Five Small Art Museums Worth a Detour on Your Next Trip

Reflecting on some of the best art museums I've ever visited; though they're small in stature, they're mighty in artwork.

I always seek out art museums when I travel, and they’re often a highlight of my trip. Why wouldn’t they be? Art museums are filled with beauty; many times the buildings themselves are art; and they’re a great way to get to know a city better. Plus many of them are free which fits my penchant for budget travel perfectly.

These five art museums are all small, and they all vastly exceeded my expectations. They’re worth adding to your travel bucket list!

The Frye Art Museum is my favorite art museum in Seattle. It’s very small, but it features powerful rotating exhibitions. Many of the times I wandered into The Frye, I discovered thought-provoking work from a contemporary artist. But I love this museum for its permanent collection. The largest room in the museum, called The Salon, features the vast collection of paintings that belonged to the museum’s founders.

Charles and Emma Frye spent their lives amassing a beautiful collection of art and sharing it with their community. Upon their deaths they gifted the collection to the people of Seattle. I love the salon-style in which this collection is displayed, but what I love more is the fact that this art-loving couple’s gift lives on, still being enjoyed by the people of Seattle many decades later.