few cool optical illusions that some of them made. One thing they don't tell you. Beware of the fire ants. Somehow one had crawled up my leg and left a very big sting on the side of my hip. Just be super mindful when you're out there as you are in full blown nature when looking at these pieces. Overall, I don't think I would go back but I would love to explore the other art galleries in Marfa. read more

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They've got lots of space. Lots of space filled with cement blocks. The indoor galleries were not open, so you had to peek in, or in my case, have your taller other half, give you a boost to peek in. They only release tickets for a self guided outdoor tour, that monday, and are only on certain days. It wasn't crowded. There was a lack of parking through. And no restrooms. read more

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I had to chuckle a bit reading the reviews. Seems people either love it or hate it. I visited Marfa in 2018. I found it brilliant and enlightening. I agree if you do not like Minimalist art or art theory, you might hate this place. If you are interested in exploring more than predictable art, this has something to offer of significance. read more

As an artistic family, we were so excited about visiting the Chinati & left quite disappointed. Not worth the $15 per person we paid. I would have rather save that money and bought a beautiful book of Marfa art. Half the exhibits were closed & the others were pointless & expressionless. read more

This is a masterpiece of symmetry, order and divine masculine energy juxtaposed against the rough west Texas landscape, the land of blood meridian. I thought of Camille Paglia's treatise in Sexual Personae, the eternal saga of the Apollonian and the Chthonian. Visiting this space is an invitation to empty the mind. read more

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Appreciated the art, and how crucial the viewer's physical experience is to the most well known work in the collection, Donald Judd's 15 untitled works in concrete. The Marfa earth and small fauna and the midmorning sun all impacted how I interacted with the piece. That said, it was a letdown to be charged for something you can see from the highway. My understanding is that prior to the pandemic, the outdoor installations were free to view. This is no longer the case, and the other works that you will he able to see with the basic admission pass can vary. Still a great experience, but if your priority is to see as many discrete works of art as possible with a single pass the basic admission will let you down. read more

IMHO, this place blows! The concrete boxes looked like a dumping ground for drainage boxes that have yet to be planted by the department of highways. From the highway coming into town, I thought it was odd that they were all scattered out and wondered that people were milling about the area. I had no idea this was a "minimalist art exhibit". I took a peek into some of the barracks windows at the other exhibits and was not at all impressed. Go to the Marfa museum instead. (check the days and hours ) Otherwise, go to the courthouse and go to the top, see the Pisano Hotel, then walk around town to see what's what. pro tip: wear your boots. It's a dusty dirt path that leads you around these concrete boxes at Chinati and if you wear low tops, you will get sand and dust into your shoes for sure. read more

Chianti Foundation is still open during the pandemic for outdoor self-guided tours Friday-Sunday or visit their site for confirmation and/or changes. Tickets can be purchased in advance online a week ahead of time. You won't get to see all the art since lots of it is indoors but you still get to see Donald Judd's pieces, even though most of them are behind glass walls. Be sure to bring a cold drink but don't litter please! I've been to Chinati twice before and most everything is closed in Marfa so I felt it was important to still support the foundation and I had never walked the entire grounds before. You may even spot a bunny seeking shade in the shadow of one of Judd's pieces! read more

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DO NOT SKIP THE CHINATI FOUNDATION WHEN YOU GO TO MARFA. Okay, so I didn't go to the Chinati Foundation on my first two visits to Marfa. But I did go on my third. And it's so worth it. Their website is a little confusing and overwhelming. Yes, you can guided tours of the full collections (there's a full collection tour and a selections tour). These are hours or a full day depending on which you choose. (They are affordably priced though.) However, if you're up for just a taste, several installations are available to be seen during self-guided viewing. This is where it gets a bit confusing. Each of the four installations you can visit on the self-guided tour are open during different hours. DO NOT MISS Donald Judd's untitled 15 works in concrete. This is free and open most of the day some days of the week. (If you've seen pictures of Chinati, you've probably seen pictures of this installation - it's the large concrete structures outside in the grounds of the Foundation. When we were there, a large group of deer were wandering through the installation. I may or may not have Instagrammed that.) Also, don't miss Donald Judd's untitled 100 works in mill aluminum. (Entrance to this is $10, and it's open during early afternoon.) The last thing that I would definitely tour is Robert Irwin's installation at Chinati (also $10). This is unique and is open in late afternoon. The timing of what's open and when can be a bit frustrating, but there's a reason - the light! Trust me, you're going to appreciate this experience. You just have to plan. I would be very interested in a guided tour someday, but on this particular trip, I was with my husband, and I didn't think 2 1/2 hours - 5 hours of art in a row was in the cards for us! This is a unique experience, and a Marfa must. Don't be like me - don't put it off. read more

