Columbia Museum of Art 🇺🇸

You will find the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, South Carolina, situated at the intersection of Main and Hampton Streets. Once housed in the historic 1908 Taylor House, this institution moved to its expanded, postmodern building in 1998. As you arrive, you walk through the brick-paved Boyd Plaza, which showcases impressive outdoor sculptures by Henry Moore, Robert Carroll, and Steven Naifeh.

Stepping inside through the glass entry doors, you are greeted by the two-story Robinson Jr. atrium featuring a striking 14-foot Chihuly chandelier crafted from strands of red, orange, and gold glass. First-floor galleries accommodate changing temporary exhibitions alongside selections of modern and contemporary art from the permanent collection. Moving up to the second floor, you can explore twenty galleries arranged chronologically through European and American art history.

You can view ancient Mediterranean antiquities—including Greek ceramics and Roman marble heads—as well as Renaissance and Baroque Old Master works from the Kress collection. The second floor also features ancient Chinese tomb sculptures, 18th-to-20th-century paintings, decorative arts, Duncan Phyfe and Stickley furniture, and Tiffany Studios stained glass. It offers you a wonderfully rich, continuous journey across global artistic traditions right in downtown Columbia.

What to see at Columbia Museum of Art

• A 14-foot Chihuly glass chandelier in the two-story entry atrium
• Outdoor sculptures by Henry Moore, Robert Carroll, and Steven Naifeh in Boyd Plaza
• Renaissance and Baroque Old Master works from the Kress collection
• Ancient Mediterranean antiquities, including Roman marble sculptures and Greek ceramics
• Chinese tomb sculptures and decorative arts spanning 2000 BCE to 1400 CE

Visiting tips

Take time to walk around the brick-paved Boyd Plaza outside the museum entrance to view its public outdoor sculptures.

How long: Flexible · Best time: Flexible

How to get there & what’s nearby

Columbia Museum of Art is easy to reach on Columbia’s public transport. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Columbia travel guide.