Reviews of American Museum of Western Art--The Anschutz Collection (Museum)

David Conner

Thanks to the Anschutz family for making such a magnificent collection available for public viewing. In addition to their value as fine art, the paintings—mostly oils—have historic importance as depictions of life in the West prior to photographs or when photography was still in its infancy. Just a couple of drawbacks: The building, though charming, is too small for the collection, so that the paintings are crammed literally from floor-to-ceiling. This makes it hard to get a good view of paintings that are too high or too low. Moreover, the lighting relies mostly on traditional spotlights that create shiny bright spots on some of the works, especially those near the ceiling. Nevertheless, a memorable and worthwhile experience!

Andrea Corbo

We loved the musical presentation about Colorado History through music provided by Swallow Hill musicians! What an unexpected treat this was last week! If you enjoy learning about Colorado's history or Western history for that matter, be sure to stop by and enjoy all the artwork.

Marilyn Behringer

Marvelous! I definitely recommend the guided tour.

Randy Hamzah

Nice museum, but it was unnecessary to have museum staff follow my partner and I throughout the museum watching us. Did they think we were going to steal something? Weird.

J.D. Largent

It was a really cool gallery with the paintings arranged in interesting ways. Def get the audio guide.

Tommy Marcelletti

The paintings are great. But you can’t even see most of the paintings because the lights cause a glare on them. You have to crane your neck to hunch over to see many of them.

G G

Worth the visit. Beautifully restored historic bldg with a beautiful collection of western art.

Craig Higgs

Hard to find, but a very nice museum.

Graciela Pacheco

Spectacular paintings! A must see if you love all things western.

Mike Myers

Soo much to see, paintings are thick and wall-to-wall.

Timothy Odeen

Went to Colorado to defend a MA thesis on western art. Was told to go here. It was worth the trip. A great survey of western American art.

Lee Williams

A large volume of artwork from America’s violent expansion into the west

Jane / BLUES Abbott

Intimate western art museum, lots of great artists and very informative my 2nd time. And I'll go back again

Al Lin

Good if you like art. Reasonable admission, but no photos allowed

Allan Moynihan

Very special museum featuring Primarily 19th century art, no photos inside

Brigette Bustos

Really great collection, nicely arranged throughout. The building itself is a story worth hearing, let alone each piece displayed. The staff is friendly and does a nice job making sure people don't get too close to the open access art. (Some people are so unaware of their own limbs!) Knowledgeable, friendly staff in a wonderfully historical setting. Thank you, Mr. Anschutz, for making your art available for our viewing. The museum is outstanding.

Angela Shaffer

Extensive collection of Western Art

Al Morasso

A wonderful and fascinating collection of American art. Enjoyed every minute of it.

Irma Zandl

Great docent-led tour but no photos allowed. Some great artists in the collection but I realized I’m not a fan of “salon-style” installations. I would prefer a different style of curation.

Steve Replogle

The historic Navarre building, across the street from the Brown Palace, houses this museum and is the home of the Anschutz Collection. There are more than 600 paintings, drawings, and sculptures from almost 200 artists. The collection offers a survey of western art from the dawn of the 19th century to the present. Billionaire Philip Anschutz sent portions of this collection on tours of foreign countries, including China and the Soviet Union, to promote American Exceptionalism. In 2010, he founded the museum to exhibit the collection to the American public. The museum's floor plan is simple: three large, open rooms on three floors. The range of styles is eclectic. There are examples of "early American expeditionary painting, Hudson River School and Rocky Mountain School landscapes, 19th-century American narrative painting, early American modernism, Expressionism, Cubism and Abstraction, American Regionalism, New Deal Art, and Abstract Expressionism." That's from the museum's website. I certainly couldn't identify them all myself, and the collection is not organized by approach, but presented salon-style. The overall impression is of a rich and contradictory heritage, almost too much to digest in one trip. I must admit to my own contradictory feelings about this museum. The collection is stunning, certainly, but the founder, one of the wealthiest men in the U.S., is a conservative Christian who actively opposes equal rights for our LGBTQ citizens. Should his politics be a factor for people who might visit the museum? Or should that be set aside, for the sake of the art? I'm not sure. I went, and I enjoyed the visit. And... I left with feelings of ambivalence. Ambivalence about the history of the west, and about the owners of this collection. If you go, take the guided tour. It's a must. Our own guide was extremely knowledgeable - and necessary, to be honest. There's so much to see - almost too much! Another valuable resource is an excellent piece from Westword, which discusses the history of the Navarre building as well as the evolution of the museum within. Look for "Philip Anschutz Opens His Substantial Collection of Western Art to the Public" by Michael Paglia, in Westword's May 29, 2012 issue. Photos are not allowed within the museum, so my photos here are all of the exterior. A quick online search will show you the interior and the splendid - if perhaps slightly overpowering - artwork on display. On the second floor, look for the portrait of George Washington; it is from 1823 and is the oldest piece in the museum’s collection.

