One of my favorites locations to visit in Raleigh is the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA for short). Located on the northwest side of Raleigh and is nestled back into a 164-acre museum park, it is home to the country’s largest museum park that you have seen me post plenty of pictures of on Instagram. Today we visited the museum itself with collection galleries that span more than 5,000 years, from antiquity to the present, and provides countless cultural experiences. With permanent collections that includes everything from masterworks by Rembrandt and Picasso to contemporary photographs by North Carolina artists, this museum is truly one that I revisit over and over. 
Coming into the museum you are greeted by a minimalist space that is beautifully appointed with artistic vignettes placed throughout the space as well as a seating area for museum patrons.
There are so many beautiful works of art ranging from Picasso to Monet to Rembrandt. It probably comes as no surprise that European art is my favorite section with its beautiful colors and techniques, but all of the works displayed are truly beautiful.
I very much enjoy viewing the statues as well. The fact that they were carved centuries, even thousands of years ago and are still around is nothing short astonishing. The details that go into these works are so meticulous and I appreciate all of the seemingly small details that I can find when viewing them.
I love when museums also have objets on display as well. What was once just an everyday object centuries ago becomes a revered work of art to the modern day person as we appreciate the craftsmanship and details that they put into these objects. These things created a life of pleasantries for someone once upon a time, and it is a privilege to be able to visit these objects today.
And of course there are the things that you may come across and know what they are automatically. Picasso, Frieseke, Monet…these are just some of the beautiful works that were on display in the museum and I really enjoyed viewing them in my local museum.
After perusing the museum we headed over to the gift shop. One of my favorite things to do after visiting a museum is visiting the gift shop to enjoy all of the things that they have on offer. It’s always such a creative and lovely curation of objects.
After the shop we made our way over to the restaurant which also has a cafe. We ordered some coffee and pastries and took them out to the courtyard to enjoy.
After we finished our coffee and pastries we took a walk around the museum gardens. There are so many things that you can truly enjoy when visiting the NCMA. The gardens were in bloom and was looking stunning on this sunny day.
I have visited many museums in my life, but this one will always feel like home to me as I have been visiting this location for more twelve years minus the three I lived in Jacksonville. The museum feels inviting and intimate with its low lighting and open concept. The gardens will always be an inviting place to wander and is open year round for visitors. I enjoy visiting places of elegance and beauty and this place will forever be near and dear to my heart and I look forward to sharing more with you as they often bring in high profile exhibits throughout the year.
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