The American Visionary Art Museum – Baltimore, Maryland - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

The American Visionary Art Museum

Baltimore, Maryland

A museum dedicated to exhibiting remarkable outsider art. 

View all photos
Cosmic Galaxy Egg Avoiding Regret
O SAY CAN YOU SEE Avoiding Regret
"Aurora Borealis" wall Avoiding Regret
"Giant Whirligig" by Vollis Simpson Avoiding Regret
two giant pink poodles teddrake (Atlas Obscura User)
1648
1558
Related Stories
hidden

Is Baltimore America's Most Eccentric City?

Atlas Obscura February 9, 2016

Celebrate the Singularity: Robotmas is Invading the American Visionary Art Museum

Allison Meier August 26, 2013
Top Places in Baltimore
Nutshell Studies Diorama
Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death
Baltimore, Maryland
Edgar Allan Poe's Grave
Baltimore, Maryland
Bazaar
Baltimore, Maryland
 See All

The art of farmers, postmen, the mentally ill, art done in secretly in the attic—all get equal billing at Baltimore’s American Visionary Art Museum. It’s a refreshing look at creativity and projects made far, far outside the “art world.”

Don’t miss the Giant Whirligig & Sculpture Plaza. The 55-foot tall central wind-powered sculpture was created by Vollis Simpson, a 76 year-old farmer from North Carolina who made his first whirligig to power a washing machine while he was stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. The museum also features a 16-foot model of the Lusitania made entirely from toothpicks, and is host to the incredible Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race.

And remember to exit through the gift shop, which houses a display almost as captivating as the museum itself.

We explored AVAM on Obscura Day - March 20th, 2010. Photos, stories and more here

Know Before You Go

The Museum is open all week except for Mondays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission for adults is $15.95.

obscura day locations sculpture gardens outsider architecture outsider art collections sculptures museums and collections art museums
Nearby
Mr. Trash Wheel
0.28 miles
Fell Family Cemetery
0.67 miles
The Horse You Came In On Saloon
0.68 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Mr. Trash Wheel trash interceptor at the mouth of the Jones Falls River in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
Baltimore, Maryland

Mr. Trash Wheel

This bug-eyed water wheel uses the power of the Sun to clean up Baltimore Harbor.
The cemetery in the Fell's Point historic district.
Baltimore, Maryland

Fell Family Cemetery

Wedged between two sets of row houses is an awkwardly located family graveyard.
The Horse You Came In On Saloon.
Baltimore, Maryland

The Horse You Came In On Saloon

A 200-year-old bar with a cheeky name claims to have served Edgar Allan Poe his final drink.
Baltimore, Maryland

First Public Gas Street Lamp in America

One artist’s scheme to expand museum viewing hours into the evening led to the illumination of an entire city.
Related Places
One of the corridors.
Zacatecas, Mexico

Rafael Coronel Museum

Mexico's largest collection of masks is found in the ruins of an abandoned convent.
Hakone, Japan

Hakone Open-Air Museum

Open-air museum with an elaborate sculpture garden, stretching for over 70,000 square-meters.
Barcelona, Spain

Museu Frederic Marès

An eclectic collection of thousands of items owned by the sculptor Frederic Marès.
Blenko Man
Weston, West Virginia

Blenko Man

This colorful West Virginia cowboy greets passersby with a glassy stare.
Appears in 2 Lists
Voodoo Doughnuts
List

Unique Wedding Venues

Michelle Cassidy January 12, 2023
View of Silo City and Elevator Alley from the Ohio Street Lift Bridge.
List

Unusual Wedding Venues

A list of 30 unusual venues all across America that offer their services as wedding venues.
Larissa Hayden June 26, 2019
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web