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As someone else said, this place BLOWS! I understand -- and appreciate -- art, but I also also understand The Emperor's New Clothes syndrome, and this place has it in spades.The only people who will enjoy this installation are snooty poseurs who want to impress their snooty poseur friends. A bunch of metal cubes? Big deal. A field full of concrete blocks? Looks like any construction site USA. Scrap metal welded together? It's not even interesting. Plus, tickets are $15! They refused to give us the over 65 discount they tout. No photos are allowed. And the day we visited, they were understaffed, so we couldn't even enter the main exhibit. We had to make do with looking through the windows. Even if it were free, it would be a horrible waste of time. Please don't be fooled. read more

This is such a different experience of sculptural art and also core to the history of Marfa's revival. The outside is now open for self-guided tours. read more

The Chinati Foundation has great potential but I don't recommend paying $15 to see this place. If your into photography this might take your interest but you will be disappointed going to look at the art. 7 buildings were open and all of them had the same lights in different colors. It was terrible and I regret spending money. read more

The Chinati Foundation - Art Museums Near Me - Marfa, Texas

I really can't thanks these guys enough, this is truly a magical place doing magical things. I worked with Julie and the docents on a tour - and they really really made it happen. One of the coolest memories I will ever have. I have done the tour before but never with friends and family like this. My mother is a retired school teacher, It was cool to see her slide back into "teacher mode" and ask a million questions about the Judd, the landscape, Flavin, the boxes, etc. and watch our guides really take the time to answer all the questions. I recommend for any and all - art lovers or just the curious public 100% Magical + 100% Amazing read more

The Chinati Foundation - JUDD TOUR - Art Museums Near Me - Marfa, Texas

I love art, and I'm quite a big fan of Donald Judd and Dan Flavin. However, I came with a group of 5 other friends--most of whom are not really big into art--and they loved their experience too! Such an immersive and beautiful day spent within great works by amazing artists of the 60s and beyond. The dessert provides an amazing and unique backdrop for the artwork. Donald Judd's vision is truly remarkable and evident in the details of all of the spaces. Such a unique way to view art. I highly recommend booking a tour and doing so at least 2-3 weeks in advance depending upon the size of your party. There are so many locations to hit, and it's best and cheapest to do so with one of the guides. read more

The Chinati Foundation - Art Museums Near Me - Marfa, Texas

This place is quite the experience, their line up of art exhibitions and artists they feature are impressive and really make up the Marfa aesthetic. My first stop within the exhibit was From Dawn to Dusk where you experience walking through Robert Irwin's installation within a decommissioned military base and experience the transition from darkness to light or vice versa. A lot of Judds work is also featured at Chinati and it's something to take your time with, since it is very special and took a long time to complete. This is something you must see when you come to Marfa, and plan ahead, since you'll be there for a couple of hours to let everything soak in. read more