Calvin Moody

Tight security!

Mike Zirbel

Very interesting, a must see.

Christine Rajzman-Kliger

Jolie résidence ancienne, 3 étages de peintures

Ali McNally

This museum is so unique. It's full of history and beauty. If you're interested in Western history, go ahead and pay the extra $5 for the guided tour. The docents make a sincere effort to make it a great experience. Can't say enough great things.

Natalie Harper

B-b-b-b-b-best of the WEST!!!!! Holla!

Thomas Bell

An Anschutz owned Museum.

Linda Rosales

This museum is a bit of a hidden treasure. The hours are a bit limited, but if you're even a little curious about Western art you need to visit!

Deborah Ryan

Amazing art work.

Krista Hayes

Great collection and only $5 including self tour headset

Anthony Cruitt

My wife and I showed up rather excited to visit the American Museum of Western Art on our short stop in Denver but were turned away at the door for one reason: we were foolish enough to bring our 3-week old son with us! (insert gasp here) As a disclaimer, we know now that children under 8 are prohibited from the museum and we now see that information buried on their site. I have a few things to say about that though. First, we did visit the website before going. We read about entrance fees, hours of operation, current exhibitions and the like. We did not, however, snoop around looking for a prohibition on children because in the dozens of museums my wife and I have visited around the world, this is the first time we have ever heard of a ban on children. We didn't look for that information because we have never heard of such a moronic policy. Real art in real museums is treated like a public good to be consumed by all. Second, although we understand that these people believe their pencil drawings of conestoga wagons are very unique and special (insert laughter here), we have a hard time figuring out what kind of trouble a 3-week old can get into from his stroller. He can't even lift his head, but watch out all you water colored bison! Finally, and most shocking, was the terrible attitude that greeted us at the door. An elderly gentlemen/employee apparently saw us rolling the stroller up to the door because he popped out to stop us before we could intrude and curtly stated, "We don't allow kids." No sorry, or a smile and statement of regret. No explanation or even a "hey, did you get a chance to read that on our website?" Just a straight-faced "get the f*$& out" by some cantankerous old coot at the door. Good riddance you joke of a "museum!"

Michael Rollins

Large Western art collection and free audio guide. We were there with friends on a free Friday. I think there are too many painting, 3 floors and all the walls are packed with beautiful paintings. Some are hard to see with the reflection from the lighting.

Koe Joe

Pretty cool

Blake Taylor

Great works of art from a wonderful collection.

Harper Jocque

Hidden gem and only $5 for the self guided tour, $10 for guided tour. An amazing collection of Western American art the spans from the earliest days of European movement into the west to contemporary painting and sculpture. The paintings are arranged in a dense salon style on the walls of the multi story building. It is a place where you try to be quiet, so not a good place for young kids. There's very little labeling beyond artist - date - title, so you need the audio guide to get a deeper story. I loved the collection, and could have spent hours taking in the art, but even if you breeze through the museum you'll be happy. My only complaint is that they do not have an online list of the artists in the collection, so if you want to remember an artist or specific work, be sure to write it down!

Cindy Woodhead

One of the Best small museums with a large colection of historical paintings. Audio guide recommend!

Michelle Van Stinson

Absolutely enjoyed my time!

Mark Caban

Enjoyed seeing the Taos Artists represented wonderful collection. Not sure of the Patron’s environmental or social responsibility.

Nathan Peres

A pity that one cannot take pictures there.