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Are you a lover of art? Chinati Foundation should not be passed up when in Marfa, Texas. I wouldn't pay for a guided tour, I tried but they were fully booked. If you must have the guided tour plan ahead. The staff is very knowledgeable. They answered all my questions during my self guided tour on 100 untitled works of aluminum. Plus they gave me WWII building info. The 100 works are housed in 2 work buildings (50 pieces in each). The buildings were used for German captives during WWII. No two pieces are alike. That's hard to believe but long time employees have tried and have failed in finding duplicates. I asked several. No pictures allowed inside the buildings. There is still German writing on the wall for the captives: "Better to use your head than to lose it." 15 untitled works of concrete are fun. Take all the pictures you'd like. Pose and touch all you like! Although I have questions as this being Donald Judd art, as I'm pretty sure he had help. It should be held as a collaboration and credit should be given to all parties. What do I know? Robert Irwin has his art "Dawn to Dusk" just a few blocks down the way in the layout of a WWII hospital building. U shape. I suggest you enter to the right. If you make the mistake and enter to the left as I did, then you should really call it dusk to dawn. I'm just saying! read more

The Chinati Foundation - Art Museums Near Me - Marfa, Texas

I heard a review last night on how aesthetic art is dying, and being replaced by photographic food porn and people's blogging obsessions about food and wine and other things that are consumed. In other words, civilization is getting more hedonistic, or perhaps Warhol did too much when he decided to replace high art with the mundane beauty of everyday life. Anyway, it got my head swimming and so I decided to write about a museum today. The Chinati Foundation owns museums in the center of Marfa, as well as on the periphery on its multi-acre compound. Donald Judd moved down from New York and purchased a town and a half of land so that he could better display his art in the barren fields and endless skies that make up the west Texas landscape, dotted with javelina, roadrunners, cacti, and bluebonnets. The buildings housed World War II prisoners of war from Germany, including sleeping quarters for the prisoners, cafeteria, stable, etc. These spaces are filled with 100 Donald Judd boxes, all with slightly different shapes, and large concrete blocks, lava rocks from Iceland, and a replica of a Russian school house. The funny thing about the latter was that there was a bat who had died in the walls. When they called the artist to ask if it should be removed, he said "No, the theme is decay. Please leave it as it is." Plan to go in the Fall or Spring, as it's more comfortable for an art hike. read more

This is a rip off. The $10 Dawn to Dusk is nothing but old barracks filled with neon lighting. I was told to put my small handbag in my car and no photography is allowed and that's just plain idiotic. There's nothing here. Absolutely nothing. I walked up to a barrack that had all its doors open and an employee ran to prevent me from entering. It was an empty room. Completely. Empty. The 15 concrete "art works" are just concrete. Nothing to see here folks save your money. read more

The Chinati Foundation - Photos of dawn to dusk. Idiotic bullshit. - Art Museums Near Me - Marfa, Texas

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A big anchor of Marfa's reputation for the arts, this sprawling, hot 340 acre compound designed and worked on by Donald Judd is a testament to large scale permanent installations. Huge fan of large installations, huge fan of the open space in the middle of nowhere, not crazy about the discovery tour we went on. Won't ruin it for any would be contemporary art fiends, but had to admit I was disappointed. Felt empty, not charged. Worth seeing. 10 bucks per person and you're escorted by a guide, and it will take some time. A must for visiting Marfa, but get it over with early....heats up beyond comprehension. read more

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Unusal to find this many sq mtrs devoted to a single artist. Here you get three! The old hospital is unique.

The Chinati Foundation features works by Judd, the New York artist who moved to Marfa in the 1970's and spearheaded the town's artistic renaissance. You have several options to check out. Outdoors, there is a stretch of approximately 1 kilometer that features some of his art. You have the option to either take a tour for a fee or go on your own for free. There is also an aluminum collection by Judd which is housed in two WWII barracks. The property that the Chinati Foundation is on was actually a military base which was renovated by Judd. The aluminum collection features 100 pieces of art. You can view the art by yourself for $10 or take a tour for an additional fee. We didn't think it was worth the price so we looked through the windows and saw the art that way which did the job. There is also a third exhibit that was closed when we visited. read more

Life is constantly changing it's never the same, so goes the outdoor concrete installation at The Chinati Foundation. I skipped the 2-hour and 4-hour tours for now, I just wanted to wander among the 15 sets of concrete structures spread out over about a kilometer. It made for a nice time for reflection. This installation will never look the same at any given time, you can visit them time and time again, and they'll still look different. Light is in content motion. This work of art made me sit and stare in awe. It allowed me to have fun, yet it also allowed time for introspection. I look forward to returning as a changed man, making new memories. read more

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The chinati foundation is an awesome indoor and outdoor art sculpture museum. Amazingly, it's completely free to see the outside concrete series. Just park, walk and explore. If you are interested in any guided tours, I highly recommend checking online and specific exhibitions and installations can only be viewed with an advance reservation and/or at specific times of day only specific days of the week. If you are in Marfa, it's a must! You can stop by for an hour or an entire afternoon. read more

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Avoid, especially if you have littles. The docents are super-skittish if you get within a foot of the concrete blocks (because, y'know, concrete is fragile). They couldn't handle kids within any distance of the aluminum blocks. Waste of time and money. The adults were even bored; the artist didn't bother sharing insight on his work, unless you buy a book. read more

Honestly I wasn't keen to come here but I was surprisingly won over as the time passed by. The indoor spaces are a respite from the sun, full of precision work with aluminum, there are lots of windows, and the light comes in and reflects off of those surfaces. The two buildings are quite similar. You can't photograph anything or touch the cubes. I started initially considering each individual cube then quickly began to consider the whole space and how the surroundings reflected off of it. And I enjoyed some of the optical illusions provided by the experience while moving about the rooms. The docent we walked with was excellent - very knowledgable, warm, friendly. The outdoor space is different in that you can interact with the concrete cubes. There are acres and acres. Loads of fun. I would go back, especially during sunshine magic hours, if you know what I mean. read more

Place is neat. The tour guides here cut in line at convenience west likes it's no big deal though.

Visiting the Chinati Foundation while in Marfa is like sex with Kobe Bryant...you can kick and scream all you want, but it's going to happen. And it should, after all, you're in post modern heaven so whether you didn't get your fill of fluorescent lighting at work the past week or you sometimes look at freeway construction materials and think "cooooooool", it's an experience everyone should take in. The facts: - It's West Texas, dog, and there's a lot of outdoor walking. Go as early in the day as possible. - The guides can be a little 'minimalist' on details, but maybe that's the point. - By the end of the day, you'll be staring at a piece of concrete painted white and wondering how your brains would look splattered across it. - Good for kids? Yeah, if you don't want them to talk to you ever again. read more

Not worth your money or energy. We are art lovers and collectors and we fully appreciate and support anything that may be called "art". But this is a concrete landfill, nothing exciting, thought-provoking or creative, just a dump. We tried so hard to get it and to find something interesting but it only reminded us of Auschwitz. We were highly disappointed and we think it is a huge rip-off! read more

If you want spend ten dollars to see tables go ahead. A self guided only allows you to see the cement boxes in a field. The girl in the visitor center explains nothing on what you are seeing. I am an art fan, and been to several museums. I feel as though if there was someone who worked there to be more helpful and was knowledgable to help guest our experience world have been better. There may be more to see, yet sadly we were not told much. read more

We did the two-hour tour here and I have to say I wasn't impressed much. I don't proclaim to be any sort of art morgul, but to me, the art wasn't particularly impressive. The first part was a showing of a bunch of large cubic aluminum structures. The scale was massive and kinda cool, but after seeing a few, seeing one hundred more (with minor variations) wasn't anything special. The next portion was an exhibition of neon lights in hallways which I would compare to some light effects you may see at an electronic concert, if not less impressive. Finally, we were led to another building with art compiled from crumbled car parts. Overall, the grand scale of things combined with the simplicity leaves a lot up to the imagination. However, not even an art expert can glean much meaning from such random works of art. Note: no photography allowed in indoors exhibits read more