C C

We attempted to visit during a trip to Denver and walked there from a restaurant. Upon arriving a few minutes after 2:00 PM we were told that the last self-guided tour was at 2:00 PM due to a special event. This was not posted anywhere on their website hours or on the hours posted on Google. The older white gentleman with a beard and a younger girl with a scarf in her hair were extremely rude and pretentious. When we explained we only had a short amount of time because we had a plane to catch they were completely unsympathetic especially considering how ridiculous it was that we were only a couple minutes past. After leaving we double checked their website and all we could see posted was that we had to be there by four. When I called back and explained my frustration and also suggested that they update their website since it is inaccurate I was told that I was incorrect but that she didn't want to argue with me and that she was disappointed that we were unsatisfied with our visit in a flippant, condescending, and sarcastic tone. She then stated that a special event was posted on the calendar. Who doublechecks a Calendar for a facility if the hours are posted on the first page? I since looked at their calendar and again found NOTHING about shortened hours. We were treated poorly and if their rules are so rigid and there are no exceptions for entry after 2 o'clock then perhaps they should make that clear on their website or at least be nice about it. It was such a bad experience that I would never go back there. We only had an hour at the most to look in the museum anyway. I'm sure people who came well before 2 o'clock will be there later than we would have even stayed. They need to work on their customer service and also having an accurate website.

Erin Acheson

A small, but packed museum of western gems in the oldest building in Denver.

SmithPhone1 SmithPhone1

Time very well spent , insights into people and culture we know too little about . Folks at museum great help and delightful hosts . Hope the city and other cultural institutions become more aware of the value of knowing the history the museum is trying to preserve and expand upon . Good for the Coors family , Anschutz tribe , Bob Lembke , the Brown Pslace folks pitch in and enrich the rich cultural fabric that is Denver , our country's wonderful West .

Mark Balas

One of Denver's hidden gems. More than just 'cowboys and indians', there's something for everyone to enjoy, including a wonderful portrait of George Washington and modern art from the Taos and elsewhere in the west.

sallie erwin

Wonderful unexpected collection with some of the finest painters of the historical time. Informative and facinating!

Anne Welch

Very interesting collection of Western art, spanning 200 years.

donna van diepen

Gorgeous paintings; lovely museum.

cheryl durant

Very informative

David Mayes

This museum is a real gem! If you like western art, it is a must-see. There are three floors of mostly oil paintings with a wide variety of styles. $5 admission includes an audio tour device. For $10 you can get a 1.5 hour guided tour.

Jenipher Chandley

The most inspirational place I've ever been. The collection is phenomenal. Such beauty.

Meredith Husk

It's no joke when they tell you that they run out of wall space! That being said though, they have used the small space well, and everyone is very knowledgeable about the pieces.

paolo bianchi

(Translated by Google) Beautiful museum with beautiful works (Original) Museo bellissimo con opere stupende

Madeline Leroux

I love this hidden gem! I only wish that there was a small amount of information posted without having to pay for the audio tour.

Harold Salters

Exceptional curator-led tour. You'll be surprised to see some iconic American West pieces you've only previously seen in Art History textbooks.

Sara Blackmore

The art was fantastic!!

Tom Boyce

This important collection gives an understanding of the breath of the subject as well as the approach the various schools of artists took to capture the subject and preserve slices of landscape, lifestyles, and characters for the generations that would follow after the "west" would disappear. Even the building itself is used to put you back into the last ragged edge of the push westward by white men that erased the free ranging native American culture.

Maria Rodriguez

Nice..went walking

Chris Morgan

Ok it's bad enough to support a self glorifying museum about the American West by someone who continues to be a rabid profiteer making billions exploiting and stealing from the lands of that very same American West. I do appreciate an attempt at philanthropy, but the hypocrisy here is ridiculous and would encourage anyone here to look into the history of the collection and where the money came from. However, given all that a public museum is admirable, but with a seemingly infinite budget please at least have a decent and knowledgeable staff and run a professional operation. This is certainly not he case here as the museum is very poorly run and managed. In the future I'll spend my time and energy supporting true patrons of the arts and professional institutions. Please fix this mess with your disrespectful and rude staff and poor museum information for everyone who wants to view the collection in the future.