During my recent trip to Marfa, a stop at Chinati was a must-do. Housed in an old military outpost, it was the setting, not the art, that stole the show. The dry, flat landscape is miraculously crawling with birds and flowers and bugs. I loved it and the history surrounding the place: it housed German POWs after WWII because the Geneva Convention stipulated that prisoners be taken to a climate similar to that in which they were captured. In this case, the German soldiers were stationed in North Africa, and apparently the closest thing in America was Marfa... woohoo! Now, these old barracks/prisoner holders/army facilities house works of modern art that are mainly large scale, permanent installations. My favorite were the 100 aluminum boxes created by Chinati founder Donald Judd - the way they capture the light in the former artillery sheds (and place that housed the POWs) is mesmerizing. Don't miss the writing on the wall in the 1st artillery shed in German... ask for a translation! And FYI: you MUST make a reservation to take the tour! read more

We rolled in late-ish on Sunday afternoon, so all we were permitted to see were the untitled concrete installation outside and the aluminum installation in the big hangers. I don't quite understand why they make it so challenging to see the other art (you have to show up at 10 am or 11 am for the once-a-day guided tour), but what we did see was weird, in a very cool way. It seems like only a state as vast as Texas could use land as profligately as this. read more

The Chinati Foundation is the most fun when you don't try to get "it." We did the morning and the afternoon tour in one day, with lunch at Cochineal in between (so choice - but I suppose that is a different review), and didn't feel over-arted. Which says a lot because usually I like my fine art like I like my cardio workouts - 15 minute intervals with long breaks in between. The staff members are a good blend of friendly, informative and artsy-fartsy. You can take pictures of everything - the Flavins make for the best jumping photos. The Judd mill aluminums are a cool that is difficult to explain but awesome to experience. read more

If you go to Marfa and you miss the tour at The Chinati Foundation you might be missing the point. There are some very interesting artistic ideas wrapped up in that place and it would be a shame to come to out to Marfa and miss it. You might not love it to death but you will agree after the tour is complete that you would have missed out on the experience of Marfa by skipping Chinati. read more

If you're an art fan, take the 2 hour tour of the Judd aluminum boxes, flavin lights and chamberlain sculptures! The tour passes the Oldenburg horseshoe! Very informative about the wwII buildings, which was even entertaining to my husband whom I dragged along. Get there an hour early to check out the concrete boxes, the only things you can photograph. The do not allow photography on the tours FYI. Take a sketchbook! read more

I almost wrote a book about Donald Judd once. Not so much about his art. About him. He was full of cooties. Fascinating guy. I've done a lot of reading about him, and I've looked at a bunch of his stuff, and I still don't know whether he was pulling our collective leg with his art. Maybe the definitive answer to that is in Marfa. His aluminum box series is breathtaking. The combination of the work, the space, the building, the views beyond--it all knits together into something like you've never seen before. Worth driving to Marfa from Maine in a broken-down Mercury Montego just to see it. I didn't do that, but I would, if I could find the right Montego. It's a bucket-list experience. We have come across little churches in tiny pueblos where you can feel the presence of God. He's there, no doubt. The Judd buildings are almost like that. Spiritual. On the other hand, I'm not so enthusiastic about Dan Flavin and John Chamberlin, two of Judd's friends who get a lot of space in Marfa. There is only so much that Chamberlain can express with mashed-up metal. There is almost nothing for Flavin to express with colored flourescent tubes. It's pretty much self-important crapola for which wealthy people are willing to spend astounding sums because it makes them cool. Nothing new there. Emperors and invisible clothes. Of course, in Marfa, Flavin and Chamberlain are gods just beneath the Judd pinnacle, so don't say anything rude. For God's sake don't say that Judd's kids, Rainer and Flavin, seem weird and pointless, prone to creating mausoleums and dioramas in honor of their father. Don't sit on a bench in the shade when Ralph The Chinati Foundation Docent thinks you should be traipsing from rehabilitated army barracks to rehabilitated army barracks soaking up the glory of Dan Flavin and his mesmerizing lights. Deal with it, Ralph. It was a nice bench. I saw a snake and a lizard and an antelope. read more